Science in the Science Museum: representing science for the Public

Abstract

Science museums remain integral sites for the communication and production of scientific knowledge for and amongst the public. Whether entertaining, socially oriented, educational, or all three, museums continue to draw audiences and present science in innovative ways. More recently they have begun to challenge traditional views of science by encouraging increased social engagement from their audiences. In this vein, public understanding of science is not simply about conveying information; it is about understanding the nature of science and its place in our world. Ranging in topic and type, three exhibits from the Science Museum of Minnesota (Disease Detectives, Mysteries of Catalhoyuk, and Race: Are we so different?) all demonstrate how a modern science museum constructs and mobilizes science for the public. This project carries out a case study of each of these exhibits by drawing on semiotic and rhetorical frameworks to study of how they communicate particular scientific knowledge (microbiology, archaeology, and genetics and anthropology). It also explores how exhibits construct the broader picture of science as a discipline as well as how they engage visitors as social actors. This case study helps to open up the museum as a rhetorical space and provide a richer understanding of the ways in which modern museum exhibits continue to function as critical texts in the public sphere.