self-archive part twenty-two
Wonder and Resonance: Spalding already discusses the Exploratorium. He discusses its use of innovation in display and education. You can get what you want out of the museum, and that can be different every time. What I find most wonderous and resonant is Frank's philosophies about life and how he led his. My wonder at the museum is that it represents the creation of one individual. The direction its taking now is a bit different, although I do believe the museum to still maintain best intentions. Its just not possible to fulfill someone else's vision. The ability to create wonder is apparent in the faces of all the visitors. No one is bored, and everyone is looking at something different. Wonder and resonance is a major part of its purpose. In order for one to develop a curiousity that they will continue to engage, they have to have resonated with the exhibits. Nurturing curiousity is a goal, and wonder is a bridge between exhibit and curiousity. Spalding suggests that museums should promote doubt to encourage delight. The Exploratorium does not shy away from saying on many exhibits that science has no explanantion for the particular phenomena at hand. It gives one the notion, that they could go and discover the reason with their own research. It really nailed home, how little science really understands about anything for certain. All the big questions remain unanswered, but these little ones add up to a large amount of effort has occured to get us to the understanding we are at now.
Due to the uniqueness of the Exploratorium, it has no narrative but rather phenomena that it explains through many different grouped exhibits. It does use several angles to illustrate the same point, and so is poetic. One can choose to go upstairs or downstairs first, and the upstairs is acessible from two different points. It is logical that things are fluid from phenomena to phenomena; there are no barriers that seperate one phenomena from another as if to reinforce that all discoveries are predicated by others. The lighting is very dim in the space, but many exhibits emit their own light. I didn't have any vision problems, however, taking photos was super difficult due to this. It was great not to have flourescent lights burning down on me. The sound, as previously mentioned is the loud sounds of what it means to be there: children yelling, squealing, and the myriad random sounds created by the exhibits themselves. It adds to the relaxed ambience, but some have complained about the noise; nothing will change about that -no rule is impending vocal volume.
The Exploratorium deals with one many aspects of the same story, expression and exploration. Science and art both being expressions of curiosity. A shifting rotation occurs of exhibits, with some always remaining on the floor and others being shifted. A new development in science will shortly be followed by a new exhibit on the floor.
Due to the uniqueness of the Exploratorium, it has no narrative but rather phenomena that it explains through many different grouped exhibits. It does use several angles to illustrate the same point, and so is poetic. One can choose to go upstairs or downstairs first, and the upstairs is acessible from two different points. It is logical that things are fluid from phenomena to phenomena; there are no barriers that seperate one phenomena from another as if to reinforce that all discoveries are predicated by others. The lighting is very dim in the space, but many exhibits emit their own light. I didn't have any vision problems, however, taking photos was super difficult due to this. It was great not to have flourescent lights burning down on me. The sound, as previously mentioned is the loud sounds of what it means to be there: children yelling, squealing, and the myriad random sounds created by the exhibits themselves. It adds to the relaxed ambience, but some have complained about the noise; nothing will change about that -no rule is impending vocal volume.
The Exploratorium deals with one many aspects of the same story, expression and exploration. Science and art both being expressions of curiosity. A shifting rotation occurs of exhibits, with some always remaining on the floor and others being shifted. A new development in science will shortly be followed by a new exhibit on the floor.
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