Humans and apes

[Thomas Lammers]

Having spent nine years in a museum setting and interacted frequently with
exhibit developers and outreach educators, I think I understand John's
viewpoint.  It seems to me that what he wants to do primarily is to give
visitors a glimpse of Science As Process, and that The Origins of Humans
is, in many ways, a secondary message.  WAY too many folk think of science
as A Body of Knowledge or as An Attitude, and *not* as a Process for
Understanding.  Presenting them with contrasting hypotheses and laying out
the ways by which scientists evaluate these hypotheses is, I think, an
excellent idea.  As long as the accompanying text is honest about the data
and its interpretation, I think this is exactly the way to proceed.  More
power to the good folks in Buffalo!

If folks are more concerned with enforcing orthodoxy than with
*understanding*, it's small wonder the public has such an inaccurate view
of science.  I have students in our bio orientation class ruminate and
write on the following quote: "Science is not about getting the right
answer; science is about asking the right questions."


Thomas G. Lammers, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor and Curator of the Herbarium (OSH)
Department of Biology and Microbiology
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901-8640 USA

e-mail:       lammers at uwosh.edu
phone:      920-424-1002
fax:           920-424-1101

Plant systematics; classification, nomenclature, evolution, and biogeography
of the Campanulaceae s. lat.

Webpages:
http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/biology/Lammers.htm
http://www.uwosh.edu/departments/biology/herbarium/herbarium.html
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Resort/7156/lammers.html
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"Today's mighty oak is yesterday's nut that stood his ground."
                                                               -- Anonymous