 |
||
|
|
||
|
If Theoretical Biology's goal is renewed, then implicitly, so is the natural history museums. And now we have come full circle, back to the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The image above shows a very different type of exhibition, not focused on taxonomy, but on biodiversity. Here the collection is reworked to make obvious something that the viewer of the taxonomic collection would easily miss — a complex and diverse web of life is arranged in a sprawling chaotic manner, biodiversity "is the sum of all living species on earth". Entering the hall leaves the eye wandering and the mind engaged at the sublime suggestion of the diversity of life. Museums have now discovered that there are other ways to display a collection, such as biogeographically or zoogeographically.
|
 |
Intelligent use of new media, allows a more in-depth examination of both taxonomy and process and in other areas of the exhibit, the effects of ecologists politisisation of science is evident. The museum is pro-active in engaging individuals and groups in political activity, and via the internet they can join discussion groups or, in a strong American tradition, form their own local chapters to promote biodiversity. While the exhibition is far from perfect and address only some of the concerns discussed here, it does begin to express ideas as to what a natural history museum can be. Again we must be mindful of the cargo of gene stocks — where the value of life is seen only in terms of its informational qualities expressed in nucleic acids for Blife and binary strings for Blife. |
|
|
||
