Oh stop being dramatic. They redesign constantly because, as you said, science is forever dynamic. Are their exhibits sometimes stale because of lag time? Sure. But Jesus, "retread exhibits from 40 years ago" is either completely false or only true for select exhibits. Some of the museum is being overhauled and updated over the next few years.
THAT SOUNDS ok
Again, their primary mission, and a large source of revenue for them is educational school groups and summer camps. So yes, it can be kind of kitschy, but the museum doesn't really try to be anything more than that.
NOT TRUE
It doesn't pretend to be a Museum of Natural History. It's more like the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh. In that role, I would contend that it succeeds. You don't have to like visiting it, that makes you neither a moron, nor an enlightened connoisseur who hasn't been sucked in by their scam. But again, I don't think your personal distaste for the museum means that it's a failed concept.
PARTIALLY TRUE -- Carnegie is more like what was described and attributed to the MOS except for their dinosaurs that a large, plentiful and definitely real
Busses -- thanks for the rejoinder against the ignorance about the MOS -- as for the others -- I would just ask --- When was the last time you actually visited the MOS other than to suck on a bong during the Pink Floyd laser show in the Planetarium?
Point of Full Disclosure -- I've been a volunteer in the MOS Exhibit Interpreter program on Sunday afternoons for over 20 years
A few MOS facts:
about 700 "permanent exhibits" -- although the mix changes constantly
Some large such as the world's largest air insulated Van de Graaf Generator
Some small and very state of the art -- Nano technology sponsored by the NSF
Some globally unique such as the very detailed 3D model of Mt Everest
An operating SEM [which while about 20 years old] allowing visitors to see things from the scale of Ticks to the very edge of the domain of atoms [200 kX] -- and for which students in some of the high school enhancement programs can prepare their own samples
A Diffusion Cloud Chamber where 24X7 sub atomic particles leave behind their tracks
and a lot more now and for the future
Major Aspects of the MOS -- not hardly garden variety kische:
The Gordon Current Science and Technology Center -- preparing and presenting live programming -- some taken as feed by NECN among other media
Gordon-sponsored Design Challenges -- where under some supervision you can design, build, and test a prototype solution to a given problem --- such as sliding down a hill, sailing, building a trampoline with least bounce, etc.
The aforementioned Charles Hayden Planetarium -- recently renovated with the state-of-the-art in digital projection technology
The Mugar Omni Theatre
The Childrens Discovery Space for preschoolers to interact with the nature of nature
real - live and constantly changing the Butterfly Garden
Theatre of Electricity presenting live demonstrations of the a small and very large Van de Graaf Generator, several Tesla Coils of various sizes including one that "Sings well known songs"
The entire "science and engineering" as process Cluster funded by more than 10 million in NSF grants and including:
Take a Closer Look -- home of the SEM, Cloud Chamber, large screen Thermal IR Camera
Investigate -- including a you are Galileo and you can drop somethings and see if they really fall at the same rate and ther opportunity to experiment with solar cars and fludi flow
Making Models -- home of Everest as well as interactive mapping and modeling of the surface of metals at the atomic level and the surfaces of planers
Natural Mysteries -- where yes there are skeletons of snakes, "Big Game" and Trilobytss collected when the MOS was the pioneering [circa 1830's] New England Natural History Society
The Live Animal Center -- where you can see live snakes, owls, porcupines, etc., -- the MOS is an accredited Zoo
The Gordon Wing [in-fill within the parking garage hosting] the NSF, Gordon and others funded National Center for Technological Literacy -- creator of a series of middle and high school engineering curricular material now part of the core curriculum in more than a dozen states
1.5 Million annual visitors from more than 100 countries and every state
tens of thousands of school kids
adult education programs
HQ for the Intel sponsored Computer Clubhouse with clubhouses around the country
Lead position in the NISE Network {"(Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network "} -- a consortium of 14 museums and universities across the nation funded by a major grant from the National Science Foundation -- producer of a "permanent" but constantly updated exhibit in the Blue Wing on the science and practice of Nano
http://www.nisenet.org/
Yes -- I will admit that there are some shortcomings -- the MOS's largest Real Fossil -- Triceratops Cliff -- is one of only a handful of full and nearly complete Triceratops -- unfortunately a long term loan
When the MOS absorbed the Computer Museum -- they allowed the unique and irreplaceable collection of artifacts to be "legally" pillaged and carried off to Silicon Valley
The formerly working 80 HP Stem Engine is now just sitting there as the old guy who took care of it is now in the big workshop beyond
A number of the oldies but goodies that disappeared such as: the Huge Fresnel Light House Lens; the live display of Boston Harbor from a real marine radar on a "Simulated Ship's Bridge"; Interactive Wall sized Periodic Table -- hard to keep-up with the new elements
I suggest that you come see the Hall of Human Life when it opens in the next few weeks -- where you can have more than a dozen of your parameter measured, stored under an anonymous ID [ you get a unique bar-coded bracelet when you enter) --and then compared in real-time to the mass of other visitors with on-line access to check on how things might have changed since your visit
After you have actually experienced the MOS -- we can talk
http://www.mos.org/exhibits
PS: MOS is also one of two home of the Boston Duck Tours -- except this Saturday when the Red Sox will be borrowing them for a Rolling World Series Ralley
