highlights from evaluation of the big bang exhibition thursday 4 th june 11.30-13.00 jo...
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Highlights from evaluation of the Big Bang exhibition
Thursday 4th June11.30-13.00Jo Quinton-TullochHead of Exhibitions and GalleriesScience Museum, London
Particle physics outreach in science centres and museums
Big Bang at the Science Museum, London
Underlying physics is hugely challenging…
• Recognised the vocabulary• Interested in anti-matter and dark
matter• But Higgs Boson and mass too difficult
Challenges
CERN – a triumph of international cooperation and scientific endeavour but…
not considered unusual or unique
Challenges
Not hugely impressed by scale of operations…
• Assume scientists just do this sort of thing
• Little sense of awe
Challenges
Critical of decision to run the exhibition before there were any results to report…
felt that the exhibition was only reporting half the story
Challenges
Not heard of CERN by that name
Large Hadron Collider is an unfamiliar term…
… difficult to remember
Challenges
Stopping the beam…
how can such a small piece of graphite stop a stream of particles?
Also released insecurities
Most interested in
• People allured by the mysteries surrounding dark matter, anti-matter, Big Bang
• Basic idea of smashing particles together and splitting off fragments is a simple idea – people get it
• People feel a sense of privilege at being shown science’s leading edge
Future campaigns
• Fragmented understanding and confusion leads to mistrust and anxiety
• How far do their concerns need to be met head on:– Will it do more harm than good?– Will it create another Big Bang?
• Want to see tangible benefits for the modern world
Future campaigns
Particle physics outreach in science centres and museums
Jo Quinton-TullochHead of Exhibitions and GalleriesScience Museum, London