" . . . most paranormal activities at museums and historic sites are not public programs."

Thank you for that clarification, Dave -- it makes all the difference, really. If a historic site wants to rent its facility to a paranormal group for private investigation, fine (I suppose -- it's still a little iffy I think, but . . . whatever). My issue was the implied endorsement of those groups' pseudo-scientific methods that a public partnership creates in a museum's audience -- and which, I think, can thus compromise the museum's academic integrity.

" . . . I do love the idea of exploring what we do not know. "

Yes -- and it's always curious to me that sceince is stereotypically derided as having "an answer for everything" -- i.e., the critique being that science only values what it knows, robs Nature of its mystery, and negates our feelings of transcendence. It's really quite the opposite -- science is more accurately described as expanding the realm of the unknown, than of the known, since every new scientific fact spawns hundreds of new questions we didn't even know to ask. In a real sense, we know "less" now ever before, because prior to science we just made up broad (usually supernatural) explanations for everything -- we knew it all.

" . . . quantum theory is still theory and not "proof" even though thousands of experiments have held up its principles."

It bears repeating what I'm sure you and everyone on this list (hopefully) already knows -- that in science the meaning of "theory" is not idle speculation or a cavalier guess, as it can be in its vernacular meaning. A scientific theory is not recognized as such until it is thoroughly supported by evidence and has not been disproven by experiment -- the semantic equivalent of a "proof." Quantum "theory," evolution "theory," are proven beyond a reasonable doubt but have the designation of "theory" because science knowledge is always provisional and must remain open to revision and falsification. There is no credible evidence to establish any paranormal or supernatural set of claims as the equivalent of a scientific theory, although many proponents of such claims will blur the different vernacular and scientific meanings of "theory" in their attempts to do so.

/stephen

________________________________________
From: Museum discussion list [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David Harvey [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Saturday, September 08, 2012 8:36 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Paranormal Investigations in Museums and Historic Sites online course begins September 17

Now this has become an interesting discussion.

I do love the idea of exploring what we do not know. That is brilliant!

I would just observe that the History of Belief not only carries the supernatural, spiritual, and religion with it but also includes our own age of science. Science may be a more critical and rigorous system of belief but it also fuels many beliefs in the public who are not scientists. And many very prominent scientists also are religious or spiritual and have been quite able to reconcile those two things in their lives. The use of "psuedo-science" by paranormal folks also conveys a belief in science in attempt to "prove" the unknown. Of course - the scientific method and rigor is not present. But I always make the point that scientific "proof" is of the highest standards - quantum theory is still theory and not "proof" even though thousands of experiments have held up its principles. It all rather makes me wish that there was better core science education in schools.

Also - most paranormal activities at museums and historic sites are not public programs. The most common are the requests to investigate the site after hours - and so that falls into more of a rental or private event situation. So those do not reflect on the reputation of the institution or constitute an endorsement by you, just as weddings or meetings or other rentals / events by outside groups don't either. And usually the requests do not come to museums with glass cases - most will come to historic sites, house museums, battlefields, historic ships, etc.

Cheers!
Dave

On Sat, Sep 8, 2012 at 5:20 PM, Stephen Nowlin <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:

Very thoughtful comments, Jerry, thanks.

I would only invite further discussion of the notion that museums might venture into "what we do NOT know as well as what we believe we DO."

I don't disagree with you, but would only suggest a possible further distinction. A space museum might well have a display that speculates about the uncertain physics within a black hole, thus acknowledging a core principle of science -- which is that there are things we don't know and what we do know is always subject to revision. But in such a case, knowing "what we don't know" is an informed concept. I would be surprised to hear of a space museum whose display on black holes speculated that what we don't know about them might be explained by paranormal or supernatural phenomena at work, and thus justification for partnering with a group that has invented a specious pseudo-scientific means of investigating such a possibility.

On the other hand, I can imagine that a space museum might host a program in which ancient human beliefs in a supernaturally explained cosmos might be examined as interesting and informative cultural artifact. I think the same distinction should guide the actions of a cultural history museum — as in the case of Shaker beliefs, the museum should serve its audience by examining those beliefs as cultural artifact and not in a way, by virtue of a dubious partnership with paranormal groups, that implies the museum's endorsement of current pseudo-science.

/stephen


From: "jerry.symonds" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Date: Saturday, September 8, 2012 10:24 AM
To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>

Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Paranormal Investigations in Museums and Historic Sites online course begins September 17

Dear Stephen,

I do agree with you that the kind of shows you mention are distinctly “sensational” and museums and heritage sites need to very careful about compromising their own integrity when and if approached to take part in such programmes.

However, I think it’s also important that we are not seen to be ‘precious’. Magical belief systems, after all, have been around since the beginning of time and indeed many museums hold artifacts which reflect the material culture surrounding the unknown, mystical and surreal. So, if we are the custodians of both tangible and intangible heritage, then I don’t personally have a problem with engagement in the margins of the unknown – as long as we don’t make claims we cannot substantiate.

I also agree that the name “museum” implies all the things you mention although “disciplined objectivity” presumably can allow for the consideration of what we do NOT know as well as what we believe we DO?

I also believe that “museum” and “entertainment” can share a happy middle ground although I am with you that in matters of the paranormal this can be dangerous territory! I appreciate that entertainment in museums (or not!) is a whole discussion thread in its own right!

These are my own views and not necessarily those of my employers, so I’ll just sign myself “Jerry” today!

Kind Regards,

Jerry


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