In a message dated 8/29/2002 10:34:24 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<< As an example, several years ago, the National Air and Space Museum hosted
the
 Star Wars exhibit. It was clearly a pop-culture, science-fiction exhibit that
 had nothing to do with real science. While it was a cool exhibit, I thought
 that it was entirely inappropriate for NASM because it was out of the scope
of
 the museum. On the other hand, it would have fit in great at the National
 Museum of American History as they do have a pop-culture collection. (Not
 trying to start another flame war here. :) >>

Deb, no flames, just disagreement.  While the Star Wars show, from the
standpoint of popular culture, would not have been "entirely inappropriate"
for the National Museum of American History, neither was it entirely
inappropriate for NASM, a museum devoted to air and space travel.  I seem to
recall that the Star Wars saga had something to do with space travel, didn't
it?  I think it's perfectly logical for an institution devoted to the science
and experience of flight and outer space to delve into the popular science
fiction associated with the field.  Now, whether that particular exhibition,
as a manifestation of a single commercial phenomenon, was the best way to
address the issue, is debatable.

David Haberstich

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