Below I quote a review of a new Smithsonian  exhibition (which
sub-museum?) by the curmudgeonly commentator Dr. Robert L. Park, who
writes a weekly newsletter called "What's New" for the American
Physical Society.   He covers developments in Big Science such as
Congressional appropriations for physics and the pronouncements of
government officials.  His weekly disclaimer: "Opinions are the
author's and are not necessarily shared by the APS, but they should
be."
 
I don't always agree with Dr. Park, but I must say I found his
account quite disturbing.  Todd Johnson, a Fermilab colleague, writes:
"If even partially true, it's the worst thing I've read in quite a
while... Sorry to ruin everyone elses' appetite, but I just had to
share this little gem. I wish I was a Smithsonian member so I could
cancel my membership..."
 
Naturally, I am curious to know how the readers of this list
react to this review.
 
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[Excerpted from:
WHAT'S NEW by Robert L. Park   Friday, 17 June 94  Washington, DC]
 
3. "SCIENCE IN AMERICAN LIFE" -- IS SCIENCE THE GOD THAT FAILED?
Tours of the Smithsonian's new permanent exhibit are conducted by
a middle-aged docent wearing a white lab coat and carrying a clip
board.  "In the 1920s," he recites, "we thought scientists were
gods.  Now we know they're the source of our biggest problems."
That pretty well sums up the exhibit!  "Science in American Life"
begins with a recreation of the chemistry lab at Johns Hopkins
where saccharin was discovered in 1879, complete with life-sized
talking manikins of Ira Remson and Constantine Fahlberg.  But the
two scientists are not discussing coal-tar chemistry, they are in
a bitter dispute over credit for the discovery.  And so it goes.
The focus is not on discovery, but on the public's changing view
of science -- a view that is certain to worsen as a result of the
exhibit.  It's all there:  mushroom clouds, a family bomb shelter
from the 60s, DDT and CFCs.  A section on wartime plutonium
production at Hanford notes that workers' living quarters were
segregated by race and sex.  As you leave the exhibit, there is a
sign warning visitors to "Stop and Think!  Is gene therapy safe?"
 
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