August 2009 - July 2013
The German research foundation (DFG)
Special Priority Program SPP 1409 “Science and General Public: Understanding Fragile and Conflicting Evidence
Authentic objects are a central characteristic of exhibitions – as well in science museums as in history and archaeology museums – and additionally have certain advantages for communicating exhibition-contents. Nowadays, science museums – besides presenting the genesis of scientific and technical findings in a historic perspective – are more and more concerned with seizing current scientific topics that are discussed very controversial in the general public. Compared to internet and mass media, museums have the possibility to exhibit objects and to use them for displaying contrasts. The DFG-SPP project at the KMRC, in cooperation with the Centre for New Technologies (ZNT) at the Deutsches Museum in Munich, is dealing with the question whether, in an exhibition of new controversial technologies, authentic objects are perceived differently in credibility, fascination and argumentative power than their pictorial substitutes.
