"...1% if that of the people going through the exhibit would never..." Ever?
In the Science Museum business, as well as science outreach (like vans that visit schools for assemblies and such), the reigning belief, which is probably valid for most kids, is that hands-on interaction is the best way to inspire kids to learn-- you can't do too much teaching in a museum, as much as getting people engaged. Some people are not inspired by the hands-on repetition of a scientific demonstration, as much as by being told something that'll blow their minds (e.g. "Trees are made from air."), but it's nearly impossible to know what sort of thing a kid needs to hear or read in order to inspire him or her, while hands-on is a bit easier to do with lots of people. Furthermore, I'm pretty sure that hands-on interaction is the sort of thing that performs well when you're researching the problem of inspiring children. Some kids need the museums, some kids need to see Mister Wizard, and some of them need to build stuff from Popular Mechanics or MAKE. Museums, though, are a cost-effective way to inspire kids in bulk. heh.
dood, i can't even see the dolphins! actually i can, it just took a while. ;)
gah, could rainy-day studying, a trip to trader joe's, then more studying, be any more soul sucking?
xoB, yeah, "ever"...not my finest moment of writing
Pretty F-ing cool! (re: ship easter egg) that was fun, thanks! kirk the super slueth.