GEOLOGISTS ON DISPLAY: AN EASY WAY TO OPEN YOUR RESEARCH LAB TO THE PUBLIC

Simple glass doors are a low cost and effective way to reveal your science to the public. The Department of Mineralogy at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History is directly off an exhibit gallery. In 2002, I replaced the solid-wood doors with full-length plate-glass doors so patrons walking through the gallery could look into my office and laboratory. Opening scientific laboratories in museums to public display is a trend that began over a decade ago. Some museums have built all new glass-walled labs; however, it can be done easily and at low cost with only a set of glass doors, a rolling table to create a barrier when the doors are open, and lots of signage.

The key to successfully displaying science is signage describing what is being seen, and people or equipment working on a regular schedule. Lots of large print interpretive signage is very important. Keep each sign simple and limited to just one brief statement: “Today we are grinding rocks to investigate . . .” or “Mechanical Balance: used to accurately weigh objects.” We have a sign that says “Ask me: ‘How do you cut a rock?’ or ‘What are you working on?’” The average person fears asking an unintelligent question, so they don’t ask. Providing questions allows everyone to interact. Volunteers are essential to keeping the lab active. You cannot be there all the time, so schedule others to use the lab at regular weekly times and post the schedule. Also, lab personnel need to wear white lab coats to be easily identified by the public as a scientist. Then simply let people watch what you do. Your research, senior theses, or specimen cataloging are all real and intriguing parts of science that people like to watch. However, if no lab personnel are present, the sense of activity can be presented with spotlighting and moving equipment, like a rock tumbler, all turned on with timers. When the research allows, the glass doors can be opened and a table rolled across the opening. This provides a more personal experience with the science being done and invites questions from the public. Please-touch specimens, signage, or lab personnel can be placed at the table to enhance the experience. Being on display is distracting and time consuming, but it does educate the public about the job of a geologic scientist, and it trains young scientists how to spontaneously articulate what they are doing with clear and simple words.