The Science of Museums: Tapping the social sciences to make exhibits fathomable and fun

摘要

When the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History decided to update its 30-year-old Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals a decade ago, the curators accepted that its centerpiece would remain its famous necklace—the one sporting the 45.5-carat Hope diamond (left). The most viewed museum object in the world, it draws more than 5 million visitors annually. The challenge to staff scientists lay in attracting visitors to the hall's many other exhibits, recalls Lynn D. Dierking of the Institute for Learning Innovation (ILI) in Annapolis, Md. The museum hired her firm to evaluate key facets of the renovation project.