Museum of the History of Science
How many of us realise that most of the activities in the first public museum in Britain were what we would now think of as 'scientific'?A clear distinction between science and other aspects of learning did not exist when this museum opened its doors in Broad Street, Oxford in 1683. The basement was a chemical laboratory and occasionally an anatomy theatre, the middle floor became filled with instruments and apparatus for teaching through experimental demonstration, and the top floor had displayed collections that were mainly of natural history. This was the Ashmolean Museum before the heads of its staff were turned forever by fine art, antiquities, furniture and the like, and they took themselves off to much grander accommodation - now to become grander still - in Beaumont Street.
The present occupant of one of the most important buildings in the history of museums is the Museum of the History of Science (MHS), and although the subject is now specifically 'science', the spirit of the original foundation is preserved here as well as in Beaumont Street. Unlike many science galleries today, the focus is still on original objects, and a great many of these objects are very old. In fact the Museum houses the world's finest collection of early scientific instruments, provided we emphasise the word 'early'. Most science museums are strongest in material from the 19th and 20th centuries, where MHS is relatively undistinguished, but it is unsurpassed in the medieval period, the Renaissance and the 17th century.
So, with a fabulously old collection in a historic building, does MHS 'matter' for public engagement with science today? Since the lottery-funded redevelopment completed a few years ago, a distinctive programme of public events and family activities has developed and is still growing. It can be discovered either through the quarterly printed programmes, available at the Museum, or via the website at www.mhs.ox.ac.uk. There are exhibitions, lectures, tours and trails, themes days and family activities. The focus is less on the technical aspects of contemporary science (though these can be part of the overall mix) and more on the appreciation of science in history and in culture. Scientific practice combines what we inherit from the past with what research can discover today, and we encounter it in our world within the broadest aspects of human culture as well as through the technical challenges of the classroom and the lab.
There are many ways of appreciating this scientific culture and the MHS programme seeks to encompass as many as possible. One advantage of an old collection, for example, is that the achievements it records are not confined to modern, Western science: as well as material from India, China and Japan, MHS has one of the world's great collections of Islamic instruments. But not all the exhibitions deal exclusively with the past. Next up (from 24th May) there will be an exhibition presenting the work of two artists in representing the moon: John Russell from the 18th century and Rebecca Hind from the 21st.
As scientists become increasingly concerned with a decline both in public confidence in science and in student interest and worried over what can be done to reverse this, one positive step will be to become more relaxed and tolerant of different ways to enjoy the broader scientific culture. Science does not provide all the answers for everyone and insisting that it should has not helped its cause. While it is vital that many of us take up professional careers, it is also important that there are other ways to engage, and these should include the human, social and aesthetic issues raised by an outstanding collection of fascinating objects.
This article was written by Jim Bennett. Science Matters is co-ordinated by The Oxford Trust for the Oxford Times. Published January 2007.