Summary:
The City of Sciences and Industry, which is one of the largest museum of sciences located in Paris, considers that life sciences and all the problems raised by the progress in biology should constitute the core of the programs developed in the museum at the begining of the new century during the period 2001-2002. Numerous subjects could be chosen, all fascinating for the visitors and interesting for the future developments of Biology.Under the direction of Joël de Rosnay a commitee called BioCom has been appointed to select the topics to be developed. The committee has suggested to place the human as the center of interest of the program since previous surveys have clearly shown that visitors are mainly interested in concrete questions that concern their daily life and in which they are personally involved. In order to orientate the choices of the committee, the department of Evaluation and Prospective of the City of Sciences has undertaken four types of studies and investigations.
Key Words: biology, communication, life sciences, museum, public, topics, surveys, scientists, visitor studies
___________________________________________ The City of Sciences and Industry, which is one of the largest museum of sciences located in Paris, considers that life sciences and all the problems raised by the progress in biology should constitute the core of the programs developed in the museum at the begining of the new century during the period 2001-2002. Numerous subjects could be chosen, all fascinating for the visitors and interesting for the future developments of Biology.
Under the direction of Joël de Rosnay a commitee called BioCom has been appointed to select the topics to be developed.
The committee has suggested to place the human as the center of interest of the program since man is both object and subject of the biological revolution and holds in his hands the future of mankind.
Fig. 1
In addition, previous surveys have clearly shown that visitors are mainly interested in concrete questions that concern their daily life and in which they are personally involved. The department of Evaluation and Prospective of the City of Sciences has undertaken a series of studies and investigations in order to orientate the choices of the committee.
In fact, the central question we had to answer was :
´ What are the main directions which should be followed by the museum for the best communication with the visitors through not only exhibits but also conferences, video, different kinds of media ?ª
Fig. 2
In this paper, we present the results of four types of study on which we focused our investigations in order to define these directions.
The two first approaches allow a better understanding of centers of interest, subjects of curiosity, level of knowledge of various categories of visitors, their interrogations and their preoccupations.
1. Visitor studies performed in prior exhibits on brain, pain, medecine and health
This has shown that the visitors clearly appreciate when a subject is represented not only through a scientific approach but also when an historical ground contributes to the understanding of the thematic. For example, in the field of medecine and health.
Another feeling which is often expressed is the philosophical aspect of the scientific approach. In addition a representation which reflects emotional feelings seems to render an exhibit more accessible for example int the exhibition about pain.
Finally, these different modes of presentation favor the personal involvement of the visitors who perceive the exhibition acccording to their own questioning.
2. A more recent study was performed in another city (Besançon) outside of the museum on ´ focus groups ª composed of different categories of people selected according to age, sex, socio-professional groups
A first group composed of young people under 25 years of age, a second group composed of men and women aged over 50. Two groups of adults between 30 et 50 with only men for one group and only women for the other.
As anticipated by these various groups, the exhibition should impulse the visitors to raise questions about life in general and human life in particular.They all wish to see the exhibit as a place for understanding and debating. They expect discussions, exchanges not only with the conceptors of the exhibit and the scientists but also between themselves. They want to participate and to be listened to. They want to be actors and to experiment by themselves.
Among the different subjects they wish to be presented are the control of nature, the cloning, the disappearance of species. Even if they are very interested by the latest advancements of Biology, most of their questions refer to medecine and health and the topics developed by the media. In many interviews curiosity is always associated with fears about risks which are suggested by the developments of biology.
The third study reports on the results of :
3. Interviews performed with representants of teachers in Biology grouped in an Association of Teachers in Biology and Geology ; (ATBG).
These interviews give information about what the teachers expect from the museum in their future exhibitions for their mission of mediation and education of young people.
The interviewed teachers all insit insist on the difficulty in teaching complex questions to young people who need to be supported by exact results.
- They are concerned by the fact that science used to be taught as a science of certainty, but biology is a domain of questioning, and one of their aim is to make students think, analyse problems, ask questions and develop opinions. They suggest to communicate on evolution of sciences without forgetting to present basic notions.
- They recommend also several levels of presentation for a single subject : starting from one example and enlarge to more elaborated questions.
- They insist on the fact that a scientific model is not life, but only a model. For instance, they can teach a model one year and this model can be wrong the following year. They keep in mind that science involves doubt.
- They are conscious about the balance between genetical determinism which prevailed in the twentieth century in biology and epigenesis which is now identified.
Different topics appear to be very important for biology education :
- Environmental questions such as the problem of availibility, quantity and quality of water.
- The question of time : individual linear time and circular time of biology caracterized by different aspects : elements recycling and spiral of generations.
- DNA and genetic information, but also new aspects of genetic memory caracterized by genes implicated in embryonic development which is a subject that they do not approach yet in colleges.
- Emergent issues such as :
• self replication of DNA, the only molecule able to create a new one on his own model,
• ability to develop an expressive language allowed by vertebrates central nervous
system.
- Interactions and communications inside the organism.
- Complexification of cell membranes, the division into compatment and interactions between extracellular and intracellular parts.
The fourth study reports the results of :
4. Interviews of 14 qualified scientists mainly in Biology and human sciences, including two Nobel Prizes. Three principal fields of investigation emerge from these interviews.
The scientists have been questionned about their more recent researches related to the future of their discipline, the way to communicate with the public, the best way to find a proper language establishing a direct relationship between lay people and scientists.
There never have been such spectacular advancements together with so many uncertainties than in the field of bioscience today. It was, therefore, fascinating to question every scientist about his feelings and about the ethical problems raised by his own research.
The scientists recommend that the themes selected by the CSI should be interdisciplinary and that human sciences and life sciences should be connected for each subject. When they refer to the future of their research three principal fields of investigation emerge from these interviews.
1- The systems of intercellular communication and the regulations of living organisms. Several scientists refer to examples based on the signals and receptors of the central nervous system, the hormonal system the immunity system, underlining the similarities and interconnexions between these 3 systems.
2- The theory of evolution which is central to life sciences has considerably progressed in recent years. According to the scientists many recent investigations try to reproduce some mechanisms of natural selection. The common points and the differences between organisms are better understood today. A protein taken here and another taken there put together may induce a new function, that is what PR Jacob, calls ´ the odd jobs of life ª. What will be the effect of such human interventions in these mechanisms ?
3- The questions of development and embryology have taken a new extent with molecular biology. How do genes and environment interact in the construction of individuals ?
How does apoptosis intervene in the development (more than the ageing process). Apoptosis has a selective role especially studied in the central nervous system and the immunity system.
Finally, through the interviews performed with the 14 scientists 6 topics have been proposed which are at the edge of the scientific and societal questions and which are both theoretical and close to the preocupations of people.
1- Diseases
Many scientists suggest to focus on new modes of treatment, on the respective part of genes and environment in diseases process. and also the diseases related to the development of tourism.
2- Ageing
The increased length of life raises several new problems.
3- Death
Death has always been considered unacceptable but also a fatality. Today death is felt as a fatal risk. In a society obsessed by questions of security, of risk zero and of avoiding all forms of risk, death is even more unacceptable.
4- Filiation
New techniques of reproduction raise an important problem related to religious feelings. By the desorganisation of this marker of continuity, the biological lineage is broken with unexpected consequences on religion.
5- Ingestion (food)
All religious traditions give a central position to food. Because of the development of food industrialization (mad cows, dioxine, genetically modified organisms) a widespread fear is growing regarding food.
6- Genetically modified organisms and genetic manipulations
In biology this problem is a perfect example of the balance between risks and benefits. It is likely that vegetal GMO are less dangerous than usual agricultural techniques. Genic therapy based on animal material may introduce recombinant retrovirus which be harmful to humans.
Their main problem is how to share knowledge and questions with public ?
The scientists interviewed suggest some ways to communicate with public :
- To be involved in a relationship of sharing and debating with public,
- To adapt their language,
- To present scientifics discoveries which go against common sense,
- To explain from concrete preoccupations,
- To associate scientists at conception and mediation of the exhibition.
In summary the questionning of visitors are meet the themes recommended by the scientists and the worries they express.
In fact progress in biological sciences put citizens in front of new responsibilities :
- Get the best and avoid the worse
- A challenge for social representations, religions and politics
- Nature was an order, it is now a field for manipulations
- Sense of human condition
