Re: paleonet SFO fossil exhibit:

[Peter Paul Smolka <smolka@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 26 Sep 2005, Peter Roopnarine wrote:

> Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 16:22:29 -0700
> From: Peter Roopnarine <proopnarine@calacademy.org>
> Reply-To: paleonet@nhm.ac.uk
> To: paleonet@nhm.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: paleonet SFO fossil exhibit
>
>  Let me clear this up. The SFO Exhibits Department is responsible for
> the installation of exhibits at SFO airport. CAS prepared the exhibit,
> and transferred specimens and printed materials to them. Due to security
> regulations, we are not permitted to install the exhibit. The tickets

As on this list technical problems with exhibits also of others
had been mentioned a "stone-age" but working concept (own experience on
trade fairs, e.g. not paleo) I recommend:

1) As most likely done: Put the whole issue up at the own place
(most likely anyway).

As above mentiones printed materials:

2) Photograph it. Annotate in the photo (Corel Draw) the items with
numbers.

3) Include also hints like: Use only the yellow cables here, the blue
there and, _this side up_ (also at fossils).

Subphotos of individual fossils can help (also with arrows showing:
"Up", "Bottom" (redundancy), "Front", "End" (or: "Left", "right").

Possibly the technician thought, good willing, that ammonites are
"some sort of large snails" and oriented them as such (upside down).

Regarding art I am simply dumb. For others fossils are comparably
remote.

And of course (not a joke, such things happen): The photo in triplicate
within the exhibit and inside transparent plastic. The best
photo means nothing if the shipping company just puts boxes in
some place while the instructions reside 5 floors up in another and
the secretary who receives mail is at home after 5 pm.

4) As humans have limits of course a sentence: Remove these instructions
after setting up the exhibit and mail them to or keep them yourself.

The good thing of the whole issue is indeed: Many, also outside the US,
get encouraged to follow the good CAS example.

With above hints I hope that communication between science and
shipping companies / exhibit companies is improved.

All I met had been good willing. Sometimes however unusual things
happened. As issues from other places had also been mentioned on
this lists I thought some simple hints could be useful.


Best regards


Peter






> that I referred to are not tickets to see the exhibit, they are airline
> tickets. SFO exhibits are not in the main terminal, and only domestic
> airline passengers, with tickets, are allowed to view the exhibit. I
> cannot view the exhibit without purchasing an airline ticket, or
> negotiating with TSA (Federal Transportation Security Authority) for
> security clearance to the terminal. This differs from the procedures
> that we were able to follow with previous CAS exhibits at the airport.
> Obviously this procedure causes problems and leads to errors. My issue
> with Peter (Ward) was not that he pointed to errors in the installation
> of the exhibit. My issue rather is that instead of bringing it to the
> attention of CAS, he assumed that it was the result of faulty science
> and broadcast it to the Paleonet readership. Installing an exhibit with
> errors (which always happens), versus not vetting an exhibit, versus
> damaging one's scientific discipline, are all entirely different issues.
>  I've said enough about this topic to both the readership and to Peter.
> If you have additional questions, feel free to ask me, or better yet,
> buy yourself a plane ticket and go see the exhibit.
> Peter
> -- 
> Peter D. Roopnarine, Assoc. Curator
> Dept. of Invertebrate Zoology & Geology
> California Academy of Sciences
> 875 Howard St.
> San Francisco CA 94103
> Tel. (415)321-8271
> FAX: (415)321-8615
>
>
>

**********************************************************************
Dr. Peter P. Smolka
University Muenster
Geological Institute
Corrensstr. 24
D-48149 Muenster

Tel.: +49/251/833-3989   +49/2533/4401
Fax:  +49/251/833-3989   +49/2533/4401
E-Mail: smolka@uni-muenster.de
E-Mail: PSmolka@T-Online.de
**********************************************************************