Science on display: the representation of scientific controversy in museum exhibitions

This article raises issues concerning popular representations of science, and in particular of scientific controversy, through a case-study of the treatment of food poisoning controversy in a museum exhibition. It is argued that the science that is created for the public is shaped not only by the overt intentions of the exhibition makers but also by constraints inherent in structural aspects of the exhibition-making process and exhibition philosophies. More specifically, we argue that some of the strategies intended to foster public understanding of science create problems for the representation of scientific controversy, and, more generally, for certain types of science. The article also gives attention to scientific sources and the politics of the museum's relationship with the scientific community and the food industry. The contrast with other media is made throughout the article as a means of highlighting the different strategies employed, and constraints experienced, by the various institutions involved in putting science on display for the public.