Living, giving and the Ogopogo

“Fake News!” was the declaration I heard the other day from someone whom I trust and respect when the conversation veered from the Sasquatch stories he was telling, to the equally, factually challenging, subject of the Ogopogo. When I reacted against McDonald’s poorly thought out radio spots (spots they quickly pulled off the air nation-wide and issued an apology for) wherein they equated a school program at your local museum with a five dollar kid’s meal I was attacked on social media as a “millennial snowflake.” You have only to turn on the news, scroll Facebook, or, not for the faint of heart, open up Twitter, to see the tribalism, partisanship and “meme-game” on full display. Our public discourse has become so thick with vitriol that many are simply tuning out, some have learned to “ignore the comments” but, most damaging, many others are simply afraid to share opinions or ask questions. Where then do Canadians go today, to have difficult discussions, to feel welcomed while they make mistakes, to learn and experiment; where is it still ok to explore ideas that aren’t fully formed, safe in the knowledge that such vulnerability will be embraced and celebrated? Well, if the Ontario Science Centre’s 2017 report into Canadian Science Attitudes has it right, 89% of Canadians trust Museum/Science Centres, ahead even of scientists who come in at 88% as a source of scientific information. (I won’t tell you where industry, media and politicians rank).

So what? Why do we care if Canadians trust scientific information?

Critical thinking is the root of an informed population and ultimately, all decisions made by leadership at all levels is heavily influenced by the general population. As we move into an ever more complex world, Science, and our grasp of it, becomes even more vital to all of us. If we are limiting our sources of scientific information because we can’t trust what we are reading to be accurate and unbiased we quickly red-circle our potential, limiting progress and putting our communities at risk. The scientific method, as we were all taught in elementary school, requires trial and error; test and retest, but in today’s highly charged world, people are reluctant to put themselves out there; mistakes can be hard to take once the comment section starts filling up on your various feeds.

Institutions like The Exploration Place Museum and Science Centre or projects like the Maker Space at the Two Rivers Gallery, encourage the sort of experimentation that advances thinking, changes minds and creates new ideas. Well rounded citizens, rooted in their histories, engaged in their communities and confident in their ability to contribute, are who will build our collective future so it is in our own best interest to make sure they are in fact, well-rounded, confident and engaged. Support for cultural institutions can be hard to come by in a world that has seen a progressive downloading, over decades, of core social functions to the non-profits we have in our communities. How does a Museum CEO make the case for corporate donations or planned-giving to the Museum rather than to a medical or support service? Well, I’m doing it now.