What a history of science museum can offer to the public? Examining the field through examples and initiatives

The paper will explore what a history of science museum can offer to the public, through examples of important history of science museums, as well as through the presentation of contemporary initiatives for the preservation and educational use of "retired" scientific instrument collections in schools and universities.

We will examine different ways used by science and history of science museums in order to approach different publics. We will also explore various initiatives held by schools and universities, in order to transform their "retired" historical scientific instrument collections for educational use into museums. We will also analyze the replication method as a method utilized by museums in order to create new exhibits and hands-on activities, or by educational institutions in order to replicate historical experiments, and study science or history of science issues. We will examine both in situ and distance learning proposals.

The whole presentation will reflect the last decades’ rising interest in the preservation and educational exploration of historical scientific instrument collections. It will also reveal the recent interest in exploring history of science issues through the material culture of science. It will finally show how an historical scientific instrument can tell a different story to the historian of science, to the scientist, to the educator, to the exhibition designer and to the general public.

key words: science museums, historical scientific instruments and collections, educational activities, replication of historical experiments