The Space Security Initiative (SSI) team had a working luncheon with Geoffrey Nunn, Exhibit Developer and Adjunct Curator for Space History at The Museum of Flight in Seattle.
As an experienced curator working on science and technology exhibitions, Mr. Nunn offered suggestions and tips on how to communicate and present the importance of space technology to a broad audience.
“Outer space is not that easy to understand,” he said, “and our job cannot be replaced by natural scientists because it takes real effort to explain technologies to visitors in a simple and intelligible way.”
He pointed especially to the importance of identifying the audience. The Museum of Flight conducts surveys on the age group of visitors and then presents the materials according to the targeted audience.
He added that this process is applicable to the writing of policy briefs. “It is always important to keep in mind who the readers of the policy papers are, and to present academic research outcomes in a way that is crystal clear to them,” said Nunn.
SSI Junior Fellows followed up his talk with questions regarding the operation of space exhibitions, and how the Museum of Flight delivers space knowledge to the Pacific Northwest community.
