Exhibitions at US
During my travels in Seattle, New York, and Boston, I visited many exhibitions—ranging from formal art, science, and history museums to the more casual display booths around campus. From an observer’s perspective, I found that no matter the form, all these exhibitions shared the same nature: they reflect what the exhibitors want the audience to see. If they want people to see facts, they present them; if they want to convey emotions, they evoke them; if they want to share common values, they discuss them; if they want to inspire thought, they ignite it. Rather than focusing on the specific content of the exhibits, I’d like to reflect on these indirect, subtle observations and feelings.
911 Memorial Museum
One way to understand a culture is by observing how it deals with disaster. After the 9/11 attacks, a memorial museum was built at the site of the former Twin Towers in New York.
The dimly lit, serene, and solemn exhibition halls display firsthand news broadcasts from the day of the attack, capturing the first ripples of shock like a bomb dropped into a calm lake. Photographs of the victims cover the walls, along with their biographies. A timeline spanning multiple exhibition halls shows the words of those involved in the tragedy.
What I saw was not an outpouring of anger, but a calm recounting; not a narrative filled with contradictions, but a compassionate remembrance. The exhibition presented little subjective interpretation, only an accumulation of facts. This museum shows people’s attitude toward natural and man-made disasters—grief born from empathy for the victims and remembrance out of respect for the deceased. The core emotion displayed here was not hate, but love.
American Museum of Natural History
Though it bears the name of a nation, the exhibits here are not limited to that of a single country. The scientific and natural history sections need no further description, but the cultural exhibits span across the globe: Native American hunting bows, ancient Egyptian kitchenware, Chinese bridal sedan chairs, and Japanese kimonos—all treated with equal importance.
Most of the descriptions in the exhibits are scientific, factual accounts, with little or no moral or value-based commentary.
Sometimes I wonder if our study of ancient peoples’ customs and lifestyles carries a sense of modern superiority. Like scientists studying animal societies, we analyze tribal practices and causes, placing ourselves in the position of objective researchers. But from another perspective, telling history without subjective emotion allows the audience to make their own judgments, avoiding undue influence from the researcher. The power to write history is often held by the victors of wars or those in power, so whether or not people can understand history’s true nature often depends on the restraint of those who write it.
UW Campus Science Fair
On the UW display day, a swarm of elementary school students filled the campus, scattered across the various booths on the street. Thanks to the university students’ creative designs, science turned into magic, games, and performances, transforming dry knowledge into fun activities that children loved.
A university is not just a place for students to hone their knowledge and skills; it is a bridge to pass on the passion and energy of science to the next generation. The university’s role is not to be an isolated research institute, but an active participant in the broader social ecosystem.
