Museums as a mirror of society

Abstract

Following the Darwinian approach, which describes a form in nature as the functional adaptation to its environment at a given time, I will explore the development of museums and collections of science as an expression of their function in historical and social context. This approach allows us to establish a classification of scientific museums where features like owner, user, role and use of the object and its social, cultural and intellectual environment act as discriminating factors. This approach may stimulate discussion about how a museum of science could develop to remain attuned to the characteristics and demands of its specific environment, and hence prove to be viable.