Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Simulated History?

The December 21, 2011 Arizona Republic includes an editorial about the Arizona Historical Society’s plan to remove the restored, historic mining equipment currently on display outside the former Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum. The link to the editorial is:


According to the editorial, the AHS wants to remove the mining equipment because the experience museum to be built inside the building will include a “mining simulator”. So, a historical society wants to remove operating historical artifacts because they will be replaced with a simulator? How misguided is that?

Why spend money on any history museum? Why not just haul all the old junk to the dump and save millions? Generations to come can simply look into a simulator to learn about the past.

Perhaps this is also compatible with the new AHS mission of “imagining the future” rather than preserving the past (see Channel 8 Horizon interview under the video tab). The same simulator can be programmed to go both backwards and forwards in time.

Simple. And stupid.

3 comments:

  1. I guess this simulator is the "vibrations" we have been hearing about for months. Almost sounds like a "Back To The Future" car we will need to see and feel the mining equipment working or the inner workings of a mine....past and present.....push a few buttons to enter the time period you wish to experience. I guess that is where they get the name Experience Museum. I wonder where the smells come about in this scenario? I hope it is not the methane gas in the mine as you cannot smell that. Maybe it is the "citrus" the miners eat for lunch which will have you experience another 5 "C".

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  2. My guess is that Brewer is looking for a way out of this mess. Few dollars raised, out of state exhibits design company that charges too much.(where have we heard that one before?)..No clear vision of what the exhibit should be. I think Brewer is also looking for a way to throw Woosley under the bus. Brewer is probably hoping the AHS Board will do it for her, or just hope that Woosley finds another job somewhere.
    Woosley leaves, project cancelled for lack of interest,money put into lame BestFests instead of another "museum", Brewer has party soewhere else, and AHS goes back to being a third rate state agency museum that nobody ever goes too, AHS Board goes back to hibernation. What a waste! All for nothing. Have a Happy Centennial!!

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  3. Where can a mole who hides in her office all day find a job that pays $120,000 a year? I am sure she is near retirement age. Save up those vacation days....the state reimburses you for them....a great end of the year bonus!

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