Northwest Science Museum

Northwest Science Museum
Established June 14, 2014 (2014-06-14)
Location 1835 Wildwood St., Boise, Idaho, US
Coordinates 43°37′20″N 116°18′57″W / 43.622286°N 116.315965°W / 43.622286; -116.315965
Type Creationist museum
Founder Douglas J. Bennett, Brent Carter, Rick Deighton, Stan G. Lutz[1]
Director Douglas J. Bennett
Website northwestsciencemuseum.com

Northwest Science Museum is a creationist museum in Idaho. It opened on June 14, 2014.[2][3] The museum's directors plan to create a 350,000 square foot facility including a full-scale model of Noah's Ark near Boise, Idaho, replacing the museum's current "Vision Center" near the state capitol in Boise.[4] The museum's founders say that their collection of Ica stones offer proof that humans and dinosaurs coexisted,[5] that out-of-place artifacts constitute "damaging evidences [sic] against evolution",[6] and they can show with other evidence the Earth is 6,000 years old and it was physically possible for Noah to bring dinosaurs on board the Ark.[3][7]

Inspiration

Fundraising documents published by the founders cite the Creation Museum in Kentucky as establishing the viability of a similar concern in Idaho.[8]

Collection

The museum's collection includes petrified wood, fossil dinosaur eggs, the Ica stones mentioned above and a replica of the "Lone Star" mastodon skull.[9] They present the fossils as having been formed about 4,500 years ago in the Biblical Flood.[9]

Criticism

Almost three years before the museum opened, Hemant Mehta said "this place is going to be ripe for mockery...misnamed twice over — it's not science and it's hardly a museum".[10] The Raw Story called Northwest Science Museum's Ica stones "fraudulent" and "a favorite artifact of many conspiracy theorists".[11] London's The Independent newspaper filed the museum's opening under "weird news".[2] A Salon.com editorial called it a "beyond frustrating [n]ot just because of the pseudo-science dribbling out, but the fact that young children are being fed nonsense under the guise of 'true science'"[7] Salon also found "much to take issue with — right down to the organization’s misleading use of the terms 'science' and 'museum.'"[7]

References

  1. ↑ Prospectus (PDF), Northwest Science Museum, c. March 2010, pp. 9–13 Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. 1 2 Saul, Heather (June 20, 2014), "New creationist museum explains how Noah managed to fit dinosaurs on the ark", The Independent, London
  3. 1 2 Dutton, Audrey (June 18, 2014), "New Boise creationist museum seeks to promote 'true science' by disputing evolution", Idaho Statesman, Boise, Idaho
  4. ↑ La Ganga, Maria L. (March 29, 2015), "Creationist museum feels right at home in conservative Idaho", The Los Angeles Times – via The Seattle Times
  5. ↑ Robinson, Jessica (October 3, 2014), Founders Of Idaho Creation Museum Urge Visitors To 'Think Critically', Boise, Idaho: KBSX-FM/Boise State Public Radio
  6. ↑ Exhibits, Northwest Science Museum, retrieved 2015-03-30
  7. 1 2 3 Gray, Sarah (June 19, 2014), "New creationism museum says Noah brought baby dinosaurs aboard the ark: The Northwest Science Museum was opened up to promote "true science"", Salon.com
  8. ↑ Creationist museum opens in Boise with big plans, Associated Press, June 18, 2014 – via KSL
  9. 1 2 Yapching, Mark (March 27, 2015), "Creationist museum in Idaho takes different approach to presenting exhibits", Christian Today
  10. ↑ Mehta, Hemant (July 19, 2011), The NorthWest ‘Science’ ‘Museum’ Set to Open in Idaho
  11. ↑ Kaufman, Scott (October 3, 2014), "Creationist museum: Our fraudulent 'Ica Stones' prove man rode on triceratops dinosaurs", The Raw Story

Further reading

  • Berry, Harrison (June 18, 2014), "Creationist Museum Opens in Boise", Boise Weekly
  • Boggioni, Tom (June 18, 2014), "Boise creationist museum on how Noah got dinosaurs on ark. Hint: babies", The Raw Story
  • Robinson, Jessica (November 7, 2014), "New Science Museum To Offer Creationist View", Here and Now, Boston: WBUR
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