Thinking About Dolphins Thinking
IMLS (Institute of Museum & Library Services) Grant Awarded
Proposal Leads: Paul J. Boyle, Ph.D., Diana Reiss, Ph.D., Johnny Fraser, Ph.D
Dolphins have always fascinated people. Yet, public dolphin shows focus on their physical prowess and the trained behaviors, while their intelligence and amazing cognitive, social, and communicative skills have remained mysterious.
To address this, the New York Aquarium created a public exhibit with no dolphins, designed to allow visitors in Thinking about Dolphins Thinking. Previously considered too complex for the public to understand, we used technology to show the fascinating nature of dolphins.
Visitors were invited to participate in exhibit mock-ups to assess how well close-up videos and other tools could help people see dolphins thinking. This increased interest and learning.
The exhibits conveyed specific dolphin characteristics that people most wanted to know about. For example, in one area we showed underwater videos of dolphins blowing bubble rings and then, looking up, the dolphin darted through the rising ring – and the visitors shouted, “They’re playing!”
Visitors saw close connections in thinking and intriguing differences between humans and other big-brained mammals. This project showed the power of informal, hands-on settings can enhance learning.
The National Science Education Standards noted: “. . . schools need the support of science-rich institutions like aquariums and museums to establish science literacy. . .and prepare students to apply scientific reasoning to the world outside the classroom.” (National Research Council)