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| woods whose 'trees' are parts of nature, through which many people have had an opportunity to wander. We have also enabled people to understand these 'woods' by their own exploring and by teaching each other. | that now, after a lifelong rejection of the subject, they could, in fact have understood it. The conveying to our visitors a sense that they can understand the things that are going on around them may be one of the more important things we do. This sense can then so readily extend to all aspects of people's lives. The intellectual apathy that I am told now exists among young people may have come about because these youths have never been convincingly taught the wonder of understanding or learned that when one does understand, then each person, as an individual or as a member of a group, can feel that they can make a difference. I do hope and think that we are contributing in this way. Thank you. | |||||
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| If people feel they understand the world around them, or, probably, even if they have the conviction that they could understand it if they wanted to, then and only then are they also able to feel that they can make a difference through their decisions and activities. Without this conviction people usually live with the sense of being eternally pushed around by alien events and forces. I believe that the Exploratorium does help create or renew this conviction for very many people and that, especially for young people, it builds a desire to understand. I sense also that this is happening when I hear adult visitors tell me, 'I wish that science had been taught this way when I was a kid.' What they are telling me is | ||||||