AIBU to think the Natural History Museum are taking the piss?

[JemimaCuddleFuck]

Right now, watching the Horizon documentary on how they moved the blue whale skeleton into the main hall of the NHM and my face is like this

WTAF? The money they must have burned through to move the skeleton. There's the chief guy in charge who had to fly out to California to go whale watching so he could personally witness the dynamics of the whale's movements. Same guy then had to fly to Ireland to have a ganders at the beach where the blue whale washed up.

Then there's the specially designed and custom made contraption used to move the skeleton's head about 20 foot across a room.

And currently watching several curators gingerly using cotton buds to dust a bone that looks about 12 feet in length.

I'm thinking that if this was taking place in the private sector you'd be given half a day to get the whole thing moved, dusted and set up again. And certainly no whale watching trips in the process.

YABU to go straight to private sector good/public sector crap and wasteful.

What displays do you think the NHM should have? Their USP is very clearly in the fact that they have the specialist skills, contacts, and resources to display items that are rare/difficult to find and maintain.

Or do you think you should be able to walk into the reception of any private sector office and just see a blue whale skeleton nonchalantly displayed in a corner, and dusted weekly by the corporate cleaning crew?

I am still devastated that Dippy has been replaced by a crappy whale. Being back Dippy! YANBU for criticising the NHM for anything to do with that usurping whale.

YABU Dippy is going on tour

Do you not think we are amazingly privileged, though, to live in a society where this sort of stuff matters and is valued and absolutely everyone can go and appreciate it free of charge and learn a ton of stuff about the world? I think it's fantastic.

Would you like to substantiate that claim. Which private sector organisations regularly display and maintain whale skeletons?

YABU, if you don't clean it carefully it can/will fall apart.

It's to highlight what we are doing to this planet.

Also Dippy is going on tour so definitely YABU.

Don't you think that the money spent on this skeleton is money well spent for future generations?

I like the bloke in charge at the NHM.

I recently found out that Dippy is a plaster cast, whereas the blue whale is an actual real skeleton. I'm excited about going to see it!

X post with Armadillo Dippy will be in Kelvingrove in Glasgow in 2018 - no idea where they will fit him in among the giant seal with his teeth bearing across the room at the cute penguins, the expressive faces and the aeroplane.

Exactly what lurkingfromhome said ^

And it appears no one thought to check whether the skull, within its specially designed and custom made metal moving frame, would fit through the grade one entrance door.

Bit of a school boy error that

But it's okay because they have now commissioned a specially designed and custom made wooden skull moving frame which does actually fit through the door.

Good oh.

Haven't watched it yet - want to see it on iPlayer. The chief guy in charge of the skeleton is also a keen whale expert. I would have thought Californian whale watching could be a pretty standard part of his job, even if he's done it a million times hes probably still as excited as a child every time. I'm guessing he's a marine expert although have only read a brief write up on the move so don't know much about him.

I would imagine the BBC would have paid for the Ireland trip but tbh I can't get that excited over the cost of a flight to Ireland. If it was paid for by NHM he probably tied it in with a conference or visiting a uni or something that made it more justifiable.

As for the contraption and the cotton buds of course the skeleton should be treated carefully and with respect FFS. It's an important scientific artefact.

YABU. The blue whale looks fantastic! I can't wait to go and see him.
I will miss Dippy, but he is going on tour, and then will be back, cast in bronze and put in the garden. He's been there since 1979. I heard one of the people from the NHM say that in a museum dedicated to evolution, things must sometimes change, and it's hard to argue with that.

Fascinating programme.

I've never been able to grasp just how huge a blue whale is, but seeing those people stand inside its rib cage really makes an impact.

Dippy is off on a well-earned holiday.

NHM is one of the best museums in London always heaving and does amazing science and research. So, yes YABU.

This is one chance that science gets to interact with the public and vice versa; there's no price that can be put on that.

if you do new/interesting things you get problems. This is science. It's typical.

It's not like you can compare it to all of the other 1000s of people doing it without hitches is it.

It sounds like you want museums privatised just because researchers... research?

Dippy is coming to see us here! Can't wait.

You sound like someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing, op.

It's a hugely rare, scientifically significant artefact. That applies to both the whale and Dippy. Do you suggest they sling it on a wheelbarrow and wash it down with a hose?

The old adage "you have to spend money to make money" applies here. Many museums spend a great deal on big ticket exhibitions (7 figures in a lot of cases in the big London museums). They have to in order to boost visitor numbers and revenue. If you let things stagnate you'll lose visitors and money.

RiverTam I only found out today that Dippy was a plaster cast! DH laughed at me so I'm glad to hear it's not just me that didn't know!

I imagine that the producers wouldn't fancy funding a documentary on 'spending half a day to get the whole thing moved, dusted and set up again.--with no whale watching trips in the process-

Sounds pretty dull.

I think it's great. They'll always be some who think we should only shovel money into the gaping maw of social funds - there will never be enough money to equalise society - but spending money on something like this, which is free to access to those who can get there and may (even in only a few individuals) inspire wonder, interest and a love of learning, leading to more value placed on education, better exam results, going to university and aspiration to work in a related field...well worth it, it my view.