Other Natural and Physical Science Professionals
This unit group covers Natural and Physical Science Professionals not elsewhere classified. It includes Conservators, Meteorologists and Physicists.
A family quilt in the conservation studio
You are a conservator in a studio attached to a regional museum, caring for an old textile that a family has brought in. It is Wednesday. A family has brought in a hand stitched quilt made by their great grandmother. They want it ready for a reunion in three weeks, and it is in poor condition.
Choose what you would do. Then see what happens. There are often good reasons for each choice.
It has lived in a shed for years and it smells a bit. I thought we could just put it through a gentle wash and press it flat. It would be wonderful to hang it at the reunion looking fresh. You can do that, can't you?
Wash it as she asks, since she is the owner and it would look good
The old dyes run and the fabric weakens. The quilt looks cleaner but part of its history, and some of its strength, is gone for good.
Examine the quilt closely with her, explain what is fragile and why, and agree a gentler plan with options for display
You show her the loose threads and the dye that might run. Mrs Pereira agrees to a careful dry clean and a protected display. Conservation is mostly about not doing harm.
Tell her the quilt is too fragile to be treated and that she should store it away
The quilt is safe, but the family loses their reunion moment and their connection to it. The purpose of conservation is to let people appreciate objects, not just to keep them.
I was helping with the quilt and there is a small stain in one corner. I tried dabbing it with a damp cloth and the colour came off a bit. I am so sorry. I thought it was just dirt. What should I do?
Say it's fine, wipe the cloth away and don't mention it in the notes, since the mark is tiny
The change is not recorded, and a later conservator could be misled about what the quilt originally looked like. A hidden mistake becomes a false history.
Thank him for telling you, photograph and record the area, and show him what to do next time
The area is recorded and the effect is minor. Ty is relieved and learns from the mistake, and the quilt's notes are accurate.
Tell him he should not touch the objects again, and ask the supervisor to watch him from now on
A mistake is not repeated, but Ty feels ashamed and stops volunteering. Honest reporting is worth protecting, and he did the right thing by telling you.
The family's quilt would be lovely in the museum's heritage exhibition next month. The only trouble is the display case lights are strong. Can we put it in as it is, just for a few weeks? It will not be there long.
Explain how light harms old fabric, and suggest a low light case, a shorter display and a copy
Ms Reilly agrees and the quilt is displayed safely, with a photograph at full brightness beside it. People see it, and it is still there for the next generation.
Agree, because a few weeks is a short time and the family would love to see the quilt on show
The quilt does fade slightly, and the light exposure adds up. A short display is a good idea, but it needed lower light and a rest period.
Refuse, because fragile objects should not be on display at all, however carefully they are lit
The quilt stays hidden, the family is disappointed and Ms Reilly works around you. Saying no to everything puts you out of the conversation.
How it went
The quilt is stabilised, the notes are accurate and the family will have it at the reunion in a protective frame. Natural and physical scientists, from conservators to forecasters, share one habit: carefully saying what they know and how sure they are. Would you like caring for something that cannot be replaced?
This is a simplified, fictional situation to help you explore. It is not professional instruction or a test of your ability.
Case study: The cyclone that wobbled
A fictional case set in a conservation studio for objects, a weather forecasting centre and a physics laboratory.
The situation
Karen was a meteorologist on duty at a regional forecasting centre as a tropical cyclone approached the Queensland coast. In the early hours the computer models disagreed. Some showed the storm crossing north of the town of Port Alma, and others to the south. A crossing to the south would put the town in the stronger side of the storm. The emergency services needed a warning decision by dawn, and warning too widely would disrupt thousands of people if the storm turned away.
What they did
Karen studied the satellite images and radar through the night, and compared the models with how the storm had actually been moving. She noticed it was tracking slightly to the south of most forecasts. She discussed it with the senior forecaster, and agreed to issue a warning for the whole area. She wrote it in plain words, said clearly how sure the forecast was and when it would be updated, and phoned the local emergency coordinator personally.
How it turned out
The storm did cross to the south. The town had a day to prepare and nobody was caught off guard. The warning was costly for businesses that closed for a day. Karen said afterwards that the decision was hard, and that being clear about the uncertainty helped people trust the next one.
What would you do?
- How would you decide to warn thousands of people when you are not certain?
- Why might it be important to say how sure you are as well as what you think?
- What would be the cost of warning too widely, and the cost of warning too narrowly?