BPS2026 – Ants, dioramas, tiktok, and more: Creative approaches to building trust by inspiring curiosity in museums

Parallel to a decline in public trust in science is a decline in public understanding of the process of science: how curious questions become lines of inquiry; how inquiry leads to evidence; how evidence can lead to conclusions; and how new evidence can overturn previously held models. Natural history museums, since their origins in the 19 th century, have sought to inspire curiosity, to present evidence (such as collection specimens) that can answer questions about natural phenomenon, and to shed light onto how evidence is interpreted into explanatory models. Museums today use both old (dioramas) and new (social media) channels to deepen understanding on the scientific process. Educational research indicates how museum-pedagogy impacts public trust in science on controversial topics.