Consider other sources of dinosaur fossils

Straits Times Forum 25 Jul 11;

THE Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research is a little-known but fantastic nature museum.

When my children were younger, I took them there a few times. They, especially my elder son, were very intrigued by the wide range of life-sized specimens, some of which belonged to rare or endangered species

I am sure that the visits helped to inspire my son's love for science.

A few years back, my children and I visited a dinosaur museum in China's Hubei province. After viewing the indoor exhibits - we were wowed by the huge, complete fossils - we were led to a hilly area to see many other dinosaur and dinosaur egg fossils still buried there.

Yes, Singapore should have dinosaur fossils in its own museum. No matter how many dinosaur books a child reads or how many dinosaur shows he watches, the experience can never be the same as seeing fossils with his own eyes.

Raffles Museum should look into alternative ways to acquire dinosaur fossils. Look to China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan or even some African countries. Don't just pay and get the bones back, but have Singaporean scientists and students work with the locals to do the excavation, reconstruction and preservation work.

With a fraction of the $12 million cited, we would not only have a large number of Singaporeans experiencing the process at first hand, but also have them helping the local community to preserve their history.

Chen Bin

Is spending $12m on bones the best option?
Straits Times Forum 25 Jul 11;

THE main focus of any museum is to attract as many visitors as possible, educate them and create interest in disciplines such as science, culture, history and the arts.

The question, as Ms Ong Sor Fern ("What have dinosaurs got to do with S'pore?"; July 16) rightly pointed out, is whether spending such a significant portion of the budget is the best choice or not.

If we give $1 to each visitor to encourage participation and interest from the public, the $12m or much less would go a long way.

I am not suggesting that should be the way to spend the money, but it surely beats a set of imported bones.

Lo Chung

Alternative ways to inspire and awe
Straits Times Forum 25 Jul 11;

WHILE I have no doubt that dinosaur fossils would awe and draw crowds, I wonder if that is all we are expecting from the natural history museum ("Museum's $12m race for dino family"; July 10).

The museum is not simply an institution that educates the next generation about matters of zoological and evolutionary importance. It has a responsibility to maintain its position as the guardian of one of the largest collections of South-east Asian fauna in the region.

Surprisingly missing from the discussion thus far is what alternative we can have to inspire and awe.

What about the whale bone so entrenched in the collective memories of the older generation? Why has there been no discussion to bring this memorable exhibit back to Singapore?

The natural history museum needs to look beyond nature and insert history into its agenda. That might be one way it can remain relevant to Singaporeans as a guardian of our common history and collective memories.

Fiona Tan (Ms)