The people who think seashells are rocks aren't going to learn or
retain much from any exhibit. They are out there, but they are
oblivious to the natural world and no display will change that. If the
museums are going to be designed with the lugnuts in mind, well that's
a sorry state of affairs. The trend is big stupid exhibits for the
public and the collections for the academics only. Yale's Peabody is
all about collections for study and the mere civilians can't get near
it. Never mind how we were dazzled as children by large collections on
display. And heaven forfend everything isn't interpreted and force fed.

What the curators don't get is that there are many things besides their
particular agenda that people can get from viewing an extensive
collection. The viewers reaction might be an aesthetic one. Artists and
designers benefit and writers and philosophers. But no, the scientific
academics are the only ones allowed.

It goes hand in hand with the eco-fundamentalism that supports shelling
bans. The thought process is there is one valid way to have a
relationship with the natural world.

To get off my rant for a bit, the best place to see the marvelous
diversity of shells these days is to hit a shell show. Plan your
vacations around something like the Astronaut Trail club's shell show,
or the COA convention. Much more exciting than weaving through
strollers past giant fiberglass shells.