Goodbye Dippy

It's just a sign of man's progress, and changing times.

They're replacing the bones of an animal that was driven to extinction by nature with the bones of one who is about to be driven to extinction by man.

We've come a long way.

A dinosaur is so much cooler than a whale, there must be more to the story....I hear he's going on tour, possibly to raise money for the restoration that he is due....Dem bones dem bones is fragilly bones,,,,da da da da da daaaaa da da...

So many links to give that I didn't bother. Nothing against whales, but it seems rather sad. The 'original' is American, and various copies exist around the world.

The London version is perhaps best known because it's been in a fair number of films. For those lucky enough to have visited the museum in London, it's an impressive thing. There's already an online petition to stop this change (!).

As said, the thing is iconic. Having asked numerous people what they most recall of the NHM, it's that thing. Ask a bit more, and they recall plenty of other stuff. Scientific value is debatable, but it's long acted as a gateway atraction that gets people in the place and they can then learn much more. People recall that impressive, if crusty, object but learn so much more on a visit.

Museums need to keep up to date and topical, but this is a step beyond IMHO.

I've no idea what the tour schedule is, but it will be short lived. The whole thing stikes me like the Statue of Liberty being 'updated' or deciding to revamp the outside of the Guggenheim.

The intended replacement smacks more of being an art installation. Whales have their place, but as a current crisis. If any logic follows, they can replace the whale every few years whith another species.

Nostalgia just ain't what it used to be.