News that will disappoint loads of children:

Museum’s ‘Dippy’ dinosaur makes way for blue whale

London’s Natural History Museum is re-modelling its entrance, moving out the dinosaur and moving in a blue whale.

Also spricht der BBC-Website.  “Dippy” is the affectionate name for the model Diplodocus that has greeted visitors to the Natural History Museum ever since 1970.  One had the impression that it had stood there ever since the Victorian era, if not since the Jurassic.

Sir Michael Dixon, the NHM’s director, comments:

“Everyone loves ‘Dippy’, but it’s just a copy, and what makes this museum special is that we have real objects from the natural world - over 80 million of them — and they enable our scientists and thousands like them from around the world to do real research.”

Alas, he also adds

“It’s about asking real questions of contemporary relevance”

which does have a ring of politicobabble about it.

I remember, at the age of about ten, pasting into my scrapbook a spread entitled “The Race for Whales” at the bottom of which was a strip saying (with pictures) “1 Blue Whale = 3 Dinosaurs = 17 Elephants etc ...”, and they are most important indeed.  In the linked article, Sir Michael Dixon does make a cogent and heartfelt plea for this magnificent creature, highlighting the NHM’s role in bringing to light the threat of commercial whaling, and how this would have driven the Blue Whale to extinction.  But Sir Michael, do please simply tell us with all the rhetoric at your disposal, and not try to “ejjukate” us.

Now the blue whale skeleton is magnificent indeed:



and David Hoare of the Daily Telegraph really has a passion for whales, as this article tells us.

Sorry, Dippy, but the blue whale deserves to displace you

The Natural History Museum is right to give pride of place to the planet’s most fascinating and majestic creature

Artist’s impression of how the skeleton of a blue whale will look suspended and “diving” from the ceiling of the Hintze Hall Photo: PA

But what do the public think?  Already there are “Save Dippy” campaigns afoot.  The BBC editor’s pick of comments reads:

A great move. Whilst dinosaurs form a significant part of our planet's history, more people will be able to identify with an animal that exists during our era on earth.

I would much rather be in awe of something that I actually have the chance of seeing one day.

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A great shame to see Dippy go as it is the dinosaurs that NHM is famous for and attracts most children, who then leave with a knowledge and passion for all biological science. I'm sure the Blue whale will be amazing and spectacular, but more iconic than Dippy? Probably not.

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I visited in 1972 when I was only 6. I can't remember anything about that museum visit... except Dippy.

I understand the need for a more dynamic display, but I am in two minds about this change. Adults rarely think in terms of children - I think you might find dinosaurs, no matter what the pose, have a bigger impact than a whale.

As for my own view, þæt ic bi me sylfum secgan wille [link], I always did worry that in education too many dinosaurs were distracting from all the creatures one could see about us.  But then there is this:



What do you all think?  Whale partisans need not worry, but if you are on the side of the dinosaur and want to protest, be careful not to say “Je suis Dippy”, especially if English is not your native language, because the word means (according to the Oxford English Dictionary):

Mad, insane, crazy. Also const. about, over, in love (with).