Weschler is
beginning to question the claims Wilson makes in his museum, so he asks experts
about some of the science behind Wilson’s exhibits. Instead of giving the clear
answer that Wilson is lying, they give mixed responses. Some of Wilson’s claims
seem scientifically impossible, like the bat being trapped in lead; however,
some of the claims, like the story of the ant, turn out to be absolutely true.
Weschler then dives into a world of absurd science, with discoveries like
centaur bones being put forward as truth. The line between what is truth and
what is a lie begins to blur.
If I were Weschler, this would be
incredibly frustrating. It would be easy if all these claims proved false; however,
the mixed answers mess with his mind. I would begin to question what truth is,
and what separates it from fiction. Is something true if scientific evidence
supports it? Wilson believes fully in all of the claims he makes. He has faith
in the stories he tells. By Wilson’s standards, his exhibits show true
information.
If I could not tell truth from
fiction, I would feel that I had lost touch with reality. If one cannot tell
real from fake, then life is very scary (it’s like the Matrix). Another (possibly
scarier but also exciting) idea is that one can decide what is real and what is
false. Wilson believes in his exhibits, therefore they are true to him. If
reality is not set as being real or fake, but is a choice, then nothing is
absolute. And that is unquestionably scary.
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