The Uncertain Future of Saving the Past

(via Popular Mechanics) The people tasked with protecting objects that make up the backbone of our culture use a lot of trial and error along with their science.C onservators are craftsmen. Restoration treatments need to be made of the right chemicals to prevent damage, but applying them requires a delicate hand and a light touch. Conservators rely on science to aid their efforts. They scrutinize the tiniest details of priceless artifacts. And yet, art conservation is not quite a science.