Challenging Topics

How do science centres present challenging topics to their audiences - the very latest developments in science and technology; controversial issues with a science-technology component; or intrinsically difficult or complex concepts?

Public engagement the key to disease control

The relative ease of global travel has provided diseases with a means of crossing borders and continents. In the past five years alone, SARS and Avian Influenza have shown how quickly diseases can spread. At a recent animal health conference in Hinxton in the United Kingdom, it was indicated that one factor greatly improves the effectiveness of disease control measures: public involvement.

By involving the public, interactions between international scientists and local and national authorities are improved. Scientists can be important advocates for investments in disease transmission controls. Science centres and museums could also play an important role in communicating research findings to communities – providing relevance in the local context. A public engagement approach has already been shown to influence policy on the provision of social services such as education, health and water in Chad.

Read the full report in ‘Science’.

climateXchange - How’s your world?

As part of International Polar Year (to be launched 1 March 2007), science centres and museums across the world are invited to get involved in climateXchange, a project designed to raise awareness of climate change by focussing on local impacts.

People are invited to submit a picture, written piece or video detailing how climate change affects them and their community. Submissions will be posted on a Web site later in the year to allow users to click on a location and view a perspective on climate change in that area.

Science centres are invited to promote this initiative and to encourage submissions from their community. Need some inspiration? Work with a school to create a video or work with a community group to create a visual exhibition of what climate change means to them. No matter what you decide to do – get involved and put your community on the climateXchange map!

climateXchange is an excellent opportunity to be involved in local, regional and even global collaborations to further awareness of climate change. Expand the reach of your centre and tap into new audiences in your own community, your own country and perhaps around the world. To send a submission, register your interest or ask a question, please contact ipy@questacon.edu.au

The Challenges of Representing Global Warming in Science Museums

Shelley Ryan's thesis (384 kB, pdf) examines how science museums in the United States and Canada are creating socially responsible programming, using global warming as a case study.

The research focuses on the challenges inherent in exhibiting global warming and other contentious issues, and the creative ways such difficulties have been addressed by various types of science museums. In particular, this paper describes exhibition techniques found to be successful in imparting motivational conservation messages to museum visitors.

Partnering between museums and with major environmental organizations is shown to be effective in bringing climate change information to the science museum audience, and inspiring and equipping those visitors to make a difference.

ASTC engages science centre networks to focuses on global warming

The Association of Science-Technology Centres (ASTC) has launched the website for Project IGLO (International action on GLObal warming). As a major initiative of International Polar Year (IPY) in 2007-2008, the project brings together regional science centre networks and partner organisations to raise public awareness worldwide about the impact of climate change.

As the North and South Poles belong to no nation, polar research has traditionally been a collaborative effort, conducted by scientists from many countries. Recently, polar scientists have begun to document a rapid acceleration in the melting of the polar icecaps and subsequent changes in the ecology of the surrounding seas. IPY, led by the International Council of Science and the World Meteorological Organization, will afford an opportunity to engage and educate the public on the implications of these findings and to focus attention on the importance of polar processes in general and climate change in particular.

International research project on contentious topics

Topics of global importance that challenge, upset, intrigue and attract are becoming legitimate areas for exhibitions and programs of museums and science centres. The long-established practice of exhibiting ‘the facts’ or unproblematic conceptions of science and technology is no longer wholly sustainable at a time when the self-evidence of these topics are under question.

At the ASPAC Conference held in Perth, Western Australia during May 2006, Dr Fiona Cameron, Research Fellow at the Centre for Cultural Research at the University of Western Sydney in Australia, gave a presentation on the potential roles and positioning of museums and science centres around contentious topics and sensitive issues, drawing on qualitative and quantitative audience research findings from the international research project “Exhibitions as Contested Sites: The Roles of Museums in Contemporary Society” (836 kB, pdf).

International Polar Year

The year 2007 marks the beginning of the third International Polar Year (IPY), 125 years after the first and 75 years after the second. In 2007-08, IPY activities will engage scientists from many countries and will also aim to get the public to realise how much the polar regions influence life on all parts of the globe. Use the links below to find out about some plans for IPY, including details about opportunities to participate.

Many international conferences and other events are already scheduled. Visit the comprehensive IPY website.

Details of national IPY coordinating committees around the world, including 10 APEC economies.

The Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) is planning an ambitious IPY initiative, International action on GLObal warming (IGLO), to raise public awareness of climate change. Download a March 2006 press release (pdf, 88 kB).

Bird Flu

In 2004, the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum developed an exhibition that used text and pictures to explain bird flu and its impacts. The exhibition also compared the disease to SARS and included basic information about combating it.

Antenna is a constantly updated series of exhibitions on science news in the Science Museum in London, UK. Its online resources include a section on bird flu, which includes an introduction to flu, an overview of previous pandemics, an outline of the history of the H5N1 virus, and news updates.

The Food Museum Online also includes a section on avian flu, including a short Q&A section and articles from a number of countries, including those already dealing with bird flu.

An extensive collection of resources on bird flu is offered by the international Science and Development Network, SciDev Net. The site provides 'answers to questions about bird flu, news about its progression and research efforts to control it, and links to reliable sources of further information.'

Nanotechnology in science centres and museums

During March-September 2006, eight science centres in eight European countries are featuring a common exhibition module on nanosciences and nanotechnologies, with the support of the European Commission. The exhibition aims to 'inform and stimulate public debate and collect opinions of visitors on this subject, to be converted in recommendations that will be given to the European Commission at the end of the project.' Find out more.

Japan’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Tokyo has a Nanotechnology exhibition that uses models, computer graphics and actual devices to present both principles and applications of nanotechnology. At a slightly larger scale, an exhibition on Micromachines explains how motors, switches and sensors sized at 10 μm (1/100 mm) are made, where they are used and how they work. For more about these exhibitions, select ‘From the Four Themes’ and then ‘Innovation and the Future’ from Miraikan’s exhibition guide.

Cornell University’s Nanobiotechnology Centre and the Sciencentre in Ithaca NY, USA have created a travelling exhibition ‘It’s a Nano World’ for children aged 5 to 8 and their families. This exhibition, primarily funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation, has been on show in the USA since 2003. Find out more.

The Lawrence Hall of Science in California, USA has a permanent exhibition called nanoZone. The accompanying website includes a front-end study on youths’ and adults’ readiness to learn about science research and their knowledge of nanotechnology, a description of the exhibition, and a report on lessons learned by the project team on what worked and what didn’t.

In October 2005, The Museum of Science in Boston MA, USA, announced a $20 million partnership with the Science Museum of Minnesota and San Francisco’s Exploratorium to lead a national Nanoscale Informal Science Education (NISE) Network. This network, funded by the National Science Foundation, will collaboratively develop and distribute innovative approaches to engaging Americans in nanoscale science and engineering education, research and technology. Find out more about the plans for this project.

The National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network has resources and links to other sites useful for learning and teaching about nanotechnology at all levels, from K-12 through to graduates, professionals and the community.

Communicating with teenagers about environmental protection and sustainable development

A two-pronged approach - an exhibition and a competition - allowed the China Science and Technology Museum and the Center for Environmental Education to educate and enthuse large numbers of teenagers about environmental issues. A presentation at the June 2005 PCST Working Symposium in Beijing, China, described the strategies used in this program.

Download the report by Lily, Zhang Youy (pdf, 32 kb).

Public attitudes to new technologies

Research by Biotechnology Australia over about six years demonstrates that there are five factors that influence community acceptance of new technologies. Understanding these factors will provide useful background if you are planning an exhibition or public programs about topics such as biotechnology or nanotechnology.

Download the paper presented by Craig Cormick and Sharon Ding at the PCST Working Symposium in Beijing, June 2005 (pdf, 30 kb).

Keeping up with Cutting Edge Science and Technology

The Smart Moves program of Questacon in Canberra, Australia promotes cutting edge research, new ideas and entrepreneurship in science, engineering and technology (SET) to senior secondary students. The government sponsored program takes performance-based presentations to schools in rural and regional areas, brings young inventors and entrepreneurs together in person, and connects youth to SET and innovation through an extensive website.

Download a June 2005 summary of evaluation of the program (pdf, 23 kb).

State-of-the-Art Surgery

Live from... at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ, USA transforms operating rooms in hospitals into classrooms where students can interact with the surgical team during the procedure via teleconferencing technology. The program includes Cardiac Classroom^SM, Brain Works^SM, and Kidney Transplant^SM.