Update 12, June 2006

What contributions are science centres and museums making in your community? What best-practice approaches by science centres and museums make a difference to important government agendas such as increasing young people's interest in science careers or communicating challenging science topics to the public? This is a monthly update on a project focusing on such questions in the APEC region.

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.

Because 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”.

Global warming becomes a major concern for Europe

The European Commission announced on 30 May that climate change has become a major concern for Europe. A climate change web site has been launched to invite citizens to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through 50 practical actions.

New on our website

For a summary of what’s new on the website each month, check on the main news page of the site.

Contact

APEC Science Centre Impact Project Secretariat
Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre
King Edward Terrace, Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
E apecproject@questacon.edu.au