Focusing on the experience of working with Russia’s cultural, industrial and political sectors, this paper investigates how the development of new contacts and partnerships has contributed not only to the loan of material of historic significance to the Science Museum’s exhibition, but more broadly changes perceptions about Russia and its space programme in the western world. Addressing the multiple challenges involved – legal, political and security, among others – it reveals the importance of many of the space objects themselves as well as demonstrating how the Science Museum has helped to
The Discover Aeronautics and Aerospace Gallery (Discover) engages students, families and the general public in the STEM research that makes major accomplishments in space and aeronautics possible. Great Lakes Science Center, home of NASA Glenn Visitor Center, developed the gallery in collaboration with NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) to provide interactive learning opportunities, amazing NASA artifacts, and multimedia experiences that encourages them to discover more about STEM. The overarching project goal is to engage visitors in the important research of NASA GRC, and summative evaluation concluded that Discover is an immersive environment of interactive exhibits that increases visitors’ levels of knowledge about aeronautic and aerospace research. The Gallery successfully raises the profile of NASA GRC, and emphasizes the importance of research and experimentation for the challenges of flight – in the air and in space.
Discover is divided into mini-laboratory settings—Aeronautics Lab, Materials Lab, Rocket Lab and Power Lab—and the Discover Stage, an ideal environment for demonstrations, and presentations by astronauts and aerospace experts. When not in use for live productions, the stage hosts a video tour of NASA GRC’s impressive labs and test chambers. Visitors can experiment with a microgravity drop tower, plan a space mission, analyze slow-motion footage from a ballistic impact facility, see how motion and sound are affected by the vacuum of space, and more. Discover engages over 300,000 visitors a year in the STEM research necessary for flight. As part of the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, the Gallery exemplifies the Science Center’s dedication to sharing NASA content to inform, engage, and inspire students, educators, and the public. Discover immerses visitors in the exciting challenges and rewards of space exploration, and is a place of inspiration for tomorrow’s scientific leadership and workforce.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Donald Paterson
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
This paper provides an overview of the Audience Research Consortium of Toronto, comprised of the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo, the Ontario Science Center and the Royal Ontario Museum. These groups have a shared vision of attracting a larger and more diverse audience-one that includes nontraditional and multicultural groups. This paper outlines how this group developed, acquired funding, hired a consulting group, and created a proposal and research plan. Preliminary findings are also briefly summarized.
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Art Gallery of OntarioRoyal Ontario MuseumOntario Science CentreMetropolitan Toronto ZooWoods Gordon Management Consultants
This article provides study findings from the summative evaluation of "The Universe in Your Hands: Early Tools of Astronomy" permanent exhibition that opened in May 1995 at the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum. The renovated and recontextualized exhibit portrays the museum's collection of early astronomical instruments in the social and scientific setting of the European and Islamic worlds during the Middle Ages (1200 to 1500 A.D.).
Chabot Space and Science Center is developing an exhibit of Chinese astronomical artifacts and organizing a United States tour of the exhibit. "Dragon Skies: Astronomy of Imperial China" consists of 31 exhibit pieces, including seven large astronomical instruments, chronographs, stone carvings and star maps. Many of these artifacts have never before left China. In order to increase the awareness and understanding of students, teachers and the public about Imperial China's rich astronomical achievements, Chabot will develop a variety of interpretive materials and programs that address interests and learning styles, present scientifically and historically accurate information, and serve both informal and formal educational audiences. These materials will include a planetarium show, an audio tour, special signage, multimedia animations/interactive kiosks, a web site, student activities, community events, a science drama program, activities for the general public and a variety of printed materials. Many components will be developed in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Alexandra BarnettCynthia AshleyMichael Reynolds
Chabot Space and Science Center is developing and organizing a major traveling exhibit called "Dragon Skies: Astronomical Instruments of Imperial China." The exhibit will consist of nine Chinese astronomical instruments, dating between 1439 and 1744, as well as 25 smaller artifacts. In addition, a variety of interpretive materials and activities will be developed to enhance the exhibit. The PI, Michael Reynolds, has visited the Ancient Beijing Observatory and begun initial conversations with the staff there, resulting in tentative collaboration agreements. Subsequent to that visit, the Ancient Beijing Observatory has already determined which original instruments will be able to travel, has replicated several exhibits, and has compiled a collection of additional artifacts that will enhance the exhibit. The planning phase will be carried out by staff from Chabot, the Beijing Ancient Observatory, the Chinese Astronomical Society, and a team of advisors. Planning activities will include: Decide which aspects of exhibit development will be taken on by each partner; Determine what ancillary materials will need to be developed; Establish what interactive activities, such as hands-on activities or computer kiosks, will enhance the project; Determine what multimedia programs, such as an audio tour or planetarium shows, will increase the impact of the exhibit; Determine the translation needs for the exhibit and for the supplemental materials and programs; Arrange the logistics for the traveling exhibit; Establish criteria for venues that might display the exhibit and identify potential sites.
The scrapbook of Winifred Penn-Gaskell – celebrated aerophilatelist and collector of aeronautica –reveals a great deal about its maker and the social and political context of early flight history in Britain. It is argued here that a ‘reading’ of the book as a non-textual object offers a predictive argument for the aesthetic and cultural representation of heavier-than-air craft and pilots in the years immediately prior to the First World War. By viewing each section of the scrapbook as parts of a contingent whole, the early-twentieth century interest in performative masculinity (physical
The instrument maker James Short, whose output was exclusively reflecting telescopes, was a sustained and consistent supporter of the clock and watch maker John Harrison. Short’s specialism placed his work in a tradition that derived from Newton’s Opticks, where the natural philosopher or mathematician might engage in the mechanical process of making mirrors, and a number of prominent astronomers followed this example in the eighteenth century. However, it proved difficult, if not impossible, to capture and communicate in words the manual skills they had acquired. Harrison’s biography has
This traveling exhibit was developed in collaboration with the American Library Association and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. It consists of six two-sided panels that include images and captions that highlight relevant, historical discoveries in astronomy. The exhibit is supported by a connected suite of standards-based educational resources. Also, each exhibit panel is available as a downloadable, poster-size file.
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Space Telescope Science InstituteBonnie Eisenhamer
In May 2012, the Penn Museum will present the traveling exhibition, Lords of Time, the Maya and 2012 – an innovative exploration of the ancient and modern Maya and their conceptions of time. The exhibition will include over 75 archaeological artifacts and groups, stone sculpture, historical materials, modern reproductions, digital media components, and interactive displays to actively engage visitors in the discovery of an ancient culture, as well as its legacy to the modern world. Themes of the exhibition will span the fields of astronomy, history, archaeology, anthropology, and comparative culture studies. The exhibition is a formal collaboration between the Penn Museum, the Honduran government’s Instituto Hondureño de Antropología e Historia (IHAH), and Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (Peabody). After its debut at the Penn Museum, the core of the exhibition will travel to other US venues through 2014.