Q&A with Nicholas R. Bell: The WONDER of Art and STEM
June 1, 2016
Interviewed by Joelle Seligson This interview appeared in the May/June 2016 issue of Dimensions magazine.
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Do smartphones and their cameras enhance or detract from the museum experience (or can they do both)?
June 1, 2016
This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the May/June 2016 issue of Dimensions magazine. I will not tell people whether or not they will have a better experience with or without those kind of media or technologies. We put up our “Photography
Going Green
March 31, 2016
This is a supplement to an article that appeared in the March/April 2016 issue of Dimensions magazine. We asked science centers, museums, and aquariums to share how they are making their facilities and their practices more green and energy efficient, and how they have used these efforts to educate their
A Science Center and a Community: Cultivating Hope and Resilience in Medellin
January 30, 2016
By Claudia Aguirre From Dimensions January/February 2016 Today’s science centers are becoming more aware of changes in their local contexts and are concerned about playing a role in building and contributing to society. The Mechelen Declaration, resulting from the Science Centre World Summit 2014 held in Mechelen, Belgium, clearly expresses
A New Era for Marketing at Science Centers
December 1, 2015
By Douglas Young From Dimensions November/December 2015 In the 1980s in the United States, the traditional science center business and mission models worked well. Science centers were the most prominent source for informal science learning with financial support from governments and donors and a quasi-monopoly on IMAX films, science store
The Fine Line Between Creating Curiosity and Creating Controversy
November 30, 2015
By Jason Bosher From Dimensions November/December 2015 You’ve probably heard the adage, “There is no such thing as bad publicity.” A study published in Marketing Science concluded, “Although negative publicity is not always a good thing, in some cases, negative can actually be positive” (Berger, Sorensen, & Rasmussen, 2010). As
Dimensions, September/October 2015—Addressing Global Issues
October 1, 2015
IN THIS ISSUE September/October 2015 As this issue of Dimensions goes to press, world leaders are preparing to convene at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York City to formally adopt the post-2015 development agenda, committing to 17 ambitious new Sustainable Development Goals. So many of the critical issues
Dwell on This
October 1, 2015
By Anthony (Bud) Rock A collective mass of youthful exuberance pulses through our science centers and museums on any given day. As I visit our ASTC-member institutions around the world, I find it extremely rewarding to watch all that energy being transformed into focused, intense contemplation of specific topics or
The Role of Science Centers in Increasing the Public Understanding of Science
October 1, 2015
By Carlyn S. Buckler From Dimensions September/October 2015 On the first day of the Science and Society course at the Cooperstown Graduate Program in Cooperstown, New York, I present the students with an incandescent lightbulb, with clear glass so one can easily see the filament inside. I ask the students
If you could go back, what advice would you give yourself when you first started your museum or informal education career?
September 18, 2015
This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the September/October 2015 issue of Dimensions magazine. Before my first nonprofit management position (in England), I wish I could have coached my newbie self: learn about spreadsheets, practice daily meditation and stretching, and schedule