The digital publication of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC)
The ASTC Dimensions Resource Library provides peer-reviewed guides, articles, and insights written by science engagement colleagues about topics relevant to science centers and museums and other organizations committed to engaging the public in science and technology. Interested in contributing to the resource library? Learn more about our quarterly submission cycle and our submission guidelines.
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The organizational and contributor characteristics reflect the ways that ASTC classifies member organizations and individuals in our data collection and reflect categorization at the time the article was originally published.
By Michael John Gorman From Dimensions March/April 2012 The explosive cocktail of art and science has been with us for millennia. We have long had individual practitioners—from Pythagoras to Steve Jobs—who defied disciplinary boundaries, but I personally think there is something very exciting going on now that makes art-science in the 21st century different. What […]
I begin this column with a confession of sorts. I am not a science fiction (SF) reader. And yet, I am intrigued by the recent commentary of renowned SF writer Neal Stephenson in World Policy Journal. Stephenson laments the loss today of the “techno-optimism” of science fiction’s Golden Age—from Tom Swift’s photo telephone, to radiotransporters […]
This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the March/April 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. Science center and museum professionals, artists, and educators from around the world share their projects, programs, exhibitions, and initiatives that combine science and art. In our new Art of Science Gallery, the Academy of Natural Sciences of […]
This discussion was originally published in the Viewpoints department of the March/April 2012 of Dimensions magazine. Along with traditional measures of financial performance and customer satisfaction, a successful science center needs to show how it achieves its mission of engaging the public in science and technology. An innovative approach would be to convert evaluation studies into […]
IN THIS ISSUE January/February 2012 Exhibitions are perhaps the most quintessential and exciting element of science centers’ work. In this issue of Dimensions, we examine the exhibition philosophies of various institutions, as well as the design principles that lead to great exhibition experiences. In addition, we explore the advantages of tinkering and prototyping in house, […]
By Paul Orselli From Dimensions January/February 2012 When I think about the most enjoyable and memorable places—truly great museums—that I’ve visited over a lifetime of avid museum-going, the ones that bubble to the top include the City Museum, St. Louis; the Exploratorium, San Francisco; the Minnesota History Center, St. Paul; and the Children’s Museum of […]
This is an extended version of an article that appeared in the January/February 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. We map our audience’s attitudes, knowledge base, and expectations—not in order to meet those expectations, but rather to overcome them, to surprise our visitors, and to create the aha! of the Heureka experience. More than designing objects, […]
This is an extended discussion of the question that appeared in the Viewpoints department of the January/February 2012 issue of Dimensions magazine. Science centers and museums should adopt overarching gift acceptance and ethical fundraising policies that should be approved by their governing boards. In addition, in order to ensure accountability and informed decision-making regarding corporate […]
By Laura Huerta Migus From Dimensions November/December 2011 Science centers and museums fill a unique community role as centers of learning, research, entertainment, and community congregation. Beyond teaching scientific concepts, the underlying motivation for all science center activities is promoting the value of science and scientific thinking to the general public. Science centers and museums […]
Interviewed by Joelle Seligson This interview appeared in the November/December 2011 issue of Dimensions magazine. The director of the Blackfeet Native Science Field Center on traditional knowledge, Western science, and understanding our place in the world In high school, she took an interest in science; at the University of Montana, she pursued business. Today, Helen […]