scholarly journals Science is not for me. Visitors’ attitudes to learning in an Italian science centre

2006 ◽  
Vol 05 (02) ◽  
pp. A02
Author(s):  
Monia Cardella
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Science Museums ◽  
Complex Issue ◽  
Scientific Exploration ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Master Thesis ◽  
Science Centre ◽  
Italian Science

Following the example of the Exploratorium in San Francisco, interactive science museums are meant to be informal and enjoyable places where visitors, regardless of their age and background, are stimulated to practice their abilities to explore the world from a scientific point of view or to reacquire it in the case of adults who are far from science for professional reasons. Our study, which belongs to a relatively recent, but increasingly richer and complex tradition of researches on this topic, aims at contributing to answering the question whether, within the context of hands-on museums, this desired reacquisition of scientific exploration actually occurs for all visitors; more precisely, it aims at contributing to the discussion resulting from this question with reference to both possible answers and methods to find them. The study described below was carried out for a Science Communication Master thesis in Trieste (student: Monia Cardella, supervisor: Paola Rodari) and, therefore, it is inevitably limited: in fact, in order to deal with such a complex issue and to perform more detailed investigations on the field longer time and more resources would have been necessary. However, both methods used and results obtained from it, although provisional, are significant enough to deserve our attention.

scholarly journals Collaboration for chemistry communication: Insights from a research-practice partnership

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (04) ◽  
pp. N01
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Kunz Kollmann ◽  
Marta Beyer ◽  
Emily Howell ◽  
Allison Anderson ◽  
Owen Weitzman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Informal Education ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Science Museums ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
The Public ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Perceived Relevance ◽  
Data Collections

As several recent National Academies of Sciences reports have highlighted, greater science communication research is needed on 1) communicating chemistry, and 2) building research-practice partnerships to advance communication across science issues. Here we report our insights in both areas, gathered from a multi-year collaboration to advance our understanding of how to communicate about chemistry with the public. Researchers and practitioners from science museums across the U.S. partnered with academic social scientists in science communication to develop and conduct multi-strand data collections on chemistry communication and informal education. Our focus was on increasing interest in, the perceived relevance of, and self-efficacy concerning chemistry through hands-on activities and connecting chemistry to broader themes concerning everyday life and societal impacts. We outline challenges and benefits of the project that future collaborations can gain from and illustrate how our strands of work complemented each other to create a more complete picture of public perceptions of chemistry.

The Australian Science Centre Movement 1980–2000: Part 1—Questacon, the National Science and Technology Centre

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Bryant ◽  
Mike Gore ◽  
Sue Stocklmayer
Keyword(s):  
Driving Force ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Human Face ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Science Centre ◽  
National Science ◽  
National University ◽  
Australian Science

Part 1: Scholarly concerns over science communication and in particular public attitudes towards and engagement with science have continued for almost half a century, but the establishment of a ‘hands-on' science centre in Canberra in 1980 put practice ahead of theory and led to the building of Questacon—the National Science and Technology Centre in 1988. The driving force behind this development was Australian National University physicist Dr Mike Gore. Funding came from the Australian and Japanese Governments—the latter a bicentennial gift—and a team of ‘explainers' at the centre helped visitors to appreciate that this science centre was not a museum but a place where science had a human face.

scholarly journals What does the UK public want from academic science communication?

F1000Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 1261 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Redfern ◽  
Sam Illingworth ◽  
Joanna Verran
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Academic Science ◽  
Open Door ◽  
Intended Audience ◽  
The Public ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Hands On ◽  
The Uk

The overall aim of public academic science communication is to engage a non-scientist with a particular field of science and/or research topic, often driven by the expertise of the academic. An e-survey was designed to provide insight into respondent’s current and future engagement with science communication activities. Respondents provided a wide range of ideas and concerns as to the ‘common practice’ of academic science communication, and whilst they support some of these popular approaches (such as open-door events and science festivals), there are alternatives that may enable wider engagement. Suggestions of internet-based approaches and digital media were strongly encouraged, and although respondents found merits in methods such as science festivals, limitations such as geography, time and topic of interest were a barrier to engagement for some. Academics and scientists need to think carefully about how they plan their science communication activities and carry out evaluations, including considering the point of view of the public, as although defaulting to hands-on open door events at their university may seem like the expected standard, it may not be the best way to reach the intended audience.

scholarly journals Birth of a science centre. Italian phenomenology

2006 ◽  
Vol 05 (02) ◽  
pp. F
Author(s):  
Paola Rodari
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Science Museum ◽  
Cultural Economic ◽  
The Public ◽  
European Science ◽  
Science Centre ◽  
Total Investment ◽  
Science Centres ◽  
The Cost

In May 2004 the Balì Museum, Planetarium and interactive science museum, was opened to the public in Italy: 35 hands-on exhibits designed according to the interactive tradition of the Exploratorium in San Francisco, an astronomic observatory for educational activities, a Planetarium with 70 places. With a total investment of about three million euros, about two thirds of which were spent on restructuring the splendid eighteenth-century villa in which it is housed, the undertaking may be considered a small one in comparison with other European science centres. Three million euros: perhaps enough to cover the cost of only the splendid circular access ramp to the brand-new Cosmocaixa in Barcelona, an investment of one hundred million euros. But the interesting aspect of the story of the Balì Museum (but also of other Italian stories, as we shall see) lies in the fact that this lively and advanced science centre stands in the bucolic region of the Marches, next to a small town of only 800 inhabitants (Saltara, in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino), in a municipal territory that has a total of 5000. Whereas in Italy the projects for science centres comparable with the Catalan one, for example projects for Rome and Turin, never get off the ground, smaller ones are opening in small and medium-sized towns: why is this? And what does the unusual location of the centres entail for science communication in Italy? This Focus does not claim to tell the whole truth about Italian interactive museums, but it does offer some phenomenological cues to open a debate on the cultural, economic and political premises that favour their lives.

scholarly journals The theatre, (art) and science: between amazement and applause!

2009 ◽  
Vol 08 (02) ◽  
pp. C07 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvatore Fruguglietti
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Systemic Approach ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Even Start ◽  
Science Center ◽  
Hands On

There have been countless innovations in the realm of science museology after the foundation of the Exploratorium of San Francisco and of the Ontario Science Center of Toronto with, among other things, the introduction of the exhibits hands-on, the use of new technologies and the arrival of virtuality.But most of all a new dialogue was launched, also as a form of transformation of reality. And what is drama but fiction and transformation of reality?This statement is the basis for the belief that museums and the theatre should continue, if not even start, a path to move closer, so as to make their languages work at the service of each other.A dialogical interaction which is difficult (as both languages and their interpreters crave for superiority), strong (the place for communication becomes multi-channel), but necessary (in view of a systemic approach of science communication).It is necessary especially to build an all-encompassing museum to fully play a sociological role of study, interpretation and determination of human society.

scholarly journals Tackling Complexity of the Just Transition in the EU: Evidence from Romania

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1509
Author(s):  
Roxana Voicu-Dorobanțu ◽  
Clara Volintiru ◽  
Maria-Floriana Popescu ◽  
Vlad Nerău ◽  
George Ștefan
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Major Power ◽  
Complex Issue ◽  
Energy Mix ◽  
Carbon Neutrality ◽  
Vulnerable Consumers ◽  
The Eu

The process of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 and cutting CO2 emissions by 2030 by 55% compared to 1990 as per the EU Green Deal is highly complex. The energy mix must be changed to ensure long-term environmental sustainability, mainly by closing down coal sites, while preserving the energy-intensive short-term economic growth, ensuring social equity, and opening opportunities for regions diminishing in population and potential. Romania is currently in the position of deciding the optimal way forward in this challenging societal shift while morphing to evidence-based policy-making and anticipatory governance, mainly in its two coal-mining regions. This article provides possible future scenarios for tackling this complex issue in Romania through a three-pronged, staggered, methodology: (1) clustering Romania with other similar countries from the point of view of the Just Transition efforts (i.e., the energy mix and the socio-economic parameters), (2) analyzing Romania’s potential evolution of the energy mix from the point of the thermal efficiency of two major power plants (CEH and CEO) and the systemic energy losses, and (3) providing insights on the socio-economic context (economic development and labor market transformations, including the component on the effects on vulnerable consumers) of the central coal regions in Romania.

scholarly journals Moon, Mars and Mundus: primary school children discover the nature and science of planet Earth from experimentation and extra-terrestrial perspectives

2015 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.G. Kleinhans ◽  
A.J. Verkade ◽  
T. van Wessel ◽  
M.A.S. Bastings ◽  
W.A. Marra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Planetary Science ◽  
Science Museum ◽  
University Education ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Science Museums ◽  
Asking Questions ◽  
The Right

AbstractLike earth and planetary scientists, most children are curious about the world, the solar system and the rest of the universe. However, for various reasons primary schools emphasise language and calculus rather than natural sciences. When science is taught, examination systems often favour knowledge of the ‘right’ answer over the process of investigation and logical reasoning towards that answer. In order to continue to spark children's curiosity and their motivation to learn and discover, science education hubs at universities and science museums could collaborate more with schools and teachers, and are beginning to do so. The objective of this position paper is to report on recent experiences in earth and planetary science education for pupils in primary and secondary education, to provide examples and inspiration for scientists. We report three examples of initiation and consolidation of science education in primary schools in the Netherlands: (1) a focus on asking questions and seeking information to reason towards the answer, initiated with a classroom game, Expedition Mundus, (2) bringing pupils and teachers together outside their school in the science museum to gain confidence and self-efficacy, and (3) having children ask their own questions and do their own research guided by the empirical cycle, for example on experimentation on sandbox scale models of channels and crater lake deltas as found on Mars. The focus on other planets, fictitious and real, stimulates pupils to ask questions about planet Earth. Finally, we argue that involvement of more scientists in science education would not only benefit primary and secondary schools and future students but also university education and science communication with society.

scholarly journals Prototyping Revisited: - design with users in a cooperative setting

1987 ◽  
Vol 16 (233) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Bødker
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Systems Design ◽  
User Participation ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Computer Application ◽  
Mutual Learning ◽  
Active User ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Paper Prototyping

In this paper, prototyping will be discussed from the point-of-view of user/designer cooperation in design. Active user participation in systems design is a way of improving the quality of the design process as well as the product - a computer application in use. To participate actively in design, users must be allowed to experience the future use situation in the design process. Various prototyping methods seem to offer valuable help in this process. Cooperation between users and designers, the mutual learning process, and hands-on experiences to reveal the triggering of proper operations is, however, only one side of the epistemological interests behind prototyping. At the same time, the practical solutions of different approaches are to some extent applicable but it is perhaps a good idea to reconsider the concept from the perspective of cooperation between users and professional designers.

Assessment of shutdown dose rates in the ITER Collective Thomson Scattering system and in equatorial port plug 12

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. C12001
Author(s):  
A. Chambon ◽  
R. Luís ◽  
E. Klinkby ◽  
Y. Nietiadi ◽  
D. Rechena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Velocity Distribution Function ◽  
Thomson Scattering ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Alpha Particles ◽  
Dose Rates ◽  
Statistical Fluctuations ◽  
Design Changes ◽  
Hands On ◽  
One Step ◽  
Collective Thomson Scattering

Abstract The ITER Collective Thomson Scattering (CTS) system will be the main diagnostic responsible for measuring the velocity distribution function of fusion-born alpha particles in the plasma. As the CTS diagnostic is integrated in the equatorial port plug 12 (drawer 3), with direct apertures to the port interspace where maintenance hands-on operation will be carried out, it is essential to assess the shutdown dose rates (SDDR) in these maintenance areas. In this work, the D1S-UNED3.1.4 Monte-Carlo transport code, based on the implementation of the direct-one-step methodology in MCNP5 v1.60, was used to estimate the dose rate level 12 days (106 s) after shutdown in the port interspace. The results show that the CTS system does not contribute significantly to the SDDR in the area where hands-on maintenance is foreseen with contribution to dose rates less than 1 µSv/h. This is consistent with previous estimates, although with the most recent model of the CTS design there is a slight increase of the SDDR values. This deviation can be attributed to design changes and improved shielding modelling and/or most importantly, to statistical fluctuations of the D1S simulations. From a neutronics point of view, the increase in the SDDR falls within the range of the statistical fluctuations, and the design is still compliant with the radiation safety ALARA principle aiming at minimizing radiation doses, and there is no requirement for further design optimizations.

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