Science Centre News
Ecsite conference a huge success
EMMA WADLAND A
n impres- sive 950 delegates travelled
to Toulouse, France, for Ecsite’s 23rd Annual Conference – Space and Time, Unlimited – between 31 May and 2 June at Cité de l’espace. As the quintessential yearly meeting for
those who initiate public engagement with science, the Ecsite Conference showcased the latest developments in science commu- nication through dynamic sessions, debates, workshops and the Business Bistro trade show. Topics spanned creating cities of sci- entifi c culture in Europe and heightening learning experiences in science centres, col- laborative online resources and helping the public understand complex health issues.
“More than 3,000
tweets during the event... shows how receptive the Ecsite community is to exchanging new ideas”
Features of this year’s conference included
a keynote speech by Carlo Ratti – an Italian architect and engineer who opened up a new world of possibilities for the use of data when discussing his work at the Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, US. Have you ever thought how far and wide
the contents of your waste basket travel aſt er being collected? According to Ratti’s data, our garbage travels farther than we would have ever thought. Makes a person think about making more sustainable choices. T e event’s Twitter hashtag (#Ecsite2012)
was abuzz, with more than 3,000 tweets during the event. It shows how receptive the Ecsite community is to exchanging new ideas – and an indicator that Toulouse 2012 accomplished what it set out to achieve. Keep an eye out for the Ecsite Annual
Conference 2013 Call for Proposals – http://
lei.sr?a=B2U2D. T e next edition, themed Dreams: T e Spirit of Innovation, will be hosted by Universeum in Gothenburg, Sweden, betwee 6 and 8 June 2013.
Emma Wadland, communications offi cer 12 HMNS opens palaeontology hall
A US$85m (€69.4m, £54.1m) Hall of Palaeontology – hous- ing more than 30 dinosaurs – has now opened at Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) in Texas, US. The 30,000sq ft (2,787sq
m) facility forms part of a wider expansion – the Dan L Duncan Family Wing – designed by Gensler and features 60 major mounts, which includes prehistoric mammals in “action” poses. T e exhibition area itself
was designed entirely by the museum’s own exhibits department, led by Judd Swanson. Exhibits will also include a Tyrannosaurus
HMNS’ new Hall of Palaeontology forms part of a wider redevelopment
Rex with the “best preserved and most com- plete hands and feet of any Tyrannosaurus Rex ever found”, as well as touchable specimens. The expansion of HMNS will also cre- ate more than 115,000sq ſt (10,684sq m) of
additional exhibition and education space – doubling the number of classrooms currently available for educational programmes. Following the expansion, HMNS will also
have double the amount of exhibition space for temporary and permanent installations. Details:
http://lei.sr?a=E2i8C
UK’s Thinktank opens Science Garden
A new outdoor interac- tive exploration space – the Thinktank Science Garden – has been launched at Birmingham’s T inktank sci- ence attraction in the UK. Features include a human-
sized hamster wheel; an 8m (26ſt )-tall Terminus machine; and an ‘elasticated squirter’ – a water piston that uses elastic potential energy. The 2,750sq m (29,601sq
ſt ) T inktank Science Garden contains 42 zones and entry will be included in the cost of a ticket to the attraction. Janine Eason, director of learning and oper-
T inktank Science Gardens has activities for all members of the family “Aſt er three years in development, we are
ations, said: “T e T inktank Science Garden off ers a fresh and exciting way of experiencing fi rsthand how science and engineering have shaped Birmingham and the world.
eager to see the fun zones and exhibits in action and look forward to welcoming visi- tors of all ages on site.” Details:
http://lei.sr?a=P6x8K
US science centre to open Indiana Jones experience
Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology – a new themed experience – is to open at the Discovery Science Center (DSC) in Santa Ana, California, US on 12 October. T e National Geographic Society is pre- senting the new multimedia and interactive
Read Attractions Management online
attractionsmanagement.com/digital
adventure at the attraction, which immerses visitors in the world of Indiana Jones. X3 Productions has produced the 10,000sq
ſt (929sq m) experience by using Indiana Jones fi lm materials from the Lucasfi lm Archives. Read more:
http://lei.sr?a=8n1F2
AM 3 2012 ©cybertrek 2012
image: another believer
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