ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

You're not old, but something about ASTC can do that to you.  I remember looking at all the wise greybeards in suits gathered together at one of the early astcs.  At a more recent one, I realized that I was standing in that group...but other than that thanks for the colorful random memories.

E

On Oct 21, 2010, at 1:47 PM, Jonah Cohen wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
> 
> With 2010's festivities in Honolulu, I realize that I have now been to
> 10 Annual Conferences of ASTC. There are two conclusions to draw from
> this:
> 
> 1) I am old. Really old.
> 2) Especially for someone at a small museum, like mine, it has been
> unbelievably valuable to meet up with and exchange ideas with my cohorts
> from the science center world. So to everyone I say, as they would in
> Hawaii, Mahalo.
> 
> And now, a trip down memory lane. Here are a few of the things I recall
> from the hosts of our last 10 shindigs:
> 
> 2001, Arizona Science Center: the freaky psychology exhibit, the video
> display with the 3 second delay
> 
> 2002, Discovery Place: an awesome chemistry demo area, the terraced
> exhibit space, lots of robots
> 
> 2003, Science Museum of Minnesota: Cell Lab, Experiment Gallery,
> Collector's Corner, the terminator pigs, the demo where they dropped
> stuff off of a balcony
> 
> 2004, The Tech Museum: The Tech Challenges, the drawing robot, the
> high-tech kids area, The Revolver
> 
> 2005, Science Museum of Virginia: The earth + moon kugels, Newton in
> Space, rat basketball
> 
> 2006, Louisville Science Center: World We Create, the waterless stream
> table, maze-like design of every building in town
> 
> 2007, California Science Center: Big Lab, the rose garden, Tess the
> giant robot, the chick hatchery
> 
> 2008, Franklin Institute: the heart, the sports exhibit, pirates, the
> kids area
> 
> 2009, Fort Worth Museum of Science & History: the noise-making pinball
> game, the activity rooms, the construction
> 
> 2010, Bishop Museum: meet me at the hot spot, the ocean/volcano exhibit
> combo, the main hall in Hawaii Hall
> 
> And a few superlatives, IMHO, from the last decade:
> 
> BEST NEARBY MUSEUM: Have to fudge + go with a tie - The Exploratorium
> (close to San Jose) & The Sonora Desert Museum (close to Phoenix).
> Honorable mentions to Monterey Bay Aquarium/SJ Children's Discovery
> Museum/Lawrence Hall of Science (San Jose), the Baaken Museum (St.
> Paul), Louisville Slugger Museum (Louisville) & The Mutter Museum
> (Philadelphia)
> 
> BEST FOOD: Philadelphia, hands down. Thank you, Reading Terminal Market.
> 
> BEST CONFERENCE SPEAKER: Has to be Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem
> Children's Zone. (Los Angeles). Honorable mentions to astronaut Mike
> Melville (Richmond), biologist EO Wilson (Louisville), author Steven
> Johnson (Philly) + the Mythbusters (LA)
> 
> MOST NOTABLE WEATHER: Holy smokes, it was cold in St. Paul.
> 
> BEST TOYS IN THE EXHIBITOR HALL: I liked the hurricane booth, that
> buffeted you with 80 mph winds. Props also to the strobe-powered OI that
> made it look like water was dripping upwards.
> 
> BEST ANIMAL GUEST STAR: Close call. Smithfield the painting pig
> (Richmond) had artistic talent, but like all artists was kind of
> temperamental. Sticker the longhorn steer (Ft. Worth) was friendlier,
> but had some drool issues.
> 
> BEST ENTERTAINMENT: They Might Be Giants (Ft. Worth.) I'm impressed.
> 
> BEST SMELLING PARKING LOT: Science museum of Virginia. Really, it smells
> like cookies.
> 
> BEST CONVENTION SWAG: In Philadelphia, everyone's conference tote
> included one of the plushes from Giant Microbes. I got the T-4
> Macrophage.
> 
> WILDEST DEMO: OK, a few contenders---
> 	Sherry Marshall of the Oklahoma Museum Network, whose LN2/ping
> pong ball explosion in Honolulu won't be forgotten soon
> 	The London Science Museum, their outreach live presentation in
> LA on the digestive system wowed everyone with actual footage from
> inside the human body, and made jokes I didn't know you were allowed to
> make in a school
> 	Steven Walvig of The Baaken, for the Thunder-house demo he set
> off in Fort Worth
> 	The traveling science crew of The Franklin Institute, who added
> to their host-party with an extended, fire-and-LN2 affair dubbed Random
> Acts of Science
> 	William Katzman of the Catawba Museum, who fascinated/frightened
> attendees in Richmond by walking barefoot on glass shards
> 
> BIGGEST SERENDIPITY: As ASTC'ers were enjoying open house at The Bishop
> this month, they were treated to a huge rainbow above Honolulu.
> 
> My friends, thanks for all the Manao (sharing of thoughts), and I hope
> to see you next year in Baltimore.
> 
> Jonah Cohen
> Outreach & Public Programs Manager
> The Children's Museum
> 	
> 
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> 
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For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

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