ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Thanks to all who replied to my post re museum visitors as  
experimental subjects.

The research programs I’m interested to know about are not those about  
visitor learning in museums, nor about how visitors experience certain  
exhibitions or exhibits.  I’m curious to know which museums or  
centers, worldwide,  invite scientists to the museum  to carry out  
real, peer-reviewed scientific research (on for example cognition,  
memory, perception, genetics, or any other topic whose experimental  
design requires human subjects and is non-invasive (with the exception  
of saliva swabs or spiting)). Sara Poirier’s post on what the Ontario  
Science Centre is doing sounds most similar to NEMO’s Science  
Liveprogram.

I didn’t realize that rules in the States are so strict regarding  
human subjects.  We are in this sense lucky, for in the Netherlands we  
don’t have to go through government agencies, as long as the research  
conducted in the museum has been approved by the university’s ethical  
committee… And of course, consent forms have to be filled and signed.  
We offer this program to whole families (kids from age 8 upwards) and  
it is so rewarding to see families participate together, discussing  
the experiment, results etc!  We have run three research studies with  
scientists up till now: on the genetic basis of intelligence; how  
music affects the perception of emotion; how facial expressions  
influence age estimation and personality perception.

We have organized a session at  the Ecsite Annual Conference in May  
2011 to encourage the science center community to implement live  
research programs. They are relatively easy to implement, cost little  
and have a great pay-off. National NSF-type organizations are willing  
to open their wallet.  Scientists whose research is predominantly  
based on 20+ year old students are enthusiastic because of the age  
range and socioeconomic background range found in our museums and the  
sheer amount of subjects at their disposal. Visitors feel empowered by  
the idea that they can actively contribute towards scientific   
knowledge. And we as science center feel we are fulfilling an  
important mission: our museums not only as a place where science is  
show-cased, but a place where science is generated and where the  
scientific process becomes alive. A place that provides the public at  
large insights into the kind of questions scientists are grappling  
with and the methods they use to answer them. And last, but not least,  
a place where scientist and public interact.

I would like to be able to mention in my Ecsite session which other  
science centers/museums offer such live research programs…

Thanks,

Diana

==
Dr. Diana Issidorides | science center NEMO | Exhibitions & Programs |  
Senior Scientist & Senior Exhibition Developer | tel: +31 (0)20 5313  
201 | fax: +31 (0)20 5313 535 [log in to unmask] | www.e-nemo.nl |  
Postal address: Postbus 421, 1000 AK Amsterdam, Netherlands | Visiting  
address: Oosterdok 2, 1011 VX Amsterdam, Netherlands
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