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

Thank you, Jonah for another edition of your yearly post-mortem.  Two
thoughts from the other side... Why doesn't every elevator have a couch?
 and What about a large tent in the parking lot of other host science
centers for science festivals during ASTC? I would love to see a new
tradition born and would love to contribute to creative ideas about how it
could continue.

Eric


On Wed, Oct 30, 2013 at 7:35 AM, Jonah Cohen <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
> institutions.
>
> *****************************************************************************
>
> Now that the ASTC Conference has wrapped up, and in the 2nd prettiest
> town ever to host it, a brief look at some off the highlights/lowlights.
> Because no one demanded it:
>
>
>
> SAY MY NAME!
>
> THE 2013 ASTC CONFERENCE BREAKS BAD
>
> (and occasionally good)
>
>
>
> BAD JOKE: In a true Abbot & Costello moment, the meeting rooms at the
> Albuquerque Conference Center had names instead of numbers. One room was
> called "Aztec".
>
>
>
> BAD FOR YOUR STOMACH: We get it. In New Mexico, they add chiles to
> everything. The Green Chile Milkshake was taking things too far.
>
>
>
> BAD WEB DESIGN: There were several sessions/discussions about the Next
> Generation Science Standards. These were good. Not so good was the chart
> of standards on http://www.nextgenscience.org/ that prints in a font
> size so small, even NISE-Net can't see it.
>
>
>
> SMALL IS GOOD part 1: Big ups to all the presenters at the Big Ideas for
> Small Science Centers session, which was literally SRO. Several
> "tourists" from bigger centers snuck in. One told me that this was
> because "I thought this is where the good ideas would be."
>
>
>
> BAD TO THE BONE: Fossils from a type of creature I'd never heard of seen
> at the NM Natural History Museum - the phytosaurs. Google it.
>
>
>
> BAD MEDICINE: Among the many bizzaro contraptions at the Museum of
> Nuclear Science was the Revigator. It let you down the recommended 6-8
> glasses per day of water that had been hit with radiation from radium.
>
>
>
> GOOD GRIEF, I'M A NERD: I was excited at one session when I saw that
> both Eugenie Scott and Steve Spangler were in attendance.
>
>
>
> BAD INTERPRETATION OF SCIENCE FICTION: Whoever was moderating the
> discussion of the keynote with Neal Stephenson started out by asking why
> so much scifi today has a dystopian view of the future, instead of the
> more optimistic, even utopian, vision of authors from the past. Uh, in
> what alternate universe does the work of Asimov, Heinlein or Bradbury
> count as "optimistic" about the future?
>
>
>
> BADASS DEMONSTRATION: Craziest demo at the Live Demonstration Hour had
> to be Leonard Duda. He showed that pointing a heat gun at a semi-opaque
> gallon milk jug turns the plastic clear. Then he blew into it to inflate
> the clear plastic like a soap bubble.
>
>
>
> BAD KITTEH!: While visiting the ABQ BioPark's zoo, a mountain lion tried
> to pee on me. Not cool, mountain lion!
>
>
>
> SMALL IS GOOD part 2: The session on mini-grants was filled with one
> inspiring tale after another of what different centers had managed to do
> with small amounts of funding.
>
>
>
> BAD IDEA ANYWHERE ELSE, VERY GOOD IDEA HERE: Taking advantage of the dry
> local weather, Outreach Live was done in a science festival format. The
> Science in the Park event was terrific. Along with the ASTC'ers, a lot
> of local presenters were brought in: Sandia Mountain labs, the BioPark,
> the Nature Center, a local astronomy club, Kirtland Air Force Base, the
> local library and more.
>
>
>
> BAD NEWS FOR EAST COASTERS: I saw gas for as low as $2.95 in
> Albuquerque.
>
>
>
> GOOD QUESTION: Why does Explora have a couch in the elevator?
>
>
>
> BAD NEWS FOR PSEUDOSCIENCE: The NM Museum of Natural History had
> exhibits, both with bold signage proclaiming their content, about both
> global warming and the evolutionary origins of life.
>
>
>
> GOODNESS AT EXPLORA: Among the many keen things in the "rabbit warren"
> exhibit floor, I really liked all of the water-based ones, and the model
> plane you got to pilot. Or, crash, in my case.
>
>
>
> GOOD TO KNOW: Want to run a session at next year's shindig in North
> Carolina? Don't forget - submission deadline is November 15th!
>
>
>
> BAD BUDDIES: The biggest of props to all the staff at three host museums
> who had to team up, all of the helpful blue-shirted volunteers, and the
> conference staff from ASTC who no doubt worked as though they were on
> the blue meth to bring this event to fruition. Thanks!
>
>
>
> Born to be Bad,
>
> Jonah Cohen
>
> Outreach & Public Programs Manager
>
> The Children's Museum
>
>
>
>
>
> "Inertia. Of all the physical forces, I would think I can count on you
> to stay the course."
>
>         -Stephen Colbert
>
>
>
>
> ***********************************************************************
> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and
> the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
>
> Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at
> www.exhibitfiles.org.
>
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>



-- 
Eric Meyer
Educational Services Director

Explora
1701 Mountain Rd. NE
Albuquerque, NM 87104

505-224-8386

www.explora.us
fax 505-224-8310

***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
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