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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Paul,

I'm part of the team here at the Current Science & Technology Center at
the Museum of Science, Boston.  (www.mos.org/cst).   Our center, located
on the Museum's first floor, opened in spring of 2001.  We develop
presentations, exhibits, web content, and do cablecasting all related to
current research and PUR.  The content staff have advanced science
degrees and some of us have journalistic training which helps us know
the fields and interpret breaking news quickly for our audiences.  We
also have established critical partnerships with local research
institutions and some science journals.

As far as choosing stories, we try to use what's in the news as a hook
to connect with what people are hearing outside the Museum, but we also
choose research topics that don't necessarily make the news.  It's a fun
challenge to make the science accessible and exciting.  We see ourselves
as adding an insight and understanding into both the content and the
process of science.

As science centers move toward incorporating current research into
content, it will be increasingly important to have access to what
journalists call embargoed information.  Many of the top research
journals release papers to qualified writers/producers ahead of the
publication date.  In exchange for keeping the info under tight wraps
until a specified date and time, the writer has time to research the
topic fully and get up to speed.  Such access has not been traditionally
granted to museum staff who are not viewed as journalists.  CS&T is
trying to forge new ground in experimental partnerships with both AAAS
and Nature.  I've proposed an ASTC session with the president of the
National Association of Science Writers to help us learn more about
these aspects of science journalism and covering current science.

Best,
Tinsley

Tinsley H. Davis, M.S.
Current Science & Technology Center
Museum of Science, Boston
617.589.0105
www.mos.org/cst

Paul Siboroski wrote:

>ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
>Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
>*****************************************************************************
>
>I'm interested in knowing if any science centers are attempting to provide
>either as an exhibit on the floor or on a web site current science news that
>may be on interest to your public?  If so who is responsible for sorting
>through the news services and how do you determine what to cover?
>
>Thanks!
>
>Paul Siboroski
>Exhibits Director
>Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
>619.685.5742
>[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
>
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>More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
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More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
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