AAAS Teams With Boston Museum
of Science for Public Engagement

Breaking research headlines will help to engage the public through online and on-site exhibitions resulting from a new collaboration between AAAS and the prestigious Boston Museum of Science.

The project—announced this week by AAAS CEO Alan I. Leshner at the Association of Science & Technology Centers (ASTC) Annual Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota—will speed peer-reviewed scientific information from the scholarly literature to the public.

"Through this experimental collaboration, the Boston Museum of Science will be able to develop timely exhibits that are directly related to breaking-news headlines, by creating exhibits based on advance information from papers accepted for publication in Science," Leshner explained. "The project is part of a growing effort by AAAS to engage the public in the scientific issues that are integral to everyday life."

If the project is successful and additional sources of support can be identified, the collaboration should result in a systematic method for rapidly transferring published research findings into the public domain, through science and technology centers. Such a system may be particularly useful for smaller, regional institutions that lack the resources to quickly mobilize new exhibits tied to science-related topics in the news, Leshner noted.

The Boston Museum of Science is well-equipped to test a new method of information delivery: Already, the museum has a staff dedicated to incorporating breaking research news into exhibits, through its "Current Science & Technology" program.

AAAS has long-standing ties with science and technology centers, and serves as a sustaining member of the Association of Science & Technology Centers. The group includes 550 members in 43 countries.

More information on the new collaboration with the Boston Museum of Science is available through the AAAS Office of Public Programs, 202-326-6440, media@aaas.org.

11 November 2003