Science in Common

Museum of Science Debuts Center for Space Sciences

Kathryn Roberts Jasmin — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 15:19:39 +0000

The Museum of Science today introduced its newest Center for Public Science Learning, focused on space exploration.

BOSTON, MA – The Museum of Science today introduced its newest Center for Public Science Learning, focused on space exploration. The Center for Space Sciences brings together academia, industry, government and the public to create a vision for – and a commitment to – making space exploration accessible and relevant for all. The Center has translated this vision into cutting-edge learning experiences, kicking off with an array of interactive programming and content focused on Mars.

“The Center for Space Sciences is the most recent example of our efforts to redefine what it means to be a museum in a time of rapid scientific change,” said Museum of Science President Tim Ritchie. “As one of three Centers for Public Science Learning, it builds on our superpower as a convener, bringing together academic experts, industry leaders, researchers and innovators, government, and the general public to ensure science and technology are relevant and accessible to all.”

The Center will harness the natural wonder and awe of astronomy and space exploration through on-site exhibits and live presentations, virtual learning experiences, and in-classroom activities and experiences. The Center plays a unique role in connecting astronomers and multidisciplinary researchers with the general public, including K-12 schools and community groups, to expand public discourse and make space exploration accessible and relevant for all.

The Center for Space Sciences will be helmed by Dani LeBlanc, currently the Museum’s Director of the Charles Hayden Planetarium and Director of Immersive Theaters and Programs.

“We’re witnessing a breathtaking new era for space exploration that’s unfolding in real time,” said LeBlanc. “The Center for Space Sciences will help everyone understand how, with our combined skills, creativity, and spirit, we can reach farther than ever before, gain new perspectives on our own planet, and discover solutions along the way that will benefit and improve countless lives on Earth.”

Through the launch of a “Mars Spotlight,” a collection of Mars-themed experiences on-site, online and in classrooms, the Center brings to life the ingenuity and technological feats that make Mars journeys possible, the geology of Mars and the myriad of challenges it presents for humans seeking to survive on its surface, and the insatiable human curiosity that inspires us to explore new worlds while imagining a better future for our own home. New activities include:

Mars Globe – a giant globe at the center of the Museum’s iconic Blue Wing greets visitors and includes some of the Red Planet’s most famous surface features.
Mars Rover – the Museum’s AI exhibit features a full-scale model of NASA’s Perseverance rover.
Experience: Mars Immersive Room – visitors step into an interactive, prototype immersive room and study the Martian surface up close.
Explore Mars: Live! – Join an educator in the Planetarium as your pilot and help guide your own adventure to the Red Planet, choosing the topics and destinations that most interest you.

In December 2022, the Museum made its first entry into the metaverse with the launch of “Mission: Mars” on Roblox, a global platform connecting tens of millions of people through immersive 3D experiences. Since its launch, “Mission: Mars” has seen nearly 2,000,000 visitors engaged in the engineering design process with new missions now live here.

The Center for Space Sciences joins the Museum’s Center for Life Sciences, established in 2022. More information on the Centers for Public Science Learning can be found here.

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Museum of Science enters the metaverse with new Roblox experience “Mission: Mars”

Sez giulian — Tue, 13 Dec 2022 13:09:13 +0000

BOSTON, MA — The Museum of Science, Boston is making its first move into the world of immersive online education with its launch of “Mission: Mars ,” on Roblox, a global platform connecting millions of people through immersive 3D experiences. Developed in partnership with Filament Games, “Mission: Mars” challenges participants to engage in the Engineering Design Process, developing and iterating on vehicles ready to navigate the mysterious red planet and complete exploratory missions with friends to survive on Mars.

The Museum of Science is the first Roblox Community Fund (RCF) recipient to launch their experience since the fund’s introduction in November of 2021. Through the initial $10M fund, RCF has been offering grants to educational organizations to develop innovative learning experiences and curriculum leveraging the platform in immersive and compelling ways.

The immersive 3D “Mission: Mars” experience focuses on engaging students of all ages in the Engineering Design Process, providing a high-quality, entertaining, and Next Generation Science Standards aligned digital experience for both formal and informal learning. It enables individuals to step into a Mars survival suit, navigate terrain in a hi-tech Mars Rover, help their team in specific level-based missions to discover past evidence of water, collect samples of water ice, and rescue fellow explorers from certain doom. Participants also design and create vehicles to help them in their missions and will be able to earn experience points and rewards along the way.

Museum of Science President Tim Ritchie said: “The Museum’s entry into the metaverse is part of our aspiration to reach 100 million people in museums, classrooms, and online by 2030, breaking down barriers to engagement and creating greater equity in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. It’s not enough for the Museum to be the most popular destination for families in New England and to share hands-on curricula with educators and millions of students around the world–we also want to leap into the metaverse to meet students where they are with top-quality STEM content.’’

Filament Games CEO Dan White said: “The in-game mechanics and environmental design in ‘Mission: Mars’ are all based on true scientific principles, powered by actual data collected by NASA on Mars.’’

“The Roblox platform offers developers like Filament the opportunity to deliver the kind of compelling deeper learning contexts that students and educators alike crave when exploring hands-on topics such as the engineering design process,’’ said Rebecca Kantar, Vice President of Education at Roblox. “Mission: Mars is a great example of putting the core learning objective, building and iterating for specific mechanical tasks and conditions, at the center of fun, rich experience design.”

The Museum of Science is also home to EiE®, the award-winning PreK-8th grade curricula division that reaches over 2 million students per year across the country and world. “Mission: Mars” will also include a full suite of instructional materials and supplemental support for teachers to use it for engineering and science education in classrooms, all designed to

support both engineering newcomers and experienced engineering educators;
highlight the engineering design process within missions;
explicitly link gameplay to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and EiE Habits of Mind;
support student analysis of in-game designs through engineering discussion guides;
and point teachers to outside support for getting started in Roblox and organizing a class.

Please go to mos.org/Roblox to learn more and here to access “Mission: Mars” directly on Roblox.

About the Museum of Science, Boston

Among the world’s largest science centers, the Museum of Science engages millions of people each year to the wonders of science and technology through interactive exhibitions, digital programs, giant screen productions, and preK – 8 EiE® STEM curricula through the William and Charlotte Bloomberg Science Education Center. Established in 1830, the Museum is home to such iconic experiences as the Theater of Electricity, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, and the Mugar Omni Theater. Around the world, the Museum is known for digital experiences such as “Mission: Mars” launching in 2022 on Roblox, and traveling exhibitions such as the Science Behind Pixar. Learn more at mos.org.

About Filament Games

Filament Games is a boutique game development studio with a 17-year track record of success and leadership in the educational game space. We’re all about delivering positive impacts as well as legitimately engaging game play – simultaneously! Sounds crazy, but it’s both our specialty and our #1 priority, whether the intended impact takes the form of new knowledge, broader empathy, or a fresh perspective. With more than 200 projects completed for heavyweight clients like National Geographic, the Smithsonian, Oculus, McGraw-Hill, Scholastic, and more, our team brings an expert hand to creating stunning educational games that can reach any age, leverage any platform, and teach any topic.

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Dr. Insoo Hyun Joins Museum of Science as Director of the Center for Life Sciences & Public Learning

Sez giulian — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 11:34:20 +0000

Global bioethics expert to lead efforts toward an inclusive, inspiring life sciences future

Boston, MA – The Museum of Science, Boston today announced Insoo Hyun, PhD as the Director of the Museum’s new Center for Life Sciences and Public Learning, the first of what will become of a collection of centers engaging the public and building community as part of the Museum’s Boston Science Common initiative.

As inaugural director, Dr. Hyun will be responsible for spearheading overarching strategy for the Center, building partnerships with government, industry, academia, and the public. He will work with other Museum teams to develop inclusive discussions, events, exhibits, curricula, citizen science projects and digital programming around key life sciences issues – from vaccinations to genetic engineering to broadening talent pipelines into the field.

“We are honored that Dr. Hyun will be joining our team at this pivotal moment in the story of life sciences around the globe,” said Tim Ritchie, president of the Museum of Science. “Life sciences are reshaping our fundamental understanding of biology and, in the case of Boston, transforming our region’s economy. We need everyone to be part of how we approach this new future. Convening these conversations is a role the Museum of Science is particularly well-suited to play.”

“I am thrilled to pursue my passion for public science communication at the venerable Museum of Science. With so many technological breakthroughs in the life sciences forging ahead, it is imperative to foster open and inclusive lines of communication among researchers, industry leaders, and vested members of the public, and to do so in a meaningful and bidirectional manner,” said Dr. Hyun. “It is my commitment to the Museum of Science, the Boston public at large, and our international community of science-positive scholars and citizens to ensure that progress in the life sciences proceeds responsibly and is shaped by the values we all share in promoting human and ecological well-being.”

Dr. Hyun currently holds several professional appointments at Harvard Medical School, where he is Director of Research Ethics and a faculty member in the Center for Bioethics, and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine. Previously, Dr. Hyun was Professor of Bioethics and Philosophy at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, where he taught for 18 years. Dr. Hyun is involved with the International Society for Stem Cell Research, (ISSCR) and has helped to draft all of the ISSCR’s international research guidelines. He received his BA and MA in Philosophy with Honors in Ethics in Society from Stanford University and his PhD in Philosophy from Brown University.

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Museum of Science, Roblox Partner on New Digital Experience Transforming Students into Mars Astronauts

Sez giulian — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 11:43:34 +0000

The Museum of Science and Roblox today announced they will launch a new experience on the Roblox platform where students become astronauts enabling a journey to Mars. Based on Destination Mars: The New Frontier – an immersive set of educational materials and planetarium show created by the Museum’s Charles Hayden Planetarium team, the Museum’s EiE® curricula division, and NASA – the experience will provide Roblox’s 47.3M+ daily users the opportunity to explore the International Space Station, the surface of the Moon, and an imagined Mars settlement and science laboratory.

“The Roblox partnership is a quantum leap toward the Museum of Science’s goal of meeting everyone, everywhere, to develop a lifelong love of science,” said Museum of Science President Tim Ritchie. “For kids of all ages, role-playing as astronauts sparks a lifelong relationship with STEM that might take them places they – or we – can only dream of today.”

The partnership is an extension of the Museum’s aspirations to reach 100 million people in museums, classrooms and online by 2030, breaking down barriers to engagement and creating greater equity in STEM. Other Museum efforts include the “MOS at Home” platform that reached more than 1M people during the pandemic, “MOS at School” virtual field trips that will reach more than 100,000 students, and the hiring of the Museum’s first-ever Chief Digital Officer.

The new Mars digital experience is made possible as one of three initial grants of the Roblox Community Fund, launching today as a philanthropic initiative to bring new high-quality educational experiences to Roblox.

“A journey to outer space that allows students to explore, plan, and problem-solve as scientists epitomizes the type of teaching and learning we are excited to see on Roblox,” said Roblox Head of Education Rebecca Kantar. “And there’s no one better suited to lead students on an extraterrestrial science mission than the Museum of Science. With the support of the Roblox Community Fund, the Museum of Science will offer an inspiring example of what Next Generation Science Standard-aligned learning experiences on Roblox can be like. We are thrilled to partner with the Museum of Science in reaching millions of current and soon-to-be lovers of science.”

The experience will be developed in alignment with the Museum’s award-winning approach to high quality, research-based experience design and content. Students will design the infrastructure to solve challenges and conduct experiments that enable the journey to Mars, and through the process, will understand how scientists and engineers are staging for an increasing human presence in space.

With access to EiE®, the Museum’s interactive engineering and computer science curriculum, students will practice STEM habits of mind, particularly those connected to engineering design process and scientific inquiry. Students will employ Next Generation Science Standard Practices and Skills as they learn and explore as scientists in space.

“We are thrilled to partner with Roblox to advance our shared commitment to learning that is fun and engaging,” said the Museum’s Chief Learning Officer, Christine Reich, Ph.D. “We’ve done this work in museums and classrooms for years, and this new partnership with Roblox allows us to reach exponentially more children in ways that enable them to directly experience their potential as future scientists and engineers.”

The new experience is anticipated to launch in 2022.

About Roblox

Roblox’s mission is to build a human co-experience platform that enables shared experiences among billions of users. Every day, tens of millions of people around the world have fun with friends as they explore millions of immersive digital experiences. All of these experiences are built by the Roblox community, made up of over eight million creators. We believe in building a safe, civil, and diverse community—one that inspires and fosters creativity and positive relationships between people around the world. For more information, please visit corp.roblox.com.

About the Museum of Science

Among the world’s largest science centers, and one of New England’s most attended cultural institution, the Museum of Science engages millions of people per year around the world with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through interactive exhibits, programs, planetarium productions and preK-8 EiE® STEM curricula through the William and Charlotte Bloomberg Science Education Center. Established in 1830, the Museum is home to such iconic exhibits as the Thomson Theater of Electricity, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, and the Mugar Omni Theater. The Museum influences formal and informal STEM education through research and national advocacy, as a strong community partner and loyal educator resource, and as a leader in universal design, developing exhibits and programming accessible to all. Learn more at mos.org.

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Museum of Science Partners with the Commonwealth & Cataldo Ambulance for Pediatric Vaccine Clinic

Sez giulian — Fri, 05 Nov 2021 10:46:46 +0000

A celebration of science and superhero kids will welcome families at the Museum. Boosters and adult vaccines also available. Pre-registration is required.

BOSTON, MA – Following this week’s recommendation from the CDC to administer COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5-11, the Museum of Science, Boston, in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Cataldo Ambulance Service, announced a series of vaccine clinics at the Museum for anyone ages five years and older, beginning November 13.

“We are grateful to the Museum of Science, Boston for their collaborative spirit and commitment to vaccinating Massachusetts families once again,” said Marylou Sudders, Secretary of Health and Human Services. “The Museum of Science, Boston offers a family-friendly, non-traditional setting that, as we saw in the spring, can ease the nerves of youths as they roll up their sleeve to receive this life-saving vaccine next to their favorite musical staircase.”

The clinic will run Saturday, November 13, and Sunday, November 14, from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., with a follow-up clinic on December 4 and 5. The Museum will celebrate the event with live demonstrations, fun activities, and other surprises. Kids and families are encouraged to wear superhero costumes. Registered guests receiving a vaccine will be allotted two hours of free parking and two free tickets to the Museum, where visitors can enjoy the Museum’s newest exhibit, Project Vaccine: Our Best Defense. The Pfizer – BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine will be administered. Appointments for the Museum vaccine clinic are available at vaxfinder.mass.gov. Registration is required.

“The Museum has always been a place for families to foster their love of science together. The historic achievement of the COVID-19 vaccine – brought to us by science – is another step in our ability to be together again,” said Tim Ritchie, president of the Museum of Science. “We are honored to once again partner with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Cataldo Ambulance Service and open our doors to the community to offer vaccinations for those ages five and up. We want to celebrate the hard work and heroic acts that kids have taken throughout the pandemic to keep themselves and each other safe. After years of research on mRNA vaccines, unparalleled studies, and scrutiny, we know the vaccine is safe, effective, and one of the most important tools in battling this virus.”

The vaccination clinics will be facilitated by Cataldo Ambulance Service, a key partner with the state for the provision of vaccination and testing resources.

“Vaccinating our next generation is so important and demands that we put all of our effort into making sure they have a great experience. The entire Cataldo team is excited to participate in this effort and looks forward to working alongside our State Partners and the team at the Museum of Science to help vaccinate our state’s youth. They deserve our best,” says Kevin Turner, Cataldo Ambulance Chief Operating Officer.

Vaccine administration at the Museum of Science will take place in the Atrium outside the Charles Hayden Planetarium and Mugar Omni Theater. More details on the clinic and registration for vaccination clinics at the Museum of Science is now available at vaxfinder.mass.gov.

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Museum of Science Announces New Project Vaccine Partnership with the MA Life Sciences Center

Sez giulian — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 10:49:21 +0000

Massachusetts Life Sciences Center commits ongoing expert collaboration, $1.5M in support of STEM education

BOSTON, MA – The Museum of Science, Boston announced a new partnership with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center around the Museum’s ongoing initiative: Project Vaccine. Through Project Vaccine, the Museum is harnessing the expertise of academic experts, government agencies, and health advocates to engage and inspire the public around vaccine development and Massachusetts’ role in the life sciences ecosystem.

The new collaboration will provide the Museum and its audiences – online and at Science Park – access to world-leading scientists and information, as well as $1.52 million in financial support to expand programming and exhibits on life science topics.

“Project Vaccine partnerships will be critical as we aim to inspire, educate and engage young people by helping them understand the many different aspects to creating a highly effective vaccine,” said Tim Ritchie, president of the Museum of Science. “We hope that visitors to the exhibit and online not only understand the process, but to see the different ways in which each of them could be part of similarly impactful scientific breakthroughs in the future.”

“For life sciences to continue to thrive in the Commonwealth, we need to invest in our young people who could be the key to the next lifesaving innovations coming from our ecosystem,” said Kenn Turner, CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. “Supporting the Museum of Science in this effort is critical to strengthening our already world-class life sciences infrastructure.”

The Project Vaccine initiative began with a Town Hall discussion in March 2020 during the first days of the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, it has expanded to include videos and other online resources developed by the Museum’s science educators and experts including an AI-enabled interactive program allowing visitors to ask a virtual Dr. Ashish Jha their questions about COVID and vaccines.

Later this summer, the Museum will open an interactive exhibit, exploring various vaccines, how they work, and even the public’s own thoughts on vaccination. Visitors will learn about vaccine development from medical leaders who have collaborated with the Museum throughout the year including Dr. Galit Alter and Dr. Adrienne Gladden-Young. Dr. Charles Anderson, CEO of the Dimock Center will also be featured as a leading health care voice from the field.

In addition to an exhibit at the Museum of Science in Boston, the Museum’s Exhibits team will be building an additional traveling exhibit to expand the reach of this work. The expectation is for the exhibit to travel around Massachusetts to inspire audiences throughout the Commonwealth.

Learn more about Project Vaccine on the Museum’s website at mos.org/project-vaccine.

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