5th Science Centre World Congress Blog

Northern Science

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:00:00 GMT

We headed out of the grey city with the promise of seeing the forests and geology to our north. Mia and Louise on our bus were great guides, telling us about what we were seeing out the windows and what was to come.

Declare and Farewell

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:22:00 GMT

Can 721 words change the world? Our collective signing of the Toronto Declaration at the close of the 5SCWC suggests we believe they can.

Frontiers of Science

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:57:00 GMT

At the heart of a science centre is the communication of what working scientists are up to.

Session Snapshot: Earth Issues Urgency for Awareness--Climate Change

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:24:00 GMT

Climate change is clearly an issue that we are all aware of. Some, like Sheila Watt-Cloutier are inspired by what is happening around them to take action.

How responsible are we?

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:00:00 GMT

Do our centres have social and cultural responsibilities, or are we just about science? This was one of the questions posed by moderator Bryce Seidl of the Pacific Science Center to CEOs from five science centres and the CEO of Siemens Canada during Wednesday’s CEO Conversation on Social Responsibility.

Blending Traditional Knowledge and Conventional Science

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:15:00 GMT

Both working to make the world a better place, activist Sheila Watt-Cloutier represented the North and physicist Dr. Mohamed Hassan the South as they addressed the role of science centres in “Living on, Changing and Sustaining Planet Earth”.

Behind the Scenes at the Ontario Science Centre

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:34:00 GMT

Can science be art? How can science centres encourage innovative behaviour in their visitors? What’s the best way to spark young minds? And what will you look like when you’re 90? These were some of the questions explored by World Congress delegates during their “Behind the Scenes” tour of the Ontario Science Centre on Tuesday afternoon.

Session Snapshot: Urgency for Awareness / Water

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:35:00 GMT

Less than 1% of the Earth’s water is available as drinking water, and as the population of our planet grows, so will the demands that we place on this tiny portion of our water supply. Science centres are poised to play a vital role in the world’s water education: science is at the core of all water conservation efforts, and science centre visitors, policymakers and other decision makers need to understand how water works in order to conserve it.

Stephen Lewis: "Science is a Language of Hope and Inspiration"

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:55:00 GMT

Stephen Lewis has had a worldwide impact in a career focused on inspiring social responsibility and building social justice. And today at the 5th Science Centre World Congress he made a new commitment: to help science centres come to grips with the “searing” issues affecting humanity on a global scale.

Session Snapshot: The Role of Human Interface in Science Communication

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:28:00 GMT

They've been called facilitators, hosts, animators, presenters, explainers, "cheerleaders of science" -- or even, "amuseoligists" -- but regardless of the name, they are arguably the most important people in your science centre or museum. Monday afternoon's panel session, "The Role of Human Interface in Science Communication" identified that technological interfaces only work because of the people behind them.