Editing Science museum (section)

==Science centres==
{{redirect|Science center|the future Toronto subway station|Science Centre station
|a complex of science research institutes located in close vicinity to each other|Research institute}}
{{See also|List of science centers}}
[[File:Cloud chamber as science for general public.jpg|thumb|[[Cloud chamber]]s are very popular among science centres in explanation of [[radioactivity]]. Cloud chambers are able to visualise otherwise [[invisible]] [[particles]] of [[radiation]], thus allowing [[general public]] to grasp theoretical concepts in practice.]]
Museums that brand themselves as ''science centres'' emphasise a hands-on approach, featuring interactive exhibits that encourage visitors to experiment and explore.

Recently, there has been a push for science museums to be more involved in science communication and educating the public about the scientific process. Microbiologist and science communicator [[Wikipedia|Natalia Pasternak Taschner]] stated, "I believe that science museums can promote critical thinking, especially in teenagers and young adults, by teaching them about the scientific method and the process of science, and how by using this to develop knowledge and technology, we can be less wrong."<ref>{{cite web |title=Science Museums and Critical Thinking |url=https://blog.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/science-museums-and-critical-thinking/ |website=Science Museum Group |date=21 May 2024 |access-date=September 17, 2024}}</ref>

[[Urania (Berlin)|Urania]] was a science centre founded in [[Berlin]] in 1888. Most of its exhibits were destroyed during World War II, as were those of a range of German technical museums.{{R|DTB}} The Academy of Science of Saint Louis (founded in 1856) created the Saint Louis Museum of Science and Natural History in 1959 ([[Saint Louis Science Center]]), but generally science centres are a product of the 1960s and later. In the [[United Kingdom]], many were founded as [[Millennium Commission|Millennium projects]], with funding from the [[National Lottery (United Kingdom)|National Lotteries Fund]].

The first 'science centre' in the United States was the [[Science Center of Pinellas]] County, founded in 1959. The [[Pacific Science Center]] (one of the first large organisations to call itself a 'science centre' rather than a museum), opened in a [[Seattle World's Fair]] building in 1962.

In 1969, [[Frank Oppenheimer|Oppenheimer]]'s [[Exploratorium]] opened in [[San Francisco]], [[California]], and the Ontario Science Centre opened near [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada. By the early 1970s, [[COSI Columbus]], then known as the Center of Science and Industry in [[Columbus, Ohio]], had run its first 'camp-in'.

In 1983, the [[Smithsonian Institution]] invited visitors to the Discovery Room in the newly opened [[National Museum of Natural History]] [[Museum Support Center]] in [[Suitland, Maryland]], where they could touch and handle formerly off-limits specimens.{{R|Discovery}}

The new-style museums banded together for mutual support. In 1971, 16 museum directors gathered to discuss the possibility of starting a new association; one more specifically tailored to their needs than the existing American Association of Museums (now the [[American Alliance of Museums]]). As a result of this, the [[Association of Science-Technology Centers]] was formally established in 1973, headquartered in Washington DC, but with an international organisational membership.

The corresponding European organisation is Ecsite{{R|Ecsite}}, and in the United Kingdom, the Association of Science and Discovery Centres represents the interests of over 60 major science engagement organisations.{{R|ASDC}} The [[Asia Pacific Network of Science and Technology Centres]] (ASPAC) is an association initiated in 1997 with over 50 members from 20 countries across Asia and Australia (2022). Their regional sister organisations are the Network for the Popularization of Science and Technology in Latin America and The Caribbean (RedPOP), the North Africa and Middle East science centres (NAMES), and the Southern African Association of Science and Technology Centres (SAASTEC). In India, the [[National Council of Science Museums]] runs science centres at several places including [[National Science Centre, Delhi|Delhi]], [[Regional Science Centre, Bhopal|Bhopal]], [[Raman Science Centre|Nagpur]] and [[Ranchi Science Centre|Ranchi]]. There are also a number of private Science Centres, including the [[Birla Science Museum]] and The Science Garage in Hyderabad.{{R|SciGar}}