Fostering Civic Dialogue: A New Role for Science Museums?

Abstract In a world where new technologies have taken on an expanded role in our daily lives, there is a need to engage the public in discussions concerning new and emerging technologies and how they might interact with our lives, our society and our environment, both now and in the near and the distant futures. This paper posits that science museums can work to fulfill this need. Drawing upon lessons learned through the evaluation of thirteen civic dialogue-based events addressing the topic of nanotechnology that were held at five science museums across the United States, this paper discusses what participants reported learning, what these participants valued about their participation, and lessons learned by the museum educators that will shape the programs they develop in the future.