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Project Progress

We are prototyping several modes of informal astrobiology educational presentation at Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS), with testing, documentation and packaging for dissemination to other museums and planetariums. We have begun a series of evening public events designed to excite, inform and engage the public in the latest astrobiology research and the wider societal implications of research in this field. Adult education programming at the DMNS has established a strong audience base and a reputation for presenting compelling opportunities for the public to interact with leaders in scientific and cultural research fields. Through prominent webcasting and archived streaming videos, DMNS adult programs have increasingly reached national and international audiences. Public Debate: “Clash of the Titans” was moderated by our E/PO lead, Dr. David Grinspoon, Curator of Astrobiology at DMNS. The two debaters were Dr. Ralph Lorenz of APL and Dr. Jeff Moore from NASA/Ames.

Audience surveys indicated a high degree of audience engagement. This debate was filmed with multiple high-definition cameras and is currently being edited for webcast and archiving. We will continue this series with two lectures in 2011.