ABSTRACT
The notion is the science centre and it was born in North America in the 1960s. Since then, and particularly during the 1980s and 1990s, science centres have spread worldwide. Today there are several national and international professional organisations that together form a global network. The first and largest, with almost 550 members in 41 countries, is the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) in Washington, D.C. Other groups include the European Network of Science Centers and Museums (ECSITE), which has over 325 members in 45 countries; the Network for the Popularization of Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean (known as Red-Pop), with over 80 members in 15 countries; and the Asia Pacific Network of Science and Technology Centres (ASPAC), with 35 members in 17 countries.
