Frankenstein! The name conjures up imagery of dank, electrified labs and mysterious, unnatural creations overseen by a solitary, wild-eyed doctor. No one but the most stout hearted would dare enter this realm and participate in the arcane experiments within. Contrast this with the sleek aesthetics of the latest start-up, where smart, gregarious people create technologies with far reaching impacts on humanity and the world, and your perception changes.
This is the type of environment that the Frankenstein200 project prepares tomorrow’s scientists and engineers to navigate. A collaboration of Arizona State University and NISE Net, Frankenstein200 combines hands-on activities, at-home DIY challenges, and an online story-game that invites players to role play in a modern-day Frankenstein’s lab.
At the high-tech Laboratory for Innovation and Fantastical Exploration (L.I.F.E.), founded by Victoria “Tori” Frankenstein, the familiar story of grave-robbing and lightning bolts is replaced with science activities and thought experiments related to topics such as synthetic biology and artificial intelligence. In this alternate reality game, players take on the role of junior research assistants, working alongside other characters in the lab to uncover a scientific mystery. Through videos, chats, interactive content, web searches, emails, and phone calls from characters, audiences are engaged with STEM topics in new and unique ways.
View Alternate Reality Game trailer: https://vimeo.com/233573799
And when online players can come to an in-person event and find evidence of Frankenstein's experiments at their own local science center?
Pennypickle’s Workshop, Temecula Children’s Museum
Roper Mountain Science Center
Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology
Gateway to Science
Michigan Science Center
Well, that's when the experience IS ALIVE!!!
You can bring L.I.F.E. and the rest of the Frankenstein200 activities to your location. Visit NISE Net’s Frankenstein200 project page to get started!
This project was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 1516684. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.