Beyond Curie

Name: Beyond Curie
Author: North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University

DOCUMENTED

Published in academic literature

For:Educators & TeachersGeneral Public & EnthusiastsKids & Youth

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App Summary

Beyond Curie is an augmented reality (AR) app designed to accompany a design exhibition, allowing users to interactively explore the stories of 40 pioneering women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The associated research, a review of the exhibition, highlights the innovative approach of combining a traditional museum display with an AR app to create an interactive and inclusive educational experience. The authors conclude that the project is successful in emphasizing inclusivity in science, offering a novel model for how museums can highlight diverse perspectives.

App Screenshots

Detailed Description

Functionality & Mechanism

Beyond Curie is an augmented reality (AR) system developed by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya and Laber Labs at North Carolina State University. The application leverages a device's camera to recognize specific 'Beyond Curie' illustrations of prominent women in STEM. Upon recognition, the interface overlays digital content, delivering an interactive experience that provides supplementary information about the featured pioneers. The system is designed for brief, in-situ interactions, augmenting the static artwork with dynamic educational content.

Evidence & Research Context

The application is an integral component of the 'Beyond Curie' exhibition, a design project showcased at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
The associated research describes the project's primary objective: to address the underrepresentation of women in STEM through an innovative, interactive format.
The system functions within a multi-modal educational framework that combines physical art, online resources, and augmented reality to enhance visitor engagement.

Intended Use & Scope

The application is intended for museum patrons, educators, and the general public as an educational enrichment tool. Its primary utility is to supplement the 'Beyond Curie' art series by providing an interactive layer of historical and scientific context. The system is not a comprehensive historical database and requires the corresponding physical or digital illustrations to activate content. It is designed to inspire interest rather than deliver a complete curriculum.

Studies & Publications

1 publication

Peer-reviewed research associated with this app.

Non-Evaluative Reference

Exhibition Review: 'Beyond Curie' ' a Design Project Celebrating Women in STEM

Arose et al. (2019) · Theory and Practice (Museum Scholar)

Referenced in academic literature; no direct evaluation of the app

In 1989 the Guerrilla Girls posed the question: "Do women have to be naked to get into the Met Museum?" contrasting the statistics of women artist's work on display with nude paintings of women on view and highlighting the underrepresentation of women in art museums. But what about the representation of women in science museums? At the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCNMS), a new exhibition entitled Beyond Curie broaches the topic of inclusivity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in an interactive format design, bringing forward the stories of 40 women scientists. The concept of this ambitious exhibition is innovative in how it brings together traditional museum display with an online exhibition and an AR (augmented reality) app. This exhibition was developed and created by multidisciplinary artist and design strategist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, who is not an employee of the NCMNS which raises the questions: Does it fall to individuals outside the museum field to bring inclusivity to museum spaces? Or are museums responsible for seeking out and highlighting other perspectives in order to create truly inclusive exhibitions? This review will consider these questions and will discuss how the exhibition functions in the space, focusing on its success in emphasizing inclusivity in science as well as in the development of the concept and in the implementation in a natural science museum space.

In the Media

This stunning high-tech mural uses AR to celebrate badass women in science

Multidisciplinary artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya developed Beyond Curie to highlight research by "badass ladies" in STEM through a series of 10 augmented reality-enabled murals around the country. The first 27-foot-by-60-foot mural, titled "A Cluster of Enigmas," depicts women as brown dwarfs that are "bold and mysterious and irrepressible," based on research by astronomer Jackie Faherty at the American Museum of Natural History. The Heising-Simons Foundation funds the project, which aims to express subtle metaphors between science and female scientists who haven't enjoyed the notoriety of male counterparts.

FastcompanyRead article

Science and Design Collaboration Project Comes to NC State

NC State launched the Leading Strand initiative to bridge the gap between scientific research and public understanding by pairing scientists and designers to co-create visually compelling art projects. Award-winning scientist-turned-designer Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya founded the program and stated, "NC State has vibrant scientific research, strong design education and a rich interdisciplinary culture, making it the perfect place to launch the second cohort of this unique project." The collaboration features six teams from the College of Sciences and College of Design working on projects around the theme "Invisible Worlds: Bringing the Unseen Into Focus."

NcsuRead article