COSPLAY FOR SCIENCE: CONNECTING PALEONTOLOGY, EDUCATION, AND POP CULTURE

Popular culture has long been an effective tool in popularizing concepts. Even scientific concepts have entered into general knowledge thanks to their presentation in media like comic books, television, and movies. In such media, these concepts, while not necessarily accurate, are presented in accessible and relatable ways. Scientific concepts presented in such a manner then gain familiarity with general audiences. This familiarity allows for greater learning opportunities when audiences recognize such concepts in educational settings such as museums. Paleontology is no exception to this. With incredibly iconic productions like Jurassic Park, the Land Before Time, and Walking with Dinosaurs, paleontology has secured its own place within pop culture. In order to benefit from the familiarity of dinosaurs and paleontology within pop culture, the Cosplay for Science Initiative was developed as a STEAM education project through the collaboration of paleontologists and natural history museums. The initiative utilizes cosplay, or the act of dressing as a character from movies, comic books, video games, and other popular media, in conjunction with fossil collections in educational programs to teach paleontology in a manner that utilizes the familiarity of pop culture dinosaurs to make science more relatable and accessible while also making scientists more approachable. The initiative also attempts to bring educational content and natural history programming to avenues not traditionally associated with learning, such as comic book conventions. Through this, it is the goal of the Cosplay for Science Initiative to foster appreciation of fossil collections and science in general, attract more audiences to learning institutions like natural history museums, and develop interest in STEAM careers.