Runaway Robot is an interactive choose-your-own adventure game for high school and college students that explores the relationships between science and religion in American history. It engages student curiosity, individual identities and experiences, and ideas about the world.
This resource was developed by the Center for the Understanding of Religion in American History at the National Museum of American History, and is associated with the exhibition, Discovery and Revelation: Religion, Science, and Making Sense of Things.
For teacher resources, please visit the For Teachers page.
PROJECT TEAM
Lauren Safranek, Program Manager and Creative Developer of the Center for the Understanding of Religion in American History
Abby Pfisterer, Education Specialist
Andrew Ali Aghapour, PhD, Writer and consulting scholar
Amanda Bowen, Project Manager for Exhibitions
Cassie Mancer, Project Manager, Interactive Development
David McOwen, New Media Specialist
Orlando Serrano, Jr., PhD, Manager of Youth and Teacher programs
Peter Manseau, PhD, Director of the Center for the Understanding of Religion in American History
Matthew McArthur, Director of New Media
Leslie Poster, Editor
María Eugenia Hidalgo, Translator
Interactive Knowledge Inc, Web development
THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS
Discovery and Revelation and Runaway Robot were generously made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc., the John Templeton Foundation, the Foundation for Religious Literacy and H. Bruce McEver, and Ambassador Nicholas F. Taubman and Mrs. Eugenia L. Taubman.
IMAGE CREDITS
All images belong to the National Museum of American History unless listed below.
Neural Net: Gift of Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin, Madison
Earthrise: Courtesy of NASA
Buddhist teacher Dru-gu Choegyal Rinpoche: ©Cary Wolinsky 2003
Apollo 11 Christmas Eve reading: Courtesy of NASA
Peyote Plate: Photo by NMAI Photo Services. National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, 25/3662
Barbara McClintock Portrait: © American Philosophical Society Library—Barbara McClintock Papers/National Library of Medicine
Cotton Mather Portrait: Courtesy of Library of Congress
Smallpox Pamphlet: Courtesy National Library of Medicine
Henrietta Lacks Portrait: Henrietta Lacks (HeLa): The Mother of Modern Medicine by Kadir Nelson, 2017 Loan from Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and National Museum of African American History and Culture; gift from Kadir Nelson and JKBN Group, LLC
Deep learning. Mindfulness. Psychology: iStock.com/metamorworks
Mad Scientist: iStock.com/Jason_V
Heart inside brain: iStock.com/AlexLMX
Stack of books: iStock.com/artisteer
Woman with heart sign: iStock.com/Prostock-Studio
Students talking: iStock.com/monkeybusinessimages
Table with food: iStock.com/Foxys_forest_manufacture
Teen boy listening to music: iStock.com/Prostock-Studio
Breakdancer: iStock.com/fatihhoca
Woman on smart phone: iStock.com/damircudic
Neighbors at block party: iStock/com/monkeybusinessimages
Sunrise: Courtesy of NPS Photo/Sal Pollina
Man looking up at sky: Courtesy of Savana Jones
Tree: Courtesy of New York Public Library
Peyote Plant: Courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
I am Vaccinated sticker: Gift of Kathryn Gansler in memory of Cynthia Chatterjee
Covid vaccine materials: Donated by Northwell Health
