Newsletter No. 19 - July 6, 2010  |
Festival Dates: Expo Dates:
10/10/10
- 10/24/10 10/23 & 10/24
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Attention Exhibitors: Conference Calls to get your questions answeredYou should have received an email from Ruth Kiefer with LOTS of IMPORTANT INFORMATION on Thursday, July 1. If you did not receive the email, please let Ruth know so she can resend it to you (rkiefer@mindspring.com)
We are hosting two 45-minute conference calls for exhibitors to get your questions answered:
Thursday, July 8, 11am Pacific/2pm EST and
Friday, July 16, 10am Pacific/1pm EST
Click here to sign up and receive the dial-in information.
Don't forget to read the FAQ before joining the call.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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Presenting the First USA Science & Engineering Festival Wordle Answering:
Who is Your Favorite Scientist or Engineer of All Time?
A Wordle created from participants answers to "Who is your favorite scientist or engineer of all time? |
To
find our more about Wordles and to create your own word clouds, go to www.wordle.net
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The Planetary Society Exhibit: Learn the Rudiments of Solar Sailing;
Meet Bill Nye The Science Guy!
Bill Nye "The Science Guy"
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"We have lingered long enough on the shores of the cosmic ocean. We are ready at last to set sail for the stars." --Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan's dream that one day spacecraft would "sail" in space, powered only by light from the sun, is reaching fruition at The Planetary Society, the world-renowned organization he co-founded.
No longer the stuff of science fiction, solar-sailing and the technology to make it happen in the U.S. is being developed by The Planetary Society, a major Festival Partner.
The Society hopes to launch its first solar sail craft, dubbed LightSail-1, next
year - a key test flight to evaluate solar-sail technology. Visitors to the Festival's Expo can view a replica of LightSail-1 and other elements of the craft in an intriguing Planetary Society exhibit demonstrating how a steady stream of reflecting photons from the sun alone can actually propel a spacecraft in Earth's orbit.
Expo goers will also want to stop by the Society's exhibition area to see
well-known media personality Bill Nye The Science Guy® who will be on hand to meet and greet visitors.
Nye has a long and close relationship with The Planetary Society. A former astronomy student of Carl Sagan, Nye has been a member of the Planetary Society's Board of Directors for more than a decade.
And in September, Nye will take the helm as the new Executive Director of the Society, replacing Louis Friedman, who has served as co-founder and Executive Director since the organization began 30 years ago. After leaving his position, Friedman will remain closely involved with the Society, continuing to direct its solar sail project Lightsail-1 (a project funded solely by private funds) and other Planetary Society initiatives.
The Planetary Society, the world's largest space-interest group, is dedicated to inspiring the public with the adventure and mystery of space exploration. The Society is non-governmental and nonprofit and funded by the support of its members. http://planetary.org
Says Nye: "The inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival is an important event. It's an opportunity for us at the Planetary Society. I look forward to sharing the passion, beauty, and joy of space exploration with the entire nation, especially with the young innovators of tomorrow."
In addition to a so LightSail-1 rendering
 | lar sail, the Society's exhibit will also feature young working engineers from Stellar Explorations, a small company that is working closely with California Polytechnic State University = in designing and building the diminuative LightSail-1 craft. (LightSail-1 is constructed of 32 square meters of aluminized, reinforced Mylar and includes four triangular sails arranged in a diamond shape resembling a giant kite. The inner workings of the craft are housed in three tiny Cubesats --miniature cube-shaped satellites, made tiny thanks to micro- and nanotechnology --which house central electronics, the control module, and other capabilities.)
The young engineers will be on hand to give visitors an up-close look and demonstration of such technology and provide youngsters and the public the chance to have photo images of themselves sent up with LightSail-1 on its maiden voyage.
LightSail-1 -- the first in a series of spacecraft in The Planetary Society's effort to develop solar sailing capability - is slated to be placed in orbit about 497 miles above the Earth next year, giving scientists further insight into using sunlight as a means of propulsion.
So, visit The Planetary Society exhibit and be a part of space history!
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Biotech Leader Amgen Joins Festival as Proud Sponsor
Amgen, a leader in biotechnology, and the Amgen Foundation are committed to supporting science education programs and are proud to be a sponsor of the USA Science & Engineering Festival to further encourage bright young minds to explore a future in science and strengthen science literacy. "Amgen appla Jean L. Lim, President, Amgen Foundation
 | uds the Festival for bringing together leaders in science education to create an exciting educational event for students and the community," said Jean J. Lim, president of the Amgen Foundation. "The Festival can leverage the passion and expertise of industry, nonprofits and STEM organizations to help inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers." The Amgen Foundation partners with leading education institutions and nonprofit organizations to develop replicable and scalable programs that advance science education through pivotal, hands-on science experiences for students and meaningful professional development opportunities for teachers. Two examples of Amgen Foundation programs aimed at hands-on experiences and teacher development include the Amgen-Bruce Wallace Biotechnology Lab Program and the Special Biotechnology Collection available on Teachers' Domain. Over the past 20 years, the Amgen-Bruce Wallace Program has provided teachers with a hands-on, inquiry-based, molecular biology curriculum, in addition to a full suite of transportable, research-grade equipment and supplies, at no cost to participating schools. Science teachers administer the program in over 150 high schools across California, Colorado, Rhode Island, Washington and Puerto Rico. The three-week program has exposed hundreds of teachers and more than 125,000 students to the fundamentals of biotechnology and the excitement of scientific discovery. On another front, Amgen Foundation is working to enhance science education broadcasting with public media powerhouse WGBH. Funded by a grant from the Amgen Foundation, the WGBH Educational Foundation has launched a new biotechnology digital media collection for the classroom on Teachers' Domain, the public broadcasters' free, online resource for teachers and students. These extraordinary digital media resources - along with a new online professional development course for teachers - are designed to deepen the teaching and learning of biotechnology in schools throughout the nation. |
A Dream Festival Partner:
U.S. Department of Energy
Providing Students and Teachers With a Wealth of Resources in the Physical Sciences
Students, does this sound familiar?
You need information about the environment, physics, chemistry, or the earth and don't know where to go. And your teacher says that the information you reference must be authoritative. Plus, you need the information fast.
No problem!
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) - a Dream Festival Partner - is an excellent resource. DOE will sponsor 11 highly informative, interactive exhibits in the Festival's Expo this October at the National Mall in Washington, DC, in addition to equally exciting exhibits by DOE National Laboratories.
Immerse yourself in DOE's hands-on presentations! Explore how physicists are harnessing energy from the sun to make clean and renewable energy. Learn how DOE's Fermilab accelerates particles to probe the most basic components of matter, and use an "accelerator" yourself to identify shapes in hidden targets. Come see a car that can run on water and sunlight ... and much more.
Students and teachers are also highly encouraged to stop by the Department of Energy's Office of Science exhibit to see and use ScienceEducation.gov, a new search tool from the Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) and the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS).
ScienceEducation.gov lets you quickly browse thousands of FREE and reliable government science education resources from a single place. And for teachers, the site features lesson plans, activities and other resources you may use in the classroom. Resources are getting added regularly, so visit now and visit often.
Visitors may be interested to know that the Department of Energy's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, providing more than 40 percent of total funding for this vital area of national importance. It oversees - and is the principal federal funding agency of - the Nation's research programs in high-energy physics, nuclear physics, and fusion energy sciences.
With such DOE expertise, be prepared to investigate the intriguing world of physical science!
In addition to DOE, its National Laboratories represented at the Expo on October 23-24 are: Ames Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Jefferson Lab, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, National Energy Technology Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories CA, Sandia National Laboratories NM, and ORNL/Oak Ridge Associated Universities.
We thank the DOE and its National Labs and our other valued Sponsors as they join us in our goal of inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers!
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Experience the Power and Mystery of Genetics With Illumina
Join Illumina in its quest to discover "What makes you... you?" And to discern why even though people are genetically 99.9 % similar, we look and act so incredibly different!
 Students and adults are encouragedto participate in Illumina's interactive Expo exhibit at the USA Science & Engineering Festival to answer for themselves these tricky but intriguing questions in genetics, using tools of gene-based science and technology, including series of tests involving eye color, taste and more!
Discover how genetic researchers use genetic markers to study disease and to help improve the human condition, and how really cool and interesting genetics can be!
For example, every day, Illumina technology is helping unlock the mysteries of our genome. Just over the past year Illumina provided the first full coverage DNA sequencing of the first named family of four and celebrities in the worlds of entertainment and academia. Ultimately, Illumina hopes this information from a person's genome will eventually help them and their doctor make critical healthcare decisions . Because Illumina believes innovation is in our DNA, it is relentless in creating new products that push the envelope of science and technology. Kids today could be the next Illumina scientists to come up with a discovery that makes a real difference in the lives of many people. Illumina wants to inspire young people and adults to learn more about the power of genetic research and the role of such science in helpi  ng further the understanding of human health. Illumina is right at the forefront of revolutionary efforts to change the way diseases are understood, detected and treated, based on greater knowledge about our genes.
By exhibiting at the USA Science & Engineering Festival, Illumina hopes to shed some light on the importance of genetics now and for the future. Already it has made significant strides forward toward enabling a healthier future for all, and it is anxious for future scientist and engineers to join their exciting quest as it moves into even more promising frontiers. Come explore, learn, discover, and interact with Illumina.
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 THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
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NuVasive - FEI Company
Case Western Reserve University- LifeStrawMicrosoft - Draper Laboratory
Silicon Valley Bank - Bechtel National Radio Astronomy Observatory Space X - Research In Motion SciVee - SchoolTube Thirty Meter Telescope Project Astronomy Outreach Foundation Virginia Commonwealth University School
of Engineering National Math and Science Initiative Rochester Institute of Technology SpringBoard, a Program of the Juneau
Economic Development Council |
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Visit us online at www.usasciencefestival.org
New logo design by MORRIS
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Science is Cool and
The Kavli Foundation
is challenging K-12 students
to explain why.
Submit your video now
for a chance to win
cash and electronics prizes!
Click here for more info
In partnership with
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Register your team for our
You Can Do the Rubik's
Cube Tournament
Click here for more info
In partnership with
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Engineering.com is partnering with The USA Science Festival to bring you "The Great Science Teacher Video Contest"
Are you a great science teacher? Prove it!
Submit your video now
for a chance to win
cash and electronics prizes!
Click here for more info
In partnership with
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