Backstage at Science Cheerleader

Greetings, readers! I've been rather busy in my "free" time lately. The Science Cheerleaders' second appearance at the USA Science & Engineering Festival is about a month away, and the details are voluminous: who's coming, what are the ladies' degrees, what days are they performing, and more--all that stuff needs to be tracked, and that's what I'm more or less responsible for doing as their Event Manager.

The job has become more complex over the past two years, primarily because the sheer number of Science Cheerleaders has grown so dramatically. In October 2010, when they first performed, 11 ladies took the stage, backed up by a fearless staff of four (Darlene, me, Laura, and John). As of this writing, we have over 20 SciCheers performing at USASEF and 170 professional SciCheers in our database, spanning nearly dozens of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) disciplines and most of the NFL--with the NBA arm of the cheerleaders growing as well. The writing staff has grown, though not necessarily the event staff, so if you come to the USASEF and I look a little sleepy, just give me a nudge.

Regardless of the size of our staff, the Science Cheerleaders are appearing in more and more places (with more to come), and are making a great impact wherever they go. What's really great to see is the enthusiasm of the cheerleaders themselves after attending these events. They want to do more, which is great, because they ARE the message, and if the message is upbeat, the organizational work is worth it.

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The Science Cheerleaders have been able to tap into the three 3-4 million girls and young women in the U.S. who are now pursuing cheerleading in some capacity. Science Cheerleader is subversive in a way: Darlene is trying to turn cheerleaders into "geeks"--or, more precisely, STEM-minded citizens.

And yes, the SciCheers will attract other audiences as well, including boys and men, but so what? But here's another subversive aspect of Darlene's vision: it forces males--and others--to think twice about their stereotypes and assumptions. Why are you treating a cheerleader--or any woman, for that matter--like she's an idiot? Why not act like a gentleman and assume you're talking to another thinking creature? Because the odds are pretty good, inside cheerleading and out, that you are.

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So okay, I've got one of the coolest geek jobs imaginable: "Living the dream," as one of my fellow geeks calls it. But the point is not (solely) to hang around with bright, beautiful women. There are multiple messages and multiple strategies going on here, and I'm still learning about them as I go about my merry way, arranging spreadsheets and event itineraries. The Science Cheerleaders are about more than a group of pretty faces.

The Science Cheerleaders Strike Again!

School's in session, and that means science fairs, science-themed events, and other educational stuff can be found everywhere. And where there's science, you can now find the Science Cheerleaders! This past weekend, SciCheers Ada, Heidi, Melissa, Sammi Jo, and Sandra (along with the ever-fearless Darlene) showed up at the Hispanic Engineering, Science, Technology (HESTEC) Week event at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, Texas. The fan base keeps a-building!

The SciCheers are seen here with "Dr. Zen." No idea who he is, but his website can be found here: http://www.utpa.edu/faculty/zfaulkes/.

 Also appearing at the HESTEC was our friend and Creative Director, Ms. United States, Laura Eilers.

Man, I need to get out more! These are fun events. Right now, however, it looks like the earliest that the Cheer Operations Ninja will appear at a SciCheer event will be next April. Earlier activities are always possible, of course, so ya never know.

In addition to all the performing, SciCheer has been busy in other venues as well:

• They were named an "innovator for the public" by Ashoka Changemakers.
• Dar was interviewed by a space advocate buddy of mine, Michael Doornbos, on Evadot.com.
• Summer, the aerospace engineer SciCheer, interviewed Shuttle Astronaut Sandra Magnus, the last female to fly on the final Shuttle mission.
 

Anyhow, there's plenty going on in the world of Science Cheerleader to keep me busy (someone's got to keep the paperwork flowing!). Drop on by the site and see what's next!



Interview: Camilla Sdo

Life is beginning to return to normal, so what could be more natural than for me to conduct an interview with a rubber chicken? No, really...

First, everyone's favorite interview question: tell us about yourself.

Me? I am Camilla Corona SDO - a rubber chicken turned mission mascot for NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory or SDO. I help with the Education and Public Outreach part of our mission! Little SDO is now in his orbit taking these incredible high resolution images of the Sun in many wavelengths. These images are 10x higher resolution than HD TV and really let us take a very close look at the Sun. I met Little SDO at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center many years ago and we established this very special friendship. I call him Little but he is actually the size of a small bus. For a year we have now gotten this amazing data and have already learned a little more about our Sun.

When I am not educating about the Sun and Space Weather, I do try to inspire kids to get more interested in science, engineering and space exploration. And since I want to go and visit Little SDO in Space, I have to go through a lot of training. I really enjoy that part and it allows me to get an inside look into human space flight. And I enjoy sharing my adventures and what I am learning in the process.

Learn about Little SDO here: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Or follow him on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/NASA.Little.SDO

Who makes your clothes?

One of my goals is to create a community. Little SDO and I want to be as engaging and interactive on social media as possible. That creates a community of people who not only want to learn, but they want to become involved. And I always say, you don't have to be fluent to speak the language. There are many ways people can help and get involved. And so it turns out that I have some amazing friends on social media who make me these amazing outfits. And in the process they get involved. They not only learn about what I do, but they tell their friends and then they get interested. And why not combine art and science? Art is science and there is art in science. And I end up as the best dressed rubber chicken there is!

A rubber chicken isn't the first mascot one might think of when it comes to space weather. How did that come about?

Rubber chickens have been an important part of NASA, dating back to the Apollo days. Back then it was more of a way to let frustration out. There are stories of engineers smashing rubber chickens against the desks. What happened on SDO is that one day I walked down the halls of Goddard Space Flight Center and I saw this shiny spacecraft and it was friendship at first sight. So I was adopted as the mission mascot. Plus, I am yellow like the Sun! (which of course is not really the case since the Sun has no color).

You have quite an interesting travel schedule. What sorts of events do you attend?
I do have a very busy schedule, with not only conducting a lot of training, but I also try to attend several events to connect with the people. I enjoy events with kids because it is really wonderful to see their inspiration and see their way of thinking. And I try to inspire our youth, especially girls, to explore their interest in science, technology, engineering and math. And I try to attend most of our NASA Tweetup events, where selected individuals are invited to get a real inside look into either a Space Shuttle launch, an unmanned mission or a NASA center. These are great opportunities to meet and connect with people. The power of social media is wonderful - it gives somebody like me a voice, a way to reach out.

Several NASA missions now have critters of various sorts supporting or representing their outreach efforts. Do you see this as a trend?

I wasn't the first mission critter but I am the most active for sure. There is a trend. Just very recently Trigger got introduced with NASA's MMS mission. But not only within NASA can we now find mascots. AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics Astronautics) has Skye Bleu, Bears On Patrol has Fuzz Aldrin. Both of them are part of my mission to the Edge of Space. Then there is my dear friend Spooner with NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program Office. And I cannot forget Luna, NASA Johnson's Space Center's mascot. And Boeing has Casey.

So there is trend and one that makes sense. See, our goal is to get people involved, interested and take the intimidation factor out. Put a "human" face to the missions, the science and people are sometimes more interested and feel more comfortable to ask questions. It's wonderful.

You, Fuzz Aldrin (a teddy bear), and Skye Bleu (a flying pig) went on an actual flight mission. What's all that about? What did you do?

Last year I was contacted by the non-profit organization BearsOnPatrol.org and asked if I was interested in joining forces to promote science education and peace. We decided to plan a mission to the Edge of Space and make it like a real NASA mission. We decided to use a balloon to get us to 100,000 feet, add some cameras, tracking devices and a scientific instrument and use this as a way to not only educate about what is needed for this, but to show how easy it is to reach the Edge of Space. The goal is to get beautiful images of the darkness of Space and see Earth's curve. Also, we want to inspire parents and teachers to do a similar projects with their kids.

After we created the mission patch and named the mission BTS-1 (Balloon Transport System - 1st Flight) the AIAA's mascot Skye Bleu joined us. And again, this is about building a community, educating about the various steps it takes to get a mission of the ground and have fun with it. And just today we had our Pre-Flight Medical exams. Just like real astronauts we went through a series of medical tests.

I am the Commander of the mission and am responsible for the overall mission success. Fuzz Aldrin is the Pilot and has gone through many mission sims in order to get us all back safe. Skye Bleu is our Mission Specialist and will be overseeing all the instruments on board our capsule. Our capsule was just named "Inspiration" - and we hope to just do that!

Does everyone get along?
This is a very diverse crew and I think Fuzz enjoys being a guy between two ladies! We all have our own talents and together we are a very strong team. Just like on a real NASA space mission, it takes getting used to each other. Team work is very important and I trust my crew completely.

Were you nervous about the flight?
I think I was more excited than nervous. There are many things that could go wrong but we must focus on the things that will go right. It is exciting to think about going up that high. It's not a first but it's a first by three mascots.

Now looking back at our BTS-1 mission, I am glad we trained well. Like all astronauts, we did do survival training. We landed much further East than expected and managed to touch down in gator invested swamp land in Louisiana. We were out there for almost 5 days, waiting for rescue. Our ground team did an excellent job in locating us and getting us back home safe.

This was one of the lessons we tried to teach. Sometimes things just go differently during a mission. A team needs to adjust quickly and come up with solutions. Sometimes it's a life and death situation. Look at Apollo 13! A grim situation was turned around by working together and coming up with solutions. That's spaceflight for you! Teamwork. What you don't predict, you cannot prevent.

You mentioned that you're particularly interested in doing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and in getting women interested in STEM careers. That's a mission of ScienceCheerleader.com (one of my other side jobs) as well. What do you do to encourage young women to pursue those careers? What's your primary message?
I think we should think about doing a project together. Like I said - building a community and working together we can achieve so much. Reality is that we need to have more women in STEM. Many times they are intimidated by the subjects or they don't always get the chances they deserve. But it's so important to encourage girls to pursue that career and show them that really not even the Sky is the limit.

Darlene Cavalier, the original Science Cheerleader, does interviews with pro cheerleaders, and she asks each of them if they're taken seriously because society has certain stereotypes or perceptions about cheerleaders. You're in a similar situation, as rubber chickens are traditionally seen in a comic relief role. Do you ever worry that people won't take you seriously as an advocate for STEM? How do you counteract that?
Of course there are always people who see me as just a rubber chicken. I see that as a positive challenge. Look, I have managed to train with the very last Space Shuttle crew, the STS-135 crew. I have spent time with the NASA Administrator and we talked about public outreach. I have managed to get stuck on the Space Potty thanks to Astronaut Clay Anderson. If I can achieve all of this, I should be taken seriously. And if a girl shows interest in math or science, that girl should immediately have the respect and support.

I understand you're friends with my author friend Kate Doolan, who described you as a "classy chick." What are your interactions with her like?

Bart, the social media tools have enabled me to connect and interact with a wide variety of people. I met Kate a long time ago and I see her as one of my most special friends. I love her humor and I really admire her Apollo days knowledge. While we joke around often, we both admire each other and I have learned a lot from her. I hope she can say the same.

But the beauty is that I can connect with so many wonderful people. And I get a chance to learn and listen to what they think.

Anything else you'd care to share?
Here is the truth: we have one Space Shuttle launch left to go. After that we will not be launching humans from the US for some time. But that does not mean space exploration is dead. The ISS (International Space Station) continues to host astronauts. They will continue to do science up there and we will continue to learn about our solar system and our universe. Some amazing unmanned missions are coming up, like Juno. Juno will help us learn more about Jupiter. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/main/index.html

MAVEN and MSL will both give us more clues about Mars and its atmosphere.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/maven/main/index.html

Get interested, get engaged, have fun with what we do. Reality is, we don't know much and have lots of stuff to learn.

If you want to learn more about me or follow my adventures:

http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/swx/

www.facebook.com/CamillaSDO

www.twitter.com/Camilla_SDO

http://camilla-corona-sdo.blogspot.com/

Thanks!

New STEM Educational Effort in Illinois

So while I was in an airport bar waiting for one of my cancelled flights, I chatted with the lady on the next bar stool, who turned out to be a teacher working to develop a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-focused K-5 "magnet school" in Champaign, Illinois in cooperation with the University of Illinois.

As this teacher explained it, this school's STEM focus was part of an effort to develop a new, challenging program that would attract white parents and students to a predominantly African-American neighborhood--all part of a desegregation effort in Champaign, as there were several issues in the district, including the fact that black students were the ones being bused to white schools without the reverse taking place.

The curriculum at this teacher's school is project-based, with technology integrated into the classroom, and is something new for a magnet school in Illinois. Apparently there are a few different types of magnet-school curriculum formats, including "microsociety" schools, which focus on political and civic education, and "Primary Years" schools, which emphasize foreign languages and fine arts. These are curriculum development programs provided by corporate entities. There is no magnet school curriculum in Illinois...at least until now. Booker T. Washington (BTW) Elementary is scheduled to open in 2011.

Another point of interest is that the BTW curriculum includes a "women and science" emphasis to bring more girls into the STEM disciplines. This program includes engineering summer camps, scholarships, and after-school programs for girls to educate them on women in STEM and encourage them to follow those examples.

Booker T. Washington promises to be an interesting experiment. Given my interest in using space exploration as a topic for STEM education, I referred the teacher to sites of particular interest to me, including Science Cheerleader, Science for Citizens, NASA's Ares Projects education and outreach materials, and the National Space Society. I'll be interested to see what becomes of this project, and wish them well!

Potpourri CXXXVIII


I'm considering sorting future Potpourri entries by topic. My surfing patterns tend to be a little higgledy-piggledy, and I realize that some of my readers only go through this site looking for specific topics. However, cutting and pasting in Blogger.com is surprisingly frustrating, so I'd welcome feedback before I start rearranging the furniture. Thanks for reading!


NASA is setting up the Minority Innovation Challenges Initiative to provide minority students with the opportunity to participate in virtual interactive educational sessions focusing on NASA technical challenges and competitions.


The Spirit and Opportunity rovers have now exceeded the active time of Viking I on the surface of Mars. Not bad for a "90-day" mission.




From Father Dan: 

• A site replete with photographs from the Civil War.
• A propaganda video from/for the state of Israel. I really shouldn't gripe. Israelis were in tears on 9/11, Palestinian Arabs were cheering in the streets.

There's a NASA RFI (request for information) out for anyone with bright ideas on developing heavy-lift launch vehicles. That'd be rockets capable of lifting over 50 tons of payload into orbit.


Engineers have created an artificial butterfly.





George Whitesides was described as “vague” on when Virgin Galactic will have its first flight. Well, jeez. They want the things to fly safely. As Wil Whitehorn put it when he was in town, "We'll fly when it's safe to fly."

NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden disagrees with Senator Nelson about whether the agency should continue testing Ares I. However, Nelson and his peers in Congress ultimately have the final say.


From Anika: a BBC biography of Carl Sagan (note: run time is 30:00, so I haven't quite gotten around to watching it yet).


Some warm and fuzzy news from CNBC: Europe to collapse “in 48 hours or never.” Time for Douglas Adams’ “Don’t Panic” button…


From Tracy: a site called "Lexicalist," which tracks how often people are using particular words based, I presume, on how often people look them up. For example, how often has the word "NASA" been used in the last month?


Several links from Brother Allison on global cooling:

• "This appears to capture the temperature database and observed conditions better than 'global warming'."
• "New Ice Age 'to begin in 2014'."
• "Only morons, cheats and liars still believe in Man-Made Global Warming – Telegraph Blogs" (This might be a bit of a stretch...)

NASA and the World Science Festival are hosting a NASA "Tweetup" in New York City on June 5. Chirp away...oh, wait. It's New Yawk. Choip away!

From Doc: the first typewriter he ever used "underneath the grime and gunk of 50+ years in basement storage." I had something similar in my house. That sucker was heavy! Can't say I miss it. I understand now why my dad types with his index fingers only. He learned to type on a manual typewriter, and you had to hit those keys with authority to make sure you'd get ink on the page. Not for the faint of heart or finger.

Insert joke here: Viagra might cause hearing loss in men.

A new book is coming out on space called "Packing for Mars," which covers some of the under-reached parts of the space business. Should be a hoot. I might have to arrange for a "reviewer's copy." Ahem.

From the Down Under Defense Expert (DUDE), in response to my query on whether New Zealand had a space program: "Do we have a space program? Do we ever have a space program!"

From Dar: a fun piece for the enterprising young lady looking for something new in a prom dress. Two words: duct tape.

Did you know that scientists have detected 455 planets outside of our solar system? Here's a useful site: the exoplanet catalog.

NASA might not have the right stuff for STEM education.

Confessions of a former WDW cast member (I hasten to add that these are NOT mine--most of those are not suitable for a family audience).


Star Tours at Disney Hollywood Studios is going to shut down for refurbishment and updating. PLEASE tell me they're not gonna add JarJar...or Hayden Christensen...or Natalie Portman. Yikes!. Anyhow, I might have to make a trip to Orlando for that.


I like this idea: street pianos!


Secrets of a suitcase-packing ninja.

Guess it needed a little work: an artist who designed “anti-death” buildings has died.


Oil Spill Stories:

• Kevin Costner might have the key to cleaning up the oil spill in the Gulf? Yes. (What the heck, he still needs to make up for "Water World.")
• The Environmental Protection Agency is ordering British Petroleum to use a less toxic oil dispersant on the mess in the Gulf. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
• And if that doesn’t work, they could always try to nuke the entire site…you know: just to be sure.

The University of Illinois hikes its tuition 9.5%. Yow! Why is it okay for the education segment of the economy/government to jack up prices and costs like that, but not, say, NASA?

There’s a new wine-tasting experience in downtown Orlando…for those familiar with The Wine Room.

The world’s largest airship has been inflated. Wonder what they’re going to do when the helium supply runs out.

Some new supportive statements are coming out on the Obama Administration’s 2011 budget, including one endorsed by the National Space Society. Don’t blame me, folks. I’m not on the Policy Committee anymore.

Girls in Tech expanding from Silicon Valley to France.

Toyota and Tesla are going to be working together.

Sikorsky is in phase three of testing its 200-mph helicopter, the X-2. Cool!

I wonder if Dar could turn this into a Science for Citizens project somehow: DIY (do-it-yourself) 3-D photography and videos.


From Hu: Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. Navy has been dismissing a higher percentage of their commanding officers. What's the matter with these kids today?


Charles Krauthammer has some rather pointed things to say about the Obama administration's foreign policy, characterizing it as acting from weakness. Brother Kanigan and I have had a few exchanges on this article. While I'm not in a position to argue the facts, the premise that America is weakening on the world stage is up for debate. All depends on how full you see the glass, I suppose.


Also on the foreign relations front, more good news from the People's Republic of China: they're beefing up their amphibious warfare forces.


Here's a video of Lori Garver continuing to make the case for the 2011 NASA budget plan. I'd feel better about it if a) they kept Constellation (i.e., a destination-driven program) and b) there was some sort of unifying theme to all the projects they want to do. I'm not seeing either, nor am I likely to. Oh, well.


From Martin:

• There's likely to be an apology coming from some government officials for promoting a safety campaign that features a cute little puppy. Apparently dogs are seen as unclean animals by the UK's Muslim citizens. What's the word on kittens?
• A man who fled to a rooftop after a high-speed chase in the UK was given KFC to protect his human rights.

What do men and women really want? The results of a recent study don't surprise me.

More on STEM Education

I've had a couple of interesting follow-up conversations about my "Igniting Young Minds" symposium blog, so I thought I'd sort out some other thoughts I had.

As D2 and others have pointed out to me, one of the biggest challenges with a conference about getting more people interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is that the audience is mostly self-selecting. If you're interested enough in the topic to attend in the first place, you don't need additional encouragement. You're looking for support, not interest. Educators in grades K-6 need the most help because they're generalists, trying to teach young minds everything. Generally one has to get to middle school before teachers are specializing in one particular subject. The ones who need the STEM-educated students the most are employers. That leaves the rest of the general public to fill in those blanks somehow...and, again, not everyone is interested.

I agree with Dan Satterfield that everyone should have a well-rounded education. My fellow English lit peers looked at me strangely when I told them I was taking geology or meteorology or history or accounting in the midst of all my upper-level courses. The tendency toward practical, specialized education has only become stronger since I went for my B.A. (1987-91). And really, I can't say that I blame students or parents: they want to know they can get a job after they graduate.

I was a little insane when I went to school for my first degree--and Mom helped, God love her--because I was more concerned about studying something that interested me, and I figured the money would come later. Which is how I ended up hearing "How does it feel to have no marketable skills?" from Father Dan. Despite that, I did get a job, albeit one selling t-shirts, pins, and backscratchers at Epcot, but that was only temporary. It took me five years from graduation to get a job using my degree--answering complaint letters for Walt Disney World--but the fact remains that I got the job; all it took was persistence.

By the time I went for my second degree, an M.A. in technical writing, I had a very specific end in mind, and yes, a specific career. I had accepted the credential-based economy we now have. I probably already had the knowledge and skills to be a technical writer, but without a little piece of paper/cloth saying that, employers weren't likely to hire me as one.

But getting back to STEM, the only way to ensure a "well-rounded" education is to require a longer period or broader range of "gen eds" (general education) courses for all majors--not just "humanities," but economics, hard math/science, and whatever we decide will give 21-year-olds enough knowledge to function in the adult world once they graduate. Perhaps general science or general technology courses would be of benefit?

One point I brought up last week is just that not everyone is wired to like or do STEM. That doesn't mean students shouldn't be required to learn it; the problem becomes how hard to you push it? And again, if you don't have good teachers at all levels of your education, your odds of getting into a STEM-related career is iffy. And there's this other aspect of things, which tends to get overlooked, but which I noticed when I started getting educated on learning styles and personality types: it's not so much that STEM attracts "geeks," but often it does attract very intelligent individuals who might or might not have excellent social or teaching skills. So the next trick becomes: if you have someone who's very interested in science or math or engineering but isn't the most dynamic or motivational educator, can you train them to be so? I'd like to think you can. As with anything, it requires practice.

Another item that came through loud and clear from the Igniting Young Minds symposium was that the STEM classroom experience has to be made more practical, more engaging, more hands-on. Academic understanding of geology or meteorology is one thing; applying it to the real world is something else. Do we require more lab time for STEM classes? Rewrite textbooks for more real-world applications? All of the above? Perhaps.

And finally there's the issue of resources: if you've got students in "rich" schools (a side effect of schools being funded by the local tax base--a subject that drives my buddy Doc right up the wall), they'll be able to get more labs, better textbooks, etc. What do you do about students in poor neighborhoods? How do you ensure that students understand the basics of biology if some textbook writers are wrestling with whether to include evolution and all the related theory and practice that goes with it? 

Our nation is fighting some very old battles, and the end result is a confused curriculum, focused on some very specific test requirements that leave little room for patient inquiry or creative innovation. And it's the kids and, ultimately, all of us who will suffer. Other nations do not question the value of studying STEM subjects vigorously or of expecting students to learn what must be learned to develop a high-tech civilization. What do they know that we seem to have forgotten?

Potpourri CXXXIV

Annnnnd the fun continues...

Something right up Dar's alley: Citizen scientists have an opportunity to contribute to work done on the Moon...counting craters.

From Brother Kanigan: The top 10 stolen body parts in history.
 
From Jerry Pournelle: Some more thoughts on the Greek debt crisis and how it affects/reflects what's happening here in the U.S.
 
From Erin: Your Moment of Coolness for today: a tour of the International Space Station.
 
For my Huntsville friends...some flyover times for the International Space Station.
 
Laser weapons on? Burn ‘em!


For Kate Down Under: Australia developing a space policy (about time, don’t ya think?).


Ohio and Massachusetts are developing their own STEM initiatives. What about Alabama?
 
One of the things I learned to enjoy early on was the art of fine conversation and complex argument. To that end, I'd offer the following series of essays on the topic of "Why aren't there any 'Lester Bangs'-like critics of video games?" That is, why aren't there critics who treat games as a legitimate art form and who have the critical vocabulary necessary to dissect this rather obscure subject? The discussion begins here, with an essay in Esquire Magazine on the topic. From there, move on to Doc's response to the Esquire essay. And, most recently, one can find this scholarly response to Doc's opinion. I'd post my own thoughts on the matter, but I don't play video games anymore, and so am not qualified to comment. On this issue, I'll defer to Doc, though I found the discussion most illuminating.
 
Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off for its last mission (theoretically). Always fun to watch. Of course if you spend enough time around the propulsion guys around here, you learn not to turn off NASA TV until Main Engine Cutoff (MECO), not just when the fire and smoke are over.


The Bank of England says U.S. faces the same problems as Greece. Well, duhhhhh…




Also re: the oil spill…Dar has started a crowdsourcing initiative on Science for Citizens to solicit ideas for containing the oil spill since nothing else has worked so far.


NBC is canceling the original Law & Order after 20 seasons. Bummer.


CNN has a (very unscientific) poll about people’s perceptions of the state of the economy. Bottom line: it’s not pretty.


Boeing rolls out the Phantom Ray unmanned aerial vehicle.


Legendary fantasy artist Frank Frazetta has died.


Ka-BOOM! A bad day with a cell phone.


Planets and moons and spacecraft, oh my!


Just because a leopard can’t change its spots doesn’t mean a planet can’t change its stripes.


Subtract one…census worker visits a home and finds a dead body.


Something for the Down Under Defense Expert (DUDE): New Zealand’s PM got himself into hot water for making a cannibal joke.


Another bullying story. Bullying is at least partially alleged in the suicide of a young girl in Birmingham. Hate this stuff.


Disney is building a new animation-themed resort at the Walt Disney World property in Florida. My buddy Gwen already called dibs on the room assignment shift. Guess that means I’m stuck on the desk again, darn it. ;-) It will be located down near Osceola Parkway and Disney’s Pop Century Resort and is scheduled to open in 2012. Also in Disney news, despite falls in Parks & Resorts revenues, including at the Disney Cruise Line, the company is betting on an improved economic future. Glad someone is.


A scientist inspired by the Dalai Lama is studying happiness.


Governor Schwarzenegger is seeking deep budget cuts to reduce California’s $20 billion deficit. This bears watching, as does the continuing mess in Greece, which is similar.


Now here's a sport I'd follow next time I visit Orlando...lingerie football!

Report: "Igniting Young Minds Through Space" Symposium

Today I attended the "Igniting Young Minds Through Space" Symposium at SciQuest, a hands-on science museum in Huntsville, Alabama. The purpose of the event was to bring together educators, students, members of industry, and others to discuss what can be done to increase the number of students studying science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects, thereby improving the "pipeline" for STEM careers in Northern Alabama. I was there on my own as a writer/blogger and guest of IronSclad Solutions, Inc. (My thanks to Jeff Irons for getting me in the door).

The Importance of Science and Technology in Culture and Education

The plenary session was moderated by Steve Cook, former Ares Projects Manager and now Director of Sapce Technologies at Dynetics. Panel members included Todd May, assistant to Marshall Space Flight Center Robert Lightfoot; Dr. Doug Deason from the Missile Defense Agency; Brenda Terry, Executive Director of the Alabama Mathematics, Science, Technology, and Education Coalition (AMSTEC); Tim Pickens, Chief Propulsion Engineer and Commercial Space Consultant for Dynetics; Dan Satterfield, Meteorologist for WHNT News 19 and environmental science teacher at Calhoun Community College; and Jim Halsell, former astronaut and now an ATK executive.

Cook introduced the plenary session by focusing on how Huntsville is affected by STEM. While Huntsville has a well-deserved reputation for being the "Rocket City," it is also home to military technology firms, medical technology, and others. As I've lamented many times on this blog and on Science Cheerleader.com, U.S. leadership in STEM disciplines is falling behind and in some cases already has been surpassed. One of the introductory speakers at this event noted that around 50 percent of the economic growth in this country comes out of STEM. So why aren't students flocking to these types of high-demand, high-paying careers? And more importantly, what can we do about it? This was the topic of the all-day event, and the emphasis was on problem solving. The top two fastest-growing careers in the nation right now are STEM related (biomedical engineering and environmental engineering). By 2025, Cook said that Northern Alabama would have a 20,000-person shortfall in STEM professionals of all stripes. He said this was unacceptable and that "we need to keep the pipeline filled."

The first question put to the panel was "When did you know you wanted to work in a STEM field?" Most of the panelists mentioned experiences they'd had with their parents, ranging from flying aircraft to doing projects at home to experiences at school. All of them seemed to agree with the notion that you should "do what you love," and that the money would come from there. These personal experiences all led to the panel speakers applying themselves more seriously to learning STEM subjects. Dan Satterfield had a good point, which he repeated more than once during the day: "The nation needs citizens who are technologically and scientifically literate." Exactly the point Dar and I stress in our work.

The plenary panelists were also asked why they thought there was a lack of interest in STEM among students and what might be done to change the culture in that direction. One message that came through loud and clear was that "we need to reevaluate our priorities." For instance, if a state tells its students that STEM is important but then pays a football coach more than it pays the governor, that's a problem. Other nations are not making this mistake. Pickens noted that a purely academic solution isn't necessarily the answer. Students are more engaged when they're "making stuff." There was a lot of concern expressed about the competitive nature of schooling today and how kids can be overscheduled and focused on obtaining edges in specific activities (e.g. sports) to the detriment of inquiry and creativity. "There's more to life than book work," said Cook, quoting his father. One report cited during the discussion was A Nation at Risk, which came out in 1993, and which articulated many problems that are still prevalent today. There was also some discussion about the pressures teachers face to "teach to tests." Teachers also require professional development opportunities and access to hands-on and online STEM resources for the classroom.

Opening things up to written questions from the floor, Jim Halsell was asked how much of what he learned in college he still uses. He replied that he uses a significant amount, though the content has changed. Over his career, he's shifted from a learner (student) to a "doer" (engineer/astronaut) to a manager. He emphasized the importance of communication skills: "You can be the smartest person in the room, but if you don't have the communication skills, you're the same as the least-important person in the room."

Cook asked one of my questions for Brenda Terry, which was "Do you have the opportunity to relate technology literacy to basic civics?" Terry thought that was important, along with communication skills. Basic aptitude tests focus on math, science, and English. History is important for knowing why things happen. "Everything should be tied together as much as possible." This didn't quite answer my question, so I talked to Ms. Terry afterward to explain what I was looking for, which were resources for explaining why citizens need technological literacy. She referred me to the National Center for Technological Literacy, which is an initiative of the Museum of Science in Boston. She also suggested I check out the National Academies and the National Academies Press.

Someone asked Dan Satterfield how he overcame his aversion to math. He said he found math "elegant" and that it was "the language of science."

When specific hands-on STEM learning opportunities were asked about, Pickens suggested Science Olympiad and the FIRST Robotics competition, as well as reading Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, and Make Magazine. Satterfield noted that a group of graduate students created their own project when WHNT wanted to know if their new radar could pick up debris from tornadoes. They dropped trash from a balloon in front of one of the radars and developed an algorithm to detect the debris. Pickens also mentioned that sometimes educators need to reach students in their own environment. For example, he developed a way to control a rocket using an Xbox controller, which is already familiar to most young people.

The plenary panel ended with a question from Cook: "Who would be more successful in a STEM career: someone who's formally educated or someone who's naturally curious?" All of the speakers agreed that both traits were useful and necessary. Academic training provides the grounding to do the serious work, while curiosity leads to inquiry and innovation.

During lunch I sat across from the speaker, Steve Heard, Executive Producer from The Futures Channel, which produced an excellent series on the Ares Projects here at Marshall. I told him why I was there and what some of my interests were (specifically, technological literacy for informed citizenship). He referred me to author Greg Pearson, who wrote Why All Americans Need to Know More About Technology. This pairs nicely with Dar's "Science Makeover," which was based on the book Why Science? So I have more reading ahead! : /

During his talk, Heard showed a rapid-fire montage of video clips from the various careers The Futures Channel have covered. He described TFC's mission as answering the question, "Why do I need to learn this stuff?" The common denominator for all of the jobs profiled was STEM, and they ranged from food science to design to space exploration. The point of the video profiles is to get the viewer to say, "I can do that!" Last year, over five million students are estimated to have viewed TFC videos.

Connecting Space with Education and Culture

The symposium had three breakout sessions. I decided to go with "Connecting Space with Education and Culture." The participants in this panel included Satterfield, Heard, Dr. John Olson, President of Athens Bible School, Steve Moseley, an 8th grade science teacher from Monrovia Middle School, and Randy Adams, a guidance counselor from another local school(?).

Adams emphasized the need for students to do beneficial work, work that was interesting to them, but also work that would enable them to earn a living. Moseley indicated that, at the 8th grade level, the problem wasn't with "turning them on" to STEM, but avoiding turning students off from it. Heard opened by discussing his experience with pioneering the "micro-documentary," which began with chronicling the work of California teacher Jaime Escalante. Satterfield explained that he worked around "a bunch of news weasels" all day and that he was usually the only STEM-literate person in the room. As a result, whenever a science-related question comes into the WHNT studio, he's usually called upon to answer it. He also teaches environmental science at Calhoun Community College, and considers teaching the "best profession out there."

Olson started the conversation by asking the students in the audience why their peers weren't pursuing STEM subjects. The answers were well explained, though a bit disheartening. They included:

• Kids are looking for what's easy, more "practical"
• Math and science are considered "hard" or "boring"
• A lot of them don't realize how broad the STEM field is and (thus) how vital STEM-related skills are
• There's a perception that STEM-related careers require a lot of experience to break into them (my biggest problem)

In response to the last point, Satterfield opened with the following challenge: "Do you know why most students don't get into Oxford? They don't apply! You're never going to get there if you don't try." He neglected to say what one should do if they DO apply and get rejected for lack of experience.

Heard, looking at things from the entertainment perspective, pointed out that most of what's "cool" in the culture is generated by young people. STEM is urgent, but it's pushed by older people, which inevitably generates resistance. On the flip side, though, very few older adults get into Facebook or other new activities. Someone else noted that the things people think are cool--fast cars, private jets, etc.--are developed by engineers, so the "geek" image needs to change or die.

Olson discussed the need for motivation, indicating that it included persistence, choices of challenges, help from adults, and an emotional component.

When the panel opened things up to the floor for general questions, most of the students and teachers asked about career guidance and resources for helping figure out where young people should go to learn about STEM careers. Among the resources or recommendations were:

• The National Academy of Engineering
• Dictionary of Occupational Titles
• Occupational Outook Handbook
• Mentoring
• Internships
• Take the widest variety of classes that you can to broaden your knowledge
• Work hard
• Keep looking, don't stop, opportunities keep coming up
• If you're serious about particular subjects, look for schools the specialize in your passion (e.g. the Alabama School of Fine Arts or the Alabama School of Math and Science)
• General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB)
• Aptitude and Interest Test
• Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery (AFVAB)
• Study hard for the ACT and/or SAT (months in advance); good scores there can lead to a scholarship
• Get a subscription to a magazine in a field that interests you
• Find somebody in the field you want to work in and learn what they do; follow blogs in fields that interest you
• Project Lead the Way
• Brain-Based Learning

In response to my question ("How do you help liberal arts majors cope with STEM?"), Satterfield said, "As citizens of a democracy, all of us should be scientifically literate. No matter what career you're in, the more well-rounded you are, the better off you are."

There was some concern about specialization. Several students and teachers nodded in agreement when an audience member indicated that it wasn't enough to choose a major, you had to pick an area of concentration. Someone asked "How do you keep students from becoming too narrow?" One of the panelists said, "You're focusing too much on a career. Pick a field. Get the STEM for basic knowledge." Without saying so, the panelists seemed to be favoring a more general education, despite the tendency of the educational system to try to channel students into very specific fields. However, there was also an acknowledgment that the science disciplines are starting to think more systemically now, with geologists studying atmospheric chemistry or atmosphere specialists investigating biology to understand living systems' effects on global temperatures.

There was some discussion about what teachers should be teaching. The good (and bad) news out there is that science and technology (and web resources supporting them) have become so broad that it's impossible to cover them all. Elementary school teachers were told told they should teach students that science was not about answers but about the process of finding answers--that approach promotes discipline, curiosity, and persistence.

I asked another question, hoping to hear a little bit about the culture aspect of this: what could be done to bridge the gap between STEM and the culture at large? Heard suggested using all available channels for sharing information, including Twitter, Facebook, etc. He also pointed to The Futures Channel's efforts at sharing "behind the scenes" information about STEM careers.

Asked for closing comments, the speakers provided the following:

Satterfield related a good news/bad news story about a local student he'd met who really liked math and science, but her parents insisted she go to cosmetology school--which they would pay for--they wouldn't pay for engineering school at UAH. The good news was that she eventually went to engineering school and is now working at NASA. However, Satterfield relayed this as a cautionary tale of how parents need to be better informed about the opportunities that exist. Satterfield also noted "a lot of anxiety" in the audience about career choices. He assured the students in the audience to "Just do well in your classes, you'll be fine."

Heard emphasized the need to learn math. He quoted from a show The Futures Channel did on Amar Bose, founder of the Bose radio company. He said that the things you learn in school everybody has learned before. The things you do after school are a discovery.

Moseley said that "great teachers motivate" and get students to learn what they don't know. He also said that "you'll learn more after school, but you need to be motivated."

Watson advised students to work and persist. "This is your life."

Olsen concluded with a football analogy: "We're great at huddling. but now we've got to go do."

Making It Real

After a short break, the three breakout sessions reported out to the group. First up was the "Making It Real" session, which focused on "bringing space to young minds and young hands."

The group got some good feedback on resources for hands-on learning (see above). The problem wasn't lack of activities; sometimes it was a matter of centralization--teachers and students need a single clearinghouse for hands-on activities (hmmm...like Science for Citizens, perchance?). Teachers would like a "one-stop shop" for science activities and resources. And while teachers need better communication from resource providers, students need to take some initiative in their own education as well.

The group asked the same question that the Connections session did--why aren't students interested in STEM?--and got similar answers: it's perceived as too tough, it's not seen as relevant, or students don't really get what STEM is.

Someone asked why there aren't a lot of (or any) girls in STEM classes. The answer was: stereotypes. Girls don't want to be seen as "geeky." However, one student replied, "Being geek is cool in this town." What we do about the rest of America is, of course, another problem.

Impediments and Solutions

The Impediments and Solutions session focused on the specific issue of "increasing interest and passion for STEM in the classroom and culture by leveraging space." The thought was, "If we can't do it here (in Huntsville), we can't do it anywhere." The problem is that space is up against a lot of other forms of entertainment, including sports, movies, and games. There was a general agreement that NASA is not good at marketing. There was also some discussion about the "geek culture" perception. There needs to be a better emphasis by parents and the community to "embrace smart people and STEM careers" (have you hugged a geek today?). This includes things like not letting parents who weren't good at math when they were young pass on their fear of math to their kids. Math is the language of science and nature and thus critical to STEM disciplines.

In the realm of community involvement, specific recommendations for how parents and the community can help foster STEM education included:

• Take kids to SciQuest, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, etc., not Chuck-E-Cheeze
• Get a local team to win an X-Prize
• Participate in STEM-related competitions (FIRST Robotics, TARC, etc.)
• Develop more interactive displays
• Open House at Redstone Arsenal
• Star Wars Exhibit at USSRC
• Space exhibit at SciQuest
• NPR series on technology and R&D

After this group, my session debriefed...my comments above cover the situation pretty well.

Steve Cook finished up the general session with some general observations: There's a lot of talk about the "geek culture" of STEM, but the cool factor on being able to go to the top of the Ares I-X rocket and put his signature on hardware that was actually going to fly was, for him, very high. He emphasized the need for STEM work to continue to be done here in the U.S., not outsourced overseas, otherwise the U.S. would truly become "a third-world country." As a starting point for advancing STEM education, we need to take advantage of the opportunities and tools existing around us right now. People need to have a passion for what they do. Parents and members of the community need to "walk the walk and talk the talk" when it comes to making STEM a priority (as opposed to, say, sports). Students need a foundation in basic skills and need to show some intiative. "Opportunities and innovation don't just drop into your lap." People need to be curious and well rounded because technology will keep changing. That means not losing your core values but being willing to throw away everything else. Mentors will be needed to facilitate this process. And finally, when you're at the top, the only direction you can go is down. The point is not to keep others down, but to keep ourselves up.

One observation regarding this event: it's so hard getting students interested in STEM in general that the topic of space was rarely broached unless it was the speaker's specific expertise. For a specific discussion of using space exploration as a way to leverage interest in STEM subjects and careers in Northern Alabama...(warning: shameless plug alert)...I'd recommend people attend the education track at the 2011 International Space Development Conference, which brings in people more specifically interested in space advocacy. I think space is such a niche market or such a small aspect of STEM that it tends to just get lumped in with everything else (computer science, biology, engineering, etc.).


My parting thought is just that we have a lot of work ahead, in Northern Alabama and in the rest of the United States, if we're going to take STEM seriously. We'd best get started.