What HAVE You Been Up to, Young Man?!??

Everyone needs a hobby, or at least something to fill their idle hours. Being a workaholic, I often fill my so-called idle time with more work. Lately, I've been writing marketing copy, grant proposals, correspondence, and other odd bits of literature for my buddy Darlene the Science Cheerleader. What Dar has come up with is a troupe of professional cheerleaders (NFL, NBA, etc.) with day jobs in the sciences and engineering disciplines who will perform science-themed cheers to inspire more girls to study science, technology, engineering, and math at the inaugural USA Science and Engineering Festival in Washington, DC, October 23-24. I get to run the booth. Go ahead, hate me.

Anyhow, the Science Cheerleader show/tent will have several things going on:

• The aforementioned science-themed cheerleading show...the goal being to get girls interested in cheerleading to think about other, future lines of work.
• A cheerleading clinic for girls of nearly any age (up to 17) who want to learn cheerleading.
• Discussion, autograph, and picture sessions with the cheerleaders, during which our heroines will be talking science and taking on stereotypes about cheerleaders or blondes (Dar is both) being dumb or science not being sexy.
• A few other activities will be thrown in as well, but why give it all away?

Darlene has been gathering some attention to her work in the professional cheerleading world, and has worked with the National Science Foundation and NBC Sports to develop a series of videos on the "science of football." Originally envisioned as "the science of cheerleading," Dar took what she could get, and what you see then are a set of videos applying scientific principles to many Americans' (including me and Father Dan) favorite spectator sport.

What am I doing in the middle of all this? Like I said: writing stuff. I'm the man behind the curtain. Invisible, if I can help it, but working diligently to make sure the cheerleaders, who are coming from Houston, Nashville, and elsewhere, have the information they need to get to the show and say what they need to say to the crowd. But yeah: oo, ow, twist my arm, I get to hang out with a group of professional cheerleaders with science or engineering degrees for a weekend. And no, I will NOT be cheering, wearing a skirt, or any such thing. That's for the Science Cheerleaders. Most likely I'll be the gopher/go-fer for most of the weekend, making sure everyone has the giveaways they need, not to mention food and water. And yeah, if someone asks, I can probably chime in with some pithy thoughts about science education and why it's necessary for the general health and well-being of our increasingly technological republic. But again, I'm the man behind the curtain. Goooo, science!

Space, Inspiration, and STEM Education

Food for thought as I attend the “Igniting Young Minds Through Space” symposium this week...I’m a big advocate of getting kids interested in space exploration as soon as possible. My sister informed me awhile back that my six-year-old niece had built a rocket out of Legos. Warms the heart.

But I think some thought needs to be given to the whole notion that being interested in space as a kid automatically means you’re going to study science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) subjects. Perhaps I’m an anomaly (big surprise), but as I was taking aptitude tests as a kid, I always scored high on math and science—higher than I did on English, by the way—and yet I ended up as an English major and didn’t get into technical writing until well into my second career at age 33. How did that happen? I was smart enough. My mother was taking an algebra course when I was in sixth grade, and I was doing the problems out of her book for fun. However, around junior high I started having trouble with algebra, and despite being in semi-advanced placement classes, I was really struggling to get by. Part of this might have been a hangover from my social struggles. But part of it was just boredom. I didn’t enjoy doing math for fun anymore. I took environmental science and biology to avoid the math that I knew came with physics and chemistry, and no one pushed me to do otherwise.

All this time, I was following the space program, particularly the Shuttle, which was just starting to fly when I was in junior high (my dad took me to STS-2, the second launch of Columbia, in 1981). But I remained a science fiction geek, very much stuck in my own little world(s). Part of the blame I place solely on myself—I was not incapable, I was lazy. It’s not that I couldn’t do the math, I just didn’t want to. I was bored, and SF seemed more fun/interesting. I graduated Northern Illinois University (19 years ago today, as it happens) with a minimum of dummy-algebra, dummy-trig, and that was it. I was done with that stuff. I majored in English literature, minored in history, and took science classes that didn’t require a great deal of math (meteorology, geology). I was going to write The Great American Science Fiction Novel. I still recall Father Dan asking, “Now that you’ve got no marketable skills, what are you going to do with yourself?” In fact, I had this irrational belief that I could write the aforementioned Novel and make enough money to go to Disney World whenever I pleased. Meanwhile, back in the real world, I ended up working at Disney World for 12 years to pay the bills and support my SF writing habit. Never have written that Novel, by the way.

  Again, despite my interest in space and SF, my career path did not lead directly to a career in the space business. What happened was that I went to a space advocacy convention (the International Space Development Conference) in Orlando when it came to town that year and “got religion,” or at least figured out what I wanted to do with my life: write for the space business. You can thank Robert Zubrin for that. He was a dynamic speaker, at the height of his influence at the time, and talking very boldly about a humans-to-Mars program that could be done within 8 years. I thought, what the heck, I can contribute to that! And so I went back to school to get a B.S. in engineering, figuring that I’d need some technical credential(s) to write for the space business. I willingly enrolled in my first math class for the first time in 15 years, and started the slow slog toward a second bachelor’s degree: dummy algebra, dummy trig, dummy physics…etc. I was doing it, but it was taking me a long time and again I wasn’t having as much fun as I thought I would. Fortunately some understanding person in the guidance office at Valencia Community College pointed out that University of Central Florida had a master’s program in technical communication. It would only take three years, I’d have a better degree, and there was no math required!

  Three years later: program completed. Along the way I finally got technical writing jobs within Disney (“He’s going for a master’s; he must be serious!”), and a year after the M.A., I got a job proposal writing for a defense contractor in Alexandria, VA. Switched companies briefly when my boss got fired and he hired me along to his new employer, then started looking for tech writing jobs in the space business.

  The point of all this was not to provide an exhaustive personal history but to show how convoluted and long a path someone with a liberal arts degree sometimes has to take if they want to get into a technical discipline. Lockheed Martin, which had a plant a couple miles from my home in Orlando, was not interested in hiring me fresh off my B.A. because I was an English major; what the heck did I know about space? They were similarly condescending when I went back with my M.A. in hand. They felt that they needed engineers who could write, not an English major who was interested in technology. Which is how I ended up working for a mid-size defense contractor outside Florida. The other big companies on the Space Coast never even bothered replying.

The other thing is, my interest in space did not result in pursuing a job in a STEM discipline, or even encourage me to take more STEM subjects as a student. I had to reach the tender age of 28 before I decided to go back and work for the space business, and then I ended up pursuing a career as an English major because, again, STEM classes failed to inspire me.

  So what sort of lessons can be derived from this extended anecdote? I hesitate to generalize because, as my friends and family often point out to me, “You’re different.” Nevertheless, there are challenges that STEM educators (and my friends at NASA) need to consider before pushing the notion (or expecting the outcome) that “Interest in Space + Studying STEM Subjects Very Hard automatically = Aerospace Engineer or Scientist.” The hard facts are these:

• Not everyone has the aptitude for, or interest in, STEM studies or careers.
• Good teachers matter, not just for the struggling students, but also for the high achievers. Even if you have an interest in STEM, if your teachers can’t inspire or reach you, you will become disenchanted and move on to something else.
• There are multiple ways to acquire the skills necessary to work in STEM jobs, and they don’t all require advanced degrees, though that was the path I took. We are, as a nation, now super-saturated with degrees, and even if you have a degree, that’s no guarantee that you’ll get a job in the field you want. I was the same space-enthusiast English major in 1991 that I was in 2003, but I had a Master’s degree, and major aerospace companies still did not want to hire me because they didn’t think I could be a technical writer. I had to take a three-year detour with a smaller company who was willing to take a chance on hiring an English major to write proposals for them and then do a lot of non-profit, non-paid writing for the National Space Society. THEN I could go back to NASA and be taken seriously enough to write papers for the space program.
• The primary thing that got me to my current job writing for NASA was dogged persistence and a belief that my dream was a) achievable and b) worth pursuing.

I got where I wanted because I had someone inspire me to follow my dream, and I was willing to put in the work to make that dream a reality. So, yes: I was inspired by the space program as a kid. However, that did not lead me to become an engineer or scientist of any stripe. The system is not set up for people like me.

Potpourri CXXII

Apologies for the long delay in posting. My apartment got flooded after my water heater had a gusher, saturating the carpet and resulting in a four-day exile to the Hotel du Despair. A slight moldy smell emanating from my closet, but the rest of the place is okay for now. We'll see how long it takes before I exile myself to get the carpet replaced. Grrrr...Okay then...having straightened up that little mess (more or less--new bookcases are on order just because), let us continue with this evening's festivities.

First up from D2, a site dedicated to space architecture. Pretty cool!

For reasons that elude me, Fox News decided to post some pictures of Nazi Germany's "Amerika Bomber," a hypersonic vehicle that was skirt/bounce off of the atmosphere before reaching and dropping a nuclear device on New York City. The U.S. government has been looking at a vehicle like this for awhile. I confess to a certain curiosity about the plane, but don't think I'd want to fly in it.

For reasons that amuse me, I am posting this link to Jerry Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy. It's relevant, folks, regardless of the type of bureaucracy you work for. Just sayin'.

Okay, I'm sorry, if you're in the world's tallest building, there's no such thing as a minor lift (elevator) “incident." As Dr. OZMG might say, "Eep!"



Space exploration and education is always a favorite topic of mine. Here's something from my NASA PAO (Public Affairs Office) feed:

RELEASE: 10-039


NASA AND TEXAS INSTRUMENTS USE HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT TO BRING MATH AND SCIENCE TOPICS INTO HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOMS

HOUSTON -- NASA and Texas Instruments are using the theme of human space exploration to develop digital libraries of math and science problems for high school students. The goal is to bring real-world topics in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, into classrooms to spark students' excitement and interest in these critical career fields.

The collaboration will produce two digital libraries. One, called Exploring Space Through Math: Applications in High School Mathematics, will provide problems based on NASA data that are set in the context of space exploration. The project material will cover almost the entire high school math curriculum, with applications in Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Pre-Calculus.

The other digital library, named Science at Work: Exploring Space with NASA-AP, will contain questions for Advanced Placement classes. This program seeks to develop and test problems in calculus, statistics, physics, chemistry and biology.

"As students solve real problems NASA faces in space exploration, they will practice during high school and college the skills necessary to pursue a career in a STEM field," said Charles Lloyd, NASA's lead for the effort and program manager for Human Research Program Education and Outreach at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "NASA and Texas Instruments are passionate about motivating the next generation's interest in science and math subjects and equipping these students to take us farther into space and improve our lives here on Earth."

The libraries of questions will use NASA applications and data while incorporating Texas Instruments' math learning technology. Each problem includes student and teacher editions to help the teacher link content to higher concepts.

"Our goal is to make STEM subjects more fun and interactive," said Werner Garciano, director of Professional Development for Texas Instruments' Education Technology. "Working with NASA is a great opportunity to bring exciting, real-world math experiences into the classroom. Our collaboration will expand the digital content and professional development that Texas Instruments provides teachers, and will help engage students more deeply in math. Together, we believe these activities will break through to students who have never considered a STEM career path."

Both projects will be available in the fall of 2010 on NASA's Web site. With this program, NASA continues its investment in engaging and retaining students in STEM disciplines critical to the agency's future engineering, scientific, and technical missions. For more information about NASA's education programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education

For more information about NASA's Human Research Program Education and

Outreach, visit:

http://humanresearch.jsc.nasa.gov/education.asp  

The digital libraries also will be available through Texas Instruments' Teachers Teaching with Technology workshops and online at the Texas Instruments' Activities Exchange at:

http://education.ti.com/educationportal/activityexchange/activity_list.do?cid=us

-end-

Ever wonder how much blood and treasure is being wasted at one of your corporate meetings? Check this out.

Speaking of Dr. OZMG, she sent me this little moment of surrealism from The Onion.

This was sent to everyone at Marshall Space Flight Center by someone named Markeeva Morgan. I should probably know who Markeeva is, but regardless, I liked this link from TED about questioning our assumptions.

From Tracy: Here's another space policy author I probably need to review.

For aspiring high school and college students interested in a) space-based solar power and b) winning $2,000 for your trouble, there's a contest sponsored out of India that is offering a prize for just such a thing.

Boeing has executed the first flight of the 747-8 freighter, the largest aircraft it has ever built.

From Erika: For my local readers interested in developing their leadership skills, here's a program for the Huntsville/Madison County area.

From Dar: A group activity on "crowdsourcing change." No, I don't know what that means, either. Oh, wait. Try this:

“Crowdsourcing Change” will be a highly participatory event where attendees will have an opportunity to help three “Social Changers” who are using –or trying to use — the social web for the common good. The way it will work is that presenters will first explain the change they are trying to achieve through social media. Attendees, with the help of a moderator, will then provide feedback, ideas, constructive criticism and concrete instructions to help the presenters succeed. This is a great opportunity to learn and to have an impact.”

Just check it out.

On a similar line of thought, here's an article on how IBM uses social media to encourage innovation by their employees.

Some folks are still trying to stop "nerd" from being a dirty word, lest the general herd mentality in our public schools eventually pounds the snot out of anyone with an I.Q. one point higher than the average...which, of course, would lower the average, but I digress. IMHO, one can send bullies to as many counseling and Kum-Bah-Yah sessions as one wants; but until the social dynamics, rules, and rewards/punishments are restructured and enforced, weak-chinned, brainy kids will continue to get stuffed into lockers by their less intelligent, more muscular peers. Again, just sayin'.

An editorial by Apollo 7 astronaut Walt Cunningham on the recent proposed budget cut to NASA. Mr. Cunningham says things pretty well on his own, so I don't need to comment further.

Speaking of Dar, one of her favorite topics is using the Internet to make government more open and accessible to private citizens. Here's NASA's site dedicated to doing just that. And there's also this bit from Dar herself on doing science outreach at your local saloon.

From Homer Hickam: a new short story on the future of our space program.

And believe it or not, I have cleared out my inbox for the moment. Be good to yourselves and others. You never know when someone else is having a bad day.

Attention Citizen Scientists--Science for Citizens Now Open for Business!

As promised, Darlene the Science Cheerleader has unveiled her latest web effort to engage the general public in science projects and policy. Science for Citizens.net (SfC) is a place where individuals interested in doing some sort of science project from home can "go shopping" for a project that appeals to them. The site offers projects in a wide variety topics, including animals, archeology, astronomy and space, biology, birds, chemistry, climate & weather, computers & technology, ecology & environment, food, geology & Earth science, insects, nature & outdoor, ocean & water, physics, science policy, and sound.

The site includes a search and advanced search function, with options that allow the user to filter for free or low-cost projects, activities for kids, outdoor activities, "hot projects," or do-it-yourself (DIY) projects that require the participant to build/make something. The page also allows you to sort by level of difficulty and zip code.

Just for grins, and given the interests of this site, it won't surprise you that I looked at "astronomy & space" and "science policy." One project that came up was the "Galaxy Zoo," which is a no-cost effort that allows the participant to classify galaxies according to their shape. Note to Dar: it wasn't immediately obvious where the search results were--they appear beneath the search window. Also, the very first item listed was the "laser harp," which was a "hot project," but not something that's really astronomy space--possibly because SfC doesn't have a lot of projects to recommend yet--but I guess right now the page needs to refine its search engine. I didn't find any projects related to science policy, but I'd be mighty curious to see what those look like. That said, there is a tab for groups or individuals to add a science-from-home project, but you need to become a SfC member to do so. Other tabs, dedicated to video and other resources, do not have content yet, but to be fair to Dar and her partners, SfC is still in its "beta" phase. Presumably the SfC team will be adding content as they go forward.

Other tabs on the page include blogs by the site's creators (Dar and her partners) as well as SfC members. If you have comments related to the theory or practice of being a "citizen scientist," these blogs are for you.

Since the content is still in its embryonic phase, one might ask what the point of SfC is, or who would be interested in using it. I'll answer the audience question first, then get back to the philosophy behind the site. I see SfC as being a great clearing house for parents, students, and even non-child families interested in doing some sort of science project from home--I can see home-schooled kids, especially, finding this site useful as more projects are added.

What has interested me about Dar's work in this area is her belief that the nation is better off having more individuals conversant with, and able to understand and practice, science and engineering. It has become increasingly obvious as our society's technologies progress that more and more social and political decisions will be affected by, or directly related to, science and technology. It would be of great value to our elected officials, and to the citizenry from which they arise, if more people understood how science and technology work, and can make reasoned, informed arguments for or against the use of particular sci/tech. Scientific laws/facts about the world and universe around us are what they are. How we choose to use or act upon them are not neutral--they involve human values and other issues...but, again, if you don't know the science behind something, the most you can offer is a knee-jerk reaction based on emotion or propaganda from someone who DOES or (worse) DOES NOT understand the science and tries to manipulate one group or another based on pure emotion. Dar is trying to combat that sort of demagoguery, and I firmly support her in that quest.

So if you have a need for, or interest in, encouraging your (or your kids') inner scientist, Science for Citizens.net will give you the resources to tap into that interest. And along the way, you just might find yourself becoming better informed about the increasingly complex future that awaits us.

Potpourri CI

The Ares Projects were supposed to have the first static (ground) test of the five-segment solid rocket motor. Unfortunately, the computer shut down the countdown 20 seconds before firing due to a problem with the auxiliary power unit in the thrust vector control system. If that sounded like Greek to you, it doesn't really matter. The test was stopped because of a problem, which can happen when it's a test, but of course NASAWatch's Keith Cowing will probably be working overtime tonight, wallowing in the "joy" (for him) of a perceived problem with Ares.

Oh, yes: and the Ares Projects Manager, Steve Cook, is resigning from the agency. Interesting times indeed. One wonders what tomorrow will bring.

Some articles/podcasts from the National Academies Press on communicating about science:

• Science for All Seasons: Communicating Science to Diverse Audiences
• Information and Misinformation at the Speed of Light
• Science and Hollywood: Education Through Entertainment

Florida Today has a good summary of the most likely options the Augustine Panel is going to offer to President Obama regarding human spaceflight. It's focused on its impact on Florida's "Space Coast" (Kennedy Space Center), but is still a useful read.

From my NASA PAO feed, an academic scholarship opportunity:

NASA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR AERONAUTICS SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate will begin accepting scholarship applications on Sept. 1, 2009, for the 2010 academic year. The application deadline is Jan. 11, 2010.

"These scholarships are a fantastic way to support our brightest students and encourage them to finish their education, expose them to NASA's research programs and inspire them to pursue a career in aeronautics," said Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

NASA expects to award 20 undergraduate and five graduate scholarships to students in aeronautics or related fields. Undergraduate students entering their second year of study will receive up to $15,000 per year for two years and the opportunity to receive a $10,000 stipend by interning at a NASA research center during the summer. Graduate students will receive up to $35,000 per annually for up to three years, with an opportunity to receive a $10,000 stipend interning at a NASA research center up to two consecutive summers.

Students who have not committed to a specific academic institution or program still may apply. However, if accepted, they must be admitted by fall 2010 into a suitable aeronautical engineering program or related field of study at an accredited U.S. university. All applicants must be U.S. citizens. Scholarship money may be used for tuition and other school-related expenses.

NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate conducts cutting-edge, fundamental research in traditional and emerging disciplines. The intent is to help transform the nation's air transportation system and to support development of future air and space vehicles. Goals include improving airspace capacity and flexibility; aviation safety and aircraft performance; reducing overall noise, engine emissions and fuel usage.

For details about this scholarship program, including how to apply, visit: http://asee.org/nasaasp

From Lin:

• Newt Gingrich on why government can't and shouldn't run health care.
• The Democrats are going to use the death of Senator Ted Kennedy to push through nationalized health care.

Dominick Dunne, an astute and clever writer with a unique niche--crime and punishment among America's upper class--has passed away. A shame. His abiding sense of justice, fueled by his daughter's murder, gave his fiction a fierce quality quite at odds with his restrained, upper-crusty characters. A great writer.

Popular Mechanics has an article about SpaceX.

Want to know the average internet connection speed in your neighborhood? Check this out.

A story from my old home town of Lombard, Illinois: a little "incident" at the fire department. Whups!

From Gwen: a story by CNN that beer prices are likely to go up due to "commodity" prices. Reading between the lines, beer prices are going up because energy (petroleum) prices are going up, and you need petroleum/hydrocarbons to make fuel for tractors and chemicals for fertilizer. This is why we need to pump more oil.

Did you know Cheryl Ladd (of Charlie's Angels fame) had her own web site? Well, jeez, who doesn't?

Oh yeah--and score one more for the Science Cheerleader! Darlene was profiled on her local (Philadelphia) CBS affiliate. Gooooo Dar!

Your Science Education for the Day

Okay, this is just cool. Dar, my fearless Science Cheerleader buddy, posted this on her Facebook status: a pictorial Periodic Table of the Elements. Good educational tool for nearly any interested age group.

Potpourri LXXIV

A coworker suggested looking for a new factoid--how many Super Bowls would Ares V produce if its energy were converted directly to kilowatts. So how many kilowatts does it take to power all the lights, bells, whistles, and flourishes of a Super Bowl? See here.

NASAWatch took extra shots at Ares I this week. Oh, goody.

Why couldn't Neil Armstrong fall asleep on the Moon? See here. Also, Apollo conversations you haven't heard before.

One of the communications gurus I work with at Marshall is a part-time roller derby girl. Specifically, a "Dixie Derby Girl." I'm going to have to see this event at some point.

Want to understand ObamaCare? Check this out:

New from Hu: The Senate has confirmed Charles Bolden as NASA Administrator. That's probably a new record for appointing a NASA chief.

Another education opportunity for college students at NASA...

The Rocket that Rocked the World, courtesy of my buddy Dauna.

The Singularity moves along...more on brain/computer interfaces.

Another update on the monorail accident at Epcot.

Potpourri XXXII

Some strange phenomena are "going viral" these days, including Zombies, instantaneous crowds, and "slider" mini-burgers (which were originally nasty hangover food at the White Castle in Chicago). What's next? Nehru jackets?

New from Hu:

• Even the New York Times is saying it now: Obama needs to pick a NASA Administrator.
• It looks like Congress will extend Shuttle ops into 2011. The rationale is to reduce our dependence upon Russia. However, I agree with Mike Griffin: unless we double NASA's budget (or some other improbable occurrence), extending the Shuttle will only move the "gap" in human spaceflight, not shrink it.
• The Rocket Racing League is slowing down its plans.
• Technology Review discusses Ares I-X (even if they do call it "1-X").
• A 9/11-focused coloring book has been removed from the FEMA web site. Didn't know they had one. Still, one must ask why. Who is this benefitting?

Just forwarded this to Dar, but I might as well post it here, too. NASA is looking for high school students to appy to join the INSPIRE program. Here's how the press release explains what INSPIRE is:

The selectees will participate in an online learning community in which students
and parents have the opportunity to interact with their peers and NASA engineers
and scientists. It also provides appropriate grade level educational activities,
discussion boards and chat rooms for participants and their families to gain
exposure to the many career opportunities at NASA.

Students selected for the online learning community will have the option to compete for experiences during the summer of 2010 at NASA facilities and participating universities throughout the nation. The Inspire project is designed to encourage ninth through 12th grade students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

The summer experience provides students a hands-on opportunity to investigate education and careers in those disciplines. The Inspire project is part of NASA's education strategy to attract and retain students in the science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, disciplines critical to NASA's missions.

Tip o' the fedora to Nickomundo for this one: Got $375 plus some change? Lego is now selling a deluxe version of the Millennium Falcon. As my Gen Y buddies would say, "Sweeeeet."

Obama plans to cut back on tax exemptions for corporations that move their businesses overseas. The natural reaction to this will not be what Obama expects. They will not end up paying more taxes here, they will move their corporate headquarters overseas to avoid the taxes here.

Speaking of our president, his Spanish could use some work. But, of course, it's not Bush, so it's not a story.

Here's a whups moment for our pirate friends in Somalia: they attacked a French gunship. What's the Somali word for "Oh $#!T!!!!"?

Eventually I'll get around to a longer piece on the Chrysler situation, but the short version is that the Obama administration is "putting their thumb on the scale" (as someone once accused Mike Griffin of doing) to ensure that their favored parties--the UAW and the government itself--will retain majority ownership of the company. In a bankrupty, primary debt holders get first crack at taking over the bankrupt's debt. That is not what is happening in Chrysler's situation, and that is a serious reversal of bankruptcy law and practice.

And, for a little fun, Star Trek fans are decrying the new prequel.

Space Day at Sci-Quest

The Huntsville Alabama L5 Society (HAL5) has a regular presence at science-related events in the Huntsville area. Today the local science activity center, Sci-Quest, invited us to participate in their Space Day. I joined HAL5's two Education Chairs, Dave & Emily Hewitt, for this activity.

HAL5's table/booth was situated next to the Van de Graaf generator (zap!) and was across from the Belch and Burps exhibit. (Could've been worse--the vomit display was behind us but, mercifully, didn't work too well.) The belch and burp thing worked by crankin up a bubbly liquid that looked like pop into a Cletus-looking character's mouth. This would soon be accompanied by an impressively modulated belch and some snarky comment "Hit the deck, here it comes!" Dave took some time with the bubbles. Emily and I each got a picture with the belch-o-matic.

Of course there was some work to be done. We were there to talk about HAL5 and show off Orion Propulsion's "suitcase hybrid" rocket motor. This is an invention of Tim Pickens, a HAL5 rocketeer who went into business after helping Burt Rutan build his hybrid motor for SpaceShipOne. The "suitcase rocket" includes its own tank of nitrous oxide, which is hooked up through a set of hoses and valves to a removable fuel grain--in this case, a transparent plastic tube. I'm there for moral support--I leave handling the fire and smoke to professionals like Dave. That's not to say he gets everything to work his way every time. Sometimes the igniter wires don't work right, as happened a couple of times today. Sometimes the nitrous comes out too fast and essentially "blows out" the glowing wires meant to ignite the propellant. I seriously recommend NOT trying this at home--Dave is an actual rocket scientist (aerospace engineer, that is).

The suitcase rocket is a great way to educate kids about rocketry. Dave does a great job explaining not just how the suitcase rocket works, but how it's different from purely solid or liquid-propellant rockets.

Dave checks his procedures prior to firing. This is an occasion where RTFM is absolutely necessary!

Spectators are kept at least five feet away from the firing.

Behold! A rocket grain!

Emily takes her turn cranking up the Belch-o-matic.

My turn...

Tim Pickens put in an appearance for the event, and also provided some useful pointers in operating the suitcase rocket.

We have ignition!

Some of the other displays at Sci-Quest. They host a lot of birthday parties there. I can see why: it's got a lot of very cool, fun things!

Dave adjusts the oxidizer valve prior to ignition.

The igniter wires are coated with steel wool to start the process....

Flame on! The secondary flame at center-right is the insulation from the igniter wire catching fire. Don't worry, we didn't set off any alarms...

Best flame of the day. The center of combustion can change position based on how much nitrous is flowing into the fuel grain.

Trends I'm Watching

When I get the urge to write fiction, I start sniffing around the books on my shelf, the trends in the news, and the things that drive me up the wall, and then see if I can find a character to throw into a problem based on them. Nothing's coming to mind right now, but here are some of the things I'm tracking:

• Financial, educational, political, cultural, and geographical separations between different IQ groups (The Bell Curve).
• The Singularity: accelerating advances in artificial intelligence, genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics.
• Micro-media outlets: bloggers are becoming the new journalists. Democratization of the media with consequent declines in accuracy and objectivity, with people willingly paying for good, high-quality or high-accuracy media content.
• "Imperial" armed forces in the West divided into attack ("Leviathan") and constabulary/occupation ("Systems Administration") forces.
• Declining abilities of nation-states to provide for the general welfare of their citizens; more privatizing of basic services (The Shield of Achilles).
• Globalized market continues rapid dispersal of ideas, goods, and services, but also diseases, crimes, and terrorists.
• Space likely to remain an aristocrat's sport, with "aristocrats" defined as super-competent astronauts or super-rich tourists.
• Declining local cultures in Asia and Latin America; increasing vibrancy of local cultures in Europe.
• Demographic decline in Western cultures.
• Increasing science and engineering proficiency in India and China (The World is Flat).
• Declining science and engineering proficiency in the U.S. (Rising Above the Gathering Storm).

Girl Scouts and Rockets

For your consideration: http://blog.al.com/enjoy/2008/08/girl_scouts_learn_rockets_robo.html

STEM Education for Home-Schooled Students

A few weeks ago, when I was writing about science and math education for 4th and 8th graders, I got curious about home-schooled kids in the U.S. as well. Facebook provided an excellent opportunity to find out, as one of my friends from high school is home-schooling her kids. Essentially I asked her what form of science and math education her kids were getting, as this was of great interest to me from a NASA (day job) point of view and also as it related to STEM disciplines in general. My thanks to J, for providing this great response:

I was in Dallas, TX over the weekend and was talking with some friends who had recently spoken with James P. Dutton Jr. who they say is an astronaut with NASA. (I think he is assigned as a pilot on the crew of StS-131 targeted for launch in 2010.)They said that he and his wife homeschool their children and that he had recently spoke to a homeschool group of children in Dallas. Their son was quite excited about it. Anyway, it got me thinking about your e-mail. I don't know if I can specifically help you in any way.

My older two daughters really enjoy studying math and science. Although there are many excellent curricula available to homeschoolers for these subjects, we are currently using Singapore Math and we use the science curriculum that our local private school uses. We chose Singapore Math as we had the girls professionally tested and since they were performing well in those areas, the specialist recommended it for the girls. She mentioned that students using Singapore Math were consistently the ones who did well in Math and Science competitions. Prior to using Singapore Math, we used Math-U-See and just tried to make math fun doing hands-on math problems around the home. Lots of math games, fun computer games, etc. Both of my daughters love to cook, so kitchen math and sewing math were also favorites.

For science, we have gone completely through the science curriculum used in our private school. Although, I don't think it is a great program that piques my kids' interests, I've followed along with it mainly to ensure that we didn't have any holes in their science curriculum when it comes time in May for their state/national testing. I really feel that the girls love for learning science as well as their love for learning in general has been fostered by materials being presented in "living" ways. By this I mean things like the hands-on science experiments, the many guided nature walks/Jr. Ranger programs at local parks and reserves where they kept nature journals and made observations, science co-ops with other children where they learned biology and chemistry concepts (often led by moms who had degrees in one of the sciences). We had numerous trips to the local Museum of Life and Science along with museums in other areas. On one occasion, I took my older daughter to a weekend science conference. I also have tried to expose the girls to "living books." Instead of watered down books aimed at children. I've tried to find books on whatever topic we are studying that have been written by experts that have a passion for their area of study. When you find books written by experts in their field, that are suitable for children, they are pure gold. They provide so much more interest for the children than a school textbook anyway. (Side note to J: if you're looking for space books for kids by someone who's "been there"--or at least in Mission Control--I recommend the works of Marianne Dyson. -B)

Although I in no way think that everyone should homeschool their children or that homeschooling is necessarily better than public or private schooling your children, I have made some observations in my local community. In my state alone, there are thousands of homeschooling families. Most of these moms are teachers that are keenly aware of their children's learning styles, interested in developing children of good character, have a strong desire to give their children a love for learning and giving their children as many opportunities as possible for educational growth. And they have a strong belief and vision for their children. Homeschooling often allows the children to explore more deeply areas that really interest them. In my experience, homeschooled children are able to communicate with adults as well as children from their peer group.

As far as resources that I can give you, I might need some clarification as to specifically what you are looking for. I guess if I was trying to get information out to homeschoolers in my state, I would post on the state's homeschool Yahoo group. There events and information are posted and received by thousands of homeschoolers who read it on a daily basis. I think home-school families would be very excited to receive educational info/material or know of a talk for children by someone from NASA.

Another very effective way to reach homeschoolers would be to speak to some of the larger co-ops in different states. One of the large home school co-ops in my area is called S.E.E.K. It meets at a nearby church and has over 400 people involved in it. Every week they have educational classes that the kids are involved in, some of them being focused on science. A science lecture given to some of the larger co-ops would be effective. Also, sometimes the museums in our area have special field trip events/days/science camps for homeschooling families. Each state also has usually has at least one annual home school conference. Huge events with lots of guest speakers and a plethora of booths and curriculum. Ours is every May over Memorial Day weekend. That might also be another idea to get information out. Personally, I would love to see more math and science folks (and space geeks such as yourself:) take their area of expertise and tailor it in a fresh way to children. More "living books!!!" In the homeschool arena, if you create books that aren't abridged, watered down twaddle with lots of cartoons, and elementary vocabulary, you're likely to be a very successful author. Also, one side note, many homeschooling folks are also people of Christian faith. Books written by scientific experts who are also Christians or homeschooling parents would be especially well-received. Same applies to guest speakers. The James P. Dutton Jr. that I mentioned at the beginning of the e-mail would be an example.

To follow up on J's very helpful email, below are some additional science, math, or other education:

• Basic resources for home schoolers: http://www.homeschooldiscount.com/
• Recommended by Jerry Pournelle, a class developed by Roberta Pournelle to teach your kid to read. http://www.readingtlc.com/
• Math Resources: http://home-educate.com/resources/math.shtml
• Science Resources: http://www.homeschool.com/resources01/science.asp
• ScienceCheerleader.com has a "Project Finder" application for people looking to do science at home.

And I'm posting these again for some low- or no-cost alternatives to full-up college education adults can use to "get smart" on science, technology, history, and other disciplines:

• The Teaching Company
• Free Online Courseware from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Engineering Textbooks from the Department of Energy

If your school(s) aren't cutting it, don't just sit there and let your kid's future but shortchanged!

Educational Resources and Engineering Education Goals

I've encountered some interesting things over the course of the last week or so. Rather than comment extensively, I'll just include the links below.

As a follow-up to my recent ScienceCheerleader blog, I thought this MIT presentation regarding engineering education goals was worth reading: http://raphael.mit.edu/MAO2006_deWeckWillcox.pdf

Also, if you would like to "get smart" on science, math, history, engineering, music, or darn near anything else and you don't have the money or time to go back to college, I recommend the following links:

Engineering handbooks from the Department of Energy: http://www.hss.energy.gov/NuclearSafety/ns/techstds/standard/standard.html

MIT Open Courseware: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm. This one is really cool, because it includes lectures, course notes, and even exams!

The MIT site is akin to another favorite of mine, The Teaching Company: http://www.teach12.com/teach12.aspx

TTC offers courses in everything from music appreciation to history to science and math. No college credit, obviously, but college-level materials and lectures via "class on tape/CD/DVD."

Educating the Next Generation

Okay, Darlene the Science Cheerleader has now published both parts of my analysis of U.S. science and math test scores among 4th and 8th graders.

Part One deals with the actual test scores and some of the high-level political issues surrounding what's to be done about them.

Part Two deals with what we should be teaching students and how.

My thanks to Darlene for asking me to write on her site and for her tolerance of my rather lengthy articles. I invite further comment here or on Darlene's blog. I'll do my level best to answer comments or concerns, as need be.

Some Miscellaneous NASA Stuff

Here's an education program I hadn't heard of before: High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware (HUNCH): http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/descriptions/HUNCH.html

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Oh yeah: and the Ares Projects have a three-year progress video out there for the taxpayers' edification (the emphasis is there because there are some folks out there who believe Ares is still in the "drawing board" stage). If you'd like to see it, click here (link modified 1/12/09). It's about 18 minutes long, so be patient with the download time. My buddy Jason did a hell of a job on condensing three years into that amount of time, and the video people did their usual outstanding job showing actual progress toward the Moon.

Today's Suggested Reading

I've been meaning to post this for awhile: http://www.csicop.org/scienceandmedia/definitions/. It's an article recommended by Darlene the Science Cheerleader on what, specifically, we mean by scientific literacy. I leave its implications as an exercise for the reader.

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Another item that's been on my desk for awhile, but which I haven't had time to write about is the idea of a "science court," wherein the great scientific issues of the day would be decided by a tribunal of scientists who are NOT experts in the fields under discussion--i.e., you wouldn't have climatologists with vested interests deciding the validity of global warming claims--but scientists of sufficient experience, education, and merit to be able to make decisions more or less objectively. The court would deal specifically and only with the facts and theories of a particular discipline--i.e., which theory is more "correct"--not with their policy implications.

The more I read this article, the more dubious I became about the science court's prospects. Suppose, for example, the science court was televised. The general public, watching a very slick and impassioned presentation might think that that person had "won," whereas the scientists on the panel might have a completely different reaction based strictly on the data. Mightn't this sort of environment encourage claimants to "play to the gallery?" Or would the science court necessarily be a closed event?

Also, since Arthur Kantrowitz first proposed this idea, science has become even more politicized than it was in the '70s and '80s. Even scientists not directly connected to a particular issue more often than not have opinions on such things. But then I suppose the same thing could be said about courts of law, and yet we continue to have some faith in an unbiased judicial system.

Guest Blogging on Education

Darlene the Science Cheerleader asked me to do a blog on the latest math and science scores. It'll be interesting to see the results/response. Corporal punishment was not the emphasis of the piece, merely one possibility if we wanted to replicate other nations' classroom practices to get the same results.

Part Two of that blog will focus on what we should teach children, and perhaps how. I'll be pinging some of my professional educator friends for suggestions.

Learning Styles: Visual, Audio, Kinesthetic...Hypertext?

It has come to my attention that literary/book reading is becoming less and less common. Blame it on whatever you want: TV, the internet, video games, cell phones, blogging, etc. One of my big concerns is the potential effect on STEM education. It seems to me that math, science, and the lot require slow, methodical, and linear thinking that can only be done through book reading. But perhaps I'm wrong.

Is it possible to teach linear processes like physics in a nonlinear fashion? We've seen the emergence of hypertext, nonlinear, and video game-based story telling--so can we get students to learn more serious subjects in the same environments? Some studies suggest that it might be possible (here, here, and here). My question would be, if we cannot adapt necessary learning to the environments kids know, can or should we force them to use plain old paper and blackboards to learn the stuff they'll need to keep up with nations that ARE still using them? What would be the result?

I must contemplate further. Inputs or additional sources/references welcome.

Getting Involved in Space Education and Research

Hat tip to Darlene the Science Cheerleader for developing yet another cool way to help private citizens get involved in and practicing science. I thought I'd post the suggestions I sent here as well. There are many ways to get involved in science or engineering projects. Below is just a partial list from the space exploration perspective.

Some of these probably count as engineering projects, but I thought I'd include them anyway. I know, you're shocked, but these are all space-related.

SETI@Home (http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/)
SETI@home is a scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). You can participate by running a free program that downloads and analyzes radio telescope data.

Planetary Society projects related to advocacy and education, extrasolar planets, innovative technologies, international missions, Mars exploration, near-Earth objects, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) (http://www.planetary.org/programs/list/)

Mars Society University Rover Challenge (http://www.marssociety.org/portal/c/urc)
For the third year, teams of university students will design and build the next generation of Mars rovers. May 28-30, 2009 the teams and their rovers will face off at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah.

Mars Society Pressurized Rover Challenge (http://www.marssociety.org/portal/c/pressurizedRover)
A contest was started by the Mars Society in 2000 to design analog pressurized rover concepts that could be tested at the Society's analog stations. The contest is officially over, but in typical Mars Society fashion, teams have been continuing to work on rover designs since.

Mars Society Mars Analog Research Stations(http://www.marssociety.org/portal/groups/AnalogsTF/index_html)
This Task Force is responsible for the design and development of our Mars Analog Bases. This task force will work on all phases of project development and provide The Mars Society with periodic detailed reports of progress.

The Mars Foundation's Mars Homestead Project (http://marshome.org/)
The Mars Homestead™ Project, the main project of the Mars Foundation™, is developing a unified plan for building the first habitat on Mars by exploiting local materials. The ultimate goal of the project is to build a growing, permanent settlement beyond the Earth, thus allowing civilization to spread beyond the limits of our small planet.

Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program (http://www.marsgravity.org/main/)
The Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program is a ground-breaking undertaking to study the effects of Martian gravity on mammals. We are taking the first step towards human missions to Mars - and beyond. Data from this mission will make a significant contribution to our understanding of fundamental space biology and greatly advance human space exploration. To find out how students are advancing human space exploration, please check out the rest of our website!

Huntsville Alabama L5 Society (HAL5) Project HALO (http://www.nsschapters.org/al/HAL5/HALO_Index.shtml)
Working in our spare time, we are currently working on our next hybrid rocket. It is a derivative of the old ARCAS sounding rocket that we dubbed Tube Launch 1 (TL-1). Working part time one night a week. For additional information about Project HALO, meeting location, and tax-deductible donations, please Just drop us an email . We currently have needs for avionics / data instrumentation and tube launcher volunteers.

NASA Student Launch Initiative (http://education.nasa.gov/edprograms/descriptions/Student_Launch_Initiative.html) and NASA University Student Launch Initiative (http://education.nasa.gov/edprograms/descriptions/University_Student_Launch_Initiative.html)
The NASA Student Launch Initiative, or SLI, involves middle and high school students in designing, building and testing reusable rockets with associated scientific payloads. This unique hands-on experience allows students to demonstrate proof-of-concept for their designs and gives previously abstract concepts tangibility.
The NASA University Student Launch Initiative, or USLI, is a competition that challenges university-level students to design, build and fly a reusable rocket with scientific payload to one mile in altitude. The project engages students in scientific research and real-world engineering processes with NASA engineers. Students propose to participate in USLI during the fall. Once selected, teams design their rocket and payload throughout the school year. USLI requires a NASA review of the teams’ preliminary and critical designs. The project also requires flight readiness and safety reviews before the rockets and payloads are approved for launch. After launch, teams complete a final report to include conclusions from their science experiment and the overall flight performance. The Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, and Flight Readiness Review are conducted by panels of scientists and engineers from NASA and from NASA contactors and external partners.

NASA Faculty Research Programs (http://education.nasa.gov/edprograms/frprograms/index.html)

NASA Educator Programs (http://education.nasa.gov/edprograms/eduprograms/index.html)

Science Education Online

I sent the following science links to my buddy Darlene, the Science Cheerleader, and she suggested that I make a posting that included them. Far be it for me to argue with a nice lady who sends me free stuff. I have added a few references for reasons explained below.

http://www.teachspace.us/
http://www.knowledgeadventure.com/school/
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2004/missmass.html
http://www.whizkidsfoundation.org/
http://wtp.mit.edu/eecs/
http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/home.html
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/directory/Sciences.htm
http://homeschooling.about.com/od/science/Science_Resources.htm

The point of these links was to provide some alternative sites for interested folks to find science education information online. The internet is awash in such resources. Such resources might become increasingly necessary (here's where I get on my personal soapbox) if more people home school their kids. And why would they home school? Because of the state of mathematics and science education our taxpayer-funded schools.

The future, whether we like it or not, will become ever more dependent upon automated, computerized electronic technologies, biological technologies, and robotic and nanotechnologies. All of these will require students who are literate in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. We are doing children no favors by de-stressing grades and emphasizing self-esteem and "creative math." Consider the following quotations from "A Nation at Risk," a report on the state of the U.S. educational system in 1983 (waaaay back in the Reagan era, when I was still in the throes of junior high), and contemplate the fact that the situation has not greatly improved:

Our Nation is at risk. Our once unchallenged preeminence in commerce, industry, science, and technological innovation is being overtaken by competitors throughout the world.

What was unimaginable a generation ago has begun to occur--others are matching and surpassing our educational attainments.

If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war. As it stands, we have allowed this to happen to ourselves. We have even squandered the gains in student achievement made in the wake of the Sputnik challenge.

• International comparisons of student achievement, completed a decade ago, reveal that on 19 academic tests American students were never first or second and, in comparison with other industrialized nations, were last seven times.
• Some 23 million American adults are functionally illiterate by the simplest tests of everyday reading, writing, and comprehension.
• About 13 percent of all 17-year-olds in the United States can be considered functionally illiterate. Functional illiteracy among minority youth may run as high as 40 percent.
• Average achievement of high school students on most standardized tests is now lower than 26 years ago when Sputnik was launched.
• Over half the population of gifted students do not match their tested ability with comparable achievement in school.
• The College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT) demonstrate a virtually unbroken decline from 1963 to 1980. Average verbal scores fell over 50 points and average mathematics scores dropped nearly 40 points.

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