Intel ISEF 2007 officially began this morning at 8 a.m.! Students, teachers, parents, and observers have been streaming into the Albuquerque Convention Center to prepare the projects for review and judging. In only two hours, we've already seen delegations from Ireland, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Peru, and Russia rush by bearing boxes, showboards, and strange devices draped in plastic.
Official judging doesn't begin until Wednesday, but that doesn't mean there isn't much to do -- the schedule here today is packed with project drop-offs, setups, and inspections by the Fair's Scientific Review Committee (SRC). The SRC ensures projects safely and properly use any sensitive material like animals, biological agents, and volatile compounds; any projects that don't meet safety standards and regulations aren't able to setup. So unfortunately, this probably means we won't be bringing you any exclusive footage of projects using tabletop fusion devices or remote-controlled sharks with snout-mounted laser cannons.
The real main attractions for today happen this evening. Between 6 and 7 p.m., the Albuquerque Youth Symphony will perform a new symphony written by a past Intel ISEF finalist, high schooler Tudor Dominik Maican.
And between 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., the Student Pin Exchange takes place in the Hyatt Hotel. This is one of the historic hallmark events of each Intel ISEF, where finalists from around the world meet and trade bits of culture from their countries and states. Past participants usually say this was one of the highlights of their experience, so be sure to attend.
Got any good pins? Looking for something special? Post in the comments to let everyone know, or try our forums!
*UPDATE* 6:30 p.m. This just in -- there actually IS a tabletop fusion device here at this year's Intel ISEF! We'll have some photos and coverage of that soon.
