USA Science & Engineering Expo
carlyo | March 7, 2012by Fred Bortz, author of Meltdown! The Nuclear Disaster in Japan and Our Energy Future (Twenty-First Century Books, 2012)
A year ago this week, on March 11, 2011, the biggest earthquake in Japan's history devastated the Tohoku region, 320 kilometers northeast of Tokyo. In the huge tsunami that followed, more than 13,000 people drowned, and thousands of buildings and homes were reduced to rubble.
Within hours, horrifying photos and videos spread around the world. But the most frightening news was yet to come. The Fukushima Dai'ichi nuclear power plant was seriously damaged and three of its…
carlyo | March 2, 2012Each week we like to acknowledge those that truly make our Festival the largest celebration of science: our fans. Without the support of our fans, we would not be able to able to achieve our mission which is to re-invigorate the interest of our nation's youth in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by producing and presenting the most compelling, exciting, educational and entertaining science festival in the United States. Our fans travel from near and far to attend the Festival and along with our volunteers; they help us maintain the buzz of this celebration all year long.
This…
carlyo | March 1, 2012
By: Gabrielle Levy, age 9, USA Science & Engineering Festival Volunteer and Ambassador, from Fairfax, Virginia.
It's time to learn about science! Let's visit the USA Science & Engineering Festival that returns to Washington DC on April 28 and 29. This year the USA Science & Engineering Festival will be held in the Washington Convention Center.
There will be everything from NASA, Universities, businesses, and famous television scientists. There will be many fun activities to learn about science in a fun way. Even if you think that you really do not like science, you will…
carlyo | February 27, 2012By Stacy Jannis
Exciting things are happening in 21st century classrooms all over our country. Teachers and students are using cutting-edge technology, working in teams, and connecting and sharing projects with classrooms all over the world. Innovative groups like the Concord Consortium , Promethean World , Project Lead the Way and Epals are at the forefront of creating the curriculum, software, tools and environment of tomorrow's classroom, today. A rich and exciting mix is brewing, one that combines multimedia, digital simulations, games, computer programming, inquiry and project-based…
carlyo | February 24, 2012Our next "Featured Fan" of the USA Science and Engineering Festival is Johns Hopkins University Center for Biotechnology Education. Johns Hopkins University Center for Biotechnology Education is also a Sponsor and Exhibitor for the 2012 Festival. We appreciate your support!
If you would like to be a "Featured Fan" then connect with us on Facebook for details.
Read about the Center below:
The Center's mission is to expand the reach of biotechnology education through three channels:
Graduate Education - Our graduate programs are designed for working professionals - delivering the rigorous…
carlyo | February 15, 2012This past December, AT&T sponsored Nifty Fifty program speaker Dr. Karen Panetta received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from President Barack Obama! Dr. Panetta is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tufts University and Director of the Simulation Research Laboratory at Tufts University. She is also the co-founder of BA Logix Inc. and serves as the company's Chief Research Scientist. Congratulations to Dr. Panetta and read about her prestigious award here.
Read about Dr. Karen Panetta's Engineering Outreach…
carlyo | February 13, 2012Known as "the authority on the future of technology " and the world's oldest technology magazine,Technology Review - published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - is bringing its prestige and expertise back to the Festival as a Media Partner!
Technology Review, published by MIT since 1899, continues today to provide unparalleled insights into cutting edge technologies that are changing the world and the way science and engineering do business.
In returning as a Media Partner, the magazine joins a growing list of other top science media leaders who are also serving as Festival…
carlyo | February 10, 2012
By Larry Bock
Founder and organizer, USA Science & Engineering Festival
It's both funny and remarkable how some of the most simple and natural acts we do each day are teeming in science.
Take for example, the kiss.
A kiss, especially a passionate one, sets off a cascade of emotions and chemical reactions in our brain and body that would surprise most of us if we knew the whole story.
Well, just in time for Valentine's Day, Sheril Kirshenbaum, science writer and author of the recent book, The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips Are Telling Us, sheds light on exactly what goes on…
carlyo | February 8, 2012 By Sean Connolly
Festival Featured Author
What a difference a digit makes! There I was preoccupied with making my own eggnog, checking page proofs, and It's a Wonderful Life on television. Then along comes January 1, and with it that odometer switch from "1" to "2" at the end. Suddenly 2012 is this year.
And this year means a trip to DC in late April for the USA Science and Engineering Festival. A festival appearance gets us authors out of our garrets, blinking as we meet the real people out there. And it's those real people--particularly the young ones--who make it all so much fun.
I can…
carlyo | February 6, 2012Sitting elbow to elbow with strangers in the movie theatre is nothing new to the average American. However, when you are cramped in a packed theatre and you hear a cough every now and then while watching the movie Contagion, well that's another story. Even if you are viewing this movie in the comfort of your home, your mind will start to wonder about the thousands of hands that could have touched this disk you received in your mailbox this afternoon from Netflix. Then it begins..."What have I been exposed to?" My irrational fear as well as fascination about epidemics first grew after the…
carlyo | February 3, 2012Popular Science, one of the leading sources of news in technology, science, gadgets, space, green tech and more, is returning as a key Media Partner with the Festival!
In doing so, PopSci joins a growing list of other top science media leaders who will be serving as Festival sponsors, including Popular Mechanics, Scientific American, MIT's Technology Review, Chemical & Engineering News, School Tube.com, ENGINEERING.com, EE Times and PBS Kids.
PopSci has been a major source of science and technology news since its award-winning magazine Popular Science was founded back in 1872. Its online…
carlyo | January 30, 2012
By Larry Bock
Founder and organizer, USA Science & Engineering Festival
Tinkering -- that hands-on, garage-based tradition which sparked inventions ranging from the airplane and electric light bulb to the Apple computer -- is making a comeback among average Americans, promising to change our lives for the better on several fronts.
Known by such monikers as DIY (Do It Yourself) and the Maker Movement, its resurrection, fueled by the current economic downturn and the falling cost of high-tech tools and materials, stands not only to boost innovation and change how science is taught in the…
carlyo | January 27, 2012As many educators know, the elementary and middle school years are critical periods in which students' interest in science can "wither on the vine" if efforts are not made early to engage young learners in such subjects in exciting and creative ways.
This is why global biotech leader Life Technologies -- as it prepares to return as a major Sponsor of the USA Science & Engineering Festival next spring.-- will devote a major portion of its outreach exhibits at the finale Expo to wowing elementary and middle school students through a wide range of interactive science activities.
"We know…
carlyo | January 25, 2012 The USA Science and Engineering Festival is a part of the National Academy of Sciences 149th Annual Meeting! The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a private, non-profit society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the public good.
The NAS 149th Annual Meeting will feature the Festival on Saturday, April 28th from 10am-4pm. In this special activity for guests and family members of new members, registered guests may attend the opening of the USA Science and Engineering Festival…
carlyo | January 25, 2012The USA Science & Engineering Festival hosted by Lockheed Martin offers a special appeal for budding entrepreneurs, inventors, engineers and programmers who will find the ideas, tools and resources to help them make their dreams a reality.
"The Festival is a fantastic place for technical experts of all kinds to learn about the amazing advances that have been made in technology to help them make product prototypes from 3D printers, find designs online for parts and components, and meet an array of experts to help them bring their product ideas to life," said Larry Bock, serial…
carlyo | January 20, 2012Take a quick view of this link to see our USA Science and Engineering Festival Volunteer Outreach Team featured on Meetup.com!
Recently our volunteers got together on January 15th in Springfield, Virginia to gear up for the upcoming Festival this April. Be sure to visit our website for more details.
carlyo | January 20, 2012
By Larry Bock
Founder and organizer, USA Science & Engineering Festival
Ahh celebrities. From music and acting to the world of supermodeling and sports -- they are respected, admired, even worshiped, for their talent and magnetism. But herein lies the danger when these stars publicly espouse or endorse viewpoints and products in health and medicine without first thoroughly exploring the scientific validity of such claims.
Why danger? For segments of the population -- especially kids who are easily influenced by star role models -- celebrity statements and viewpoints (however misguided…
carlyo | January 17, 2012Just in case you haven't heard the Festival dates are set for April 28-29th! The doors are open on Saturday from 10am-6pm and on Sunday from 10am- 4pm. This year the Festival will be held in Washington D.C. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
Visit our website for all of the upcoming events leading up to the Festival, to plan your day at the Expo and to browse our exhibits. Best of all- don't miss out on the chance to pre-register for the Expo for an opportunity to win a cool prize! You will automatically be signed up to win a chance to meet Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage of the…
carlyo | January 13, 2012 AT&T Sponsored Nifty Fifty Program Speaker and Surgical Roboticist Carol Reiley made the recent cover of MAKE Magazine! She is the first female engineer to make the cover of the magazine. Volume 29 of MAKE features an interview and two articles co-authored by Carol.
Carol, a Ph.D. student at Johns Hopkins University's Computational Interaction and Robotics Laboratory, is at the forefront of research which is ushering in a new age of technology called teleoperated robotics in which scientists, physicians and other professionals located miles away can operate robots with great precision…
kcollins | January 3, 2012By Larry Bock USA Science and Engineering Festival Executive Director
They say New Year's resolutions are meant to be broken. But as another year begins, here is a national challenge we cannot afford to ignore, and should resolve to address without delay: the declining number of young Americans entering the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
This is not, nor should it be, a problem for our schools to tackle alone. It will take all of us -- from involved parents and teachers to employers, government entities, STEM professionals and civic and community…