A big shout out to Scientific Blogging 2.0 who is currently covering the AAAS convention in San Diego, CA. We get a little excited around here when we start seeing people talking about the festival mainly because WE are so excited about the festival.
Here is an excerpt from Hank Campbell's post referencing the USA Science and Engineering Festival.
"...[Aimee Stern] was off to meet Larry Bock, the gent who is putting on the USA Science & Engineering Festival, and biology legend Francis Collins at the Pancake House, the unofficial de facto offsite meeting spot of the convention, it seems. I know I like, and you probably do too, that they are meeting at a pancake house to discuss the future of science in America.
I first spoke with Larry Bock because he was putting on the San Diego Science Festival and I wanted to do a festival also so it made sense to speak with someone who had traveled that road already. Darlene Cavalier, the Science Cheerleader, put me in touch with him and it is one of the few times I got off a phone call and gave up on an idea I had and it was for a simple reason; I didn't see how I could do it as well as he could and if I cannot be number one or two in something, I don't belong there. The man positively exudes science outreach, he put a lot of his own money into making the San Diego festival terrific, and his ability to raise money can't be matched. I expect the USA Festival to work just as well. UCSD has taken over the San Diego version and gotten grants, etc., but even though he has given them the template for success, look for there to be a lot of committee meetings and talk and not much else now that a school is doing it. You can never underestimate the power of a strong personality spearheading a cause and committees can't do that."
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I'm a terrible cheerleader if I caused you to give up on your dream :) Happy to have linked you with Larry. You two, plus Henry Donahue, BoraZ, and a handful of other folks I know can change the world...real dynamos. See you at the USA Science and Engineering Festival?
I can only hope I can make it to the USA Science and Engineering Festival! It's absolutely true that it typically takes the drive and enthusiasm of one or a few very strong willed folks to make just about any event successful! Larry (Bock) is such a person for this event, but we can all do our fair share by promoting it (even ad naseum) to get the word out. I personally believe that personal greatness can be better measured by the number of lives touched by what one does in life and Larry is truly a "mover and shaker" in this arena! The USA Science and Engineering Festival will no doubt be highly successful based on his success with the San Diego Science Festival of '09!
But, no matter how much effort Larry puts into this imperative endeavor, he needs our help! For it is the work of many enthusiastic supporters who share his vision that make such an event possible- like a well oiled machine! So from near and far, let's recruit and find those who "get it" and bring them into the fold.
Now, let's see what I can do to help with this...
P.S. For crying out loud Darlene, you were a professional cheerleader! If anyone can get the masses going, you can! :-{)
I sort of dig how she called me Scientific Blogging 2.0. I am so bad at branding that not only does no one know who I am (Aimee Stern said to me, "Oh, you're that guy who created Scientific Blogging!") but no one even heard of Science 2.0, even though I own a whole trademark on it and am the father of it and stuff.
Well, I think you are all on to something good. Fiddling about string theory at the World Science Festival was clever and all but an event with a little more science and a little less Yoyo Ma is welcome too.