Posted by Jennia Herold on October 1st, 2010 | No Comments »
Photo courtesy of the USA Science and Engineering Festival
The Inaugural USA Science and Engineering Festival will be kicking off the start of two week’s worth of events, exhibits, contests and more on October 10. The festival, held in Washington DC on and around the National Mall, is completely free to all who wish to attend. According to the festival’s official website, their mission 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 gatherings in the United States.”
The highlight of the festival will be the expo taking place on October 23 and October 24. During the expo, there will be over 1500 interactive science activities, more than 75 stage shows and performances, and a number of talks and performances hosted by the many exhibitors.
Even though the festival hasn’t begun yet, there are many ways to already get involved! There are a number of contests to enter, including a Rubik’s cube tournament. You can also choose to purchase a t-shirt, sign up as a volunteer, or find out more from the performance schedule. Be sure to stay up to date by following the blog and signing up for the newsletter.
Will you be there when science takes over the nation’s capital?
Posted by John Hunter on May 27th, 2010 | No Comments »
Getting clean water is a huge issue for billions of people each day. This is a well known issue that engineers and others have attempted to address. While much has been done, much is left to be done. Such a large and critical issue requires many people to help implement and maintain solutions.
Today, scientists, engineers, technologists, and mathematicians from across the country will team up with K–12 schools for project-based learning experiences for National Lab Day. National Lab Day is a long-term program/collaboration between STEM professionals and K–12 classroom teachers.
A coalition of educators, science and engineering associations, philanthropies and other organizations today announced the launch of National Lab Day, a new grassroots initiative designed to reinvigorate science and math education in the nation’s schools and after-school programs and lead to increased U.S. competitiveness.
President Obama applauded the education initiative and others in a speech at the White House. “Lifting American students from the middle to the top of the pack in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) achievement over the next decade will not be attained by government alone,” he said. “I applaud the substantial commitments made today by the leaders of companies, universities, foundations, non-profits and organizations representing millions of scientists, engineers and teachers from across the country.”
National Lab Day aims to inspire a wave of future innovators and foster U.S. competitiveness by improving the quality STEM education in America. A collaboration between government and more than 200 public and private-sector-organizations, National Lab Day will connect students in grades 6-12 to hands-on learning experiences and promote tinkering in laboratory settings.
National Lab Day will promote hands-on learning throughout the year and culminate each year with special events the first week of May. Volunteer science and technology professionals and educators will work together with students to improve America’s science labs and offer inquiry-based STEM experiences in classrooms, learning labs, and after-school programs.
“We wouldn’t
teach football from a textbook,” said John P. Holdren, President Obama’s science advisor. “It is even more important that America’s youth have the opportunity to learn math and science by doing. The President and I strongly support efforts to raise the level of project-based learning, to help cultivate the next generation of doers and makers.”
Jack D. Hidary, chairman of National Lab Day,
praised President Obama’s announcement. “Our children deserve a world class science and math education that includes exciting, hands-on lab experiences,” said Hidary. “Whether you are a Nobel-prize winning scientist, a Mythbusters fan, a tinkerer or a parent, you can help bring students the enjoyment of learning through real challenges.”
The National Lab Day website will automatically match volunteers to requests from educators to participate on the basis of geography and interests. The website also provides resources and ideas for hands-on learning experiments and invites the public to suggest new materials. Read the rest of this entry »
In October, Washington DC will be host to the USA Science and Engineering Festival, the country’s first national science festival. “The Festival promises to be the ultimate multi-cultural, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary celebration of science in the United States.” Two of the fifteen days of the Festival will be an Expo in which over 500 science and engineering organizations will come together to encourage and inspire future scientists and engineers.
With over 500 organizations participating, there will definitely be something for everyone! From building one’s own rocket to finding out if a dog can be smarter than a human, the festival seeks to accomplish it’s mission of re-igniting youths’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math.
There are many exciting ways to get involved with the festival before it begins. Contests to begin preparing for include a jingle contest, a Rubik’s Cube tournament, and a Kavli science video contest.
Stay up to date with the USA Science and Engineering Festival on their blog.
“Will you be there when science takes over the National Mall?”
Posted by Rashida on January 25th, 2010 | No Comments »
San Francisco Bay Bridge
In the wake of the devastating 7.0 earthquake to hit Haiti this past week around the world television screens exploited images of crumbled buildings and poorly reinforced structures reminding us of another earthquake prone territory a little closer to home in California which is taking lengths to improve major infrastructure to a prominent landmark- The San Francisco Bay Bridge.
The Bay Area is known for its spectacular bridges,” says Bart Ney, a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). “It’s part of our DNA, so naturally the aesthetics are a key part of the project.”
Caltrans ultimately decided to create a two-stage bridge, marrying a 1.3-mile Skyway to the first ever single-tower Self-Anchored Suspension (SAS) bridge. This revolutionary new structure hangs 1860 ft. of roadway from a single central tower, with the shorter western side rising from Yerba Buena Island, and the longer eastern side extending to meet with the Skyway.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates there is a 62 percent chance that a magnitude 6.7 or larger quake will hit the area by 2032. The Bay Bridge is flanked on the west by the San Andreas Fault and on the east by the Hayward Fault — putting it right in the strike zone. Since the new bridge’s design specifications require that it last for 150 years, the engineers had to build in state-of-the-art seismic defenses. The SAS tower, for instance, incorporates deformable structural elements to absorb quake forces, much as a car’s crumple zone takes the brunt of a head-on collision. Thanks to this innovation, the structure should be able to accommodate seismically induced movement of up to 1 yard.
Posted by John Hunter on January 6th, 2010 | No Comments »
Charlotte Watson
Charlotte Watson, CFO, served ASEE for 17 years with integrity, style and grace. She lost her fierce battle with cancer January 2, 2010, and we lost more. We lost a stalwart friend, an insightful manager, and a loyal leader. The loss of Charlotte has meant that we are all poorer — bereft of her guidance and humor and courage. We will miss her every day.
A life celebration will be held in honor of Charlotte Watson on Saturday, January 9th.
Posted by Rashida on December 29th, 2009 | Comments Off
The National Engineering Design Challengewhich promotes engineering by showing students ways engineers can solve social and community problems, is looking for sponsors. In the 2010 challenge, NEDC teams will put their creativity and problem-solving skills to use by designing and building an assisted technology device for a person in their community. Teams identify the problem they want to solve, work together to develop a solution and present their working prototype to an expert panel of judges.
Posted by Jessica Sabo on September 17th, 2009 | No Comments »
Courtesy of cee-neesmrit1.cee.illinois.edu
A team of researchers from Stanford University and the University of Illinois have designed a new structural system that allows a building to be more earthquake-resistant.
When a quake strikes, the new system dissipates energy through steel frames in the building’s core and exterior. These frames are free to rock up and down within fittings fixed at their bases. Steel tendons made from twisted steel cables run the length of each frame, keeping the frames from moving so much that the building could shear. When the quake stops, these tensile tendons pull the frames back down into the “shoes” at their bases, returning the building to its plumb, upright position.
Greg Deirlein, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University and team lead of the project, explains, “This new structural system has the potential to make buildings far more damage resistant and easier to repair, so people could reoccupy buildings a lot faster after a major earthquake than they can now… What is unique about these frames is that, unlike conventional systems, they actually rock off their foundation under large earthquakes.”
The technology, which just completed testing at Japan’s Hyogo Earthquake Engineering Research Center, is the culmination of more than a decade of ideas and previous-gen technologies. While many elements of the system have been tested before, this is the first time they’ve been melded into a complete system and successfully put through the motions. For testing, the team constructed a three-quarters-size model of a standard three-story office building, with a footprint 120 by 180 feet, and a mass comparable to a full-size building. Then they shook the hell out of it. Even at a magnitude 1.75 times that of the 1994 Northridge earthquake — itself a 6.7 on the Richter scale — the only damage recorded in the frame was in the replaceable fuses.
Posted by Jessica Sabo on July 15th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Courtesy of Dimension Printing (UK)
At this years annual ASEE Conference in Austin, one of the main topics of conversation started with the question, have you seen the 3D printer?. The company Stratasys, Inc. has created their Dimension 3D Printers. Their latest innovation is their line of uPrint machines, which are less costly (prices starting at $14,900) and are small enough to keep in your home or office. The 3D Printers are able to create functional 3D models from the bottom up, one layer at a time with tough, durable acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic.
Jesse Roitenberg, the representative from Stratasys at the conference, explained the benefits of using 3D printing as opposed to building models by hand:
With a 3D printer, you are actually able to create an object as you had designed it. Once the object is created, the designer is then able to hold, test and verify the design. The object created is more accurate and the process is less time consuming.
Roitenberg had a display of a variety of objects created by the 3D Printers including a replicated alligator skull, a working wrench, a small jewelry box, and just for fun, a figurine of the character Yoda from Star Wars. You know all engineers love Star Wars, so once they see Yoda, they ask when the uPrint can be shipped to their house, jokes Roitenberg.
Image taken at 2009 Annual ASEE Conference
The uPrint machines are able to print up to one cubic inch per hour. The ABS plastic is used to create each layer of the designed object. Stratasys, Inc. offers an explanation on how the process works:
STL files are imported into Catalyst EX Software which automatically slices and orients the parts and creates any necessary support structures. The software automatically plots a precise deposition path for Dimension to follow. ABS plastic (in filament form within auto-loading cartridges) is fed into an extrusion head, heated to a semi-liquid state and accurately deposited in layers as fine as 0.007-inch (0.178 mm) thick. After completion of the build, support structures are simply removed.
ABS plastic is heated to a semi-liquid state and deposited in thin layers by a patented extrusion head.
Catalyst software automatically determines when and where to deposit ABS or support material throughout the build process.
ABS is considered a strong material and is offered in a variety of colors for the uPrint machines.
The Dimension 3D printers have been used in both educational facilities and the workplace, benefiting everyone from engineers to middle school science teachers. Below is a video of Jay Leno explaining how he was able to use the 3D printer to recreate an old steam engine car part. On the Dimension Printers website, Statasys will send a sample part as well as more information about the uPrint machines if requested (*no 3D glasses required*).
Posted by Julie Dabrowski on May 22nd, 2009 | No Comments »
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Last week, novice and experienced scientists alike flocked to Reno, Nevada to participate in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. This event is the largest of its kind, affording millions of high school students around the world the opportunity to compete for nearly $4 million in prizes and scholarships. These young scientific minds first enter their projects, which may be focused in one of 17 disciplines, in state and regional competitions. Of the winning participants, 1500 were chosen to showcase their projects at the 2009 exposition and to have their work judged by doctoral-level scientists and engineers. Over 500 of these participants received scholarships and prizes for their outstanding work, and the top three winners were each awarded a $50,000 scholarship by the Intel Foundation.
This years winning projects included development of a biosensor to detect the presence of contaminants in the water supplies of developing countries; the isolation of a gene that can be used to improve the intelligence of a worm and may someday aid in the prevention and treatment of mental disabilities in humans; and the classification of a complex evolutionary relationship between sweat bees and nematode worms. Past winning projects have focused on everything from hydrogen production to cancer research to cracking the brazil nut effect. Toppling the commonly-held belief that male students are more naturally inclined to excel in the sciences, the grand winners of this as well as last years competition have all been women.
Clearly, the above are not your typical science fair projects, but neither are we discussing your typical high school students. These are some of the best and brightest young minds the world has to offer, and past winners have gone on to make substantial contributions to their respective scientific fields. But producing a winning project involves a great deal more than brains and in-depth research. The successful participants must gracefully combine many seemingly unrelated skills into one complete package skills that include writing, statistics and public speaking, just to name a few. Participants learn that science is more than just research and analysis; rather, ones methodology and purpose must be presented clearly and convincingly in order to be accepted by the scientific community and the general public. The process of completing a science fair project yields mature, self-confident, skilled, and competitive young leaders who have career goals and the preparation, discipline, and drive to attain them.
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