January 3, 2001
January 3, 2001
Plainsboro, New Jersey From mechanical and real birds to twin-star systems, plasma rockets, the Hubble, and space travel, to contemporary medical diagnostic tools and genomics, this year's Science-on-Saturday series at the U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) promises a diverse array of scientific topics. The series kicks off its 17th year of operation on January 13 with a talk about the discovery of the binary pulsar by Nobel Prize winner Russell Hulse.
"This year, we have a varied group of speakers discussing a broad range of scientific subjects. Many of the students who attend the talks have never been in contact with scientists before and this gives them an opportunity to see that scientists are real people. It also inspires some to consider careers in science," said PPPL engineer Ronald Hatcher. Hatcher is co-organizing the series this year, along with PPPL physicist Janardhan Manickam and PPPL Science Education Program administrator James Morgan.
Added Morgan, "The series exposes students to a variety of scientific subjects, giving them different avenues to explore, possibly as potential careers. For example, one regular attendee from the past is now a university student pursuing a career in science. As a high school student, she called the organizers to suggest topics for the series or to comment on those lectures she attended. She still keeps in touch, offering ideas for Science-on-Saturday talks."
Science on Saturday is a series of eight free lectures geared toward high school students, but open to everyone. The talks are given by scientists and other professionals who are leaders in their field. The annual wintertime series began nearly two decades ago at PPPL, and now attracts more than 300 people each Saturday.
Students, teachers, parents, and community members are welcome to attend any or all of the series. In the past, attendees have ranged in age from 8 to 80.
Series co-organizer Manickam said, "This program has evolved from its narrow focus on highest school students to become a valuable resource to people of all ages who wish to be exposed to the intellectual stimulation of new scientific ideas. I encourage all like-minded people to take advantage of this opportunity and attend these lectures."
The 2001 Science-on-Saturday schedule follows:
Science on Saturday Lecture Series 2001 Schedule |
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| January 13 | The Discovery of the Binary Pulsar Dr. Russell Hulse, 1993 Nobel Prizer Winner in Physics Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton University |
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| January 20 | Plasma Rockets for Future Space Missions Dr. Yevgeny Raitses Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton University |
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| January 27 | SATs -- No Program | |
| February 3 | Fanciful Fliers -- a Different Approach to Small Aircraft Design Mr. David A. Cylinder Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Princeton University |
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| February 10 | Exploiting the Genomics Revolution for the Discovery of New Medicines Dr. F. Raymond Salemme 3-D Pharmaceuticals Exton, PA |
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| February 17 | What's Up with the Hubble Dr. Edward Groth Physics Department Princeton University |
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| February 24 | New Jersey Regional Science Bowl® -- No Program | |
| March 3 | Biology and Conservation of North American Songbirds Ms. Rachael Winfree Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University |
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| March 10 | The use of Echo-cardiography in Diagnosing Heart Disease Dr. Andrew Costin Cardiologist, Princeton Medical Group Adjunct Faculty, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania |
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| March 17 | To Be Announced NASA Astronaut Contact the Science on Saturday Hotline for further details. |
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All talks will be held at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The Laboratory is on Princeton University's Forrestal Campus off U.S. Route 1 in Plainsboro and not on the University's main campus in Princeton. The lectures begin at 9:30 a.m. and usually last about two hours. There is no fee for the program. Registration is on-site prior to each session. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, go to the PPPL web site at www.pppl.gov or call the Science-on-Saturday Hotline at (609) 243-2121.
For further information, please contact:
Anthony R. DeMeo
Head
Information Services
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
(609) 243-2755
ademeo@pppl.gov
Patricia Wieser
Information Services
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
(609) 243-2757
pwieser@pppl.gov
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