03 December 2004

The Society for Amateur Scientists attends NASA's Earth Explorers Institute

Key objectives for museum and science media attendees at the meeting included:

1. Learn how to identify and reach science-attentive adults and citizen scientists.

2. Engage in active exploration of selected Earth system science topics.

3. Learn how to access NASA resources and expertise.

4. Develop an action plan for incorporating at least one new idea into your science center.

5. Collaborate with a network of informal science center partners.

These and other topics were discussed in great detail during many group discussions. Between the group meetings, more than a dozen speakers presented a wide variety of topics.

NASA Astronaut Piers Sellers narrated a spectacular "home movie" of his 2002 Space Shuttle mission. Jon Miller, Director of the Center for Biomedical Communications at Northwestern University, spoke about the public understanding of science and technology.

James Hansen, Director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, discussed his global warming models and ideas. Lin Chambers, a research scientist and contrail expert at NASA's Langley Research Center, spoke on tracking energy through the earth system.

Jamie O'Boyle, senior analyst for The Center for Cultural Studies & Analysis, discussed public perception of space exploration (his pdf report is here). Amateur scientist Forrest M. Mims III spoke about the many cross disciplinary implications of his 15 years of atmospheric measurements. Other speakers discussed satellite imagery, remote sensing and the ongoing warming of the arctic and the cooling of the antarctic.

The best news for citizen scientists is that the EEI collectively concluded that hands-on science activities by museum visitors is among the top three goals recommended by the representatives of the museums and science media in attendance. The phrases "citizen science" and "citizen scientists" were heard again and again throughout the five-day meeting.