We’re into six days worth of celebrating science and technology at the St. Louis Science Center.  I’ll be there Friday evening hosting the SciFest Extravaganza and hope you’ll be there as well.

Doug

What you should know before you go:

• Saturday, October 2, 10AM-2PM
• Free to the public
• Hands-on engineering activities for all ages
• Displays, activities and giveaways from local engineering firms, schools and societies
• Local robotics teams demonstrating their inventions
• Young Inventors Exploration Station for kids of all ages
• Map to Science Center’s best engineering exhibits

For more information, contact Paul Freiling, Robotics Coordinator, at 314-286-4628.

Head to the Exploradome in the Science Center for Kid City Expo this Saturday, September 25, from 9:30-4:30 to get some answers.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that adults are only $2 each and kids 12 and under are free. Or that there will be great activities for the kids, such as a climbing wall, bounce house, and a chance to meet Dora and Buzz.

Free parking for the Science Center is available on the planetarium side of the complex. I have found it works best to get there a few minutes before the 9:30 opening. This way we get a parking spot and can sit in the car to wait or explore the great exhibits they have outside the entrance on the planetarium side.

Could the tax cut vote be held over until after the November elections?  We talked about it with CNN’s Candy Crowley.

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan joined us to talk about the Fox News lawsuit against her campaign commercial and more.

Boeing test pilot Captain Randy Neville spoke with Doug about what it’s like to be a test pilot and about the new Omnimax film “Legends of Flight” that’s now showing at the St. Louis Science Center.

This is a picture of an robotic dino at the Science Center. L. and I both thought the Science Center was lame. We left after barely and hour. What a waste of $9 to park.

St. Louis Art Museum

Statue outside the Art Museum

Statue outside the Art Museum

L.

An old Knights Armor Glove

A Bust

Another Bust

A Painting (yeah I know such amazingly descriptive captions I have)

L. and I in front of a crazy painting

Another Painting

Fountains at the Missouri History Museum

Missouri History Museum

Thomas Jefferson Statue

Missouri History Museum

Dinner at Seamus McDaniel’s. This place was pretty good. I had a Philly, it was not a traditional Philly Cheese-steak, but not bad. L. had a Gyro, it was maybe slightly better than the Gyro I had at Tip Top. Over all not a bad joint. We had a very small lunch at Jack in the box so no review of that. This was an early dinner.

So ends day three. The Science Center was a dud, but the museums were really cool. We were going to camp out night three, but it had stormed every night and with the heat we decided to stay an extra night at our hotel. I will take a moment to review it; since I haven’t yet. We stayed at the Hotel Indigo in Central West End. CWE is a neighbor hood really close to Forest Park. It was really close to everything we had planed so it was the perfect location. The hotel lacked major amenities though. We did a name your own price on Priceline so we didn’t pick this place. It was a “3-star” hotel meaning it had 3-star amenities, but Id rather of stayed at Drury Inn any day. There was no pool which sucked. The hotel had some rooms with a fridge and microwave but not ours. We wanted a fridge and microwave because there was no continental breakfast. I’m not expecting bacon and eggs, but a bagel would be nice. The room is normally around $150 a night and no bagel. Maybe I’m too cheap to live the “good life”, but other than location this hotel had nothing going for it. We didn’t pay near $150 a night so that’s a plus. On a positive note the beds were mighty comfy, and they had a lot of cable options. Stay tuned for day four.

“Vacation, All I ever wanted, Vacation, Had to get away”
-dfh1982

This summer, equated to no exception.

I got home last Tuesday to a house that is once again different from whence I left it.  Mom’s been working really hard to get the stair well updated, and it looks fantastic.  One day, I’m going to come home, and not even recognize that I lived there all of my life.

I really miss my mom while I’m in college, but the truth of the matter is that I hate coming home.  Too much fighting, too much stupid.  Its all really dumb.  But the sad truth is that I’m still moderately dependent on my mom – she helps me out with medical expenses like glasses and things, my doctor and insurance plan are near her…  So even just having her come to New Orleans to visit isn’t necessarily a great idea.

I got contacts this week.  Its weird – its been over a year since I’ve worn any.  Apparently, I have a silicone allergy.  That’s good to know – because now I can wear contacts without my eyes gooping up into gross little balls of sadness.  I got a hair trimming too.  I think I’m going to let it grow out until training starts in August, and then I’m just going to chop it all of abruptly.  I don’t mind the long hair so much anymore, I just don’t care to do anything with it.  And I hate that its hard to run my fingers through.

Katie and I had a great day yesterday in St. Louis!  My sister gave me her voucher for 2 free tickets to a Cards game and we decided What the hell, let’s make a day out of it! I don’t hang out with my friends from high school nearly enough anymore – being 750 miles away and all – so it was really refreshing.

I've been making this face at this exhibit since I was 8

We spent most of the day in Forrest Park in the City.  Its quite honestly the greatest place in all of St. Louis.  There’s so much to do, and for $7.50, you can take the train into the city, ride the bus around the park, and go back (no gas, and no parking fees!).  We started the day at the St. Louis Science Center.  There was an exhibit on Pirates

that was really neat.  We got to touch some of the pirate treasure and see things off a ship named the Whynam such as cannons and clothes and even the femur of one of the crew (it was a little bit horrific, but you know, that’s a pirate’s life).  We also went to see my favorite display, which is that of a T-Rex eating a Triceratops.  (Seriously)

She sort of looks like a kid at Christmas

We then took off for the zoo, because Katie had found out that there is a new, temporary Sting Ray exhibit.  It was really neat!  For $3 (the zoo itself is free, so this is a no-brainer fee) we were able to pet the sting rays for as long as we wanted.  I’d done this when I was 9 in Florida with my parents, but it was really really cool now that I’ve got enough cognitive recognition to remember it.  Katie had a TON of fun with it (it was her first time) and now rays and emperor penguins are competing for her affection as favorite animal.

We wound down by deciding to head to Busch Stadium at around 5:00 for the 6:00 game.  I was really excited.  The past couple of seasons have really been getting me into the baseball spirit, and so having tickets to a game was exactly what I wanted!  We were playing the Seattle Seahawkes, which had me really excited because it was like “Oh yeah, we’re about to whoop some butt!”  Would you believe Seattle hit a home run the second pitch of the game? Distressing as that was, we did the same thing when we finally got up to bat, and ended up winning the game 9-3.  I was the happiest little clam out there!

Victory is so sweet

Regardless, this was probably one of the best days I’ve had in the city in a long time.  :)  And now, its back to Tulane.

“…Is it a monster? Is it a monster?”

Whenever I visit a museum that impresses me (for any number of reasons: innovative exhibits, creative outreach efforts– things that require an element of risk, in the name of education, on the part of the museum), I immediately look up the bio of the museum’s President/C.E.O. It’s just a habit that I have. I’ve often wondered what it takes to reach the top of the museum-ladder. What do you need to do to be that person who gets to make decisions about cutting-edge exhibits and programs? How do you get to be the great mastermind behind the community partnerships?

I am not arguing that these are the only innovative museums out there, and I am especially not displaying a survey of what degrees are common for all museum directors… but I think these findings are interesting as there are several types of degrees represented; and there certainly is not a clear path indicated here.

When possible, I included the field in which the degree was received. The eight missing institutions from the list of the 25 most visited were omitted because bios were difficult to find. Please post a comment if you find the academic information for any of the other museums that are not included on this list!

Here’s a quick summary of my findings:

1. The only type of degree that all 17 leaders have is a bachelor’s degree.
2. Directors with master’s degrees and doctorates: 8 (slightly less than half)
3. Master’s degrees only: 2
4. M.B.As: 3
5. J.Ds: 2
6. Directors with a only bachelor’s degree: 2
7. Percent of included directors with an MBA, JD, or Ph.D:  76.5%
8. Number of directors with degrees from Harvard: 5 (29%)
9. Total number of degrees earned by these 17 directors: 41
10. Average number of degrees earned by each director: 2.4
11. Number of directors with degrees from top-ten Universities: 11
12. Male directors: 14 (82.3%)
13. Female directors: 3 (17.6%)

Take a look:

Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C.

• Cristián Samper- B.A.-Universidad de Los Andes in Bogotá; M.A. and Ph.D. - Harvard University

National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

• Earl A. Powell III- B.A.- Williams College; M.A. and Ph.D.- Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, N.Y.

• Thomas P. Campbell- B.A. (English) University of Oxford; M.A. – Courtauld Institute of Art

American Museum of Natural History, New York, N.Y.

• Ellen Futter- B.A.- Barnard College; J.D.- Columbia University

Museum of Modern Art, New York, N.Y.

• Glenn D. Lowry-  B.A.-Williams College; M.A. and Ph.D. (History of Art)- Harvard University

Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston, TX

• Joel Bartsch- B.A.-Concordia University; M.A.- Rice University; Ph.D. candidate- Rice University

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C.

• Sara J. Bloomfield- B.A. (English)- Northwestern University; M.A. (Education)- John Carroll University

Museum of Science, Boston, MA.

• Ioannis  N. Miaoulis- B.S. and Ph.D. (mechanical engineering)- Tufts University; M.A. (economics)- Tufts University; M.A. (mechanical engineering)- Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C.

• Kevin Grover- B.A. (public and international affairs)- Princeton University; J.D.-  University of New Mexico.

California Science Center, Los Angeles, CA.

• Jeffrey N. Rudolph. B.A. University of California at Berkeley; M.B.A.- Yale University

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX

• Peter C. Marzio. B.A.-Juniata College; M.A. and Ph.D.- The University of Chicago

The J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center Museum, Los Angeles, CA.

• Michael Brand- B.A. (Asian studies)-Australian National University in Canberra; M.A. and Ph.D.- Harvard University

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Portland, OR.

• Nancy Stueber- B.S. (environmental biology & terrestrial ecology)- University of Pittsburgh

St. Louis Science Center, St. Louis, MO.

• Douglas King- B.S. (engineering)- Stanford University; M.B.A. (finance)- University of Washington.

National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.

• Martin E. Sullivan, B.A.- Siena College; M.A. and Ph.D. (history)- University of Notre Dame

Guggenheim Museum, New York , N.Y.

• Richard Armstrong- B.A. (art history)- Lake Forest College

Field Museum, Chicago, IL.

• John W. McCarter, Jr.- B.A. Princeton University, M.B.A.- Harvard University

Information supplied through comments  regarding missing museum directors (thanks for your help in filling in the blanks!):

The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

• James Cuno- B.A.- Willamette University; M.A. and Ph.D. (art history)- Harvard University

Attendees of the Summer Science Academy included approximately 100 students and 18 teachers from nine Catholic elementary schools throughout St. Louis City. Participants increased their knowledge of physical and biological scientific theories while they enjoyed the atmosphere at the St. Louis Zoo, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the St. Louis Science Center and the Missouri Department of Conservation.

“Students, parents and teachers from the participating schools have been overwhelmingly positive about their experiences with the Summer Science Academy, and we are confident that the summer program and school-year activities will change how the teaching and learning of science occurs in these teachers’ classrooms,” said Sharon Gerken, executive director, Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation. “We are extremely grateful to the Monsanto Fund for their financial support of this important endeavor.”

Earlier this month, teachers went through professional development, to help increase their knowledge of science content and inquiry-based instruction and assessment. By utilizing inquiry-based instruction, teachers are able to better engage students to develop problem-identification, questioning, data collection and analysis, and problem-solving skills.

“The Summer Science Academy provides an opportunity for students and teachers to build their knowledge of the physical and biological environment through hands-on learning at science-related institutions throughout the St. Louis area,” said Deborah Patterson, president, Monsanto Fund. “Gaining firsthand experience of science-based concepts is vital to learning, and we are proud to support Today and Tomorrow and its dedication to helping students in St. Louis City receive the quality education they deserve.”

Today and Tomorrow Educational Fund enables parochial and private schools to provide affordable and educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged students.

While driving in town, I drove through the community where Lt. Colonel Mike Fincke grew up.  You might have seen one of my earlier blogs where Mike, a former student of mine, had called me from the International Space Station he was commanding at the time just before returning to earth from his second 6 month space mission.

On the side of the road were little signs commemorating Mike as a local boy made good as an astronaut.  Not much, but at least something.

So which accomplishment counts for more ultimately?

A good friend of mine, Doug King, who runs the St. Louis Science Center often asks, “What would it take to get a town to celebrate being a science town as much as being a sports town?”

Maybe it sounds crazy, but which set of values is more important to our ultimate national strength, economic vitality and security?  Sports or science?

Science center annual attendance in the US exceeds NFL and NASCAR combined—what does that say?

So is it possible that if we would all work together to highlight the science strengths of Columbus we could create a community pride around being a great science town?

Whadya think?

This was my first viewing of the second highest grossing film in IMAX history and it is a real stunner.  The documentary film crew followed a 1996 Everest summit expedition, centering on climbers Ed Viesturs, a U.S. climber attempting his first summit without the aid of bottled oxygen, Araceli Segarra, the first Spanish woman ever to summit Everest, and Jamling Tenzing Norgay’s first summit, son of famous Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, who alongside Sir Edmund Hillary, was the first person ever known to summit Everest.

Filming was underway when the now infamous, sudden and tragic blizzard centered over Everest’s peak, pinning down and killing members of several other expedition teams attempting to summit.  The IMAX expedition was not on their ascent at this time, though they captured footage of the struggling climbers during the storm and even halted production to assist in the dangerous helicopter rescue of Beck Weathers.  These events were the catalyst for several books on the events, including Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air and are covered in the narrative of the film.

Prior to the film’s start, a St. Louis Science Center employee and participant in the current study at Everest announced that they would be showing a ten minute preview of the sequel to Everest, still being filmed, which was cut together by returning Everest co-director David Breashears.  The footage included the return of some of the featured climbers from the first film as well as some footage from a Sherpa run inn that was so other-worldly that it looked like a movie set.   The crew returns for some follow up research next spring and may attempt to fly a stripped down, modified helicopter to the summit and film the flight.  Sounds particularly hairy.

What is your opinion?
Blogroll Me!

• March 13-14, 2008 — Washington, D.C.
• April 17-19, 2008 — Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah Museum of Natural History
• April 21-22, 2008 — Norman, Okla.: Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
• May 4-6, 2008 — Anchorage, Alaska: Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center
• May 8-10, 2008 — Fairbanks, Alaska: University of Alaska Museum of the North
• May 24-25, 2008 — Raleigh, N.C.: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
• Sept. 12-13, 2008 — Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Natural History
• Sept. 19-20, 2008 — Chicago, Ill. : Chicago Museum of Science and Industry and the Adler Planetarium
• Oct. 22-24, 2008 — Richmond, Va. : Science Museum of Virginia
• Oct. 27-29, 2008 — St. Louis, Mo. : St. Louis Science Center
• Nov. 11-12, 2008 — Boise, Idaho: Discovery Center of Idaho
• Nov. 14-15, 2008 — Denver, Colo. : Denver Museum of Nature and Science

For more information about the Polar-Palooza events, visit http://passporttoknowledge.com/polar-palooza/pp04.php.

Erica Burrus photo/ Reporter Shawn Clubb views the plastinate display at Body Worlds 3 of a man leaping a hurdle.

By Shawn Clubb

My usually open mind wanted to shut. I needed to pry it back open.

When I first heard about Body Worlds 3 coming to the Saint Louis Science Center, I was appalled. The thought of real human remains posed and trotted out for public spectacle made me uneasy.

That’s why I didn’t cover the opening of the event back in October when all the other media in St. Louis previewed its debut.However, I didn’t like that I was discounting something without giving it a try. I’d heard about a study by neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky that looked into how people get set in their ways as they get older. I remembered having thought “I don’t want to ever get set in my ways.”

So I called the Saint Louis Science Center and made an appointment to walk through Body Worlds 3 with Cindy Encarnacion, associate director of life sciences.

I explained to her my reservations. I didn’t find the premise of the exhibit gross, I just didn’t know if I was comfortable with the idea of real remains being put on display. A body could be cousin George for all I knew.

(read entire article)