Perfect Autumn Day in DC 8 November 2009

Apples from Showalter Orchard for sale at Eastern Market

Le pain grille et cafe au lait au Bon Cafe…C’est magnifique!!

A beautiful weekend day in DC…I went up to Eastern Market, walked around and then made my way down to the Capitol and then down Pennsylvania Ave., wound up at the National Portrait Gallery for a quick peek and then the Festival of Trabants on the street in front of the International Spy Museum.

Just a taste of autumn in DC…

Eastern Market: chilly morning, perfect for squash, pumpkins, and apples.  Walking on Capitol Hill streets – last weekend’s pumpkins lingering on front stoops, smiles starting to droop.

Le Bon Cafe – quirky, cute, discovered on the morning of the Library of Congress day.  A French cafe staffed by Spanish speaking staff – incongruous or cosmopolitan?  Marble topped tables with wrought iron bases – heavy, white, chipped cafe wear.  Beautiful toasted baguette spread with butter and raspberry jam, rich cafe au lait.

Interesting facades along 8th Street – not sure what they are.  Outlines of windows and architectural features drawn on the walls at street level, wrought iron outlines higher up.

A beautiful, sunny day with a cool crispness in the air…..perfection!

Facade Along 8th Street

Trabants at the International Spy Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here for more fall in DC and Virginia pictures.

President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST)

The last of the catch-up posts, my next posts will be written in a more timely manner.  I believe if I keep telling myself that it will actually come true J.  The same week that I visited the National Academies, I got to attend the open portion of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).  To say it was interesting to listen to the discussions of this group would be an immense understatement.  The council is made up of an impressive array of people from both industry and academia.

The majority focus of this meeting was STEM Education, although they had several sessions relating to the role of science and technology in foreign policy which were also very interesting.  The Einstein Fellows got a couple of “shout outs” during the meeting from Bill Valdez as well as Bruce Alberts – yeah us!!  More than anything, this meeting really gave me an impression of how policy gets formed and how people in positions of power gather the information they need to make decisions about areas in which they are not an expert.

All of the sessions were webcast and the webcasts are archived at: http://www.tvworldwide.com/events/pcast/091022/. You can see me at the beginning of the webcast of the Thursday, 2:00PM session on Federal STEM Initiatives.

National Academies Day

Front of the Keck Center at the National Academies

On October 19, we had a fabulous day at the National Academies.  We began with an overview of the National Academies which include the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council.  That National Academy of Sciences was founded in 1863 and their role is to provide advice on science to the nation.  Many of their reports are requested and funded by the government, but they are totally independent of the government in their findings.  One of the first tasks of the NAS was to work out how to keep the iron-clad ships used in the Civil War from messing up compass bearings.

The rest of the day was spent hearing from the various divisions of the National Academies about what they do and what resources they have that are useful for teachers.  There was a ton of stuff out there that I had no idea was there.   For instance the Division of Earth and Life Sciences has a whole page devoted to resources for teachers with great information on a wide variety of topics.

After hearing about the different divisions, we visited the Koshland Science Museum,  which is a small, but nicely done science museum which is part of the National Academies Keck Center.  After that it was back over to the bookstore at the NAS, where we got a 25% off discount and I got my very own Albert Einstein Action Figure.  He is very cute with hair you can play with and a piece of chalk in his hand.

SACNAS and Dallas 18 October 2009

I am catching up on being behind in my blog posts.  In the middle of October I attended the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native

Street Sculpture in Dallas

Americans in Science (SACNAS) Conference that was held in Dallas.  It was a very different conference from any that I have ever attended.  My previous experience with conferences has all been education/teacher conferences, never science conferences.  From conversations with other attendees I gather that it is fairly unique for a science conference.   There was a real feeling of collaboration and a desire to help students advance in the field of science.  There did not seem to be as much of the competitiveness present, at least on the surface, that I have seen with other gatherings of scientists from academia.

The “Darwin at the Poles” sessions were very interesting.  I learned more about polar science, especially polar biology.  The “cold-start hypothesis” for the origins of life was brand new for me, but extremely intriguing.  I especially enjoyed Dirk Schulze-Makuch’s talk about the theory of non-water based life forms.  It was fascinating to contemplate a life system so radically different from anything that we have experience with.

The session focusing on indigenous knowledge as it relates to climate change and food supply really brought back my experiences with the Pueblo during my NEH Institute.  I was once again struck by the deep, innate sense of community that is a cultural characteristic of the Pueblo people.  Respect for that knowledge and way of life may indeed hold one of the keys for a successful adaptation to a changing climate.

The Grassy Knoll at Dealy Plaza

Beyond the conference sessions, I also got a chance to walk down to Dealy Plaza, where President Kennedy was shot and visited the Sixth Floor Museum at the Texas School Book Depository.  It was a little eerie, because the street looks exactly like it does in all of the pictures and news footage that I have seen from the Kennedy Assassination.  I also walked around the neighborhood of my hotel a little bit since it is in the Arts District and there are some nice sculptures nearby.

 

Click here for more pictures from Dallas.

Turkish Festival, Library of Congress, and More 14 October 2009

I really need to get better about updating my blog…it’s been too long since the last time I wrote.  Lots of things have been happening the last couple of weeks.  On Sunday, October 4th I went to the Turkish Festival at Freedom Plaza in DC.  It was a lot of fun.  The day was beautiful and

Dancer at the Turkish Festival

sunny.  I started the morning with some Turkish coffee and wandered around looking at the things that different merchants had for sale.  I bought a bag and small dish for myself as well as a present for Abby and Barb.  I also got a lot of information from Turkish Airlines for a future trip to Turkey…who knows…I would like to go to Turkey someday. JThen I got some lunch…a kofte sandwich…and settled in to watch some Turkish folk dancing from several groups.  The Blue Star Dance Company was by far my favorite – they did several very different dances, all of which were fantastic.

Last weekend I went back to North Carolina for the long (Columbus Day) weekend.  We got up early on Saturday morning and drove to Greensboro via Elkin, where Mom met Dad and me.  They went back to Boone and I went onto Greensboro.  Saturday evening was Abby & Barb’s sunroom warming/3rd anniversary/Barb’s birthday party.  I had a great time and got to see lots of people.  I spent that night at Abby and Barb’s house and then had to drag myself away from the totally amazing sunroom to drive up to Boone on Sunday morning.  I spent Sunday in Boone visiting family and then left Monday morning to drive back to Arlington.  I had a great weekend, but I did feel like I spent a lot of the weekend in the car. J

Great Hall of the Library of Congress

We have also had our Fellows’ Day at the Library of Congress.   It was an amazing day.  We started out with a tour of the Great Hall, which is incredibly beautiful and impressive.  We got to peek into the main reading room as well…I definitely have to go do some reading there.  After our tour we went up to the Science Division, where we were welcomed by Connie Carter who is the head of the Science Reference section.  She was absolutely delightful and full of interesting stories from her life.  We had presentations on the sorts of materials that are available at the Library of Congress both in person as well as online.  Then we had a late lunch and went downstairs to get our official Library of Congress Reader’s Card J, which allows us to come and do research at the library. After leaving the Library I went to deliver my official letters of introduction to my congressional delegation.

As for work, things continue to be totally great.  I have continued to attend seminar talks on all sorts of subjects that are of interest.  With two other Fellows I presented a talk on Teaching Climate Change in K-12 schools to the informal Climate Change Education group at NSF.  People were very interested in our topic and we got lots of great feedback from our audience.  The Fellows also had a lunch meeting with Kent Hughes, the director of the Program on America and the Global Economy(PAGE) at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars.  This was the first in series of meetings that we will have with him throughout the year to share our thoughts on STEM education.  I am leaving tomorrow to go to Dallas for the SACNAS conference.

Click here for more pictures from the Turkish Festival and the Library of Congress.

National Book Festival 1 October 2009

National Book Festival - 26 September 2009

I am way behind in updating my blog and there have been lots of fun things happening lately.  Last Saturday, I got the chance to go to the National Book Festival on the Mall, where I had a really wonderful time even though the afternoon got a bit damp.  I got to see several authors whose work I have enjoyed including, Julia Glass, Jodi Picoult, Sue Monk Kidd, and Jeanette Walls.  However, by far my favorite was Azar Nafisi.  I have read her book, Reading Lolita in Tehran and really enjoyed it, but her talk was so

Azar Nafisi

passionate and inspiring.  It isn’t posted on the festival website yet, but it will be and everyone should watch it.  I also heard a fantastic poet named Patricia Smith.

After the rainy day, I joined two other Fellows for dinner at a great little restaurant, Teaism.  After dinner we met two more Fellows to enjoy the play Black Pearl Sings! at Ford’s Theatre….yep that Ford’s Theatre.  We had great seats and it is a beautiful venue.  The play was also fantastic!!

Presidential Box at Ford's Theatre

Darwin and Opera 20 September 2009

This week has been a good week at work.  I’ve started working on one of the projects that I am interested in doing during my fellowship which is exciting.  I also made my first travel plans.  I will be going to Dallas for the meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) in the middle of October.  It definitely feels like work is settling into more of a routine now that I have been here for three weeks.

The Evolution of Evolution

As for non-work fun, that continues as well.  Last Saturday morning, I went to part of a Darwin Symposium at the National Museum of Natural History.  The symposium included speakers from all over, who talked about different topics relating to Darwin and evolution.  One of my favorite talks was by Janet Browne, a professor of the History of Science at Harvard.  She spoke about the role of anniversary celebrations in science and provided a look back at what was going on in the world of science at the earlier anniversaries of Darwin’s birthday and publication of Origin of Species.  The symposium coincided with the opening of the new Darwin exhibit at the museum, The Evolution of Evolution.  I didn’t get a chance to check out the exhibit so I will have to go back to the museum to do that.

Opera in the Outfield

Later that same day, I went to enjoy Opera in the Outfield at the Nationals’ Stadium.  It was a free simulcast of the opening night of the National Opera.  The first opera of the season was the Barber of Seville and it was fantastic!  Going to see opera at a baseball stadium means that you don’t have to dress up and you need to make sure to bring a blanket since they let you sit on the grass in the outfield to view the big screen.  It also means that for dinner you can have a hot dog while you enjoy the opera.  I had a half smoke from the Ben’s Chili Bowl stand, which is a smoked sausage on a hot dog bun with mustard, cheese, chili, and onions.  Very delicious!!!  Prior to the start of the opera, the fans at the ballpark were treated to a showing of the Rabbit of Seville, starring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd.

The First Couple of Weeks 11 September 2009

Welcome to NSF!

I am finishing up the second week of my Einstein Fellowship and it has been a great beginning.  Being at the NSF is such an interesting experience.  There is so much going on here and such a broad range of interests and opportunities.  This week I got to attend the Advisory Committee for Environmental Research and Education meeting, which basically is group of experts who meet to give the NSF advice from people outside the Federation.  It was really quite interesting to listen to these discussions.  Part of the meeting was a presentation by Dr. Diane Pataki from UC-Irvine who talked about the work she is doing in urban ecosystems.  Another important part of the meeting was the release of the AC-ERE report, Transitions and Tipping Points in Complex Environmental Systems .  This week I also heard a talk about decision making under uncertainty relating to climate change.  It was a very interesting topic and one that is very timely.  If we don’t understand how people make decisions related to climate change, we will never make any progress towards solutions. Today at lunch, a group of Einsteins met at lunch time to preview and give feedback on some educational materials developed by the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs.

That’s all about cool things happening at work, not to mention the fun things to do outside of working hours.  Last Sunday, I went to dinner at Busboys and Poets in DC with Margie and then we met up with another Fellow to sit on the west lawn of the Capitol and hear the free concert by the National Symphony.  Other than a bit of rain, it was fantastic.  The theme of the concert was anniversaries so they played a selection from Gypsy (50th), selections from South Pacific (60th), Star Wars and ET (in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing), and Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait (in honor of Lincoln’s 200th).

Sitting on the west lawn of the Capitol waiting for the NSO concert to begin.

There is more fun planned for this weekend: Darwin Symposium at the Museum of Natural History and the free “Opera in the Outfield” simulcast of the National Opera’s opening night at the National’s Ballpark.

This is a great town!!!!

Natural History Museum 27 August 2009

Flag flying at half mast for Senator Kennedy.

Went into the Natural History Museum today, I hadn’t been there since I was a little kid.  I didn’t remember much from that visit, other than standing in line to see the Hope Diamond – which I skipped on this trip.  All the flags at the museums and monuments were flying at half mast in honor of Ted Kennedy.

The entrance to the Natural History Musuem is so impressive with the rotunda and the elephant greeting you as you walk in.  I also really enjoyed the Sant

Right Whale in the Sant Ocean Hall

Ocean Hall.  I think it has been relatively recently rennovated, the exhibits are very up to date and topical with a focus on human impacts on the ocean.

A real highlight of the museum is the live butterfly pavilion.  You enter a tube-like room which is full of flowers and butterflies are flying all around you.  They also have fruit out where you can watch the butterflies feeding.  The butterflies are from all over the world and they are purchased in chrysalli and hatched out in the museum so none of them are collected from the wild.  As you exit they have a wall of mirrors where they ask you to look yourself over to make sure there are no butterfly hitchhikers on your clothes.

Butterflies feeding on watermelon - check out that proboscis!

Another visit to the museum is planned for the near future, becuase they have a special Darwin exhibit set to open on September 12.

 

Click here for more pictures from the Natural History Museum.

The National Museum of American History 25 August 2009

I spent this morning at the National Museum of American History.  There are tons of cool things in this museum representing all aspects of American History.  When I got off the metro at the Mall, the sky was beautiful blue behind the Washington Monument.

Washington Monument

I got to the museum about five minutes after it opened so it wasn’t very crowded at first so I went downstairs to check out the Science in American Life exhibit and see Julia Child’s kitchen.  I loved how she had outlines of all the tools and pans drawn on the pegboards.

Julia's Kitchen

The museum has lots of very large exhibits; cars, trains, and even a whole house rebuilt inside the museum.  There is even a Greensboro connection – a section of the counter from the Woolworth’s store downtown where the sit-in movement began.

Greensboro Woolworth's Counter

You can see more pictures from my trip to the museum by clicking here.