“NASA, American Geophysical Union Host NASA Social In San Francisco
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2012 – NASA and the American Geophysical Union are inviting social media followers to a unique behind-the-scenes NASA Social on Tuesday, Dec. 4, in San Francisco. The event will bring 20 social media users together with some of the world’s best and brightest scientific minds at the world’s largest Earth and solar system science conference.
NASA Socials are in-person meetings with people who engage with the agency through Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other social networks. Participants will get special access to parts of the AGU meeting and meet with NASA and other scientists presenting research on Earth’s climate, deep ocean exploration and the latest findings from Mars. Additionally, guests will sit in on a press conference, attend a panel on deep ocean exploration with film-maker James Cameron and a NASA astrobiologist, explore the expansive exhibit hall, and meet fellow science enthusiasts who are active on social media.
Registration is open from noon EST Wednesday, Nov. 14, to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16. NASA and the AGU will select 20 participants at random from Web registrants. Additional applicants will be placed on a waiting list. Because of space limitations, those selected will not be permitted to bring a guest. Each participant must be age 18 or older. For more NASA Social and sign up information, visit:
To join and track the conversation online during the NASA Socials, follow the hashtags #NASASocial and #AGU12.
The AGU Fall Meeting attracts as many as 20,000 attendees and offers a platform for scientists to present their most cutting-edge work. For more information on the meeting, visit:
From trophygeek, a shot of the icy ether and a chilly Twin Peaks:
“Perseid meteor over Sutro Tower, San Francisco Aug 13, 2012: Set up the camera to take 8 second exposures all night and caught this large meteor as it streaked over San Francisco. The lights near the tower are cars up on Twin Peaks shining their headlights into the fog. I happened to be checking on the camera when it happened so I saw it too!”
Curiosity will carry the most advanced payload of scientific gear ever used on Mars’ surface, a payload more than 10 times as massive as those of earlier Mars rovers. Its assignment: Investigate whether conditions have been favorable for microbial life and for preserving clues in the rocks about possible past life.
Plans for the Mars Science Laboratory call for launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, between Nov. 25 and Dec.18, 2011, and arrival at Mars in August 2012.
The spacecraft has been designed to steer itself during descent through Mars’ atmosphere with a series of S-curve maneuvers similar to those used by astronauts piloting NASA space shuttles. During the three minutes before touchdown, the spacecraft slows its descent with a parachute, then uses retro rockets mounted around the rim of an upper stage. In the final seconds, the upper stage acts as a sky crane, lowering the upright rover on a tether to the surface.
Curiosity is about twice as long (about 3 meters or 10 feet) and five times as heavy as NASA’s twin Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, launched in 2003. It inherited many design elements from them, including six-wheel drive, a rocker-bogie suspension system and cameras mounted on a mast to help the mission’s team on Earth select exploration targets and driving routes. Unlike earlier rovers, Curiosity carries equipment to gather samples of rocks and soil, process them and distribute them to onboard test chambers inside analytical instruments”
“Engineered and handcrafted 8000 ft above sea level in Big Bear Lake, California, HANEBRINK Electric All-Terrain vehicles are the confluence of ingenuity, ecology, and luxury. The capabilities of the HANEBRINK are as limitless as your own sense of adventure; as a commuter vehicle, it is smooth and dynamic.
Nearly 10 years ago, national champion cyclist, bicycle innovator, and NASA aerospace engineer, Dan Hanebrink was approached by an Arctic explorer looking for an alternative to skis that could take him and his equipment across the icy terrain of Antarctica. Hanebrink created a bicycle unlike anything ever built before. The original “Ice Bike” by HANEBRINK had no plastic parts and used superfat, low-pressure tires that devoured all surfaces in all conditions silently and effortlessly. Today, our drive to create innovative outdoor recreational vehicles continues and is reflected in our mission to satisfy and serve the adventurous worldwide.
The HANEBRINK Electric All-Terrain Vehicle is the evolution of the original, revolutionary HANEBRINK design, combining state-of-the art green technology with an on-demand hybrid electric system and the latest in bicycle technology. Crank the throttle and the 600 watt motor powers the HANEBRINK to speeds up to 20 mph. If you want to go faster, just start pedaling.
Three design features help the HANEBRINK achieve outstanding on and off-road performance.
• The widest tires in the industry. The 20 x 8 inch tires radically increase the surface area where rubber meets road for enhanced stability at all speeds, added traction on rough terrain, and unprecedented float on sand and snow.
• A mid-mounted, bracket supported motor optimizes the vehicle’s center of gravity beneath the rider and enables tight turns, rapid weight shifting, and provides more stability.
• 14 speed gearing tuned for a wide variety of surfaces, grades, and utility applications including a low range capable of carrying up to 300 pounds of bulky cargo up steep terrain or deep into inaccessible areas.
With a single Lithium ion battery (LiFePO4), the HANEBRINK has a one hour run time and three hour recharge. For longer excursions, the rear rack can be fitted with up to five lithium ion batteries, a run time of over 5 hours and more than 100 miles of riding. The wide rear rack is standard HANEBRINK equipment and can hold up to 100 pounds of cargo.
The HANEBRINK can truly go anywhere on the planet while maintaining minimal environmental impact and zero-carbon emissions. Where can you go with one?”
Here are some annotations. (The white line is the mighty San Andreas fault.)
Click to expand.“This image featuring the San Francisco Bay area was recorded with a still camera using a 180-mm lens by one of the Expedition 26 crew members aboard the International Space Station, flying 220 miles above Earth.”
I’ll tell you, I don’t know exactly what this event will be like, but it’s free and tickets will be all gone in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.
So, register now:
“In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx.
TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Our event is call TEDxNASA, where x=independently organized TED event. At our TEDxNASA event, TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group.
The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.
TEDxNASA@SiliconValley 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
2:30 PM – 8:00 PM (PDT)
Marriott Marquis
55 Fourth Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
NASA Invites Public to TEDxNASA@SiliconValley 2011
WASHINGTON, July 1, 2011 – NASA is inviting reporters and the public to join agency leaders, technologists and innovators from a variety of fields at TEDxNASA@SiliconValley 2011 on Aug. 17. The event will be held at the Marriott Marquis hotel in San Francisco from 2:30 to 8:30 p.m. PDT.
The event is in the spirit of the TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) conferences that bring together leading thinkers to create a dialogue about important global challenges. Speakers include an aeronautics researcher developing a silent, carbonless airplane; a tree geneticist cloning the world’s largest trees; a fish-loving researcher creating the next biofuel from a salt-loving succulent; a computer that beats Jeopardy! Champions; and a Tony-winning street theater company. Each presentation on the theme “Extreme Green” will last 18 minutes or less.
“NASA is synonymous with taking big dreams and making them happen,” said Pete Worden, director of NASA’s Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. “TEDxNASA allows us to further explore the power of ideas and the potential to change life here on Earth.”
The event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. Registration opens Friday, July 1, and seating is limited. Reporters interested in attending should contact Jessica Culler at jessica.culler@nasa.gov by Aug. 12. If unable to attend in person, the conference will be streamed live on the TEDxNASA website.
For the stream and to register, visit.
http://tedxnasa.com
Esther Dyson, chair of the NASA Advisory Council’s Technology and Innovation Committee, will serve as the master of ceremonies for the event. “I’m excited to be part of this fertile combination of NASA and TEDx format,” Dyson said. “Both are dedicated to far-out, long-term thinking, and both understand the promise of hybrid vigor.”
NASA’s four research centers, Ames; Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif.; Glenn Research Center in Cleveland; Langley Research Center and the National Institute of Aerospace, both in Hampton Va., are co-hosts of the event.
TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share an experience. These events are branded TEDx, where “x” means an independently organized TED event. TED is a non-profit organization founded in 1984. TED presentations are available for free at:
http://www.TED.com
For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
