Exciting+Opportunities

**Saturday Morning Science at Towson University **

Lets get busy - Put these dates in your diary - All events take place in Smith Hall Room 326 on the Towson University campus and are free with no registration required. These one-hour programs will begin at 10:00 am and will be repeated at 12 noon.

Write a report on any event attended for extra science credit January 8, 2011 - **"The Day a Woodpecker Attacked the Space Shuttle"** Dr. Don Thomas - Towson University //﻿In 1995 a single woodpecker tried to make a nest in the big fuel tank of the space shuttle a week before the STS-70 mission aboard Discovery. Enough damaged was caused that NASA was forced to delay the launch one month while repairs were made. Come learn what the woodpecker was upto and what NASA did to prevent future attacks. // . January 22, 2011 - **"Sharks"** Richard Anderson - Snyder Foundation for Animals //Sharks have inhabited the earth for the last 420 million years and have learned to diversify and develop great survival skills. Come learn about these fascinating and sometimes terrifying creatures. // . February 5, 2011 - **"Exploring the Rainforests"** Dr. Harald Beck - Department of Biology / Towson University //Come learn about the rainforest and its wide range of colorful animals and plants. We will discover how they live together and depend on each other and how scientists are discovering new species every year. Join us on this wonderful trip. // . February 19, 2011 **"Exploring the Moon with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter**" Nobel Jones - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. //Launched on June 18, 2009, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft has been orbitting the moon ever since mapping its surface and looking for potential resources that future astronaughts could use. Learn more about this exciting mission and the engineering that went into building this lunar satellite. // . <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">February 26, 2011 **"Batting a Thousand: The Science Behind Baseball"** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Dr. Patricia Ponce - Department of Kinesiology / Towson University. //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">What's it take to hit a home run? Come learn about the biomechanics of baseball and how we use science to improve player performance on the field. // <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">March 5, 2011 **"The Return of Albert Einstein"** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Marc Spiegel - Actor and Storyteller //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Come learn about the life and experiments of one of the greatest scientists of all time, Albert Einstein in his own words. This living history performance will bring Einstein to life as he performs a number of interactive demonstrations on Einstein's famous theory of relativity. // //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">. // <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">March 19, 2011 **"The Science Behind Pyrotechnics and Fireworks"** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Joseph Domanico - Pyrotechnics Specialist //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Come learn about the interaction of math, chemistry, aerodynamics, and engineering in the production of pyrotechnic effects such as white and colored lights, smoke, sound, concussion, and other effects found in both commercial and custom fireworks. // <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">April 30, 2011 **"The First Humans in Space"** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Dr. Don thomas - Towson University //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first humans travelling into space. Come learn about Yuri Gagarin and Alan Shepard and their flights that proved that humans could survive in space. // <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 150%;">Thank you to Cockeysville Middle School for forwarding this information to a ZIETS member.