GovLoop Member of the Week

GovLoop is a social network of over 40,000 government stakeholders. They have a history of pushing the limits of value for their members by introducing new campaigns, events, and thinking in cyber and physical arenas

They do good parties for grownups. 

This week I am honored to be the GovLoop Member of the Week. I've been a twice-a-week contributor for a couple of years, not for any reward, because I said I would do it. Along the way, I've learned a lot more than I contributed.

Thank you,

The Luhhhv Connection

Watching as new ideas turn into businesses or not, I am amused by how the cycle follows falling in love. And how many people keep getting stuck at the same early stage, then bailing out, and starting over.

First is infatuation, total concentration on the subject.

Then there is a honeymoon period, where support from the world buoys the relationship.

Next is a period of learning about each other, building value.

After that (if you're lucky) is a period of developing strength, synergies, pride and success.

Which should get you to a period of enhanced performance, ostentatious display of mastery, when the rest of the world notices.

Mergers, jobs, sales, often follow this pattern.

Start-ups are for young guys, finish-ups are for rich guys.

Comment if you can help extend the idea.

Washington Math Science and Technology High School

The Washington DC Math, Science and Technology Public Charter High School is one of the top schools in the area. I have been judging at this school for over 6 years.

To the Scientists of the Washington Math, Science and Technology Public Charter High School, congratulations!

Today we have seen a hundred experiments and projects and much new knowledge.

You have proven you can conceptualize, invent, overcome problems, and give the world answers.

The next time someone comes to you and asks you to do something you have never done before, you can say, “I know how to do that!” and you will be telling the truth, because you have shown you can figure things out, complete a project, and report your results.

Those are pretty important things to know how to do.

On behalf of the Washington Academy of Sciences, we welcome you to the community of scientists and salute your achievements.

Getting Experience

Last week the Washington Academy of Sciences Junior Academy made over 95 awards to scientists at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring Maryland. Remarks from the presentation ceremony. 

On behalf of the Washington Academy of Sciences, I would like to congratulate all the winners in the 2011 Montgomery Blair Poster Symposium. Good job! 

 

Now I would like to share with you the funniest part of our celebration. Shortly after you get past, “Sure glad that's over!” you may get to, “Okay, what's next?” 

Today you have demonstrated a new level of expertise, of knowledge, of ability to get things done. 

 

You have a new level of accomplishment to work from. From now on your thinking, your speaking, your work will all benefit from what you built and shown today. 

 

In golf, we say that good shots come from experience. 

Where does experience come from? 

 

Bad shots! 

 

I hope what you learned building your demonstrations leads to things that are important and rewarding for you.

I hope you get to look back in a few years and think about how this project made you grow. 

Because it has. 

 

Thank you. 

Dick Davies is Vice President, Junior Academy, for the Washington Academy of Sciences. Every year the Academy Judges Scholastic Science Fairs in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and suburban Maryland. If you are a member of the Washington Academy or our more than 60 affiliated societies, and would like to participate as a judge, please let me know. We need you! If you are an educator looking for professional scientists and technologists to judge your science fairs, we would be pleased to provide resources.  

Please post your comments below.

Science and America

Dick's remarks at the St Charles School Science Fair Awards Ceremony.

On behalf of my colleagues today and the Washington Academy of Sciences, I would like to thank you for inviting us to today's St Charles School Science Fair. Judging new scientists is fun for us older scientists, that's why my colleagues and I keep showing up year after year. Again, thank you for inviting us. 

 

I would like to put our efforts today into a context. Science has always been a source of American strength. Tim Ferris, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, our landlord, wrote a book about America and Science called The Science of Liberty. I remember his detailing that over 60% of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were practicing scientists. You are in good company. 

He also told the story of how James Madison and General Washington, two local boys, on a slow afternoon during the Revolutionary War, took a flatboat out into the swamps of Jersey, and were poling the bottom to determine how swamp gas was formed. That's the American Way. 

 

My friend Enrico Fermi said, “Experimental confirmation of a prediction is merely a measurement. An experiment disproving a prediction is a discovery.” 

So science is inherently messy. Scientists learn early that the best part is figuring out why you didn't get what you expected. 

Science fairs are a most important part of the science process. Learning is good, but professionals know nothing counts until you ship. A science fair is when you put up or shut up. Every presenter here today completed something important today. 

We probably won't know how important for years to come. I hope many of you will continue developing your understanding of these projects for years to come. 

Today we saw some great science and now we would like to tell you about it.

I would first like our judges to come to the podium and introduce themselves, and then we will call up the award winners from today's program. 

Dick Davies is Vice President, Junior Academy, for the Washington Academy of Sciences. Every year the Academy Judges Scholastic Science Fairs in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and suburban Maryland. If you are a member of the Washington Academy or our more than 60 affiliated societies, and would like to participate as a judge, please let me know. We need you! If you are an educator looking for professional scientists and technologists to judge your science fairs, we would be pleased to provide resources.  

Your Comments?