Despite some issues with the weather, we had a good turn-out. About 55 people enjoyed Laurie Carrillo's keynote speech Friday night. We hope to have some photos loaded here 'soon'.
At the workshop by NASA Informal Educator Marguerite Blodgett, we learned about age appropriate learning and also she gave us a link into a bunch of space science activities put together by NASA and the Girl Scouts of America! If you want the instructions for the soda straw rockets we built, here they are!
What is it? A gathering of SPS people from far and wide, to share the excitement of physics! We'll have a guest speaker from the Johnson Space Center talking about plasma drives, games, student speakers, sharing of demonstrations, a workshop by a NASA Informal Educator... and more! Registration opens at 5:00 pm on Friday, at the University Center Ballroom. The banquet starts at 6:30, with our keynote speaker at about 7:30. On Saturday, we'll go from about 8:30 am until about 2:00 pm. Here is the overall schedule of events.
We now have the detailed lineup of speakers for Saturday! It is an interesting mix of talks. Speakers take note: although we allocated each presentation 15 minutes, try to keep it a bit UNDER 15 minutes, because this is an ambitious schedule!
What is the national "Future Faces of Physics" theme?
Who should come? Anyone interested in physics and even remotely affiliated with any SPS chapter in Zones 9 and 11! That covers a lot of territory!
Why should I come? To have fun with other folks interested in physics, to learn about demos and research done by other chapters, to form network connections that could last a lifetime!
Where is it? The University of Wisconsin - River Falls is close to the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area in Minnesota. We will meet in the brand new University Center on campus, you can find maps and directions here.
When should I sign up? TOO LATE! We've ordered the food now.
How do I sign up? Right-Click here to download an individual registration form or group registration form (these are basic plain text files), fill in the information and email/mail it in ASAP.
How much does it cost? A mere FIVE DOLLARS per person, which includes your Friday night banquet, a light breakfast on Saturday morning, and a picnic lunch! Such a deal! If you have enough lead time, please mail in your registration fee.
Where will I sleep? A limited amount of FREE crash space with local SPS members is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. There are also local motels in River Falls and nearby Hudson, WI.
Does your SPS chapter have "SPS Merchandise" like custom shirts, mugs or whatever? Bring some stuff with, we will have a booth set up where all of us can display stuff for sale. Maybe you can make enough money to cover some of your costs, but at the very least it will be fun to see what everyone else is doing, and add to your collection of geekware.