DEPS Celebrates Bring a Child to Work Day 2012!

 
Photo: Sharon Segal

 DEPS staff participated again this year in the national “Bring A Child To Work Day” program. Approximately 100 budding scientists and engineers between the ages of 8 and 12 took part in the day’s events, which included a presentation by the “Mad Scientist” who explains scientific concepts in a fun and engaging style for young people as well as workshops sponsored by several NRC divisions.

The DEPS workshop centered on the use of space technology for earth applications with a focus on the climate. The session was led by Lewis Groswald, a Research Associate with the Space Studies Board and Emily Ann Meyer, a Program Officer with the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board. The students learned about recycling and water purification on the space Shuttle and how that technology is used on earth. In performing an experiment called “Cool Suits” we also measured the heat absorption of a white envelop and a black envelop to understand why the Shuttle, the International Space Station and the astronauts “suits” were white rather than black. We also talked about how that affects our choices for clothing and construction. The students seemed to have a great time and we learned a lot from them!