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2011 World Science Festival Begins In NYC

Posted by samzenpus on from the get-your-science-on dept.

Velcroman1 writes "For the next five days, New Yorkers will be learning about science not from a PowerPoint presentation but by watching it firsthand. The World Science Festival is taking over New York City from June 1 to 5, bringing together scientists, celebrities, researchers and more to discuss the fascinating world of science. Celebrating its fourth year, the fledgling festival has turned into a seasoned veteran, attracting over 185,000 attendants last year, and the festival creators expect the numbers to be even more impressive this year."

19 comments

  1. This science thing will never catch on. by Kenja · · Score: 1

    Just a fad really.

    Naw, its actually quite refreshing to see such events. I can only barely remember school science fairs that had any meaning, much less something on a state wide level. A nation wide science exposition sounds kick ass. Hope it inspires kids to learn something and grow up to be science nerds.

    --

    "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
    1. Re:This science thing will never catch on. by c0lo · · Score: 4, Informative

      Just a fad really.

      To put the things in perspective:
      - Science Festival - New York - population: 19 mils+; easy access - attendance in 2010 <200.000
      - Woodstock Festival - Bethel, NY - population < 5000; on a dairy farm - attendance in 1969 approx 500.000

      --
      Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
  2. Celebrities... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    In other words, this is nothing more than a "YAY! Science!" in the Teen Girl Squad voice.

    1. Re:Celebrities... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mod parent up.

      the fledgling festival has turned into a seasoned veteran

      Wow, just wow. A festival turning into a person who has years of experience. Thanks, Slashdot. I needed that.
       
      Maybe we should all go back to the seventh grade and take junior high English again?

    2. Re:Celebrities... by tqk · · Score: 1

      I was wondering why that word had to be there as well (Lindsay Lohan? Will Smith maybe?).

      Then again, Neil de Grasse-Tyson (sp?), Steven Hawking, the Bad Science guy, and Carolyn Porco (et al) are all "celebrities" in their own right.

      --
      "Tongue tied and twisted, just an Earth bound misfit ..." -- Pink Floyd.
    3. Re:Celebrities... by Infiniti2000 · · Score: 1

      But, if having a chance, however small, of meeting a celebrity (whoever that may be) will encourage one schmuck of a parent to bring their kids out and if even one of those kids learns something then it'll all be worth it. No matter how silly or hyped up this might seem to you, this event can only be a Good Thing (tm) in my opinion.

    4. Re:Celebrities... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ooh, you put a trademark symbol next to Good Thing. That makes you hip.
       
      Douche.

  3. Weather by RazzleFrog · · Score: 2

    If you're going tonight you might want to check the weather. Tornado and severe weather warning for the city tonight.

    1. Re:Weather by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Severe Thunderstorm Watch - Not warning. More info from the Storm Prediction Center.

      Current NYC Weather Info: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/okx/

    2. Re:Weather by VortexCortex · · Score: 2

      Why not just combat it with science? Stopping a storm or a tornado is simple, you just assume it's frame of reference.

    3. Re:Weather by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      While at first glance that seems like a perfectly acceptable solution, you have to always be on the watch for unintended consequences. In this case, I think you would find that you'd only end up creating a much larger and more devastating (to you) storm.

  4. How many protesters... by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

    ...will be gathered outside?

    --
    "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    1. Re:How many protesters... by RazzleFrog · · Score: 2

      The religious right doesn't have much of a grasp on NYC. I wouldn't expect too many protesters.

    2. Re:How many protesters... by ChromeAeonium · · Score: 4, Funny

      Anti-science protesters come just as much from the left as the right. The only difference is the flavor of anti-science. The right protests evolutionary and climate science, and the left protests medical and agricultural science. Lest we forget, it is typically the hippie dippy moonbats who are protesting, say, vaccines.

    3. Re:How many protesters... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually most of the protest from the right has been saying the theories substantiated by the scientific method can't be true, based mostly on preconceived notions and because people's whose salaries depend on them not being true come up with a lot of fluff that sounds convincing until you dig into it. The protest on the left is mostly of the form that using what we've learned from science is dangerous. For example, a lot of folks on the left have been against deploying nuclear power, even though it's historically been the safest least poluting form of electric power generation (before wind and solar became popular) and will probably need to be in some future mix. That's because they don't trust industry and regulators to do the right thing, and we can see why in Fukishima.

      I'm not sure why there is such a difference. Some of it is perhaps based on an association that's been made with some of the religeous right?

  5. Was I the only one... by MonsterTrimble · · Score: 0

    who read that and thought "Isn't that Stark Expo?"

    As long as there isn't a presenter named Justin Hammer, we're OK.

    --
    I call it 'The Aristocrats'
  6. OMG Julie Taymor by dcollins · · Score: 1

    One of the featured guests is Julie Taymor, participating in "Beautiful Minds", on the exploration of "What exactly is genius?"

    Hint: NOT JULIE TAYMOR.

    http://worldsciencefestival.com/participants/julie_taymor

    --
    We know where leadership by an anti-intellectual "strongman" who scapegoats minorities and likes boisterous rallies goes