TGQR 2010Q4 Report.pdf - Teragridforum.org

supercomputers were a huge draw for little fingers which wanted to explore the easy-to-use
screens.
“It was great, because when the kids asked ‘What is a supercomputer’ we were able to show
them pictures of the Data Center at Indiana University and the new Blue Waters facility at NCSA
at the University of Illinois and also let them see LittleFe,” said IU-TeraGrid Outreach
Coordinator Robert Ping. “LittleFe is like a baby supercomputer. It’s portable and is able to be
used for training and doing demonstrations to show the computational power of a
supercomputer,” he said.
Educators loaded up their bags with NCSA coloring books and posters about supercomputing as
well as publications like the TeraGrid EOT Highlights and Science Highlights. They were
thrilled to have tangible items they could take back to their classrooms to start discussions about
computer science, supercomputing and the many fields of study it touches.
The EXPO was conceived in response to the Obama administration’s desire to encourage more
interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers by exposing children
and families to new technologies that are strengthening communities, building careers, and
stimulating economic growth.
The Pervasive Technology Institute’s Advanced Visualization Lab (AVL), part of the Data to
Insight Center, created the stereoscopic video shown in the booth. It is centered on real-world
applications of computational science and features current research that utilizes the TeraGrid.
The stereoscopic video allowed kids and parents alike to don 3D glasses and get a glimmer of
what it might be like to be a scientist working in the area of climate and weather.
Animations of whirling wind turbines, swirling tornadoes and inching inch-worms combined with
real-world research to show the study of climate isn’t just about the weather. It is useful in other
areas of research and study like hydrology and agriculture as well. By using the NSF funded
Linked Environments for Atmospheric Discovery (LEAD) project as the topic the public was also
able to find out how their tax dollars are put to valuable use both as research tools and as ways to
get kids interested in science and technology.
Mike Boyles a volunteer from IU and manager of the AVL said, “It doesn’t really matter what the
subject matter is of the video. The way the kids eyes lit up, their thoughtful questions and their
expressions of “wow” and “whoa” were the real value we created by showing the 3D scientific
movie.”
This wasn’t the first time masses of people gathered on the National Mall to express their
concerns and interests, but it was the first time that so many came to share their passion for
science, engineering, and technology.
“This expo is a chance for institutions like D2I and IU to show children that science and math
aren’t the scary subjects they’re sometimes thought to be, and are actually a lot of fun,” said D2I
Director Beth Plale. “Reaching out to young people and getting them intrigued in science and
technology will be critical in the coming years in order for the U.S. to be competitive in the
global scientific and economic landscape.”
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