PF is sponsoring the 2014 WI Science Festival

[berkeman]

Glad to hear it's going so well :-)

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

The festival expo is all over. Overall it was an extremely positive experience. We handed out over 1500 PF pencils. Talked to many scientists and students about PF. Saw hundreds of little faces light up when they touched the plasma ball. A big thanks goes to @dlgoff who helped represent PF at the booth for two days. Now, I must sleep :D

 

[dlgoff]

Thanks Greg. Your having PF to participate at the Festival definitely had a positive influence in the promotion of science; as evidenced be those "Little faces". But I'd put the lighted up figure in the thousands range. Seriously. :)

I need sleep too but plan on posting some good stuff later.

 

[OmCheeto]

The festival expo is all over. Overall it was an extremely positive experience. We handed out over 1500 PF pencils. Talked to many scientists and students about PF. Saw hundreds of little faces light up when they touched the plasma ball. A big thanks goes to @dlgoff who helped represent PF at the booth for two days. Now, I must sleep :D

Yay!

Now I have to run off and see how many; "How the heck does a plasma ball work?" threads have been posted. :)

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Did anyone ask you a physics question you couldn't answer?

Some came close especially considering my limited science background, but I maneuvered around the questions quite well I think :)

I need sleep too but plan on posting some good stuff later.

Good to hear you got back safely! Looking forward to your photos!

 

[dlgoff]

Glad you made it back home safely too Greg.

One quick pic of our Leader.

 

[dlgoff]

One quick pic of who's responsible for making the above pic possible. Thanks Greg's Mom.

 

[lisab]

So, funny story. I bought 1500 pencils with PF's URL on them. Got them today and I ended up ordering golf pencils. So they are all 1/2 size. Lol no wonder they were so cheap. :D

You could "rebrand" them as "graphing pencils"!

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

You could "rebrand" them as "graphing pencils"!

Actually the pencils were a huge hit. People loved them :D

 

[OmCheeto]

So, funny story. I bought 1500 pencils

We handed out over 1500 PF pencils.

Actually the pencils were a huge hit. People loved them :D

I think you should be given an infraction for posting an over-unity pencil post.

:D

 

[Borek]

Perhaps once he got short on pencils he started to cut them in half, making them even shorter?

Alternatively, he bought 1500 pencils, handed them out, and then someone stole Greg's own pencil, which makes the grand total of pencil gained by the public 1501.

 

[OmCheeto]

Perhaps once he got short on pencils he started to cut them in half, making them even shorter?

Alternatively, he bought 1500 pencils, handed them out, and then someone stole Greg's own pencil, which makes the grand total of pencil gained by the public 1501.

I was just hoping for some leftover autographed pencils that I could bid on.
I once paid $250 for a George Takei autograph (it was for charity).

I saw earlier that Greg signed an autograph on a clipboard.
One of those two girls is a real nerd.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I saw earlier that Greg signed an autograph on a clipboard.
One of those two girls is a real nerd.

We were taking a popularity poll between Einstein and Hawking :)

 

[dlgoff]

How did Hawking do on day 3? It was fairly close on day 1 and 2 but Einstein was slightly ahead. Amazing how many little kids knew or heard of them. And a few could tell your what both had worked on.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

How did Hawking do on day 3? It was fairly close on day 1 and 2 but Einstein was slightly ahead. Amazing how many little kids knew or heard of them. And a few could tell your what both had worked on.

About the same as day 1 and 2. Very consistent :)

 

[Borek]

We were taking a popularity poll between Einstein and Hawking

Results, or it didn't happen ;)

 

[dlgoff]

I remember the vote count near the lunch hour of the first day; Einstein (43) 56%, Hawking (34) 44%. But it got closer later on.

 

[dlgoff]

Greg and I were thrilled to have this gentleman visit the booth,

image compliments of http://www.ted.com/speakers/manu_prakash

Who invented a 50-cent microscope that folds like origami.

 

[RonL]

One quick pic of who's responsible for making the above pic possible. Thanks Greg's Mom.

View attachment 74654

A HOT mom that's done a cool job raising a fine son, the picture says it all. smiles don't lie:)

 

[dlgoff]

Physics Forums is proud to announce that this year we are a sponsor for the Wisconsin Science Festival! The fest runs from October 16 – 19, 2014.

I'm proud to have been with you, Greg, at this Communicating Science: Talk and panel discussion. Even though you considered me a witch.

Supporting PF as this years Community Spirit Award winner.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I'm proud to have been with you, Greg, at this Communicating Science: Talk and panel discussion. Even though you considered me a witch.

Supporting PF as this years Community Spirit Award winner.

So glad you found this, I'd love to watch it again. You can see us i the front row! :)

 

[dlgoff]

Yep. Front row. That's how we roll.

 

[OmCheeto]

Yep. Front row. That's how we roll.

I want to hear your explanation of how smart phones work.
I noticed that Greg raised his hand.

 

[dlgoff]

I want to hear your explanation of how smart phones work.
I noticed that Greg raised his hand.

You'd have to ask Greg, but I think is was because I tried explaining that it was like a toy; nothing to be afraid of. Hence, I'm a witch.

 

[OmCheeto]

You'd have to ask Greg, but I think is was because I tried explaining that it was like a toy; nothing to be afraid of. Hence, I'm a witch.

Whilst watching, I was there with you, trying to explain it.
Though, it took me another several hours before I came up with a non-witch explanation.

And even then...

 

[dlgoff]

And even then...

Welcome to the Witch Club.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

It's kind of like the time traveler thread we have around here. Might be fun to do here too.

 

[OmCheeto]

It's kind of like the time traveler thread we have around here. Might be fun to do here too.

In two minutes or less?
Even after thinking the whole thing through, in 300 year old language/technology, it would take me hours to describe how the blacksmith and his seamstress wife had a child that was able to make unbelievably small thread from metal, creating a thing, that was basically a tiny, stupid, but very fast, incarnation, of a human.

The signaling(aka EM) part was easy:

Om; "Hold your hand up"
Greg; Holds his hand up
Om; Pulls out his lighter, and flicks his bic.
Greg; m.k.
Om; put his hand between the flame, and Greg's hand.
Greg; m.k.
Om; Does it really fast: hot, cold, hot, cold, hot, cold. Get it? Its binary!
Greg; m.k.

Ok. This may take me weeks...

......

Just googled "binary".
Wiki says Leibniz did it first.

After reading Newton's Principia the other day, and learning this, I think it's time for another nap.

The shoulders we take for granted

 

[davenn]

I didn't even know this thread existed ... only found it from the link of a recent thread of what do you look like pic's
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/what-do-you-look-like.883058/page-3#post-5564290
with the pic and link to the sci fair with Don @dlgoff

Is this sci festival an annual event ? has PF been back to the 2015 or others ?

outstanding to get PF out there, well done Dave

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

has PF been back to the 2015 or others ?

It was a lot of fun and @dlgoff was awesome helping. We haven't been back because the demographic turned out to be a bit young :)