| NASAs Johnson Space Center Houston | | | | Space Alliance, who volunteered as |
| recently hosted a two-day BP Physics | | | | mentors for the two-day experience. The |
| Challenge for 886 Houston schools | | | | Houston schools students were amazed to |
| students, mostly juniors and seniors, | | | | learn how math and science can be |
| with 800 more students expected to | | | | applied to their everyday lives. |
| attend. The math and science students | | | | As exciting as the two-day challenge |
| either made their own rockets that would | | | | was, the height of excitement came |
| be launched outside at the Space Center | | | | during a tour of the Space Center for |
| or conducted other experiments inside. | | | | the Houston schools students. Bill Nye, |
| For those Houston schools students, who | | | | known as the science guy, was on hand to |
| made their own rockets, they got the | | | | meet the students, many of which he |
| full astronaut experience as most rocket | | | | hopes to see pursue a career in science, |
| launchings were scrubbed due to | | | | math or engineering. Nye hosted an |
| inclement weather. Unfortunately, the | | | | educational program on PBS from 1992 to |
| weather quickly turned cold and drizzly, | | | | 1998 and is an icon to many science and |
| canceling the launch of most rockets. | | | | math students even today. He was |
| Two Houston schools freshmen, however, | | | | instrumental in the creation of the |
| did get their rockets launched with | | | | popular CBS NUMB3RS television series, |
| different results. Joshua Hawkins, from | | | | where a math genius/professor uses |
| Booker T. Washington High School, had a | | | | mathematical models to assist the FBI in |
| successful launch and was thrilled to | | | | solving crimes. For years, Nye pitched |
| see how high his rocket soared. His | | | | ideas to television executives for |
| friend, Keeland Bryant, had a foot-long | | | | programs that would give todays children |
| rocket made of plastic and cardboard. It | | | | the incentive to enter science and math |
| unfortunately burned during the launch | | | | careers, connecting the dots between |
| good thing no astronauts were aboard. | | | | these fields and the real world. At age |
| While the rocket launches were either | | | | 51, he still annually applies to NASA |
| launching or getting scrubbed outdoors, | | | | for entry into its astronaut program. |
| other students were conducting a metal | | | | At the Space Center, Nye encouraged the |
| ball drop experiment in order to measure | | | | Houston schools students to change the |
| the mass of the Earth. The experiment | | | | world, telling them people of all ages |
| was chosen to allow the Houston schools | | | | like science. They should learn it, |
| students to work with straight-line | | | | because it is fun! |
| graphs and become more familiar with | | | | The two-day event was designed to |
| Isaac Newtons universal law of gravity, | | | | interest students in the fields of math |
| as well as learn several mathematical | | | | and science. Students from across the |
| calculations taught by employees from | | | | Houston schools district participated. |
| NASA, BP America, Boeing and the United | | | | |