Presidential Proclamation -- Earth Day, 2013

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

EARTH DAY, 2013

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

As the world's technological leader and home to some of its most breathtaking natural wonders, America has a special responsibility to safeguard our environment. On Earth Day, we celebrate our rich legacy of stewardship and reflect on what we can do, as individuals and as a Nation, to preserve our planet for future generations.

The first Earth Day marked a renewal of America's global leadership in conservation. It began as a national discussion on pollution and came to embody a simple truth: that nothing is more powerful than millions of voices calling for change. In only a few years, those voices rang as clear in our laws as on our streets -- from the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency to landmark legislation for clean air and water. These successes continue to bring health and prosperity to communities nationwide, demonstrating that our economy can grow alongside a healthy environment.

As environmental challenges evolve with a changing world, my Administration is committed to meeting them. During my first term, we launched the America's Great Outdoors initiative, made historic progress restoring precious ecosystems, and finalized standards to curb toxic emissions from power plants. Implementing these standards will help prevent thousands of premature deaths each year by substantially reducing mercury and other pollutants.

We have made real progress, but we cannot stop there. We cannot afford to ignore what the overwhelming judgment of science tells us: that climate change is real and that it poses an urgent threat to our people and our planet. That is why my Administration set historic fuel efficiency standards that will nearly double how far our cars go on a gallon of gas while reducing harmful carbon pollution. It is why we made unprecedented investments in clean energy, allowing us to double renewable energy production in only 4 years. And it is why I am challenging Americans to double it again by 2020.

Because climate change and other environmental problems cannot be fully addressed by government alone, we are also engaging key stakeholders at home and abroad. Last year, we launched a global initiative to cut short-lived climate pollutants that contribute to global warming. We have proposed historic investments in Land and Water Conservation Fund programs. And we continue to stand behind innovators and entrepreneurs who will unleash the next wave of clean energy technologies and drive long-term economic growth. At the same time, we are working to protect our communities and our economy from the unavoidable effects of climate change that we are already starting to feel.

Today, America is sending less carbon pollution into the environment than we have in nearly 20 years. But we owe it to our children to do more. That is why I have called on the Congress to pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change. In the meantime, I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed our transition to sustainable energy.

More than four decades after the first Earth Day, millions of Americans have answered the call to protect the environment. Today, let us do so again by joining together, raising our voices, and standing up for our planet and our future.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 22, 2013, as Earth Day. I encourage all Americans to participate in programs and activities that will protect our environment and contribute to a healthy, sustainable future.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

National Park Week celebrates and gives back to our country’s great natural and cultural landscapes.

100 students from more than 40 states were at the White House for an all-day, hands-on celebration of the power and potential of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

President Obama hosts the 3rd Annual White House Science Fair and celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

view all related blog posts

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Poll: George W. Bush’s approval rating rising post-White House

A new poll shows former President George W. Bush’s approval rating rising, four years after he left office and as he returns to the public spotlight for the opening of his presidential library.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Tuesday shows 47 percent approve of Bush, with 50 percent disapproving. When Bush left office in 2009 after his second term, his approval rating was 33 percent positive to 66 percent negative, one of the lowest figures among presidents.

Among Republicans, Bush holds a strong 84-15 positive split. With Democrats, 25 percent approve of the former president’s performance to 73 percent disapproval. Forty-five percent of independents approve of Bush to 51 percent disapproving.

Among registered voters, the former president’s approval rating of 47 is equal to that of Obama’s in the last Post-ABC poll.

The decision to invade Iraq remains Bush’s most contentious issue, with a majority disapproving of his handling of that war. Fifty-seven percent disapprove of the decision to go to war, down from 65 percent in the spring of 2008.

Bush’s economic approval numbers have also improved with 43 percent approving of his handling of the economy to 53 percent disapproving. When he left office only 24 percent approved of Bush on the economy.

The poll’s findings come as Bush prepares to open his presidential library on Thursday, the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas. He will be joined by President Obama and former Presidents Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Carter.

In an interview published Monday in USA Today, Bush said he felt “no need to defend" himself over the high-profile decisions that marked his term, saying he would leave those appraisals to history.

“There's no need to defend myself,” Bush said. “I did what I did and ultimately history will judge.”

Bush said the library would be a place to “lay out the facts” behind his key policy decisions and would let visitors make their own judgments about the Iraq war, the financial crisis and the response to Hurricane Katrina.

The president has kept a low profile since leaving office, staying out of the media spotlight. 

“I'm happy to be out of the limelight. I truly am,” Bush said. “My life is obviously much simpler than it was in the past, but in many ways, the simplicity creates contentment.”

Bush’s brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has said he would consider a run for the 2016 GOP presidential bid and is seen as a prime contender for the nomination.

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Expanding universe

(Difference between revisions)==Distance-redshift relationship====Distance-redshift relationship==It is popular misconception to believe that [[Edwin Hubble|Hubble]] had observed in the 100-inch reflector on Mount Wilson Observatory, the greatest telescope at that time, the [[galaxy|galaxies]] zooming off into the far distance. Deriving indirect conclusion on expanding universe hinges on interpretation of other observational evidence, namely of the spectral signature of the light from far galaxies. Hubble used only 20 galaxies to land at his conclusion{{cite webIt is popular misconception to believe that [[Edwin Hubble|Hubble]] had observed in the 100-inch reflector on Mount Wilson Observatory, the greatest telescope at that time, the [[galaxy|galaxies]] zooming off into the far distance. Deriving indirect conclusion on the expanding universe hinges on interpretation of other observational evidence, namely of the spectral signature of the light from far galaxies. Hubble used only 20 galaxies to land at his conclusion{{cite web|title=Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Inflation: The Big Mysteries of Cosmology|title=Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Inflation: The Big Mysteries of Cosmology|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWaOyy3WfWk|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWaOyy3WfWk|quote=He also discovered that the universe is expanding. ... Some people think that Hubble is famous because here was a bunch of coffee stains at piece of graph paper and he was able to draw a straight line through it.}} and although astronomers today can indeed point to places in the universe where the redshift of the galaxies appears to be a linear function of their distance{{#tag:ref|In 1958 G.O. Abell et al. published ''Catalog of Bright Cluster Galaxies'' that is considered for being a perfect support for Hubble's law coherence between predictions and observatiopns. Berlinski however points out that this is unsubstantiated as Abell in fact used [[circular reasoning]], i.e. the conclusion was already stated in the premises that cluster's "redshift were proportional to their distance."|group=note}}, there is also a disturbing evidence that this linear relationship does not describe the facts entirely. I.E. Segal and his associates after have studied the evidence for galactic recessional velocity over the course of twenty years argued in their paper ''Statistical invalidation of the Hubble law'' that the representation of the redshift-distance relationship as an empirical fact was uncritical and premature. Observed discrepancies ''"have been resolved by a pyramid of exculpatory assumptions, which are inherently incapable of [[Circular reasoning|noncircular substantiation]]."''{{cite web |title=Statistical invalidation of the Hubble law|author= I. E. Segal|publisher=Proceedings of the National Academy of Science|date=November, 1980|pages=77(11): 6275–6279 |url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC350265/|accessdate=June 9, 2013|quote=In the absence of independent validation of a variety of ancillary hypotheses that have been adduced in connection with the linear law, it seems necessary to conclude that the Hubble law lacks an objective statistical foundation.}} The discrepancy between hypothesis and observed facts pertains mainly to [[quasar]]s with respect to which Maarten Schmidt discovered in 1960 that their spectral lines were shifted massively to the red. If Hubble's law were correct, quasars should be unrealistically far away at the boundaries of observable universe or even beyond it. There were two properties of quasars that were difficult for astronomers to understand within the framework of the expanding universe theory:|quote=He also discovered that the universe is expanding. ... Some people think that Hubble is famous because here was a bunch of coffee stains at piece of graph paper and he was able to draw a straight line through it.}} and although astronomers today can indeed point to places in the universe where the redshift of the galaxies appears to be a linear function of their distance{{#tag:ref|In 1958 G.O. Abell et al. published ''Catalog of Bright Cluster Galaxies'' that is considered for being a perfect support for Hubble's law coherence between predictions and observatiopns. Berlinski however points out that this is unsubstantiated as Abell in fact used [[circular reasoning]], i.e. the conclusion was already stated in the premises that cluster's "redshift were proportional to their distance."|group=note}}, there is also a disturbing evidence that this linear relationship does not describe the facts entirely. After they have studied the evidence for galactic recessional velocity over the course of twenty years, I.E. Segal and his associates argued in their paper ''Statistical invalidation of the Hubble law'' that the representation of the redshift-distance relationship as an empirical fact was uncritical and premature. Observed discrepancies ''"have been resolved by a pyramid of exculpatory assumptions, which are inherently incapable of [[Circular reasoning|noncircular substantiation]]."''{{cite web |title=Statistical invalidation of the Hubble law|author= I. E. Segal|publisher=Proceedings of the National Academy of Science|date=November, 1980|pages=77(11): 6275–6279 |url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC350265/|accessdate=June 9, 2013|quote=In the absence of independent validation of a variety of ancillary hypotheses that have been adduced in connection with the linear law, it seems necessary to conclude that the Hubble law lacks an objective statistical foundation.}} The discrepancy between hypothesis and observed facts pertains mainly to [[quasar]]s with respect to which Maarten Schmidt discovered in 1960 that their spectral lines were shifted massively to the red. If Hubble's law were correct, quasars should be unrealistically far away at the boundaries of observable universe or even beyond it. There were two properties of quasars that were difficult for astronomers to understand within the framework of the expanding universe theory:* If one trends apparent brightness against the redshifts as for galaxies, the result is unexpected diagram with scattered points instead of smooth curve as it is the case of galaxies: This seems to indicate that the quasars do not follow the Hubble law as do the most other objects and there is no indication that they are at their proposed redshift distances. It is argued that if Hubble would have first these data he would never conclude that the universe is expanding.* If one trends apparent brightness against the redshifts as for galaxies, the result is unexpected diagram with scattered points instead of smooth curve as it is the case of galaxies: This seems to indicate that the quasars do not follow the Hubble law as do the most other objects and there is no indication that they are at their proposed redshift distances. It is argued that if Hubble would have these data at disposal first, he would never conclude that the universe is expanding.* The second property was that quasars are very small compact objects sometimes only a light year across so that if they are at their proposed redshift distances, they must be the brightest and most energetic objects known to astronomers. So energetic that in fact non-testable and almost metaphysical mechanism must be applied to explain the phenomena.  * The second property was that quasars are very small compact objects sometimes only a light year across so that if they are at their proposed redshift distances, they must be the brightest and most energetic objects known to astronomers. So energetic that in fact non-testable and almost [[metaphysical]] mechanism must be applied to explain the [[phenomena]].  On the other hand, when placed at their observed distances, that is in the neighbourhood of nearby galaxies, their energies become normal and no special mechanisms need to be invoked. This problem lead many astronomers to abandon the idea that all redshifts are due to the speed of the recession away from the earth. And if this is true, then there is no need for the expanding universe and the [[big bang]] never happened.  On the other hand, when placed at their observed distances, that is in the neighbourhood of nearby galaxies, their energies become normal and no special mechanisms need to be invoked. This problem lead many astronomers to abandon the idea that all redshifts are due to the speed of the recession away from the earth. And if this is true, then there is no need for the expanding universe and the [[big bang]] never happened.The phenomenon of failed expected relationship between redshift and distance was further investigated by [[Halton Arp]]. He presented the provisional results of his research to the editor of Astrophysical Journal S. Chandrasekhar in the paper labelled ''Companion Galaxies on the Ends of Spiral Arms'' (1969):The phenomenon of failed expected relationship between redshift and distance was further investigated by [[Halton Arp]]. He presented the provisional results of his research to the editor of Astrophysical Journal S. Chandrasekhar in the paper labelled ''Companion Galaxies on the Ends of Spiral Arms''1969:

''The hypothesis advanced is that these companions have been recently ejected (10⁷ - 10⁸ years ago) from the parent galaxy. It is concluded that they are short-lived and that many are now in the process of expanding and ejecting secondary material.''

''The hypothesis advanced is that these companions have been recently ejected (10⁷ - 10⁸ years ago) from the parent galaxy. It is concluded that they are short-lived and that many are now in the process of expanding and ejecting secondary material.''

Expanding universe is a hypothesis resting on Hubble's law that consolidates a number of very plausible intellectual steps[1]:

Each atom has a spectral signature, a distinctive electromagnetic frequency. The light streaming in from space reveals through its spectral signature information about the composition of the galaxies from which it was sent. The characteristic signature of hydrogen can be detected from various remote galaxies with its frequency shifted towards the red portion of the spectrum. This discovery was first made in the 1920s by V.M. Sipher by means of very primitive equipment and then confirmed by E. Hubble in the late 1920s by far more sophisticated telescope after Slipher had turned his attention elsewhere. Hubble realized that this galactic redshift can be interpreted as effect of something similar to familiar Doppler effect applicable to sound waves, i.e. a conjecture can be made that the distortions in the spectral signatures of the galaxies come from a reflection of their recessional velocity. The inference from the observations of spectra expressed in quantitative relationship (known as Hubble's law): the redshift of a galaxy thus its recessional velocity is: proportional to its distance and inversely proportional to its apparent brightness or flux

This inference directly lead to theories on expanding universe, in the 1930s the front page of The New York Times declared: "We are living in an Expanding Universe".[2]

It is popular misconception to believe that Hubble had observed in the 100-inch reflector on Mount Wilson Observatory, the greatest telescope at that time, the galaxies zooming off into the far distance. Deriving indirect conclusion on the expanding universe hinges on interpretation of other observational evidence, namely of the spectral signature of the light from far galaxies. Hubble used only 20 galaxies[1] to land at his conclusion[3] and although astronomers today can indeed point to places in the universe where the redshift of the galaxies appears to be a linear function of their distance[note 1], there is also a disturbing evidence that this linear relationship does not describe the facts entirely.[1] After they have studied the evidence for galactic recessional velocity over the course of twenty years, I.E. Segal and his associates argued in their paper Statistical invalidation of the Hubble law that the representation of the redshift-distance relationship as an empirical fact was uncritical and premature. Observed discrepancies "have been resolved by a pyramid of exculpatory assumptions, which are inherently incapable of noncircular substantiation."[4] The discrepancy between hypothesis and observed facts pertains mainly to quasars with respect to which Maarten Schmidt discovered in 1960 that their spectral lines were shifted massively to the red. If Hubble's law were correct, quasars should be unrealistically far away at the boundaries of observable universe or even beyond it.[1] There were two properties of quasars that were difficult for astronomers to understand within the framework of the expanding universe theory[2]:

If one trends apparent brightness against the redshifts as for galaxies, the result is unexpected diagram with scattered points instead of smooth curve as it is the case of galaxies: This seems to indicate that the quasars do not follow the Hubble law as do the most other objects and there is no indication that they are at their proposed redshift distances. It is argued that if Hubble would have these data at disposal first, he would never conclude that the universe is expanding. The second property was that quasars are very small compact objects sometimes only a light year across so that if they are at their proposed redshift distances, they must be the brightest and most energetic objects known to astronomers. So energetic that in fact non-testable and almost metaphysical mechanism must be applied to explain the phenomena.

On the other hand, when placed at their observed distances, that is in the neighbourhood of nearby galaxies, their energies become normal and no special mechanisms need to be invoked. This problem lead many astronomers to abandon the idea that all redshifts are due to the speed of the recession away from the earth. And if this is true, then there is no need for the expanding universe and the big bang never happened.[2] The phenomenon of failed expected relationship between redshift and distance was further investigated by Halton Arp. He presented the provisional results of his research to the editor of Astrophysical Journal S. Chandrasekhar in the paper labelled Companion Galaxies on the Ends of Spiral Arms (1969):

The hypothesis advanced is that these companions have been recently ejected (107 - 108 years ago) from the parent galaxy. It is concluded that they are short-lived and that many are now in the process of expanding and ejecting secondary material.

Consequently, he was deprived of the observation time at the 200-inch Palomar telescope as these observations do not comport with standard Big Bang cosmology, i.e. with the central preconceived dogma of so called mainstream scientists[5]:

"The commitee feels that it is not longer reasonable to assign time to Arp to pursue researches aimed at establishing the association of quasars with nearby galaxies."

He was advised to change the line of research or look for another job and finallly forced to resign from his permanent position.[2]

J.Hartnett argues that suggesting that there is no truth to the Hubble Law would be inappropriate but one need to be careful in its application. He believes the redshift of quasars consists of several components[6] :

Intrinsic - the largest component correlated to the loss of energy Cosmological - related to distance interpretation of Hubble law Local Doppler - small velocity shifts due to local motion

M.Carmeli published in 2001 the paper named Cosmological Relativity: Determining the Universe by the Cosmological Redshift as Infinite and Curved where he declared that using the cosmological relativity theory, we was able to derive the formula for the cosmological redshift and based on the data of observed redshifts was concluding that the universe is infinite and curved, and expands forever.[7]

In an invited paper of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (2001), Geoffrey Burbidge wrote that[6]:

‘underlying all of the topics [in] the extragalactic universe and the physics of active galaxies are two basic beliefs which are widely held today: (1) cosmological evidence strongly suggests that the hot big bang cosmological model is generally correct and (2) redshifts of all objects outside our Galaxy are, apart from small velocity shifts due to local motions, cosmological in origin. In my view the general acceptance of these ideas and the subsequent edifice of models which has been erected around these ideas is a fundamental mistake. The direction that research will take in the 21st century, however, may well lead to a compounding of the mistake, and I predict no immediate return to reality.’

? In 1958 G.O. Abell et al. published Catalog of Bright Cluster Galaxies that is considered for being a perfect support for Hubble's law coherence between predictions and observatiopns. Berlinski however points out that this is unsubstantiated as Abell in fact used circular reasoning, i.e. the conclusion was already stated in the premises that cluster's "redshift were proportional to their distance."[1]? 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 David Berlinski (2009). "Was there a Big Bang?", The Deniable Darwin. Seattle, USA: Discovery Institute Press, 216-221. ISBN 978-0-9790141-2-3. ? 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Universe, the cosmology quest. Floating World Films A Randall Meyers production. In association with Norsk Filmstudio AS and and NRK TV fakta. 09:09-12:44. ? Michail S. Turner. Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Inflation: The Big Mysteries of Cosmology 0h:05min:00sec/1h:11min:39sec. Arizona connection, Lectures series. Retrieved on 2012-10-14. “He also discovered that the universe is expanding. ... Some people think that Hubble is famous because here was a bunch of coffee stains at piece of graph paper and he was able to draw a straight line through it.”? I. E. Segal (November, 1980). Statistical invalidation of the Hubble law 77(11): 6275–6279. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Retrieved on June 9, 2013. “In the absence of independent validation of a variety of ancillary hypotheses that have been adduced in connection with the linear law, it seems necessary to conclude that the Hubble law lacks an objective statistical foundation.”? Group of signatories (May 22, 2004). An Open Letter to the Scientific Community: The cosmology statement. New Scientist. “An open exchange of ideas is lacking in most mainstream conferences. Whereas Richard Feynman could say that "science is the culture of doubt", in cosmology today doubt and dissent are not tolerated, and young scientists learn to remain silent if they have something negative to say about the standard big bang model. Those who doubt the big bang fear that saying so will cost them their funding. Even observations are now interpreted through this biased filter, judged right or wrong depending on whether or not they support the big bang. So discordant data on red shifts, lithium and helium abundances, and galaxy distribution, among other topics, are ignored or ridiculed. This reflects a growing dogmatic mindset that is alien to the spirit of free scientific inquiry. Today, virtually all financial and experimental resources in cosmology are devoted to big bang studies. Funding come from only a few sources, and all the peer-review committees that control them are dominated by supporters of the big bang. As a result, the dominance of the big bang within the field has become self-sustaining, irrespective of the scientific validity of the theory.”? 6.0 6.1 John Hartnett (2004). Quantized quasar redshifts in a creationist cosmology 105-113. Technical Journal (present-day Journal of Creation). Retrieved on 2012-1015.? M.Carmeli (October 2001). Cosmological Relativity: Determining the Universe by the Cosmological Redshift as Infinite and Curved Volume 40, Issue 10, pp 1871-1874. International Journal of Theoretical Physics. Retrieved on June 9, 2013.

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FBI to brief lawmakers on deceased bombing suspect

The FBI will brief the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday about what it learned from an interview it conducted in 2011 with Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, according to Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.).

“What we want to do is to see when the FBI investigated the tip that came from Russia about whether or not bomber No. 1, who came from Russia, was really cleared about what Russia was concerned about,” Ruppersberger told CNN on Tuesday. “We will have a classified hearing about it today at five o’clock.”

The FBI will brief the Senate Intelligence Committee on the same matter at a hearing earlier in the afternoon.

Tsarnaev, 26, was killed after a firefight early Friday morning after the police tracked down him and his younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19. They are the only suspects in last week’s Boston Marathon bombing.

Lawmakers have pledged to hold hearings into how the brothers operated under the radar of the FBI after the Russian government notified federal investigators that the older brother was a potential threat. The tip from Russian authorities came after the suspect spent six months in two Russian provinces in 2010 and 2011 before returning to the U.S.

Ruppersberger, the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, said he hoped to find out what might have influenced the older brother during his time abroad, and how he learned the skills necessary to put together a bomb.

“When he went to Russia, it seemed when he came back a lot of things changed and also his younger brother’s attitude started to change,” Ruppersberger said. “And as more evidence comes out — about when he came back from Russia, did he become more orthodox in his Muslim religion, did that make him change? And one of the things we’re looking at also — when you have these bombs, what kind of sophistication? How were they trained to make the bombs?”

Ruppersberger said reports that cellphones were used to detonate the explosives were troubling, because it indicates a higher degree of sophistication. The Maryland Democrat said it didn’t appear there were any third parties involved, and that the brothers were likely acting as lone wolves, which he said is a more difficult threat for intelligence officials to detect.

“Those of us who have been in the intelligence committee a while have always been concerned about the lone wolf and a lone wolf doesn’t just mean one individual, it means a small group of people that will come in under the radar,” he said. “And why there’s a concern about that is that when you’re under the radar we can’t get the intelligence we would normally get.”

“After 9/11 we’re the most sophisticated country in the world as it relates to receiving any intelligence from people or from a technical point of view,” he continued. “If in fact there’s chatter or there’s a big type of plot, we will probably pick it up. But what worries us are the type of situations like the Times Square bomber, the underwear bomber, the shoe bomber, these were all under the radar.”

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Presidential Proclamation -- National Park Week, 2013

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

NATIONAL PARK WEEK, 2013

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

For generations, ordinary Americans have taken it upon themselves to preserve our national landscape. They have been public servants and private citizens, patrons and Presidents -- visionaries who saw our natural inheritance not as something to be used up, but as a treasure to be passed on. During National Park Week, we celebrate the wonders entrusted to us by our forebears and recommit to preserving them for our children and grandchildren.

We also take time to remember that in places like the Grand Canyon and the Teton Range, we see more than raw beauty. We see expansive freedom and rugged independence. We see the big ideas and bold ingenuity that inspired the first conservationists. We see our belief in collective responsibility -- the notion that all of us have an equal share in this land and an equal obligation to keep it safe. These spaces embody the best of the American spirit, and they summon us to experience it firsthand.

This week, the National Park Service will make that opportunity available to everyone by offering free admission to every park in the Union from April 22 through April 26. And to keep building on our country's long legacy of conservation, I have been proud to establish eight new National Monuments in the past year. These sites honor rich histories, spectacular landscapes, and pioneering heroes of the American story, from Colonel Charles Young to Harriet Tubman to Cesar Chavez. They also reflect my commitment to advancing a 21st-century conservation strategy that responds to the priorities of the American people, strengthens local economies, and protects our most special places for generations to come.

As we mark this week, I encourage all Americans to experience our natural heritage by stepping into the outdoors. To find a National Park in your area, visit www.NPS.gov.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 20 through April 28, 2013, as National Park Week. I encourage all Americans to visit their National Parks and be reminded of these unique blessings we share as a Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

National Park Week celebrates and gives back to our country’s great natural and cultural landscapes.

100 students from more than 40 states were at the White House for an all-day, hands-on celebration of the power and potential of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

President Obama hosts the 3rd Annual White House Science Fair and celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

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Law of Non-Contradiction

(Difference between revisions)

The Law of Non-Contradiction can be formulated as follows: Two truths cannot contradict one another.[1]

On the other hand, for any pair of contradictory premises, one must be true and the other false. The Law of Non-Contradiction prevents both premises being true, while the Law of Excluded Middle points out that a pair of contradictory premises exhausts all possibilities. Another way of putting it is: a proposition must be either true or false—not both true and false, nor in some limbo state in between truth and falsity. This can be useful in listing all possible alternatives and refuting all of them but the correct one.[2]

? Galileo Galilei (1615, 1998). Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina of Tuscany. Internet History Sourcebooks Project, Paul Halsall, [The Jesuit] Fordham University [of New York]. Retrieved on June 10, 2013.? Jonathan D. Sarfati. Loving God with all your mind: logic and creation. CMI. Retrieved on June 10, 2013.

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Presidential Proclamation -- National Crime Victims' Rights Week, 2013

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS' RIGHTS WEEK, 2013

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

Every year, millions of Americans fall victim to crime through no fault of their own. These are people we know: families trying to rebuild after financial fraud or identity theft, grandparents spending their golden years in the shadow of elder abuse, children whose right to safety has been stolen away by violence or neglect. Many struggle to get help in the aftermath of a crime, and some never report their crime at all. During National Crime Victims' Rights Week, we reaffirm our solemn obligation to ensure they get the services they need -- from care and counseling to justice under the law.

Thanks to thousands of victim assistance programs all across our country, we are making progress toward that goal. As dedicated advocates continue their important work, my Administration will continue to support them by raising awareness about victims' rights, making sure those rights are protected and practiced, and investing in training programs for law enforcement and other professionals. I was proud to sign the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act into law last month, preserving and strengthening critical services for victims of abuse. We have continued to crack down on financial crimes that leave too many families struggling to get back on their feet. And we are stepping up our efforts in the fight against human trafficking, whether it occurs halfway around the world or right here at home.

Even now, we have more work to do. As an epidemic of gun violence has swept through places like Newtown, Aurora, Oak Creek, and cities and towns all across America, our country has come up against the hard question of whether we are doing enough to protect our children and our communities. As Americans everywhere have stood up and spoken out for change, my Administration has responded with reforms that give law enforcement, schools, mental health professionals, and public health officials better tools to reduce violent crime. But we cannot solve this problem alone. That is why I will continue to fight for common-sense measures that would address the epidemic of gun violence and help keep our children safe.

By working to prevent crime and extend support to those in need, we keep faith with our fellow citizens and the basic values that unite us. Let us renew that common cause this week, and let us rededicate ourselves to advancing it in the year ahead.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 21 through April 27, 2013, as National Crime Victims' Rights Week. I call upon all Americans to observe this week by participating in events that raise awareness of victims' rights and services, and by volunteering to serve victims in their time of need.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

National Park Week celebrates and gives back to our country’s great natural and cultural landscapes.

100 students from more than 40 states were at the White House for an all-day, hands-on celebration of the power and potential of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

President Obama hosts the 3rd Annual White House Science Fair and celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

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TSA delays allowing small knives on planes

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has indefinitely delayed its proposal to allow travelers to carry small knives on airplanes after severe blowback from lawmakers, air marshals and law enforcement officials.

In a statement released Monday, the TSA said the decision to begin allowing knives with blades shorter than 2.36 inches would not move forward on April 25 as planned “in order to accommodate further input from the Aviation Security Advisory Committee.”

“This timing will enable TSA to incorporate the feedback about the changes to the Prohibited Items List and continue workforce training,” the TSA said in the statement.

The move comes one week after two bombs were set off at the Boston Marathon finish line, killing three and wounding dozens and refocusing the nation’s attention on terrorism and national security.

Knives of any length have not been allowed on flights since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when hijackers used box-cutting blades to take over four U.S. flights. 

The TSA announced earlier this year it would begin allowing short blades back on flights as part of a “risk-based” security initiative that would allow screeners to spend more time looking for higher impact devices, like bombs.

While the risk-based security initiatives have support, the decision to allow small knives back on planes was soundly criticized from many corners, including Congress, where 133 House members signed a letter to TSA Administrator John Pistole, asking him to keep small knives on the agency’s prohibited list. 

Lawmakers had introduced legislation to force the TSA to reverse course on the new policy, with Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) proposing the No Knives Act, and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) presenting a similar measure in the Senate.

Monday's announcement was cheered by lawmakers.

“By delaying this policy, the TSA is taking a solid, common sense step in the direction of safer skies. This delay acknowledges that permitting knives on planes is a bad idea; now the TSA should go the rest of the way and end this flawed policy all together,” said Schumer in a statement.

The New York senator urged the TSA to drop the plan to allow knives onto airplanes completely. 

“Anything less than a full reversal will be unsatisfactory for passengers and the hard working flight attendants, pilots, and air marshals who keep our planes safe every day,” he said.

A flight attendants’ union, which had strongly opposed the decision, hailed the TSA’s move, but also pushed for the agency to drop the plan completely.

“Knives were the terrorists' weapons of choice in bringing down four jetliners and murdering thousands of Americans. All knives should be banned from planes permanently,” The Association of Professional Flight Attendants said in a statement.

This story was last updated at 8:10 a.m. 

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Talk:North Pole

(Difference between revisions)A santa debate may start. That will be annoying... they always get so polarised :-) [[User:NewCrusader|NewCrusader]] 19:14, 23 September 2008 (EDT):Ha ha you sleigh me. [[User:HelpJazz|Help]][[User talk:HelpJazz|Jazz]] 19:15, 23 September 2008 (EDT)::It is a bit hard to bear. [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 19:29, 23 September 2008 (EDT):::Wait, are these puns? I'm having trouble following the floe... -[[User:Foxtrot|Foxtrot]] 20:11, 23 September 2008 (EDT)Join the pack. [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 21:09, 23 September 2008 (EDT)::No puns in five days? Must be a snow period. [[User:NewCrusader|NewCrusader]] 14:06, 27 September 2008 (EDT)::: It can taiga day or two to come up with one. -[[User:Foxtrot|Foxtrot]] 14:23, 27 September 2008 (EDT)::::C'mon, guys.  Puns?  I really thawed you were more creative than that.  [[User:JLauttamus|Jeffrey W. Lauttamus]][[User_talk:JLauttamus|_Discussion]] 14:26, 27 September 2008 (EDT):::::I think I get your drift. [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 17:43, 27 September 2008 (EDT)::::::Well, I just go with the flow. [[User:JLauttamus|Jeffrey W. Lauttamus]][[User_talk:JLauttamus|_Discussion]] 12:24, 28 September 2008 (EDT): That one's been done (see No.4). (Not that that has any Bering on it.)[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 14:27, 28 September 2008 (EDT)::Canada scribe this as "goin' too far"? -[[User:Foxtrot|Foxtrot]] 14:34, 28 September 2008 (EDT)::: Dunno; Alaska next time a see a.[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 20:25, 29 September 2008 (EDT)::::Two weeks now with nothing... can we go another Lapp? Is this the Finnish? [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 13:40, 11 October 2008 (EDT)(unindent)One year with nothing ... I guess someone gave this the cold shoulder.  -[[User:JLauttamus|Jeffrey W. Lauttamus]][[User_talk:JLauttamus|_Discussion]] 18:02, 27 October 2009 (EDT):Yeah, but I was on ice for most of that time. [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 00:16, 16 September 2012 (EDT)::Yukon pun with the best of them, Alan. [[User:MattyD|MattyD]] 00:25, 16 September 2012 (EDT):::Nor way! But thanks anyway. [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 00:31, 16 September 2012 (EDT)::::Dante Gabriel Rossetti wrote of "this close-companioned ''inarticulate  hour''". It seems we are having an ''in'''arctic'''ulate two months!''. [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 20:21, 16 November 2012 (EST):::::Nearly Christmas - things are hotting up. Santa's so worried about the silence from Conservapedia that it's affecting his elf. [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 19:20, 22 December 2012 (EST)Saw Santa overnight. Given up the reindeer this year. He's delivering in a Fiord Transit. [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 14:45, 24 December 2012 (EST):Glad this page is back, I was starting to get Santa-mental.  [[User:WesleyS|WesleyS]][[User Talk:WesleyS|^Hello!]] 20:38, 4 March 2013 (EST)::Thanks Wes. We needed an ice-breaker. [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 21:01, 4 March 2013 (EST):::Would anyone else like to take a tern? No? Thought not. [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 00:18, 7 March 2013 (EST)Please use this section for any serious discussion of the article or items above. To those who wish to participate in good will and have a play on words (no matter how weak) on an Arctic theme, "''Yeseque''" (Welcome) [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 13:11, 2 March 2013 (EST)I'm not going to delete all this [[talk pollution]] since I know AlanE will start an edit war with me, and this will lead me to violate the 90/10 rule too. With that being said, I'm watching this page and if I find any user editing it excessively he will get  a block. - [[User:Markman|Markman]] 08:20, 2 March 2013 (EST): That is a bit sexist of you. I would think a female should get a block too if she edit excessively here.  [[User:Dvergne|Dvergne]] 01:30, 5 March 2013 (EST)::This is serious business Dvergne.  Flippant remarks and/or humour are not acceptable and will be met with a lengthy block.  I will try to plead your case but I would expect a month block, if not longer.  Perhaps there may be a case for mercy this time.  Besides, I should bring your attention to the rules of [http://www.conservapedia.com/Most_Common_Writing_Errors conservative grammar] which seem to imply that where an person's gender is unknown one should use the masculine pronoun.  You might not be convinced by this rule, but there you have it.  --[[User:DamianJohn|DamianJohn]] 04:38, 5 March 2013 (EST)If possible renewal of article should include:If possible renewal of article should include:

A santa debate may start. That will be annoying... they always get so polarised :-) NewCrusader 19:14, 23 September 2008 (EDT)

Ha ha you sleigh me. HelpJazz 19:15, 23 September 2008 (EDT) It is a bit hard to bear. AlanE 19:29, 23 September 2008 (EDT) Wait, are these puns? I'm having trouble following the floe... -Foxtrot 20:11, 23 September 2008 (EDT)

Join the pack. AlanE 21:09, 23 September 2008 (EDT)

No puns in five days? Must be a snow period. NewCrusader 14:06, 27 September 2008 (EDT) It can taiga day or two to come up with one. -Foxtrot 14:23, 27 September 2008 (EDT) C'mon, guys. Puns? I really thawed you were more creative than that. Jeffrey W. LauttamusDiscussion 14:26, 27 September 2008 (EDT) I think I get your drift. AlanE 17:43, 27 September 2008 (EDT) Well, I just go with the flow. Jeffrey W. LauttamusDiscussion 12:24, 28 September 2008 (EDT) That one's been done (see No.4). (Not that that has any Bering on it.)AlanE 14:27, 28 September 2008 (EDT) Canada scribe this as "goin' too far"? -Foxtrot 14:34, 28 September 2008 (EDT) Dunno; Alaska next time a see a.AlanE 20:25, 29 September 2008 (EDT) Two weeks now with nothing... can we go another Lapp? Is this the Finnish? AlanE 13:40, 11 October 2008 (EDT)

(unindent)One year with nothing ... I guess someone gave this the cold shoulder. -Jeffrey W. LauttamusDiscussion 18:02, 27 October 2009 (EDT)

Yeah, but I was on ice for most of that time. AlanE 00:16, 16 September 2012 (EDT) Yukon pun with the best of them, Alan. MattyD 00:25, 16 September 2012 (EDT) Nor way! But thanks anyway. AlanE 00:31, 16 September 2012 (EDT) Dante Gabriel Rossetti wrote of "this close-companioned inarticulate hour". It seems we are having an inarcticulate two months!. AlanE 20:21, 16 November 2012 (EST) Nearly Christmas - things are hotting up. Santa's so worried about the silence from Conservapedia that it's affecting his elf. AlanE 19:20, 22 December 2012 (EST)

Saw Santa overnight. Given up the reindeer this year. He's delivering in a Fiord Transit. AlanE 14:45, 24 December 2012 (EST)

Glad this page is back, I was starting to get Santa-mental. WesleySHello! 20:38, 4 March 2013 (EST) Thanks Wes. We needed an ice-breaker. AlanE 21:01, 4 March 2013 (EST) Would anyone else like to take a tern? No? Thought not. AlanE 00:18, 7 March 2013 (EST)

Please use this section for any serious discussion of the article or items above. To those who wish to participate in good will and have a play on words (no matter how weak) on an Arctic theme, "Yeseque" (Welcome) AlanE 13:11, 2 March 2013 (EST)

I'm not going to delete all this talk pollution since I know AlanE will start an edit war with me, and this will lead me to violate the 90/10 rule too. With that being said, I'm watching this page and if I find any user editing it excessively he will get a block. - Markman 08:20, 2 March 2013 (EST)

That is a bit sexist of you. I would think a female should get a block too if she edit excessively here. Dvergne 01:30, 5 March 2013 (EST) This is serious business Dvergne. Flippant remarks and/or humour are not acceptable and will be met with a lengthy block. I will try to plead your case but I would expect a month block, if not longer. Perhaps there may be a case for mercy this time. Besides, I should bring your attention to the rules of conservative grammar which seem to imply that where an person's gender is unknown one should use the masculine pronoun. You might not be convinced by this rule, but there you have it. --DamianJohn 04:38, 5 March 2013 (EST)

If possible renewal of article should include:

Location and conditions; physical description History of attempts at reaching the Pole Peary and Cook's attempts Popular culture Karajou 17:53, 1 March 2013 (EST)

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Rand Paul would have supported drone use in hunt for marathon bomber

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said Tuesday that he would have supported police using drones in last week's hunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the brothers suspected in the Boston Marathon bombing.

"If there is a killer on the loose in a neighborhood, I’m not against drones being used to search them," Paul told Fox Business Network.

Last month, Paul conducted a nearly 13-hour filibuster on the Senate floor after the Obama Administration said in a letter that it was theoretically possible for President Obama to authorize a lethal drone strike on an American citizen under "extraordinary circumstances." The administration subsequently clarified that they did not believe the president had the authority to "use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat."

Paul said that the question of an "imminent threat" was the pivotal one when considering drone policy.

“Here’s the distinction — I have never argued against any technology being used against having an imminent threat an act of crime going on," Paul said. "If someone comes out of a liquor store with a weapon and $50 in cash, I don’t care if a Drone kills him or a policeman kills him, but it’s different if they want to come fly over your hot tub, or your yard just because they want to do surveillance on everyone, and they want to watch your activities."

The Kentucky senator also broke with a number of prominent Republican allies, saying he disagreed with calls to treat Tsarnaev, who was captured hiding in a boat Friday night, as an enemy combatant. Some senators, including South Carolina's Lindsey Graham (R), have argued the government would be able to glean more from the 19-year-old's interrogation if he was denied ordinary due process.

"I think we can still preserve the Bill of Rights," Paul said. "I see no reason why our Constitution isn’t strong enough to convict this young man, with a jury trial, with the Bill of Rights. We do it to horrible people all the time — rapists and murders — they get lawyers; they get trials with juries, and we seem to do a pretty good job of justice, so I think we can do it through our court system.”

The White House on Tuesday said that Tsarnaev would undergo a standard criminal trial.

"We will prosecute this terrorist through a civilian system of justice," said White House press secretary Jay Carney. "Under U.S. law, United States citizens cannot be tried in military commissions. It is important to remember since 9/11, we have used the federal court system to convict and incarcerate hundreds of terrorists."

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Socratic principle

**''...Thus the density of the nebular distribution increases outwards, symmetrically in all directions, leaving the observer in a unique position. '''Such a favoured position, of course, is intolerable'''; moreover, it represents '''a discrepancy with the theory''', because the theory postulates homogeneity. Therefore, in order to restore homogeneity, and to escape '''the horror of a unique position'''{{#tag:ref|Similar embarrassment known from history of science, or philosophy, respectively, and related to [[vacuum]], was articulated by the famous expression ''"[[horror vacui]]."''|group=note}}, the departures from uniformity, which are introduced by the recession factors, must be compensated by the second term representing effects of spatial curvature.''**''...Thus the density of the nebular distribution increases outwards, symmetrically in all directions, leaving the observer in a unique position. '''Such a favoured position, of course, is intolerable'''; moreover, it represents '''a discrepancy with the theory''', because the theory postulates homogeneity. Therefore, in order to restore homogeneity, and to escape '''the horror of a unique position'''{{#tag:ref|Similar embarrassment known from history of science, or philosophy, respectively, and related to [[vacuum]], was articulated by the famous expression ''"[[horror vacui]]."''|group=note}}, the departures from uniformity, which are introduced by the recession factors, must be compensated by the second term representing effects of spatial curvature.''- Although not explicitly mentioning the Socratic principle, [[Richard Feynman]] effectually comments that the reluctance to adopt it and an effort to replace it with [[prejudice]] in case of a so called unique position of [[Earth]] in the [[universe]] stems barely from [[embarrassment]] and not [[exact sciences|scientific rigor]] (emphasis added): ''"I suspect that '''the assumption of uniformity''' of the universe reflects a [[prejudice]] born of a sequence of overthrows of [[geocentric]] ideas...It would be embarrassing to find, after stating that we live in an ordinary [[planet]] about an ordinary [[star]] in an ordinary [[galaxy]], that our place in the universe is extraordinary...to avoid embarrassment we cling to the hypothesis of uniformity"''{{cite book |title=Feynman Lectures on Gravitation |author=Richard Phillips Feynman et al. |publisher=Westview Press |year=2002 |page=166 |isbn=978-0813-340388 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=jL9reHGIcMgC&dq=Feynman+lectures+on+gravitation&source=bl&ots=_nuGcNOn2_&sig=VyTgUmNcfeCOiwisdwoTEgKK9og&hl=en&sa=X&ei=gaYyUMHwIcfP4QTm5YD4Ag&redir_esc=y}}. Slovak mathematician Adam Roman maintains that scientists should base their research on starting point where except verifiable [[fact]]s no biased ''[[a priori]]'' assumptions are made. Furthermore, scientists should bear the [[burden of proof]] in any case of [[reductionism|reducing]] the set of [[explanation in science|explanatory]] possibilities. Narrowing down options requires [[Scientific evidence|proof]] from one who argues that this narrowing (such as ''"the theory postulates homogeneity"''; ''a favoured position...is intolerable''; ''"we cling to the hypothesis of uniformity"'') should take place.{{cite web |title=Kto má pravdu dokazovat? (Who should bear the burden of proof)|author=Adam Roman|date=November 1, 2001|accessdate=June 7, 2013|url=http://adam.humanisti.sk/?p=31|language=Slovak|quote=Ludia pravdu iba zistujú a dokazujú (ak sa im to darí). Isteže, pri objavení neocakávanej pravdy je bremeno dôkazu na nich: ked donedávna ani len nevedeli, co je pravda, a teraz to zistili, s radostou to oznámia celému svetu. Vedci k objavenej pravde radi pripoja aj dôkaz, aby im druhí rozumeli (a uverili, lenže to je už druhoradé: ak rozumieme, môžeme verit). Ten, kto novú, doteraz nepoznanú pravdu objavil, ju rád a bez mucenia aj dokáže. ...Z toho všetkého už zacína citatel tušit, kto je povinný pravdu dokazovat: každý, kto ju odhalil, vychádzajúc z predpokladov, ktoré okrem každým overitelných faktov nic a priori nepredpokladali.  ...A máme tu druhé kritérium pre to, kto má znášat bremeno dôkazu: ten, kto tvrdí, že sa deje jedna z mnohých (apriórne rovnako pravdepodobných!) možností. Ak by niekto tvrdil, že mu pri hode kockou vypadne stále císlo šest, tvrdil by, že sa uskutocní iba jedna zo šiestich možností a mal by preto dokázat, preco akurát vypadne jedno císlo a nikdy nie ostatných pät. Pochopili ste? Zúženie možností si vyžaduje dôkaz od toho, kto tvrdí, že k tomu zúženiu dôjde. Ten, kto tvrdí, že môže vypadnút hocaké císlo, nic dokazovat nemusí, lebo jeho tvrdenie nezavrhuje žiadne možnosti. Napríklad Pytagorova veta sa dokazuje preto, lebo tvrdí, že súcet plôch štvorcov nad odvesnami nie je hocaká plocha, ale akurát plocha štvorca nad preponou. Pytagorova veta, ako každé slušné matematické tvrdenie, zužuje apriórne možnosti, a preto sa musí dokázat. Každé pravdivé tvrdenie je zaujímavé práve preto, že zužuje možnosti. Poznávanie sveta stojí na tom, že vieme co nie je možné. Pre malé dieta je možné všetko, svet (rozumného) dospelého je už chudobnejší na možnosti.}} An [[argument]] where ''a priori'' assumptions (cf. "a... must be avoided at all costs... Therefore, we accept ..., and assume that ...") are masquerading as [[proof|evidence]] for making [[conclusion]]s (''"the universe must be pretty much alike everywhere and in all directions"'') is in effect a form of [[circular reasoning]].{{cite book+ Although not explicitly mentioning the Socratic principle, [[Richard Feynman]] effectually comments that the reluctance to adopt it and an effort to replace it with [[prejudice]] in case of a so called unique position of [[Earth]] in the [[universe]] stems barely from [[embarrassment]] and not [[exact sciences|scientific rigor]] (emphasis added): ''"I suspect that '''the assumption of uniformity''' of the universe reflects a [[prejudice]] born of a sequence of overthrows of [[geocentric]] ideas...It would be embarrassing to find, after stating that we live in an ordinary [[planet]] about an ordinary [[star]] in an ordinary [[galaxy]], that our place in the universe is extraordinary{{#tag:ref|cf. ''"Most advocates do not defend their theses out of conviction that they are true, but rather because they once declared them to be true."'' (Georg Christoph Lichtenberg){{cite book |title=Lexikon der populären Irrtümer: 500 kapitale Mißverständnisse, Vorurteile und Denkfehler von Abendrot bis Zeppelin Piper|author=Walter Krämer, Götz Trenkler|publisher=Piper Verlag GmbH |year=1998|page=258|isbn= 9783492224468 |url=http://www.amazon.de/Lexikon-popul%C3%A4ren-Irrt%C3%BCmer-Walter-Kr%C3%A4mer/dp/3492224466/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370885779&sr=8-1&keywords=Walter+Kr%C3%A4mer+Lexikon+der+popul%C3%A4ren+Irrt%C3%BCmer|language=German}}|group=note}}...to avoid embarrassment we cling to the hypothesis of uniformity"''{{cite book |title=Feynman Lectures on Gravitation |author=Richard Phillips Feynman et al. |publisher=Westview Press |year=2002 |page=166 |isbn=978-0813-340388 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=jL9reHGIcMgC&dq=Feynman+lectures+on+gravitation&source=bl&ots=_nuGcNOn2_&sig=VyTgUmNcfeCOiwisdwoTEgKK9og&hl=en&sa=X&ei=gaYyUMHwIcfP4QTm5YD4Ag&redir_esc=y}}. Slovak mathematician Adam Roman maintains that scientists should base their research on starting point where except verifiable [[fact]]s no biased ''[[a priori]]'' assumptions are made. Furthermore, scientists should bear the [[burden of proof]] in any case of [[reductionism|reducing]] the set of [[explanation in science|explanatory]] possibilities. Narrowing down options requires [[Scientific evidence|proof]] from one who argues that this narrowing (such as ''"the theory postulates homogeneity"''; ''a favoured position...is intolerable''; ''"we cling to the hypothesis of uniformity"'') should take place.{{cite web |title=Kto má pravdu dokazovat? (Who should bear the burden of proof)|author=Adam Roman|date=November 1, 2001|accessdate=June 7, 2013|url=http://adam.humanisti.sk/?p=31|language=Slovak|quote=Ludia pravdu iba zistujú a dokazujú (ak sa im to darí). Isteže, pri objavení neocakávanej pravdy je bremeno dôkazu na nich: ked donedávna ani len nevedeli, co je pravda, a teraz to zistili, s radostou to oznámia celému svetu. Vedci k objavenej pravde radi pripoja aj dôkaz, aby im druhí rozumeli (a uverili, lenže to je už druhoradé: ak rozumieme, môžeme verit). Ten, kto novú, doteraz nepoznanú pravdu objavil, ju rád a bez mucenia aj dokáže. ...Z toho všetkého už zacína citatel tušit, kto je povinný pravdu dokazovat: každý, kto ju odhalil, vychádzajúc z predpokladov, ktoré okrem každým overitelných faktov nic a priori nepredpokladali.  ...A máme tu druhé kritérium pre to, kto má znášat bremeno dôkazu: ten, kto tvrdí, že sa deje jedna z mnohých (apriórne rovnako pravdepodobných!) možností. Ak by niekto tvrdil, že mu pri hode kockou vypadne stále císlo šest, tvrdil by, že sa uskutocní iba jedna zo šiestich možností a mal by preto dokázat, preco akurát vypadne jedno císlo a nikdy nie ostatných pät. Pochopili ste? Zúženie možností si vyžaduje dôkaz od toho, kto tvrdí, že k tomu zúženiu dôjde. Ten, kto tvrdí, že môže vypadnút hocaké císlo, nic dokazovat nemusí, lebo jeho tvrdenie nezavrhuje žiadne možnosti. Napríklad Pytagorova veta sa dokazuje preto, lebo tvrdí, že súcet plôch štvorcov nad odvesnami nie je hocaká plocha, ale akurát plocha štvorca nad preponou. Pytagorova veta, ako každé slušné matematické tvrdenie, zužuje apriórne možnosti, a preto sa musí dokázat. Každé pravdivé tvrdenie je zaujímavé práve preto, že zužuje možnosti. Poznávanie sveta stojí na tom, že vieme co nie je možné. Pre malé dieta je možné všetko, svet (rozumného) dospelého je už chudobnejší na možnosti.}} An [[argument]] where ''a priori'' assumptions (cf. "a... must be avoided at all costs... Therefore, we accept ..., and assume that ...") are masquerading as [[proof|evidence]] for making [[conclusion]]s (''"the universe must be pretty much alike everywhere and in all directions"'') is in effect a form of [[circular reasoning]].{{cite book

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Cancel the sequester — now

As stories spread about airline passengers waiting extra hours because of furloughs imposed by the sequester, and as monthly job reports begin to show the jobs-destroying impact of the sequester increasing, it is time to cancel the sequester.

End it. Stop it. Postpone it. Delay it. Best case: Just kill it. Now. 

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) recently claimed credit for the sequester as a major GOP success, and he deserves the greatest blame for the result, but the sequester is the illegitimate child of bipartisan parents including President Obama. 

The sequester fiasco embodies the worst of every major player in official Washington. Obama was eloquent, passionate and brilliant in his oratorical warnings and photo ops warning about the sequester while doing literally nothing to prevent. Listening to the president castigate the sequester and observing how he did nothing to prevent it, one might think someone else serves as president in the Washington he condemns.

Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the minority leader in the Senate, never missing an opportunity to abuse filibusters in the service of obstruction, prevented any good-faith attempt to avoid the sequester. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the majority leader of the Senate, never missing an opportunity to surrender or lose to GOP filibusters, never tried to prevent the sequester after doing nothing between periods of lengthy Senate recesses. Boehner, as usual afraid of conservative Republican members of his conference and wary of his ambitious majority leader, not only did nothing to prevent the sequester but claimed credit for it as a GOP victory! 

Isn't it bottom of the barrel when the sequester tops a list of achievements? The sequester kills jobs while there are too many jobless. The sequester hurts Americans from coast to coast, from damage to mental health programs to furloughs that punish those who fly, from hurting programs that protect America against terrorists to hurting programs that help the neediest among us.

The sequester brings austerity when austerity is the 'king of dumb" policy for a nation with high joblessness and slow growth. At a minimum, the president and Congress should postpone the sequester, with no questions asked and no conditions attached, until economic growth and job creation improve. Even better they should repeal it and kill it and do their jobs as they were elected to do.

Until then, when any politician attacks the sequester, remember that the blame for the sequester may not be equally divided. But to answer the question of who did it, the answer is similar to the ending of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express: Who did it? They all did it.

Shame on them all.

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Law of Excluded Middle

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Presidential Message - Northwest Atlantic Fishery Convention

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For Immediate Release April 22, 2013 Presidential Message - Northwest Atlantic Fishery Convention

TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:

With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Amendment to the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (the "Convention"), adopted on September 28, 2007, at the twenty-ninth Annual Meeting of the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Secretary of State on the Amendment, which includes an article-by-article analysis.

The Amendment serves to bring the Convention in line with modern international fisheries governance, including revisions to its decisionmaking and objection rules and a new comprehensive dispute settlement procedure. The Amendment also reflects changes to the budget contribution scheme that are expected to significantly reduce U.S. annual payments to NAFO. Involved Federal agencies and stakeholders strongly support the proposed changes to the Convention. The strengthened Convention will improve the way NAFO manages the fish stocks under its purview and enforces compliance with the measures it adopts, which in turn will improve the chances that key stocks in the Northwest Atlantic will recover enough to support resumed fishing.

The recommended changes to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention Act of 1995 necessary to implement the Amendment will be submitted separately to the Congress. I therefore recommend that the Senate give favorable consideration to the Amendment to the Convention and give its advice and consent to ratification at the earliest possible date.

BARACK OBAMA

Blog posts on this issue April 22, 2013 6:34 PM EDTCelebrate National Park Week!

National Park Week celebrates and gives back to our country’s great natural and cultural landscapes.

April 22, 2013 5:57 PM EDTYoung Scientists and Innovators Amaze President Obama at the White House Science Fair

100 students from more than 40 states were at the White House for an all-day, hands-on celebration of the power and potential of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

April 20, 2013 1:10 PM EDTWatch Live: 2013 White House Science Fair

President Obama hosts the 3rd Annual White House Science Fair and celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

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NEW DETAILS: President Obama to Host White House Science Fair

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For Immediate Release April 22, 2013 NEW DETAILS: President Obama to Host White House Science Fair

WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, President Obama will host the White House Science Fair and celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. The President will also announce new steps as part of his Educate to Innovate campaign, an all-hands-on-deck effort to get more girls and boys inspired to excel in these key subjects.

“When students excel in math and science, they help America compete for the jobs and industries of the future,” said President Obama. “That’s why I’m proud to celebrate outstanding students at the White House Science Fair, and to announce new steps my Administration and its partners are taking to help more young people succeed in these critical subjects."

The White House Science Fair will feature 100 students from more than 40 states, representing 45 different STEM competitions and organizations that recognize the talents of America’s next generation of scientists, engineers, inventors and innovators. Approximately 30 student teams will have the opportunity to exhibit their projects as part of the Fair. The President will view exhibits of the student work, ranging from breakthrough basic research to new inventions, followed by remarks to an audience of students, science educators and business leaders on the importance of STEM education to the country’s economic future.

The White House Science Fair is a key commitment in the President’s Educate to Innovate campaign to inspire more girls and boys to excel in STEM subjects. As the President has noted, “If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House. Well, if you're a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too.”

New Commitments Being Announced Today to Advance the President’s Educate to Innovate Campaign
New AmeriCorps track focused on STEM Education: Starting this year, and in partnership with leading nonprofits, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) will announce a new dedicated cohort of national service participants, called STEM AmeriCorps. This effort will place national service members in nonprofits that mobilize STEM professionals to inspire young people to excel in STEM education. As a key first step, CNCS will place 50 AmeriCorps VISTA members across the country to build the capacity of FIRST, a nonprofit organization that sponsors robotics competitions and other tech challenges.  As a result of support from the AmeriCorps VISTA members, FIRST will be able to connect more low-income children with FIRST’s exciting competitions. AmeriCorps VISTA will partner with leading non-profits in the Maker Movement to create Maker Spaces in high schools around the country. These investments will lay the foundation for an AmeriCorps competition later this year in which STEM will be a priority, allowing the funding of hundreds of STEM-focused AmeriCorps members across the country. These members will recruit and support thousands of STEM professionals to volunteer in schools and academic programs. To maximize this opportunity, CNCS will pursue partnerships with both the private sector and other Federal agencies.

Multi-year STEM mentoring campaign – US2020 – to get many more companies to commit their science and technology workforce to STEM volunteering:  In response to the President’s call to action, ten leading education non-profits and U.S. technology companies, including Fortune 500 firms SanDisk, Cognizant, and Cisco are launching US2020, an all-hands-on-deck effort to have many more STEM professionals mentor children from kindergarten through college. US2020 aims to make mentoring the new normal in the STEM professions in the same way that pro-bono work is common in the legal profession.  Member companies will work to have 20 percent of their STEM employees engaged in at least 20 hours a year of mentoring or teaching by the year 2020. The long-term goal of US2020 will be to mobilize 1 million STEM mentors annually by the year 2020, creating millions of moments of discovery – those life changing events when children launch rockets, build robots, write a computer program, or look into the farthest reaches of the universe.  Collectively, the founding partners and members of US2020 have already committed more than $2 million in private funds to launch the organization and support STEM mentoring. Partners have also committed to focus on scaling up quality mentoring and reaching many more underserved students – particularly girls and underrepresented minorities.  Over the next year, US2020 will be incubated within the non-profit organization Citizen Schools and will become a stand-alone non-profit entity in 2014. Additional US2020 founding partners and members include Weber Shandwick, AfterCollege, HotChalk, CodeNow, TEALS and the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future.

Summer campaign to give many more students the ability to be “Makers”: This summer, the Maker Education Initiative will launch the first-ever MakerCorps.  These volunteers will give more young people the opportunity to design and build something that is personally meaningfully to them.  In its first year, over 100 MakerCorps members – in 19 states and Washington D.C. —will work work with 34 different partner organizations such as schools, libraries, and science centers.  In addition, Mozilla and the National Writing Project will lead Maker Party 2013: Learn, Connect, Share, a summer long campaign where teachers, technologists and families across the country will join dozens of partner organizations including the NYC Department of Education, Intel, and DIY.org to help young people embrace the maker spirit and learn career building STEM skills. The campaign will launch on June 15 with a Hive Learning Popup, the first of over 1,000 summer learning events planned as part of the Summer of Making and Connecting supported by the MacArthur Foundation.

Math and Science AP Initiative to Expand to 70 High Schools Serving Military Families: As part of the First Lady’s Joining Forces effort, the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), in partnership with Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) and Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA), is leading a campaign to give many more students at public high schools serving a high percentage of military families access to rigorous Advanced Placement (AP) coursework in math and science. NMSI will now expand its Initiative for Military Families this fall to an additional 17 public high schools serving children of military families in eight new states, reaching a total of 70 schools. In the first two years alone, this initiative has led to students from military-impacted schools taking and passing an additional 1,150 AP courses. Corporate, philanthropic and government partners making investments in this initiative include the Department of Defense Education Activity, the Office of Naval Research, BAE Systems, Boeing, ExxonMobil, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.

Time Warner Cable’s “STEM in Sports:” As part of the Educate to Innovate initiative, Time Warner Cable (TWC) has made a $100 million commitment to inspire the next generation by connecting students to highly-engaging after-school STEM activities. As part of its Connect a Million Minds initiative and with partners including New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz, TWC will launch a new effort in May 2013 to get kids and parents excited about STEM by highlighting the role these subjects play in sports. TWC will work with star athletes, including Cruz, motorsports driver Kasey Kahne and golf champion Ian James Poulter.

Continued momentum on the 100Kin10 coalition: Responding to the President’s call to action to prepare 100,000 excellent STEM teachers over the next ten years, more than 150 organizations have now come together in a coalition called 100Kin10. These organizations have made over 150 measurable commitments to increasing the supply of excellent STEM teachers; hiring, developing, and retaining excellent STEM teachers; and building the 100Kin10 movement. With leadership from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the coalition has raised over $30 million from a broad range of foundations and philanthropists under a unique “funding marketplace” model through which funders can choose from a registry of high-quality proposals.  As a next step, 100Kin10 is announcing a new commitment from Chevron, with a leadership pledge of $5 million to invest in partnerships that prepare, retain, develop, and motivate STEM professionals to effectively engage students in engineering design and to support implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards in the classroom. This builds upon contributions by Amgen Corporation, MacArthur Foundation, Noyce Foundation, and Samueli Foundation, among others, who have made commitments in the past year, with the capital campaign closing at the Clinton Global Initiative-America meeting in June 2013.

Next steps in Discovery Communications’ STEM Campaign: As part of Educate to Innovate, Discovery Communications launched a multi-year campaign to get more students excited about STEM, including a dedicated commercial-free educational kids block on the Science Channel, and programming on the “grand challenges” of the 21st century. As a key next step, on May 1st, Discovery is launching a new science-focused series to inspire the next generation of students, “The Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius,” hosted by Kal Penn. On the show, 10 contestants will navigate engineering challenges using design and logic as they compete to see who will be America’s next great innovator.

Additional details on the White House Science Fair
Senior Administration officials and leading STEM communicators, advocates, and educators will also attend the White House Science Fair and meet the students. For a full list of the exhibits that the President will see, as well as more information on all the students, competitions, and organizations being honored, click here.

Senior Administration Officials and Other Attendees
John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy
Nancy Sutley, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality
Francis Collins, Director, National Institutes of Health
Cora Marrett, Director, National Science Foundation
Charles F. Bolden, Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Harold Varmus, Director, National Cancer Institute
Kathryn D. Sullivan, Acting Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Wendy Spencer, Chief Executive Officer, Corporation for National and Community Service
Rosina Bierbaum, Professor, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment and member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

Leading STEM and Media Communicators
Bill Nye, Bill Nye the Science Guy and Executive Director, Planetary Society
Kal Penn, Actor, Producer, Host of upcoming Discovery Channel series The Big Brain Theory: Pure Genius
Victor Cruz, Wide Receiver, New York Giants
Bobak Ferdowsi, Flight Director, Mars Curiosity Rover (aka NASA’s “Mohawk Guy”)
Bill Prady, Writer, Producer, and Co-Creator, The Big Bang Theory
LeVar Burton, Actor, Director, and Producer, Reading Rainbow and Star Trek: The Next Generation

A sampling of the exhibits at the White House Science Fair include:

Lending a hand for a fraction of the cost: After years of tinkering with robotic arms made of Legos and controlled by Nintendo gloves, Easton LaChapelle, 17 of Mancos, Colorado was inspired to take his efforts to the next level when he met a girl with an $80,000 prosthetic arm at a science and engineering festival. With that encounter, he decided that he could find a cheaper way to build a more functional limb at a fraction of the cost. Generating most of the parts through a 3D printer, Easton was able to assemble a fully operational arm at a price of only $250. He is now working on controlling the hand through a headset to further improve its utility for people with limited limb mobility.

Sports-loving grade-schoolers create new product concept to keep athletes cool: Evan Jackson (10), Alec Jackson (8), and Caleb Robinson (8)—all Flippen Elementary School students from McDonough, Georgia—noticed first-hand that dehydration and overheating are common problems on the football field. The students came up with an innovative product concept: COOL PADS for the shoulders, helmet, armpits, and groin that feature temperature sensors and a cooling system to help players maintain safe body temperatures on the field. Evan got his start with science using an at-home science kit and watching YouTube videos of simple experiments; Alec is a Junior Olympic Champion with a penchant for breaking things apart to see what’s inside; and Caleb is an avid reader interested in the mechanics of cars, airplanes, and ice–cream-making machines. The Team’s design is a Grade K – 3 Regional Winner of the 2012 Toshiba and National Science Teachers Association ExploraVision competition.

Using the cloud to combat cancer: A self-described teen who never grew out of the “why” phase, Brittany Wenger, a high school Senior from Sarasota, Florida, recently took home the Grand Prize at the Google Science Fair for developing a computer program that improves cancer detection. Inspired by her cousin’s battle with breast cancer, Brittany spent over 1,000 hours researching and creating the Global Neural Network Cloud Service for Breast Cancer, a service that combines multiple data from a single less invasive procedure to improve cancer detection.  Originally conceived with the goal of helping hospitals to diagnose and treat more women earlier, the service has already run 7.6 million trials, with 99.11 percent sensitivity. Though science has been her passion since first starting a science club in the third grade, Brittany has managed to master other talents as well as a varsity soccer player and mentor to students in her community.

Kid “maker” builds paint-bot with artistic flair: 11-year-old Sylvia Todd—known to many as “Super-Awesome Sylvia”—hails from Auburn, California, and is making the most of being a young maker. Inspired by her first visit to a Maker Faire at age 7, Sylvia quickly learned to solder and started a web show with her father devoted to sharing the fun of “making” with the world. Sylvia had the idea to build a drawing robot that paints with watercolors, and with the help of Evil Mad Scientists Laboratories and lot of hard work, she spent her President’s Week school-vacation turning the idea into reality. Today, Sylvia’s web videos have been viewed millions of times and she is slated to showcase her art ‘bot at the 2013 RoboGames.

Teens design pedal-powered filtration system: High-schoolers Payton Karr and Kiona Elliot, from Oakland Park, Florida, led a team of inventors who designed a collapsible, transportable, bicycle-powered emergency water-sanitation station that filters E. coli and other harmful pathogens from contaminated water. In emergencies, the device can be assembled and disassembled in under an hour, and can produce enough water to hydrate 20 – 30 people during a 15 hour period. Payton, Kiona, and their Northeast High School classmates received a 2012 InvenTeam grant from the Lemelson-MIT Program, which supported their development of the innovative design. Both Payton and Kiona intend to be the first in their families to attend college.

Young inventors design alarm system to save swimmers’ lives: Julie Xu, Spencer Ottarson, and a team of ambitious high-schoolers from Willamston, Michigan, invented the Offshore Rip Current Alert System (ORCA)—a buoy outfitted with a solar-powered flow-meter and alarm system that can alerts swimmers to dangerous conditions in the water. The students, who were selected to be a 2012 Lemelson-MIT program InvenTeam, built the device with the goal of reducing the number of drowning deaths due to rip currents in the Great Lakes. Julie moved to the United States from China in 1999 and plans to study biomedical engineering in college. Spencer is a freshman computer science major at Michigan State University who hopes to harness his entrepreneurial spirit to someday build and run his own software start-up.

High-school “fly boys” launch rockets (and stellar aviation careers): As rocketry-loving students at Wooddale High School’s aviation program in Memphis, Tennessee, Wesley Carter and Darius Hooker trained for private pilot’s licenses and studied rocket science alongside their traditional coursework. Sometimes called “fly boys” by their peers, Wesley and Darius received financial support from their community to travel to Washington for the Team America Rocketry Challenge—which dared competitors to propel eggs to a certain altitude and return them to the ground unbroken in less than a minute. Darius is now earning his aircraft mechanics license at the Tennessee Technology Center and plans to attend college before taking a job with FedEx, and Wesley is studying at Middle Tennessee State University.

 

Girl Scout Troop develops non-pharmaceutical remedy for sleeplessness in senior citizens: When faced with the challenge of alleviating insomnia without complicated drug interactions, The Atomic Flying Pickles, a FIRST Lego League team of 6th grade Girl Scouts hailing from Los Alamos, New Mexico, came up with a novel idea. After reading about a circulating water cooling cap that was used in a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine sleep study, the girls set about creating a cheaper, lighter, and less onerous solution—the cooling headband. Summer Bronson, Catherine Rousculp, and their teammates have already begun to test the model to the great enthusiasm of their subjects. When not helping seniors to rest easy or designing Lego robots, Summer and Catherine both enjoy computer programming and rock climbing.

Young problem solvers make fuel wood-alternative from bio-waste: Jon Kubricki and Bridget Zarych, both 16-year-old students at Pinelands Eco Regional High School in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, are winning team-members of the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. Jon, Bridget, and their teammates designed a low-cost, easy-to-ship mini-press that can turn biomass waste products, such as banana peels, into a viable wood-alternative for cooking. Jon lived the first two years of his life in a Guatemala City orphanage, before moving to New Jersey with his adopted family. He is a football player, wrestler, and fisherman who hopes to pursue a fisheries science degree in college. Bridget is deeply involved in theater arts at school, and says her hero is her Mom.

Multi-heritage city-design team innovates for urban water management: Emily Ocon, Catalina Rincon-Arcila, and Amanda Gonzalez are students at St. Thomas the Apostle School in Miami, Florida, whose city-design, Infinitum X, earned them a Future City National Award for Best Management of Water Resources. The students designed a progressive urban environment that can handle large amounts of storm-water runoff by using green technologies and major roadways as storm-water filtration and transport surfaces. Teamwork and sharing diverse perspectives are important to these students, whose parents come from Colombia, Nicaragua, Italy, and Cuba. Emily, Catalina, and Amanda recently learned that they will receive a student recognition award at an upcoming Association of Cuban Engineers Gala.

Student leader inspires community youths to pursue STEM: Portland, Oregon’s Meghana Rao is a Jesuit High School junior who—in addition to researching the ability of a class of charcoal known as biochar to store carbon—founded and directs a student-run non-profit organization, Portland Junior Scientists (PJS). Her organization connects high school students with underprivileged youths through collaborative hands-on science experiments, with the aim of inspiring all participants to pursue higher education.  Meghana started PJS in 2011, after learning that severe budget cuts where forcing local elementary schools to cut back on science curricula. Through her organization, local students can attend weekly 1-hour afterschool science programs, participate in science fairs, and attend summer science programs. Her hard work helped her earn a 2013 Young Naturalist Award from the American Natural History Museum, and brought PJS a $5,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project and an $11,500 grant from the Case Foundation’s Finding Fearless program.

Small school achieves heavy lift: As the smallest middle school in a field of 57 competitors that were mostly high schools, odds were against the St Vincent de Paul BEST Robotics Team from Theodore, Alabama. Yet their remarkable robot, “Vator” (short for Ele-Vator), which was designed to mimic space elevators by carrying cargo up a 10 foot pole, emerged triumphant, winning a 1st Place Robot Award. For Victoria Fletcher (13), Rush Lyons (14), Thomas Shields (13) and their teammates, the experience of designing a product and marketing it to judges not only reinforced the value of teamwork, but demonstrated the applications that science and math can have on Earth and beyond.

Blog posts on this issue April 22, 2013 6:34 PM EDTCelebrate National Park Week!

National Park Week celebrates and gives back to our country’s great natural and cultural landscapes.

April 22, 2013 5:57 PM EDTYoung Scientists and Innovators Amaze President Obama at the White House Science Fair

100 students from more than 40 states were at the White House for an all-day, hands-on celebration of the power and potential of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

April 20, 2013 1:10 PM EDTWatch Live: 2013 White House Science Fair

President Obama hosts the 3rd Annual White House Science Fair and celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

view all related blog posts ul.related-content li.views-row img {float: left; padding: 5px 10px 0 0;}ul.related-content li.view-all {padding-bottom: 3em;} Stay ConnectedFacebookTwitterFlickrGoogle+YouTubeVimeoiTunesLinkedIn   Home The White House Blog Photos & Videos Photo Galleries Video Performances Live Streams Podcasts Briefing Room Your Weekly Address Speeches & Remarks Press Briefings Statements & Releases White House Schedule Presidential Actions Legislation Nominations & Appointments Disclosures Issues Civil Rights Defense Disabilities Economy Education Energy & Environment Ethics Foreign Policy Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Refinancing Rural Service Seniors & Social Security Snapshots Rural Taxes Technology Urban Policy Veterans Violence Prevention Women The Administration President Barack Obama Vice President Joe Biden First Lady Michelle Obama Dr. Jill Biden The Cabinet White House Staff Executive Office of the President Other Advisory Boards About the White House Inside the White House Presidents First Ladies The Oval Office The Vice President's Residence & Office Eisenhower Executive Office Building Camp David Air Force One White House Fellows White House Internships Tours & Events Mobile Apps Our Government The Executive Branch The Legislative Branch The Judicial Branch The Constitution Federal Agencies & Commissions Elections & Voting State & Local Government Resources En español Accessibility Copyright Information Privacy Policy Contact USA.gov Developers Apply for a Job

View the original article here