space odyssey
07.03.14 volunteer update
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Trainings and Meetings
Storytelling with Uniview
Space Science Lectures & Events
Museum News and Lectures
Volunteer Enrichment Committee (VEC) Events
space odyssey news
HELP NEEDED: JULY 23rd NEW MEMBER NIGHT
Space O is open this night as well as the whole museum. We will need Telescope help as well as help in the exhibit. If you've never done one of these evening events, they are a blast. Briefing will be at 5 PM and includes dinner. The event starts at 6 and goes till about 9 PM. Please let me know if you'd like to help out, thank you!
DMNS VENUS WINDS PROJECT IS SEEKING NEW TEAM MEMBERS
The Venus Project analyzes infrared cloud images of Venus to try and determine atmospheric circulation patterns. They meet twice a month at DMNS to share their data as well as conducting their own research from home, which takes about 2- 6 hours/week. Their goal is also to one day share their findings of this cutting-edge research with the greater scientific community. If you're interested in joining them, please let me know and I'll get you more information. They're a great group of folks to work with by the way. Click here to read the position description.
THE MARS ROVER...LIVES!
Dimitri Klebe, our Space Science Content Specialist and tinkerer extraordinaire, along with Phil Gold (Wed PM volunteer) and an as yet unnamed diligent teen computer wiz, have been hard at work trying to resurrect the Mars Rover that used to crawl furtively in the diorama. From recent reports by Dimitri himself, the project has been going well and at our Space Odyssey Core Team meeting next Monday, we'll preview the reborn robot to see how well it's doing. Dimitri and Co. have worked to solve a few of the major problems, especially switching to stepper motors that are far easier to control and more energy efficient. So, we'll see what happens and I'll keep you apprised.
BUSINESS CARDS
New order has arrived, we're restocked.
MARS XBOX
This game has returned after being used for the teen program last Thursday night and appears to be working as it should, enjoy!
DELTA IV UPDATE
The Delta IV Heavy model hanging from the ceiling on the West side of the exhibit near the entrance to the West Atrium has a new sign to identify it and explain what it is. Thanks to Exhibits for finalizing this.
ONLINE MAGAZINE REPORTS ON KSC HAPPENINGS
Thanks to Jim Nelson, Sunday PM, for passing this along: "For those who don't know it there is an excellent (and free) magazine published by the Kennedy Space Center called Spaceport. The new issue just came out and you can take a look at it here (and see back issues):
Its a must for anyone interested in Space and KSC."
SPACE SCREEN: NEW PROGRAM SLOTS
Thanks to Wendy in Tech, we now have extra program slots accessible on the Space Screen AMX panel to have custom slideshows about various topics that you will be able to access via a few touches of buttons. Marta Lindsay et al in the Newsroom are working on creating new content for these slideshows. For example, there could be a show about Mars that you could access and facilitate for the public. Stay tuned for more info.
GRAVITY WELL COMPUTER
Status quo...This computer has a fried hard drive so Dimitri will be getting it sorted out. Not sure when it'll be finished. Thanks to all of you who are doing the demo in a modified fashion.
EXPERIMENT BAR UPDATE
Thanks to Exhibits and Dave C. the Olympus Mons model is back and we're waiting on the Valles Marineris laminates to be finished.
SCFD COMMUNITY FREE DAYS
As part of the Museum's agreement to receive funds from SCFD, which account for a significant portion of the Museum's operating budget, the Museum offers "community free days" throughout the year to allow those who can't afford admission the privilege to visit DMNS. Below are the dates for the 2014 free days.
The Museum is offering 12 Community Free Days in 2014, made possible by the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District. For more information, click here.
- Sunday, July 20
- Monday, September 8
- Sunday, September 28
- Monday, October 27
- Monday, December 1
trainings and meetings
JULY SOS USER GROUP MEETING
Monday July 14th
5:30 to 7:30
Galaxy Stage/SOS
RSVP to Dave Blumenstock
Food and Drink provided
storytelling with uniview
by Dr. Ka Chun Yu, PhD Curator of Space Science DMNS
Ka Chun is not able to send in a new column for the next few weeks, but you can read all of Ka Chun's previous columns on the Portal Training page under Storytelling with Uniview:
NOTE: If you're having issues viewing this column in Firefox, try using Safari or Explorer as those seem to show the column in the best quality. I'm not sure about Chrome.
space science lectures & events
SCIENCE ON A SPHERE "SPHERECAST"
"A Tale of Three Planets"
Friday August 1st
1:30-2 PM
SOS in Space Odyssey
Please join us for this program featuring our very own Eddie Goldstein as we conduct our first ever live "spherecast" from DMNS. We'll be broadcasting this to the Space Foundation science center in Colorado Springs and possibly to other institutions as well.
60 MINUTES IN SPACE
Go "behind the stories" in space science using the best images and animation available to help understand new developments. Seating is limited to first come, first served. Please use the Evening entrance on the west side of the Museum.The next 60 Minutes in Space will be on Wednesday,August 27.
Location:
Gates Planetarium
Date/Time:
Wednesday, July 30, 7 p.m.
Tickets:
FREE
SCIENCE LOUNGE: ALIENS AND EXOPLANETS
Are we alone? The search is on for Goldilocks planets, where conditions are just right for the possibility of life. Discover what it takes to sustain life, create an alien, and explore the night sky through telescopes on the Nature Plaza.Date/Time:
Thursday, August 21, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Ages:
21+
Tickets:
$10 member, $12 nonmember
2014 SCI-FI FILM FESTIVAL STARTS JULY 9th
This is a collaboration between DMNS and the Denver Film Society and features several notable sci-fi films with commentary by DMNS curators and Film Society staff/collaborators. Click below for more info:
RESERVATION INFO
Volunteers have the opportunity to attend most After Hours programs priced at the $8 member/ $10 nonmember rate for free on a space-available basis! Volunteers always receive the member rate for all other Adult Programs. As of May 12, please call Guest Services at 303.370.6000 to make a reservation. Guest Services is open daily, 9:00 - 5:00 p.m. Admission to 60 Minutes in Space is free and is on a first come, first seated basis.
On the evening of the program, please enter through the same entrance as our guests and pick up your ticket from the will-call cashier. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm for Adult Programs!
museum news
MUSEUM GROUP "SKIRTS IN SCIENCE" POSTS YOU TUBE CHANNEL
The museum-sponsored group Skirts in Science is dedicated to promoting and supporting women in science. And they recently created their own YouTube channel at
Their video series, called "Skirts in Science Presents" is a series of conversations between real women who are involved in science-related careers. The first two videos are now posted:
"Searching for Life on Earth and Life Out There" with DMNS paleontologist, Carol Lucking, talking with Space Science departmental associate and astrobiologist, Julia DeMarines
And
"Spiders in Space without Ziggy Stardust" - a conversation between Dr. Paula Cushing, our resident arachnologist, and her colleague Stephanie Countryman from BioServe Space Technologies talking about sending life history experiments to the International Space Station.
Please feel free to pass on the link, tell your friends, paste the station on your Facebook page, subscribe to the Skirts in Science YouTube channel! This is one of the few YouTube science-related stations with women involved in science-related careers talking about those careers in a fun and engaging way. More than anything, pass on this link to young women you know who are keen on science. Thanks!
COLLECTIONS ON THE MOVE TO THE NEW STORAGE FACILITY
The Research & Collections Division is very happy to announce that you will soon be seeing collections moving into the Rocky Mountain Science Collections Center! This is a very important moment in the history of the Museum and in the stewardship of collections.
Archives will get started the week of July 7 with Zoology, Anthropology, and Paleontology to follow later in the summer. We will engage the public and the media with this important news sometime in the fall.
Fun Facts:
- ·The Rocky Mountain Science Collections Center is a state-of-the-art facility devoted to preserving the Museum's nearly 1.5 million artifacts and specimens that are currently in 49 locations in the old building.
- ·The Museum has a public trust responsibility to acquire, preserve, and use collections following best practices of the museum industry.
- ·The Museum actively engages, often using its many artifacts and specimens, in scientific research spanning anthropology, zoology, paleontology, astronomy, and health science.
- ·Ultimately, the Museum's collections represent not so much a heritage of the past, but a heritage for the future-a library of nature and culture that will help us navigate a sustainable path forward.
Volunteers have the opportunity to attend most After Hours programs priced at the $8 member/ $10 nonmember rate for free on a space-available basis! Volunteers always receive the member rate for all other Adult Programs. As of May 12, please call Guest Services at 303.370.6000 to make a reservation. Guest Services is open daily, 9:00 - 5:00 p.m. Admission to 60 Minutes in Space is free and is on a first come, first seated basis.
On the evening of the program, please enter through the same entrance as our guests and pick up your ticket from the will-call cashier. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm for Adult Programs!
Click here for Evening Lectures
Click here for Museum IMAX information
Click here for Museum Planetarium Information
Click here to learn about the new Discovery Zone opening June 2014
volunteer enrichment committee
Click here for more information about VEC events:
Or see the bulletin board in the Volunteer Lounge for more info.
DaveBlumenstock
Coordinator of Volunteers for Space Science
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Phone 303.370.8344
Fax 303.370.6005
Join the Museum's Online Community