ASM/ASME News:
As part of the 14th annual Engineers Week, Discover E (Engineering) is set for 4:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25 in the Los Alamos High School Commons Area. The activity involves an evening of interesting, interactive and fun engineering, science, math and technology demonstrations for K-12 students and their parents or guardians.
The event is co-sponsored by the Los Alamos Chapter of ASM International (a professional society for Metallurgical Engineers and Materials Scientists), the Northern New Mexico Chapter of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Los Alamos High School (LAHS, Kathy Boerigter), and is supported by a variety of groups at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Last year’s Discover E event in Los Alamos was a busy and fun-filled evening for more than 250 participants. There were 32 hands-on, interactive demonstrations provided by 60 adult and 20 student volunteers from ASM, ASME, American Nuclear Society – Trinity Section, LAHS (Key Club & National Honor Society), UNM-Los Alamos, Supercomputing Challenge, Girl Scouts (Troops 116 & 10026 and New Mexico Trails Council), Boy Scouts (Troops 22 & 122), Science Education Solutions (Café Scientifique), Mathamuseum, Pajarito Environmental Education Center, Big Sky Learning, Los Alamos Senior Center Volunteers, various groups at LANL and other volunteers.
Favorite activities last year included numerous investigations of basic engineering, science, technology and math principles including blood typing, bridges, casting, crystal structures, electrical circuits, forensic science, liquid nitrogen ice cream, magnetic effects, materials properties, math puzzles, optical illusions, radiation, reverse engineering, robots, three-dimensional printing, effects of a vacuum, vacuum cannon, x-rays in 3D, and energy and water conservation.
Discover E, held during National Engineers Week, was founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers to bring to public attention the work and contributions of our nation’s engineers. It is usually celebrated near George Washington’s birthday, as our nation’s first President was a military engineer and land surveyor. Since 1951, U.S. Presidents have sent special messages of appreciation to the engineering profession in recognition of the week.
At its beginning, National Engineers Week included a few scattered government proclamations, dinners, and speeches. It has since grown to involve tens of thousands of engineers in a variety of community outreach activities including Introduce a Girl to Engineering day on Thursday of National Engineers week. For more information about engineers and Discover E, visit www.discovere.org.
For more information about the local Discover E event, contact Dr. Beverly Aikin at bevaikin@lanl.gov.