WEBVTT

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[dramatic percussion music]

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>> HEY, THERE.
WELCOME TO "NASA LAUNCHPAD."

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I'M YOUR HOST,
AMBER WHALEN.

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EVER WISH YOUR TEACHER COULD
JUST GET OUT OF TOWN FOR A WEEK?

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I KNOW I DID.

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WELL, YOU KNOW,
THERE ARE ALL KINDS

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OF WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES

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AND THINGS THAT
YOU CAN SUGGEST TO THEM.

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BUT WHAT ABOUT ONE THAT CAN
REALLY HELP THEM

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UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT
WHAT SCIENTISTS DO DAY TO DAY?

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WELL, HERE'S ONE
FOR YOU TO MENTION:

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THE HISTORY OF WINTER,
IN LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK.

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AND GUESS WHAT;
IT'S SPONSORED BY NASA.

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HERE'S PEGGY MAHER,
AEROSPACE EDUCATION SPECIALIST,

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TELLING US MORE ABOUT
HISTORY OF WINTER, OR H.O.W.

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>> THE HISTORY OF WINTER PROJECT
IS A WORKSHOP

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AND FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES
THAT ARE WEB-BASED

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THAT REALLY INTENDS
TO INTRODUCE TEACHERS

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TO THE SCIENCE BEHIND
THE STUDY OF SNOW AND ICE

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AND DO IT AS SCIENTISTS
RATHER THAN AS TEACHERS

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SO THAT THEY HAVE A CHANCE
TO DO SOME AUTHENTIC SCIENCE

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AND TO SHARE THAT
WITH THEIR STUDENTS,

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NOT JUST IN THE STUDY
OF SNOW AND ICE

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BUT IN KIND OF EVERY ASPECT
OF WHAT THEY'RE TEACHING.

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I HOPE THEY GET A CHANCE
TO MAYBE STEP AWAY

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FROM BEING A TEACHER
FOR A LITTLE WHILE

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AND TO BE A SCIENTIST INSTEAD.

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>> SCIENTIST.

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YOU KNOW, IN A LOT OF CASES,
YOUR TEACHERS

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DON'T GET TO SPEND A WHOLE LOT
OF TIME BEING SCIENTISTS.

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THEY GO RIGHT FROM BEING TOLD

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WHAT TO DO IN THEIR LABS
IN COLLEGE

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TO TELLING YOU WHAT TO DO
IN YOUR LABS.

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NOT A LOT OF TIME IN BETWEEN
FOR THEIR OWN RESEARCH.

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BUT AT H.O.W., PARTICIPANTS
GET TO DO ALL KINDS OF RESEARCH,

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LIKE MEASURING DENSITIES OF SNOW
IN SNOW PITS,

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BUBBLE LAYERS IN ICE,

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DIAGRAMMING SNOWFLAKES,

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EVEN FIND OUT ABOUT THE SCIENCE
BEHIND ICE-CLIMBING.

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BUT HOLD ON.

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WHY DOES NASA CARE
ABOUT ALL THIS SNOW AND ICE?

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WELL, IT TURNS OUT THAT THE SNOW
AND ICE ARE PART OF SOMETHING

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SCIENTISTS CALL THE CRYOSPHERE.

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THE TERM "CRYOSPHERE"
DESCRIBES ALL THE PARTS OF EARTH

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WHERE WATER IS FOUND
IN SOLID FORM.

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THAT INCLUDES SEA ICE,
RIVER ICE, SNOW GLACIERS,

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AND ICE SHEETS.

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EVEN THE FROZEN GROUND
IN PERMAFROST AREAS

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ARE PART OF THE CRYOSPHERE.

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AND THE CRYOSPHERE
IS AN IMPORTANT PART

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OF EARTH'S
GLOBAL CLIMATE SYSTEM.

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HERE'S PEGGY AGAIN TO EXPLAIN.

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>> WELL, NASA DOES
A LOT OF EARTH SCIENCE,

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AND GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER,
WHERE I WORK,

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ACTUALLY HAS MORE
EARTH SCIENTISTS

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THAN ANY PLACE IN THE WORLD,
ALL IN ONE SPOT.

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SO WE HAVE
THE EARTH-OBSERVING MISSIONS,

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INCLUDING MISSIONS
THAT STUDY SNOW AND ICE.

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WE HAVE A SATELLITE
CALLED ICE SAT

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THAT JUST STUDIES SNOW AND ICE,

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AND WE HAVE INSTRUMENTS
ON OTHER SATELLITES

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THAT STUDY ICE
ALONG WITH SNOW COVER

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AND THAT KIND OF THING,

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ALONG WITH OTHER KINDS
OF TERRAIN.

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SO NASA'S VERY INTERESTED
IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE EARTH.

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NASA'S NOT JUST ABOUT
MANNED SPACE FLIGHT.

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WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER SCIENCE
GOING ON.

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>> AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
TO NASA TO INCLUDE TEACHERS?

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HERE'S DR. PETER WASILEWSKI,
ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF H.O.W.

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>> THE FUTURE
OF THE NASA WORKFORCE

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DEPENDS ON, YOU KNOW,
VERY CLEVER, INNOVATIVE KIDS

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GROWING UP
INTO FIRST-CLASS SCIENTISTS.

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AND I THINK THAT
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE

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IN THE NASA ORGANIZATION,

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ALL THE WAY UP AND DOWN
THE STRUCTURE,

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THAT LOOK ON--

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AND THERE'S--THEY'RE VERY STRONG
EMPHASIS ON S.T.E.M. EDUCATION.

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>> WONDER WHAT PETER MEANS
WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT S.T.E.M.?

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IN THIS CONTEXT,
S.T.E.M. IDENTIFIES

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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,
ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS.

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AND NOT JUST THESE TOPICS
STANDING ALONE.

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IT REALLY LOOKS AT HOW SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING,

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AND MATHEMATICS
RELATE TO EACH OTHER

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AND ARE CONNECTED
TO SOLVE PROBLEMS.

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WITH ALL THE HIGH-TECH
EXPLORATION NASA DOES,

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IT'S NO WONDER THEY WANT
STUDENTS WITH THE BEST IDEAS

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AND A GREAT S.T.E.M. BACKGROUND
TO COME TO WORK AT NASA.

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THE TEACHERS AT H.O.W.
ARE TRAINED

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TO THINK AND ACT
LIKE SCIENTISTS.

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AND THEN THEY RETURN
TO THEIR CLASSROOMS

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TO TEACH THEIR STUDENTS
TO DO THE SAME.

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THESE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
HELP NASA AND OTHERS

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LOOK MORE CAREFULLY AT SNOW
AND LOG THEIR OBSERVATIONS.

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TEACHERS, STUDENTS,
AND CITIZEN SCIENTISTS

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ALL HELP GATHER
SETS OF GLOBAL DATA

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THAT HELP SCIENTISTS LEARN
ABOUT THE DYNAMICS

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OF OUR ATMOSPHERE

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AND HELP THEM PREDICT
CLIMATE CHANGES.

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UNIQUE PATTERNS OF SNOWFLAKES
CAN ACTUALLY HELP METEOROLOGISTS

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TRACK A STORM'S MOVEMENT.

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BUT, STUDYING SNOW?

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THAT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD.

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AT LEAST, IF YOU LIVE IN AN AREA
THAT GETS SNOW REGULARLY.

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WHAT IF YOU'RE DOWN IN FLORIDA
OR NEW ORLEANS OR ARIZONA

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OR SOMEWHERE
THAT'S NOT FRIGID IN THE WINTER?

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WHAT DO YOU CARE
ABOUT ALL THE SNOW AND ICE?

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>> WE PRACTICE
THE HISTORY OF WINTER

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IN LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK,

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BUT THE SAME PRINCIPLES
CAN BE APPLIED TO ANYWHERE.

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AND IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER:
THE BASIC CONCEPTS,

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THE BASIC TOOLS,
THE BASIC ATTITUDE,

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YOU KNOW, GEOLOGIC HISTORY,

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HISTORY OF WINTER,
SAME BASIC PRINCIPLES.

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ALL WE'RE DOING IS USING
DIFFERENT TOOLS

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BUT ASKING
THE SAME BASIC QUESTIONS.

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NOW, THESE SAME BASIC IDEAS
AND THE SAME ATTITUDES

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CAN BE APPLIED TO SPRING,
FALL, SUMMER.

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JUST A DIFFERENT APPROACH.

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EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT A SCIENTIST,

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ULTIMATELY, IT MAKES YOU
A BETTER DISCERNING CITIZEN,

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AND WE NEED A LOT MORE OF THOSE.

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>> OKAY, I GET IT.

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SCIENTIFIC STUDIES
HELP US THINK CRITICALLY.

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AND PRACTICING
SCIENTIFIC PROCEDURES

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HELPS US TO APPLY WHAT WE KNOW
IN NEW SITUATIONS.

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WHAT WE LEARN ABOUT ICE
HERE ON EARTH

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COULD BE APPLIED IN ICE ON,
SAY, MARS OR ENCELADUS.

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AND, HEY,
EVEN THOUGH EXPERTS SAY

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THAT THE AMOUNT
OF NEW TECHNICAL INFORMATION

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IS NOW DOUBLING
EVERY TWO YEARS,

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THOSE SCIENTIFIC SKILLS AREN'T.

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SO REMEMBER:
THAT'S THE HISTORY OF WINTER.

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MENTION IT TO YOUR TEACHERS.

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IT MIGHT GET THEM
OUT OF THE CLASSROOM FOR A WEEK

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AND HELP THEM BECOME
BETTER TEACHERS

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AND HELP MAKE YOU
A BETTER STUDENT.

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SO IT'S A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYBODY.

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OH, AND IF YOU
DON'T LIKE YOUR TEACHER,

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HEY, IT GETS REALLY COLD
UP THERE.

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JUST SAYING.

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WELL, THAT'S IT FOR NOW.
THANKS FOR WATCHING.

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I'M AMBER WHALEN,
AND WE'LL CATCH YOU NEXT TIME

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ON "NASA LAUNCHPAD."