BALTIMORE — Making history is becoming a habit during the 2012 baseball season.

Were little more than a month into it and weve seen both a perfect game and one so imperfect that it ended with two position players as the pitchers of record Sunday in Boston. So, why should anyone be surprised that Texas Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton slammed four home runs Tuesday night at Oriole Park to etch his name into the record books.

Hamilton, whose story of drug addiction and redemption is the stuff of sermons and script writers, hit two home runs off Orioles starter Jake Arrieta, one off newly arrived reliever Zach Phillips and one off side-armer Darren ODay to become the 16th player in major league history to go deep four times in a game and only the second to do it against the Orioles.

The only other time it happened here was June 10, 1959, when Rocky Colavito cleared the fences four times at Memorial Stadium.

If youre looking to tie all this together, consider that Colavito also was the last American League position player to record a victory before Orioles designated hitter Chris Davis pitched two scoreless innings Sunday to out-duel Boston Red Sox outfielder Darnell McDonald in extra innings.

Of course, Hamilton has tied his life together after nearly throwing it away, and that wasnt lost on him as he recounted the greatest single game of his career through the prism of his troubled and inspiring personal journey.

When you think about what God has done in my life and everything I did to mess it up, he said, and to finally surrender everything and ask him for help and to pursue that relationship with Christ on a daily basis, and understanding that when I dont pursue it I end up messing up. Its got to be the forefront of my recovery and the forefront of being a good dad, a husband, a good teammate, so thats what I focus on. Knowing that I play for an audience of one — Jesus Christ.

Hamilton rolled up 18 total bases to set an AL record because he doubled in his other at-bat, which apparently was just to show he isnt really Superman. The major league record is held by Shawn Green, who had 19 total bases in his four-homer game for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002.

The special nature of Hamiltons performance was not lost on the sparse crowd of 11,263, which gave him a long ovation as he trotted around the bases and arrived at the Rangers dugout to hugs from his coaches and teammates. The evening, however, did not start out as a lovefest, but the fans warmed up to him with each big fly.

As the game was going on, I was getting worn out less and less in the outfield, he said, and I get worn out here in Baltimore. And when I came out after the fourth one, the crowd appreciation lets you know they are true baseball fans. They are not only fans of their own team, but they love the game and appreciate it when somebody does something of that caliber. Its just a special feeling running out in an opposing stadium and the crowd just appreciates how you play the game and what youve done.

What a moment for a guy who has been through so much. Hamiltons struggles with substance abuse put him on baseballs restricted list for three years (2003-2005) after he was chosen as the first overall pick by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the June 1999 draft. He played again briefly in the minor leagues for the Devil Rays in 2006 before being taken in the Rule 5 draft by the Chicago Cubs and immediately traded to the Cincinnati Reds, with whom he played one injury-marred season before being dealt to the Rangers.

His career took off in Texas, where he had 32 homers and 130 RBIs in 2008 and reeled off four straight All-Star appearances, but his career with the Rangers has not been without controversy. He has had multiple alcohol-related relapses as he continues his battle against addiction, though he has handled each incident openly and garnered tremendous public support in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Hamilton already was leading the AL with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs before Tuesday nights homerfest. He came out of the game leading the major leagues with 13 homers and 36 RBIs.

In a strange twist, not only were all four home runs two-run shots, but all four of them came with the same player — Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus — on base.

What a start to this intriguing season, which also has witnessed Philip Humbers perfect game for the Chicago White Sox and Jered Weavers no-hitter for the Los Angeles Angels. What an eventful start to the season for the Orioles, who apparently havent recovered from Sundays crazy 17-inning victory at Fenway Park.

Makes you wonder whats going to happen next.

Im the kind of gamer who gets sucked into the ideas of what a game could be. Too often, though, Ive found myself disappointed in what actually gets put into the disk drive. Im partially to blame, of course. Ive allowed marketing language, carefully crafted screenshots and fancy cinematic trailers to cloud my vision. Im trying to be better about that; to cut through the fanciful promises and get a feel for what the final product will really look like.

Ive been a good boy. Ive let others cover Diablo III not because I was disinterested, but because I knew that if I allowed myself to learn one thing, I would want to know all the things. Hello, my name is Mike and Im a hype addict, but Im in recovery.

I finally cracked this weekend, bathing in the flood of information that will bubble inside me for the next week. Ive picked my starting class, immersed myself in Flint Dilles wonderful Book of Cain and made sure that my Battle.net Authenticator is linked to my phone. Im confident that after watching the user-generated videos on YouTube, and reading the in-depth material issued by Blizzard that what Im seeing is close to reality. Thats also because its Blizzard. They tend to hold information until they are sure its an accurate representation of what players will experience. Their development dictates the release schedule, and not the other way around. Theyve earned their credibility.

If only more developers and publishers followed that path.

Life has been a bit easier in this regard since I became a journalist. Im fortunate, because Ive had a lot of opportunities to sample games in advance of their release, and it helps temper enthusiasm with reality. Most gamers arent that lucky, though, having to rely on the promises of developers and publishers to determine what a game really will be when it ships. Lately, it seems, the practice of over promising has led to good games receiving significant fan backlash. Quite frankly, its about time.

This isnt a new phenomenon by any stretch of the imagination. Peter Molyneux has been a perpetrator of the overpromise/underdeliver approach since Fable was announced for the Xbox. I remember hearing about trees that will grow naturally from seeds over time, quests that would be time-limited because of other Heroes in the world, a sidekick feature and an aging process that would feel organic. The hype for the game festered and mutated until its release. To say that Fable was a bad game would be an egregious lie. It was quite enjoyable and innovated in some ways, but the lingering thoughts in so many gamers minds about missing features tarnished the experience. That kind of thing, especially after becoming a pattern with Fable II and Fable III, leads to resentment. It doesnt help people on either side of the purchase decision.

More recently, EA and BioWare have come under fire from fans over promises made about the Mass Effect series epic conclusion. The uproar became so intense that a movement was formed, FTC complaints filed and cupcakes mailed. OK maybe that last one doesnt seem like punishment. Still, what was, by most accounts, considered a good (if not great) game was ruined for so many because of what it was promised to be. Had EA and BioWare tempered expectations with realistic promotion of the game (even if you consider most of what developers said to be puffery), things may have turned out differently. Would people have been disappointed? Very likely. Would they have felt that they were lied to? Probably not. I have to wonder how many angry Mass Effect fans were responsible for EA walking away with the not-so-coveted Consumerist Worst Company in America Award.

This is the difference between excitement and hype. The former is generated through careful distribution of factual information about a game. The details are doled out when they are almost assured of being represented in the final product. Most importantly, excitement benefits everyone. Developers and publishers cultivate an eager player base that is ready to drop their money at the register at day one for this product and the next one.

Hype, though, is the dark side. Often, this results from premature (whether accidental or planned) sharing of information from the design phase of a title. Sure, some of the described features might make it into the finished product in some form, but theres no guarantee. If the Mass Effect 3 debacle taught us anything, its that gamers are ready, willing and able to hold developers and publishers accountable for their promises. No matter what ends up happening with the expanded ending BioWare has planned for Shepards story, there are gamers that will never trust them again. The reminder of choices A, B and C will stick with them forever.

I dont like the hype machine, but I get it. Its a crowded market, and games cost a tidy sum to make, especially AAA titles. During the holiday season, publishers and developers need to go out of their way to make their games stand out from the pack. Does that make it acceptable, though? Just ask the members of Retake Mass Effect and youll have your answer.

As independent games grow as a segment of the market, as more and more choices emerge and as titles become more expensive, cultivating a loyal following will be more important than ever. Publishers and developers need to respect the gaming community. Were getting older. Were getting smarter. Were getting louder.

The companies that view each title as another step in a life-long relationship with consumers are the ones that will survive in perpetuity. Those looking for a quick buck, though, might find themselves with not a tear shed when the doors close permanently.

Michael Futter is the Managing Editor of @RipTen. You can follow him on Twitter @mmmfutter.

CLEVELAND — NASAs Glenn Research Center will share in the excitement of inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers during Space Fest 2012, hosted by the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio on May 11-12.

NASA astronauts Gregory H. Johnson, Mark N. Brown and Guion S. Bluford will speak at the event about their experiences in space, sign autographs and take photos with visitors. The presentations will take place in the museums Carney Auditorium.

Glenns associate director for External Programs, current astronaut, retired colonel in the US Air Force, Gregory H. Johnson will share his experiences as pilot astronaut on two space shuttle missions STS-123 in 2008 and STS-134 in 2011. His multimedia presentation will focus on stories and examples of what it is actually like to train for, launch, pilot and land the space shuttle. Johnson also will discuss NASA careers, including how to become an astronaut, and the opportunities available to students who pursue science, technology, engineering and math studies.

Johnsons presentation will be given to preregistered school groups in grades 5-8 on Friday, May 11 at 10:15 am

At 8:15 pm on Friday, May 11, former astronaut Mark N. Brown will present The History of Human Spaceflight followed by questions and answers and an autograph session. Brown became a NASA astronaut in 1985. He flew as a mission specialist on STS-28 in 1989 and STS-48 in 1991. Brown retired from NASA in 1993.

On Saturday, May 12 at 10 am, NASA astronaut Gregory H. Johnson will speak to guests about NASAs space program. Following his presentation Johnson will receive questions and sign autographs.

Former NASA astronaut Guion S. Bluford will also present to guests on Saturday, May 12 at 1:30 pm Bluford became a NASA astronaut in 1979. He flew as a mission specialist on STS-8 in 1983, STS-61-A in 1985, STS-39 in 1991 and STS-53 in 1992. Bluford retired from NASA in 1993 with over 688 hours logged in space.

In addition, families attending Space Fest 2012 will be able to stop by the NASA exhibit booth and participate in hands-on educational activities, interactive demonstrations and talk with Glenn employees about NASAs missions and educational opportunities. The booth will be open from 9 am to 3 pm throughout the event.

Demonstrations include: learning how NASA simulates the environment of space inside a vacuum chamber, constructing a foam rocket, making a handheld Hubble Space Telescope to view Hubble imagery and assembling an end effector, the device at the end of a robotic arm that interacts with the environment.

Also available will be the popular Picture Yourself in Space photo booth, where visitors can have a free souvenir photo taken as an astronaut and free NASA educational material.

NASA uses the excitement of its missions and programs to inspire students and serve as a catalyst for encouraging studies in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. The agency continues its tradition of investing in the nations education programs and supporting the countrys educators who play a key role in preparing and inspiring the young minds of today to become the workforce of tomorrow.

For information about NASAs Glenn Research Center, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/glenn

For more information NASAs educational program, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/education

For more information on the Space Fest event, please contact the museums Education Division at (937) 255-4646, or visit: http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/education/educators/spaceday/index.asp

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.

After a long snow chocked winter the 33rd Kenai Peninsula Builders Assoc. (KPBA) Home Show was enthusiastically greeted by thousands of visitors last week at the Soldotna Sports Center. According to KPBA executive officer Cindy Rombach attendance was extremely strong this year, The show was a great success for all involved, we had positive feedback from vendors, and a real high energy crowd. The show has evolved into a community event, and KPBA was happy to see the high number of families in attendance, she said.

For many the turn out and energy level at the Home Show is a good indicator of economic growth for the Peninsula in the coming year a trend that Rick Abbott, Spenard Builders Supply(SBS) manager, sees as a positive indicator, Of course the prophet Paul Moses has retired and his methodology was truly gifted, but the weather has been our dictator so far this year, but now that spring is upon us we can safely say were going to have a good year this summer with a lot of re-models as well as new construction being spurred by the activity in the oil and gas industry out north, said Abbott. SBS has been the co-sponsor of the show along with the KPBA since its inception in 1979 and this year was proud to have their booth judged Best in Show. We featured a lot of new products this year in metal, cement siding has taken another new turn and there a many new roofing products on the market. We had a colorful show this year and it was a lot of fun. Im seeing the next generation coming to SBS now to build their dreams and thats a lot fun as well said Abbott, reflecting on this years Home Show theme, Building Dreams to Reality.

Hundreds of door prizes were given away throughout the weekend to help folks get a start on building their dreams. According to Nichole Smith of Southcentral Title Agency, KPBA secretary the $500 cash giveaway sponsored by Homer Electric Association was won by Jan Gauthier. The gas grill sponsored by Southcentral Title was won by Duke Green of Soldotna; the mountain bike sponsored by Stewart Title was won by Jonathan Pedginski of Soldotna, and the KPBA garden shed raffle prize was won by Brian Gauthier of Kenai. For the first time in show history, two main prize winners were of the same family, mother and son, what are the odds of that, they have to be one lucky family, said Smith.

Vendors and builders reported high interest in building and remodeling products with a lot of great questions being asked about production information. The Parade of Homes entries by Hall Quality Builders, Byler Contracting, and Cornerstone Custom Homes and Designs were reported well attended by the community, KPBA is already planning for and looking forward to our 34th Annual show! And we truly appreciate the great turn out and show of support by everyone who attended this year, added Rombach. KPBA is a non-profit trade organization affiliated with the Alaska State Home Builders Assoc. and the National Assoc. of Home Builders. The goal of this organization at all levels is to provide safe, affordable housing this is well designed and well constructed for all Americans.

EXCITEMENT is gathering in Cheltenham after the announcement that rapper Labrinth will be coming to the town with the Olympic torch.

But along with the star, who brought Let the Sun Shine and Pass Out to the charts, plenty of local talent and culture will be on display as part of the celebrations.

A FIREBALL meteor streaking across the sky caused this spectacular image as it passed a Global Rainbow laser display on Tyneside at the weekend.

The meteor provoked a frenzy of excitement, with some astronomers saying they would never forget the sighting.

Witnesses reported seeing a large fireball travelling from northern Scotland to southern England at about 9:40pm on Saturday.

A spokesman for Strathclyde Police said the force had been inundated with calls about a bright object in the sky, and the Grampian force said reports of people seeing a “flare or a bright object with a tail” were received from across the region.

Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary said numerous calls were made about a “large ball of fire in the sky” across Annandale and Eskdale, and Lothian and Borders Police received “quite a lot” of calls.

Gary Fildes, director at Kielder Observatory in Northumberland said he was with a group of people who went “absolutely mental” when they saw the meteor and asked him if it was “going to end life on Earth”.

The Met Office tweeted: “Hi all, for anyone seeing something in the night sky, we believe it was a meteorite.”

Mr Fildes was hosting a seminar on the Northern Lights for 40 people, when they spotted the fireball and watched it for 30 to 40 seconds. “We got an incredible view. It was phenomenal,” he said.

Mr Fildes, an astronomer for 30 years, added: “I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.” He described the experience as “one I’ll never forget as long as I live”, but said it would be difficult to determine where it came from.

Adrian West, of Meteorwatch, said he spotted the meteor in Berkshire and believed it could have gone down in the English Channel or the Bay of Biscay.

“It had a very bright orange nucleus and a green tail,” he said.

Meteors are particles from space that burn up in a streak of light as they enter the Earth’s atmosphere, whereas meteorites are larger objects that survive the trip and reach the surface of the Earth.

Dr David Whitehouse, an author and astronomer, said: “Judging by its brightness, it may have been large enough to survive and hit the ground, but until people work out its trajectory we won’t have any idea where it might have come down.”

Dr Whitehouse said the object was about the size of a fist and had “probably come from somewhere between Mars and Jupiter and has been in space for thousands of millions of years”.

Analysts are upping their price targets for Apple, catching the excitement from the latest iPad, a rumored TV and a just-announced dividend.

Im the first to acknowledge that I am not a baseball purist, so I find it a bit comical when people argue against the latest act of expansion for the Major League Baseball playoffs on the basis that it somehow taints the sanctity of the game.

Major League Baseball and the players union agreed on Friday to expand its playoff system from eight to 10 teams. The new format adds one more wild card to the mix in each league.

Those teams that dont win a division would be the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds and meet in a playoff while the three division winners would be awarded a first-round bye.

The wild-card round would be only one game for the right to advance to a five-game series against a division winner.

Im all for it.

I dont see how adding another wild card for a one-game playoff diminishes the 162-game regular season any more than having playoffs already has.

If you want to protect the sanctity of the regular season, then go back to the way it was before the first playoff expansion in 1969.

Have a regular-season winner in the National and American leagues and let them go directly to the World Series.

But we love our playoffs, and as much as people like to complain about an expansion, I cant think of one instance when the excitement would not be enhanced with the changes.

Its hard to argue that each past playoff expansion has not been good for the game and good for more fans.

Critics always point out how certain memorable regular-season finishes would not have mattered if a new playoff system had been in place.

The hot example against this expansion is to say that last seasons final-day collapse of the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves, coupled with the comebacks of the St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays, would not have mattered because those teams would have just moved to the new wild-card game.

That cant be denied.

But something not pointed out: We dont know what kind of end-of-season magic might happen in the race for the final spots of the new format.

History shows that after each of the previous two expansions, the overall excitement surrounding the game particularly down the stretch has increased.

Think back to all the complaints when MLB split the leagues into three divisions and added a wild-card team to the playoffs in 1995.

The arguments against were basically the same as now.

None of them rang true.

The end of the regular season only got better as more teams stayed in the hunt for that additional playoff spot.

The very argument being used concerning the last day of the 2011 regular season would not have played out had there been no previous expansion.

The fact is that for every great moment in baseball that someone says would not have happened because of playoff expansion, I can find a moment that happened precisely because of that expansion.

The Phillies epic 1980 NLCS against the Houston Astros, when the final four games were decided in extra innings, never happens if baseball did not have its first playoff expansion.

The Phillies would have actually missed the playoffs in 1980 under the previous rules.

The classic 2004 American League Championship Series when the Boston Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the New York Yankees would not have happened had Boston not made the playoffs as a wild card.

We dont yet know what kind of memories will spring from a new playoff format placing increased importance on winning a division.

Imagine the increased pressure and intensity that will be created if two division rivals go into the last series of the season knowing that each game could mean the difference between getting a bye as the division winner or having to play a one-game crap-shoot as a wild card.

Some argue that a one-game playoff would not be fair because a wild card with a considerably worse record could advance because of one good day.

I respond, so what?

A wild card is intended only to be a second life. That in itself is reward enough for not getting the job done during the regular season and winning a division.

Wild-card teams should not be rewarded the same way as division winners to start the playoffs.

Its really not fair to compare adding two more teams and two more games to the MLB playoffs to the watered-down playoffs of the NBA and NHL.

More teams (16) make the playoffs than miss (14) in both of those leagues. So, yes, you will get teams with losing records that make the playoffs.

In baseball, were talking 10 out of 30 teams, with two ultimately being around for only one more game. It will be virtually impossible to have a .500 team make the playoffs.

And even if they do, the playoffs will still be exciting.

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Out of a dozen states where voters in the GOP contest have been polled, most Romney voters have said they strongly favor him in just five of them. A majority of Santorum voters felt that committed to him only four times out of 11 states where he was on the ballot and voters were surveyed.

Each man is struggling to consistently spark the intensity that could separate him from the pack.

Consider that Arizona is the only state where Romney had a higher proportion of voters expressing strong feelings about him than his rivals did. And Santorum hasnt had that edge in any state yet, despite an animated campaign style and passion for hot-button social issues like contraception that have contrasted with Romneys stiffer, more analytic manner.

On average, 50 percent of Romney voters and 49 percent of Santorums say they strongly favor their candidate, with the rest expressing reservations about their man or a greater dislike for his rivals, according to entrance and exit polls of voters in 12 states.

When it comes to winning fervent devotion from his own supporters, both men trail former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul. Those two GOP presidential campaigns are lagging but 58 percent of Gingrichs backers and 53 percent of Pauls, on average, say they strongly favor their candidate. Analysts say higher percentages of devoted supporters are common with candidates whose lesser backing leaves them with only the most committed followers.

Republican operatives express concern about Romney and Santorum. They say the figures raise questions about how quickly the GOP will be able to end its drawn-out slugfest and begin generating voter enthusiasm for a nominee to challenge President Barack Obama in November.

At this point in the game, you should be drawing the troops toward you. The intensity about you should be pretty strong, said Mike McKenna, a Republican consultant not working for any of the contenders.

Political professionals generally consider intensity of support a key ingredient to a winning campaign. Such enthusiasm can help pave the way for everything from yard signs to campaign contributions to voters who show up on Election Day.

Motivation is the name of the game in trying to get people to the polls, said Josh Putnam, a political scientist at Davidson University. It makes campaigns work easier if they can bank some votes, so to speak.

Though Romney and Santorum attract similar amounts of passion, there are different reasons why many of their voters are tepid, the polls show. For Romney, the chief explanation seems to be doubts about his empathy.

Among Romneys staunchest supporters, 80 percent say the former Massachusetts governor and Bain Capital executive understands average Americans better than the other candidates, the combined surveys show. That figure falls to just 44 percent among those who support him more tenuously.

Opponents of the wealthy Romney have at times derided him as being out of touch with typical voters, an image fed by remarks like saying his wife owns two Cadillacs.

Questions about Romneys credentials as a conservative also seem a liability. While hardly any of his most committed voters say hes not conservative enough, around 2 in 10 of his less passionate voters say so.

For Santorum, his intensity of support falls off among voters who are less religious and more moderate.

While 63 percent of his strong backers say sharing religious beliefs with a candidate is very important, just 35 percent of his less loyal voters say so, the combined polls show. Santorum voters who ardently back him are also significantly likelier than his less committed supporters to favor making abortion completely illegal, to be born-again or evangelical Christians, or to be tea party backers.

I also have conservative values, said Patricia Moran, 71, of Pensacola, who said in an Associated Press-GfK poll last month that she backs Santorum with qualms. But his whole womens issues and contraceptives thing has diminished my enthusiasm for him.

Santorum has said contraceptives conflict with his Catholic beliefs and states should be free to ban them.

Romney campaign pollster Neil Newhouse says that while Romney voters may not all exhibit fervor, they are attracted by more important qualities.

His ability and focus on fixing the economy and his perceived ability to beat Barack Obama really overwhelm everything else in the data, Newhouse said.

Hogan Gidley, Santorums communications director, said he didnt believe the polling data and contrasted its findings with the excitement he said he sees at the candidates campaign events.

Even if I believed that, what does that say about Mitt Romney, who has had the advantages of running for president longer and far outspending his rivals, Gidley said. It says a whole lot more about Mitt Romneys supporters than ours.

Some Republicans expressed surprise that Santorums support wasnt more passionate than Romneys, attributing it in part to the lesser familiarity that many voters have with him.

Several said it probably also reflected a desire by many Republicans to find a contender who can oust Obama. In the exit polls, Romney dominates among voters seeking that quality in a candidate.

Santorum has become the vehicle to register your rejection of Romney, said Matt Mackowiak, a GOP consultant who had worked for one-time GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry. But a lot of folks dont think necessarily that Santorum can either win the nomination or beat Obama.

Romney supporters say their candidates focus on the economy accounts for the tempered enthusiasm of his supporters.

Hes not the guy who uses red hot rhetoric, said Sen. Robert Portman, R-Ohio, who has campaigned with Romney. Hes a thoughtful conservative who wants to roll up his sleeves and fix our problems. That may lead to less enthusiasm in some of the primaries, but I think it will serve him really well in the general election.

The data comes from surveys of voters conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks by Edison Research in 12 states that have held GOP primaries or caucuses: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia.

Exit and entrance polls in those states included interviews with 13,705 Republican primary voters.

WASHINGTON, Mar 20, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Seymour
Simon, one of the country’s most prolific children’s science book
authors, was once asked what makes a great science book for young
readers. He replied: “A lot of it has to do with the writing — it’s
important that it be clear, interesting, accurate in its science
information, and stimulating in opening up a new world or aspect of
science that readers never considered before.”

Simon, whom the New York Times called “the dean of [children's science]
writers,” is among 36 esteemed authors in science who will excite and
engage young readers April 28-29, 2012, in Washington, DC, when these
writers appear as Featured Authors at the USA
Science & Engineering Festival Book Fair, hosted by Lockheed
Martin, the nation’s largest celebration of science and engineering.

Although their fiction and non-fiction books represent a diverse range
of subjects — from medicine, bioscience mystery thrillers, mathematics
and space exploration adventure to engineering, DIY (do-it-yourself
technology), and the science of movie special effects — these authors
share one thing in common through their writing: to shed light on
science and engineering in exciting ways, and to encourage K-12 students
to learn, explore and discover the wonder of technology that is all
around them.

Said Laura Angle, Organizer of USA Science & Engineering Festival Book
Fair: “The Book Fair with its Featured Authors is designed to
demonstrate something that both kids and adults tend to forget: that
science is fun and is not just something practiced in laboratories —
it’s part of everything we see and do each day.”

Moreover, the fair gives students the chance to meet and hear some of
the best-selling science writers in the country who get this message
across in unforgettable ways, Angle continues, “which not only inspires
kids to connect with science through reading, but helps build a strong
foundation for science motivation in the classroom and for science
literacy into adulthood.”

No ordinary event, the Book Fair is part of the Festival’s finale Expo
weekend celebration scheduled at the Walter E. Washington Convention
Center. The Expo — replete with a bevy of hands-on excitement in
science, including 3,000
exhibits and stage demonstrations — will culminate a month-long
series of nationwide activities by the Festival to inspire the next
generation of innovators.

At the Book Fair, each author will give a 45-minute presentation on his
or her work, followed by a book signing. All Featured Author’s
biographies and presentation schedules can be found on the Festival
Book Fair website. Books-A-Million will be the Book Fair’s on-site
Featured Author Bookseller.

Many of the Featured Authors are trained scientists, engineers and
educators; others are physicians, and still others, professional
journalists and editors. In addition to Seymour Simon (a children’s
science writer for most of his career), these authors include:

Space Exploration: Retired NASA engineer Homer
Hickam called upon his childhood love of building rockets to pen
the #1 New York Times bestseller Rocket Boys, which was
made into the acclaimed Hollywood movie October Sky.

Science History: Through engaging narrative writing, Joy
Hakim brings excitement to science history in her award-winning
series, The Story of Science.

Science With a Twist: Creator of that iconic, unforgettable
periodic table poster seen in TV shows like MythBusters and Hannah
Montana, Theodore
Gray is author of such bestsellers as The Elements and
Mad Science.

Physics: The author of such works as Knocking on Heaven’s Door,
Harvard’s Lisa
Randall is among the most influential theoretical physicists
today, with a penchant for explaining her topics in clear, exciting
ways. In the same vein, former MIT physics professor Walter
Lewin is introducing kids to the wonder of physics through For
the Love of Physics.

Hands-On Excitement: Engineers Ken
Denmead and William
Gurstelle have a talent for encouraging kids to dive in and get
their hands dirty with projects that make science exciting. Denmead is
author of The Geek Dad Book for Aspiring Mad Scientists, while
Gurstelle, a DIY building enthusiast in catapults and flamethrowers, is
author of The Practical Pyromaniac.

Medicine: Physician Robin
Cook has long thrilled readers with such novels as Year of
the Intern, Coma and Chromosome 6. His latest book, Death
Benefit, deals with Wall Street greed and medical malfeasance.
Renowned neurosurgeon and neuroscientist Alfredo
Quinones-Hinojosa, in Becoming Dr. Q, chronicles his
amazing life story of rising from being a migrant worker to becoming one
of the top physicians in his field.

Bioscience: Specializing in brain science and biology topics, Carl
Zimmer brings life to these frontiers in such books as Parasite
Rex, and Soul Made Flesh. His latest work is Science Ink:
Tattoos of the Science Obsessed.

Books by Science Reporters: Joe
Palca and Joel
Achenbach, as authors and full-time science journalists, bring
interesting perspectives. A science correspondent for NPR since
1992, Palca is the co-author of the 2011 book, Annoying: The Science
of What Bugs Us. Achenbach covers science for the Washington Post
and is also a regular science contributor to National Geographic.
He is author of A Hole at the Bottom of the Sea, an account of
the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Featured Author Panel Discussion: Science Stories in Society in
School: Using Narrative to Bridge the Gap

Featured Authors Robin Cook, Homer Hickam, Theodore Gray, Pendred Noyce,
Joy Hakim.

William Gurstelle, and Moderator Shawn Lawrence Otto, author of Fool
Me Twice, will discuss how their engaging books have and will change
the understanding of science in America. The free event will be held on
Friday, April 28th, at 8:00 pm at the Lisner Auditorium, The George
Washington University. Free tickets are available, click
here for more info.

About the USA Science & Engineering Festival:

The USA
Science & Engineering Festival is the country’s only national
science festival, and was developed to increase public awareness of the
importance of science and to encourage youth to pursue careers in
science and engineering by celebrating science in much the same way as
we celebrate Hollywood celebrities, professional athletes and pop stars.
Lockheed Martin is again the presenting host of the USA Science &
Engineering Festival and is joined by many other Festival sponsors
and partners. The USA Science & Engineering Festival is a grassroots
collaboration of over 500
of the United States’ leading science and engineering organizations.
For more information on the USA Science & Engineering Festival, please
visit the Festival
website.

SOURCE: USA Science & Engineering Festival

USA Science & Engineering Festival
Laura Angle, 512-659-1136
lauratangle@me.com

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