Press Release

Live Webcasts from CERN and ESO for European Science and Technology Week

Sci-Tech... couldn't be without it!

31 October 2002

Visit http://www.cern.ch/sci-tech on 7 - 8 November to find out what modern Europeans can't live without. Seven of Europe's leading Research Organizations [1] are presenting three live Webcasts from CERN in a joint outreach programme for the European Science and Technology Week . The aim of Sci-Tech... couldn't be without it! is to show how today's society couldn't be without cutting-edge scientific research.

Northern Europeans can't imagine their households without ovens, whereas Southern Europeans identify the refrigerator as the most essential household appliance. In the area of communications, cars and motorbikes are clearly the technologies of choice in Italy, but are regarded as less important in countries like Norway and Germany. For entertainment, the personal computer is a clear winner as the device is considered most essential by all Europeans, followed by the TV and the Internet. This hit parade of technological marvels is the result of a phone and online survey conducted by the Sci-Tech... couldn't be without it! team for this year's European Science and Technology Week on 4-10 November.

The technologies Europeans could not be without, form the starting point of three entertaining and informative Webcast shows in Italian (Thursday 7 November at 10:00 CET), French (Thursday 7 November at 15:00 CET) and English (Friday 8 November at 15:00 CET), broadcast live on the Internet from a studio at CERN.

During these Webcasts scientists from the seven research Organizations and their industrial partners Sun Microsystems, Siemens, L'Oreal and Luminex will engage - from the CERN studio or from remote locations through teleconference links - an audience of Internauts all over the world. The public will be taken inside their most popular gadgets to discover the science that made them possible and how vital fundamental research has been in the creation of modern technology.

Fundamental science will be brought as close as possible to people's daily lives by showing in an entertaining way how the behaviour of electrons in silicon was essential to the development of transistors and thus to computers, for example. How new medicines are developed by looking at the genome of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, and how cancer can be diagnosed and treated with particle beams. People will be amazed to discover how everyday products such as cosmetics are developed using advanced scientific instruments like synchrotron radiation sources. And how fashion and design will be soon revolutionised by a new fabric made of the same optical fibre used for advanced computer networks.

The excitement of the Internet audience will be maintained thanks to live quiz shows for 15 to 19 year-old Europeans in the studio and online, with top-tech prizes to win.

Sci-tech... couldn't be without it! will show the next generation of technology users how fundamental research is relevant to everyday life, and draw attention to the fascinating opportunities that lie ahead in the world of research and development.

WATCH THE LIVE WEBCASTS and take part in the Online quizzes:

• Thursday 7 November at 10:00 hrs CET in Italian
• Thursday 7 November at 15:00 hrs CET in French
• Friday 8 November at 15:00 hrs CET in English

on http://www.cern.ch/sci-tech

For more information on the webcasts and the Sci-tech... couldn't be without it! project, contact: paola.catapano@cern.ch

Catch A Star!

Another interesting webcast can be followed on Friday, November 8, 2002, from 13:00 hrs CET (in English) at:
http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/eduoff/cas/cas2002/cas-webcast.html

Earlier this year, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the European Association for Astronomy Education (EAAE) invited all students in Europe's schools to the exciting Catch A Star! web-based educational programme with a competition. It takes place within the context of the EC-sponsored European Week of Science and Technology (EWST) - 2002.

This project revolves around a web-based competition and is centred on astronomy. It is specifically conceived to stimulate the interest of young people in various aspects of this well-known field of science, but will also be of interest to the broad public.

Three hundred groups of up to four persons (e.g., three students and one teacher) have selected an astronomical object of their choice - a bright star, a distant galaxy, a beautiful comet, a planet or a moon in the solar system, or some other celestial body. They come from 25 countries.

Until tomorrow, November 1, 2002, they have to deliver a comprehensive report about their chosen object. All reports have to conform with certain rules and are judged by a jury. Those fulfilling the criteria (explained at the Catch A Star! website) will participate in a lottery with exciting prizes, the first prize being a free trip in early 2003 for the members of the group to the ESO Paranal Observatory in Chile, the site of the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) .

The lottery drawing will take place at the end of the European Week of Science and Technology, on November 8th, 2002, beginning at 13:00 hrs CET (12:00 UT) . This event will be broadcast by webcast and the outcome will be displayed via a dedicated webpage.

All accepted reports (that fulfill the criteria) will be published on the Catch A Star! website soon thereafter.

Notes

[1] Parallel Press Releases are issued by the seven European intergovernmental research organisations that are represented in EIROforum.

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