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Willard Scott 
NSF 50th Anniversary
Radio Public Service Announcements


56K Audio                                T1 Audio

STANDING UP TO EARTHQUAKES

Soundbite Transcript:
(RUMBLING SOUND)
" That sound is an earthquake, but fortunately, it's only a sound effect to alert you to some disturbing news: experts say as many as eight cities of more than 8 million people COULD have a major earthquake in the next year or so.
I'm Willard Scott. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the National Science Foundation, and for many years, they've supported research to reduce the impact of a major quake.
For example, designing and constructing "smart" buildings and bridges that can automatically adjust to earthquake forces--- Understanding why earthquakes occur where they do--- Where to expect future ones---and supporting programs to get us ready for the next "big one".
Helping people survive earthquakes--reason enough to join me, Willard Scott, and the National Science Foundation in celebrating 50 years of science and engineering discoveries."
(QUAKE RUMBLING)
"Is THAT a sound effect?....I hope?"


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NATIONAL OBSERVATORIES 

Soundbite Transcript:
"Willard Scott here, celebrating the National Science Foundation's 50th Anniversary and tonight, I'm ... stargazing. Thanks to NSF, the world's scientists have had access to first-class astronomy facilities for the past FORTY years. Each observatory is specialized.
SOLAR telescopes focus on the sun. It's the nearest star to earth and our source of life and energy.
OPTICAL telescopes allow us to learn about distant stars.Fascinating stuff, because the earth is made of elements found in the stars..
RADIO telescopes change radio signals to images that reveal things like galaxies forming and our universe expanding away!
So, next time YOU'RE stargazing, think about our National Observatories. They're a good reason to join me, Willard Scott and the National Science Foundation in celebrating 50 years of science and engineering discoveries."


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THE EYE CHIP 

Soundbite Transcript:
"Hey! It's Willard Scott--here to celebrate the National Science Foundation's 50th Anniversary with a story that's hard for me to imagine. Get this: engineers are developing technology that could restore some vision to people who suffer from deterioration of the retina --about six million Americans, at last count!
It's done with a computerized miniature video camera mounted on a pair of glasses. The camera transmits an image to the brain through a computer chip that's surgically implanted on the retina. They're still a few years away from permanently implanting an eye chip in a blind person, but work thus far funded by NSF has allowed patients who'd not seen light before--to see light and identify some shapes and sizes.
This amazing future technology is a good reason to join me, Willard Scott, and the National Science Foundation in celebrating 50 years of science and engineering discoveries!"


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TUMOR DETECTION ADVANCES

Soundbite Transcript:
"This is Willard Scott, celebrating the National Science Foundation's 50th Anniversary with a wonderful story. It's about an unusual collaboration between astronomers and radiologists that resulted in better medical technology.
Astronomers recently started using special computer software to look at small clusters of stars--and they noticed that this technology removes a lot of interference, or "random noise".
Since astronomers and radiologists must both pinpoint critical spots against a cluttered background, an NSF grant allowed them to collaborate, using this software to scan mammograms. They found it could indeed detect micro-calcifications--which may, in some cases, be an early warning sign of breast cancer. This technology is now being tested for future use--another good reason to celebrate with me,Willard Scott, and the National Science Foundation--on 50 years of science and engineering discoveries!"


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ACID RAIN 

Soundbite Transcript:
"This is Willard Scott, celebrating the National Science Foundation's 50th Anniversary with raindrops fallin' on my head. A good, steady rain is wonderful for the crops, as long as it's not ACID RAIN. As we all know, this kind of rain is caused by burning coal and oil and it's harmful to people AND the environment. It's damaged more than 70-percent of the red spruce forests in Eastern North America.
We didn't know about acid rain until some 40 years ago, when research funded by NSF helped identify the damage it was doing to our fresh water sources and our forests. Since then, more intensive research has led to important changes in the Clean Air Act. Long-term effects are still being documented with an important goal in mind--a safe environment.
It's a good reason to join me--Willard Scott--and the National Science Foundation in celebrating 50 years of science and engineering discoveries!"


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DNA FINGERPRINTING

Soundbite Transcript:
(COURTROOM BACKGROUND SOUNDS)
"I'm Willard Scott, celebrating the National Science Foundation's 50th Anniversary at City Hall.
We all know that evidence is what counts in a court of law, and DNA fingerprinting has made it much easier to establish innocence or guilt. Each person has DNA that's unique. In the nineteen-eighties, a special technique was devised to amplify tiny amounts of DNA so it could be analyzed. This technique wouldn't have worked without the discovery of a heat-resistant protein that could act as a catalyst to amplify DNA. Scientists supported by NSF found it in a bacterium that lives in--you're not gonna believe this--the hot springs at Yellowstone National Park. Don't you just love science?
This is Willard Scott, inviting you to join me and the National Science Foundation in celebrating 50 years of science and engineering discoveries."


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MRI TECHNOLOGY 

Soundbite Transcript:
(President Truman)"Government has a responsibility to see that our country maintains its position in the advance of science. As a step toward this end, the Congress should complete action on the measure to create a National Science Foundation."

"Willard Scott here. Fifty years ago, President Truman urged Congress to establish a federal agency to promote the progress of science. Since that time, the work of American scientists and engineers has given us a lot to celebrate!
For example, we're all familiar with MRI technology. Magnetic Resonance Imaging is today's preferred tool for diagnosing any number of health problems, from knee joints to diseases of the brain. But maybe you didn't know that early NSF support lead to the development of MRI.
It's another good reason to join me--Willard Scott, and the National Science Foundation in celebrating 50 years of science and engineering discoveries!"


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THE OZONE HOLE

Soundbite Transcript:
(SOUND OF WIND)
"Willard Scott here, celebrating the National Science Foundation's 50th Anniversary. Today, radio waves are transporting me to Antarctica where a discovery took place some years ago that changed a multi-billion dollar industry forever! Sound effects, please??
In the 1980's British scientists announced the discovery of a "hole" in the Antarctic ozone layer. The United States Antarctic Program, funded by NSF, set out to find the cause. Their capability to deploy and support research in Antarctica allowed scientists to arrive during WINTER when measurements were critical.
Studies verified that human use of chlorofluorocarbons was the culprit. This led to an international agreement to eliminate the use of CFCs.
An astounding story--and reason to join me, Willard Scott and the National Science Foundation in celebrating 50 years of science and engineering discoveries.
OK..get me back where it's warm!"


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DOPPLER RADAR 

Soundbite Transcript:
"Must be a storm brewing! Hey! It's Willard Scott here, celebrating the National Science Foundation's 50th Anniversary with some weather news. I've been following the weather for a long time, and getting it right hasn't been easy. But if you want accuracy today, Doppler radar is the greatest thing since sliced bread, because it gives us a way to pinpoint dangerous weather patterns.
You may know that conventional radar gives us location and intensity of a storm, but Doppler can detect air motions WITHIN a storm. It also enables us to see wind shears, which are dangerous to aircraft. But you may not know that NSF supported the research that led to the use of Doppler Radar in weather forecasting--research that makes our lives a little safer!
Another good reason to join me, Willard Scott, and the National Science Foundation in celebrating 50 years of science and engineering discoveries!
(STORM SOUNDS)
Uh-Oh! Here it comes!!"


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ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Soundbite Transcript:
(SOUND OF WIND)
"I'm Willard Scott, celebrating the National Science Foundation's 50th Anniversary at the top of the world, in the Arctic Circle. I'm standing on a sheet of frozen sea water that's the size of the United States. Talk about cold feet! Seriously, this Arctic ice pack is melting at an alarming rate--question is, WHY?
For the first time, researchers funded by NSF boarded a ship FROZEN into this ice to find out if the melt is long term-or part of a regular weather cycle. A year of measuring everything that might cause the ice to disappear showed increasing evidence that the melting is due to climate warming. Data collected will help predict future changes-and I'll need a warning when it's too thin to stand on!
Good reason to join me, Willard Scott and the National Science Foundation in celebrating 50 years of science and engineering discoveries."

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Last Modified: Mar 28, '03