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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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