Lemelson-MIT Program and Museum of Science, Boston Celebrate the Inventive Spirit with First-Ever EurekaFest.

Four-day "Woodstock for Invention" May 2-5 to Empower a Legacy of Inventors

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- With a generation of science and engineering professionals nearing retirement, inspiring and cultivating younger inventors is critical to the future well-being of the nation and quality of life on the planet. Today, the Lemelson-MIT Program, in partnership with the Museum of Science, Boston kicks off EurekaFest, a multi-day celebration of the inventive spirit that is designed to empower a legacy of inventors through activities that inspire youth, honor role models, and encourage creativity and problem solving.

EurekaFest events will be held May 2-5 at MIT and the Museum of Science. Most events are open to the public.

"We aim for EurekaFest to become the Woodstock for invention," said Merton Flemings, director of the Lemelson-MIT Program. "We want to ignite a creative spark that inspires young people and others interested in invention to believe they, too, can contribute to society. We're also looking to establish a tradition that celebrates inventive achievements and recognizes inventors for their critical role in the success of our nation and global society."

"We are very pleased to collaborate with the Lemelson-MIT Program and help launch their first EurekaFest," remarked Ioannis (Yannis) Miaoulis, president and director of the Museum of Science. "The hands-on engineering activities, combined with special guest presentations that will take place during the four-day event, are a perfect complement to the Museum's programs and provide wonderful opportunities to encourage and engage future generations of inventors and engineers."

One highlight event of EurekaFest is The Windy 500, an engineering design challenge created to "drive" interest and enthusiasm among more than 100 Massachusetts high-school students and their teachers.

Student teams will collaborate on a surprise project with science and engineering mentors in a race against time and each other. Tom and Ray Magliozzi, a.k.a. Click and Clack, the hosts of "Car Talk" from National Public Radio, will be on hand to declare one team the victor of The Windy 500. They will also present several other awards, including "The Most Inventive Use of Duct Tape" award and the "Oh No, I Can't Believe It!" award.

The Windy 500 runs from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Museum of Science on Friday, May 4. Museum visitors can watch student teams race their designs from 2 - 3:30 p.m.

EurekaFest attendees will also have the opportunity to hear from the 2007 winners of the $30,000 Lemelson-sponsored Student Prizes. Nathan Ball from MIT, Brian Schulkin from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Michael Callahan from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will convene for a panel discussion during a two-part series entitled Inventors Who Shape Our World. The discussion and Q&A will take place at the Museum of Science on Thursday, May 3 beginning at 3 p.m.

MIT MacArthur Professor of Chemistry and Department Head Timothy Swager, the 2007 winner of the $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize, and Dartmouth College Engineering Professor and Mascoma Corp. Co-Founder Lee Lynd, the 2007 winner of the $100,000 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability, will also speak about their cutting-edge work as part of Inventors Who Shape Our World, beginning at 4 p.m. Among Professor Swager's inventions is an extremely sensitive amplified chemical sensor that can detect vapors of common explosives, such as TNT. Professor Lynd's work focuses on the cost-effective conversion of cellulosic biomass, such as grass and wood, into ethanol that can be used for fuel.

Both sessions are open to the public and included with the Museum of Science Exhibit Halls admission.

Two other accomplished inventors, Iqbal Quadir and H. Harish Hande, will lead a day-long workshop at MIT entitled Invention to Venture: Affordable Technology on Saturday, May 5 from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Quadir founded Grameenphone, the largest and fastest growing mobile phone company in Bangladesh, and Hande co-founded Solar Energy Light Company (SELCO), which provides infrastructure solutions to underserved households and businesses in the developing world. The National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance is collaborating with the Lemelson-MIT Program on the workshop. Advance registration is required; visit the Invention to Venture Web site for more information: http://www.invention2venture.org/events/LMIT/index.html.

EurekaFest will also feature the IDEAS Competition awards ceremony and reception to honor student teams that develop innovative solutions for community needs. A special award for the inaugural 2006-2007 Yunus Innovation Challenge to alleviate poverty, supported by the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at MIT (J-PAL), will also be presented. The IDEAS Competition is underwritten, in part, by the Lemelson-MIT Program.

EurekaFest includes many other opportunities to explore invention, including a presentation from John Underkoffler, technical advisor for Steven Spielberg's Minority Report, and A System of Coordinates: Invention & Sustainability, a new MIT Museum exhibit, in partnership with the Lemelson-MIT Program, that showcases MIT's emerging technologies for sustainability.

For a full list of events, times and locations, visit http://web.mit.edu/invent/eurekafest.html.

ABOUT THE LEMELSON-MIT PROGRAM

The Lemelson-MIT Program recognizes outstanding inventors, encourages sustainable new solutions to real-world problems, and enables and inspires young people to pursue creative lives and careers through invention.

Jerome H. Lemelson, one of the world's most prolific inventors, and his wife Dorothy founded the Lemelson-MIT Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994. It is funded by The Lemelson Foundation, a private philanthropy that celebrates and supports inventors and entrepreneurs in order to strengthen social and economic life in the U.S. and developing countries. More information on the Lemelson-MIT Program is online at http://web.mit.edu/invent/.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, BOSTON

One of the world's largest science centers, the Museum of Science takes a hands-on approach to science and technology, attracting approximately 1.6 million visitors annually with its vibrant programs and over 700 interactive exhibits. Highlights include the Thomson Theater of Electricity, home of the world's largest air-insulated Van de Graaff generator; the Charles Hayden Planetarium; the Mugar Omni Theater, a 180-degree IMAX[R] domed theatre; and the Gordon Current Science & Technology Center (GCS&T), which offers breaking news stories to the public with interpretation by Museum staff. In 2004, the Museum launched the National Center for Technological Literacy[R] (NCTL)[R]--helping facilitate a nationwide expansion of technology literacy by working with regional schools, offering educational products and programs for pre-K-12 students and teachers, creating curricula, and supporting an online resource center. As part of its mission of advancing technological literacy, the NCTL is also collaborating with other science centers across the country to create exhibits and programs that engage visitors in engineering, helps them explore cutting-edge technologies, and encourages them to consider and discuss the interactions between technology and society. For more information, visit mos.org.