I’m a firm believer that advancement is a term synonymous with ongoing. When it comes to the science and technology fields, you can hardly have one without the other. Both are constantly changing and evolving, and rely heavily on passing the baton of advancement to the next generation—because they will be our future scientists, coders, mathematicians, and artists. Securing our nation will be their responsibility, and I want to make sure they are ready.
This is why I’m thrilled to announce S&T will take part in this year’s USA Science and Engineering Festival, April 15-17 to connect with next generation innovators. We will be standing alongside other giants of industry, technology, and science, like NASA for example.
Reality Starts with Imagination is our mantra for the day, because the first step toward something great begins with an idea. The technology we have today—wearable technology, virtual reality, the internet—all began as an idea. A thought. A concept. A spark of genius. It took innovative minds to allow these ideas to manifest into actualizations, and the root lay in the first thought.
I, and my team at S&T, want to be a part of that content creation. We want to help the next generation take concepts to reality. We want to help make technologies like phone watches or video glasses even better. Make them stronger. We want to use the technological landscape to increase the security of our nation, and who better to teach us than the innovators of tomorrow?
The event this year is particularly exciting because we will be partnering with the Prince William County Fire Department, Ideaventions Academy for Math, and the Museum of Science Fiction to showcase some of the many ways the government works daily to incorporate technology and science into securing the homeland. From our version of Minecraft to fire trucks, to science fiction’s influence on the future of science, we’ll have something there that you’ll be interested in.
But don’t take my word for it; come visit our booth to see for yourself! Join us and experience just how awesome STEM can really be. Look for booth #3623 or the bright lime green fire truck in the expo hall!
You can see me on Saturday, April 16, talking about the future of wearables with my friend Fire Chief Scott Boggs from Prince William County at 11:30 a.m. in Hall E -Einstein Stage. Join me as we explore Imagination or Reality? Are you Ready for a Wearable Future? Hope to see you there!
Dr. Reginald Brothers
Under Secretary for Science and Technology