Electronic music fans are going to flock to the Tech next weekend for live performances from world class musicians staged amid the largest exhibition of interactive, collaborative digital music installations ever created.

Unleash your inner musician and immerse yourself in a new world of musical performances led by revolutionaries who are redefining the intersection of humans and machines.

Saturday, May 10th
7pm-1am
at The Tech Museum of Innovation
201 South Market St, San Jose

The Tech Museum of Innovation

Visit: thetech.org

Like: facebook.com/TheTechMuseum

Follow: twitter.com/TheTechMuseum

Hundreds of teams of students from grades 5-6 and 9-12 put their original innovations the test today, the first day of competition at The Tech Challenge 2014 presented by Cisco, the Bay Area’s largest youth design-challenge competition. The “Bad News Bears” team  of five from St. Martin of Tours first place for “Best Overall Solution” and emphasized perseverance and thinking big as keys to success, “No matter how big the challenge, if you work hard, anything is possible,” said Connor Hearney, 11. Teammate Michael Woo, 11, echoed the same sentiment, “Every problem has a solution.”

The two-day event concludes Sunday, April 13 when students in grades 7-8 take the stage and present their creative devices.

“One of The Tech’s deepest beliefs is that everyone is born to be a problem solver,” said Museum President Tim Ritchie. “The Tech Challenge gives participants an opportunity to experience and show how innovative they can be.”

Every year, the annual team design-challenge presents participants with a hands-on project geared to solving a real-world problem. This year’s challenge, Harnessing the Wind, saw students use the power of wind to move water to the people who need it most. Participants revealed their entrepreneurial spirits and tried their hand at utilizing the wind as a plausible solution to lowering the total energy consumption in the moving and processing of water.

The Tech Challenge, a signature program of The Tech, provides months of team learning in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), and reinforces 21st-century skills of creativity, problem solving, design, teamwork, leadership, presentation, risk-taking, perseverance, and learning from failure.

“The ingenuity and commitment exemplified by students at The Tech Challenge is extraordinary,” said Jessica Graham, Cisco’s Community Relations Manager. “Our Cisco volunteers here today welcome the opportunity to inspire the next generation of innovators.”

In all, 1,200 students stepped up to the challenge to use the renewable energy source for this year’s competition now in its 27th year. Teams competed for several titles ranging from “Most Sustainable” to “Best Engineering Design” to “Best Prototyping.” Every participant also received a medal, T-shirt, water bottle, and team photo for their hard work, ingenuity and dedication.

For decades, The Tech Challenge has allowed some 13,500 young girls and boys throughout California and other regions to hone their creativity and innovation on a variety of scenarios including building devices to explore Mars craters, fight wildfires, rescue earthquake victims, collect samples in the rainforest, and last year to deploy instruments to an asteroid.

The top award – “Best Overall Solution” – was awarded to three teams in each of the 5th-6th and 9th-12th grade divisions. Best Overall Solution encompasses device performance, engineering and design, style and presentation, and the scientific process. AND THE 2014 WINNERS ARE…

5th-6th grade Division

1st Place

• Bad News Bears
• Team # 133
•  St. Martin of Tours

2nd Place

• FOuR the WINdz 
• Team # 15
•  John Sinnott Elementary School

3rd Place

• iSolve
• Team # 372
• Carden Day School of San Jose, Hyde Middle School, and Kennedy Middle school in Cupertino

9th-12th grade Division

1st Place

• H2I – Happy to Innovate
• Team # 72
•  Fremont Home School Team

2nd Place

• The Airbenders
• Team # 322
• Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula

3rd Place

• MEKTech
• Team # 0
• Head-Royce School

Other teams took home prizes for their achievement in Engineering Design, Spirit, Device Performance, Sportsmanship and Best Use of Cardboard and Duct Tape. View the complete list of winners.

For more information on The Tech Challenge, visit: thetechchallenge.thetech.org/

2014 The Tech Challenge sponsors

Presenting

• Cisco Systems, Inc.

Innovator

•  Aruba Networks
•  SAP 

Founding

• EMC2
• Intel
•  Motorola Solutions Foundation 

Principal

• Fairchild Semiconductor
• Lockheed Martin
• TE Connectivity

About The Tech Museum of Innovation
The Tech is a hands-on technology and science museum for people of all ages and backgrounds. The museum—located in the Capital of Silicon Valley —is a non-profit, experiential learning resource established to engage people in exploring and experiencing applied technologies affecting their lives. Through programs such as The Tech Challenge presented by Cisco, our annual team-design competition for youth, and internationally renowned program to honor technology benefiting humanity, The Tech Awards presented by Applied Materials, The Tech endeavors to inspire the innovator in everyone.

Sean Casey and Marcus Gutierrez, stars of new the IMAX film “Tornado Alley” and of the Discovery Channel series “Storm Chasers,” will appear at The Tech Museum.

Yes, the Tornado Intercept Vehicle (TIV) will be there. This custom built tank has wind-resistant flaps and anchor spikes. It can withstand winds up to 190 mph and is fitted with bullet-resistant windows. An onboard camera can capture 360-degrees storm action from the military-style turret.

When: 10 AM – 1 PM
Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Where: The Tech Museum – 201 S. Market St., San Jose, CA.

Look for the TIV parked in front of the building.

Talk with Casey – get an autograph – take photos.

The Hackworth IMAX® Dome Theater:

“Tornado Alley” the film.
Opens to the public
Saturday, August 20, 2011

Facebook: Meet Discovery Channel’s “Storm Chasers” Sean Casey at The Tech Museum.

Tornado Alley – Official Documentary Trailer 2011 HD on YouTube.

The set of Gunther von Hagens’ works, Body Worlds Vital, has enjoyed an amazing run in San Jose, but there is an end to everything, to good things as well.

This will be the shows final weekend in San Jose.

The museum will remain open until midnight on Saturday, April 23rd.

What people are saying about BODY WORLDS Vital!

Information from The Tech Museum:

BODY WORLDS Vital, which has received high marks in major media outlets and on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, closes April 24th, marking the success of yet another blockbuster that has attracted thousands of visitors to downtown San Jose and millions of dollars to the Silicon Valley neighborhood’s restaurants, hotels and shops. The exhibition heads next to the Science Center of Iowa.

“BODY WORLDS Vital has definitely provoked thought and inspired action toward living healthier lifestyles,” said Elizabeth Williams, vice president of Marketing, Membership and Sales. “Presented in explicit, vivid depictions, the exhibit leaves little to the imagination – illustrating how not to leave our health to chance.”

Developed specifically for the American audience to educate people on common diseases and preventive care, BODY WORLDS Vital is a specially curated collection made up of real human body plastinates and a large arrangement of individual organs, arterial configurations and translucent slices that give a complete picture of how the human body functions. Using multi-media installations as a backdrop, the exhibit shows the body in disease and distress by comparing healthy bodies to bodies that have succumbed to a host of illnesses and medical conditions.

As an added educational value, representatives with the Diabetes Society of Santa Clara Valley, the American Heart Association and Breathe Lung California will be on hand to answer related questions and provide healthy tips to visitors. The Diabetes Society of Santa Clara is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday, April 16. The American Heart Association, 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., and Breathe Lung California, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sunday, April 17.

BODY WORLDS Vital is the latest chapter in the HUMAN SAGA project – a series of curated museum blockbusters that began with exploration of the brain and neuroscience, cardiology and the heart, human development and longevity and aging. BODY WORLDS exhibitions have been hosted by more than 50 museums and venues in North America, Europe, and Asia – and seen by more than 32 million visitors worldwide.

The Tech Museum

In 2007 The Tech Museum hosted Dr. Gunther von Hagens’ Body Worlds 2 and The Three-Pound Gem. His Science of Plastination* exhibition gave us a comprehensive view of the human body. Where else could one get such a close-up look into the world of bone, muscle, tissue, the heart, blood vessels, tendons, nerves, and the brain?

When I tell people about this exhibit, I am often asked if I find it repulsive. I reply that Body Worlds is, in fact, a beautiful learning experience that invokes a greater appreciation of life.

Anyone contemplating buying a pack of cigarettes needs to see the lung of a smoker placed next to that of a non-smoker.

The next amazing set of Gunther von Hagens’ works, Body Worlds Vital, is now showing at The Tech Museum.

Many cities are considering banning the toy included with high fat fast food meals. Congress, following Mrs. Obamas’ lead, is attempting to legislate what school children will be allowed to consume. From the health concerns of graying baby boomers to the recent emphasis on childhood obesity, Body Worlds Vital could be a valuable starting point helping all ages take control of their own health.

Included with the body specimens are photos from around the world depicting the food consumed by typical families in a week. (I noted that the Indian cuisine looked among the most healthful.)

Body Worlds relies on IfP (the Institute for Plastination), an established body donation program for the authentic human bodies on display. No fees are required for a donation, and the donors will not receive any money. As far as I can tell, the only cost incurred is when the next of kin must pay a transportation fee to have the body sent to the IfP embalming facility.

For a list of rules and conditions for donating your body please contact:
Gail Hamburg at (312) 602-5369 or g.hamburg@plastination.com

*Plastination is where all bodily fluids and soluble fat from donated anatomical specimens are extracted to stop decomposition, and replaced through vacuum-forced impregnation with reactive resins and elastomers, such as silicon rubber and epoxy that harden with gas, light, or heat curing, giving the specimens rigidity and permanence. Some bodies are positioned to recreate a moment in time. Other donations may be used as Plastinated slices for research.

brain - dark area indicating a stroke

Body Worlds Vital – check here for Exhibit Hours and Tickets

The Tech Museum

201 South Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 294-8324

The Human Body in the Hackworth IMAX Theater : The Human Body Trailer

Body Worlds flickr set

The Tech Museum of Innovation is hosting an educational forum presented by the Silicon Valley Education Foundation.

Solar power will an important part of our energy use in the future. Join Alana Conner (VP of Content Development – The Tech Museum), Charles Weis (County Superintendent of Schools), and Tom Werner (CEO SunPower) to discover how education will help you, or your children enjoy a career in the solar energy field.

Monday, June 21
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Note: This event is free and lunch is provided.

The Tech Museum
New Venture Hall
201 South Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113

Visit: Silicon Valley Education Foundation .

Please RSVP

Contact: Rigo Magaña @ (408) 790-9591

Tech Museum Contact: Helena Race, Public Relations Associate, hrace@ the tech.org

Surprise dad for Father’s Day with a trip to The Tech Museum to see the Genghis Khan Exhibit.
Dads are admitted free to the blockbuster exhibition in celebration of Father’s Day on June 20.
Family members can purchase their tickets here.

The Tech Museum – 201 South Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113-2008
(408) 294-8324

Special Exhibit Hours:
Monday – Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday – Sunday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Tickets:
Children ages 3 to 17 ~ $15
Adults ~ $25
Special prices for seniors and college students.
Admission includes access to all the regular museum galleries.

The National Center for Women & Information Technology today gave out 25 awards to San Francisco Bay Area girls for their technical achievements. This is the first year for the Bay Area Affiliate group to give out NCWIT Awards for Aspirations in Computing. Girls who were honored in today’s ceremony at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View are eligible to compete for national NCWIT awards. More about the award:

The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing honors young women at the high-school level for their computing-related achievements and interests. Awardees are selected for their computing and IT aptitude, leadership ability, academic history, and plans for post-secondary education. The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing offers both a national and local “affiliate” competitions to generate support and visibility for women’s participation in communities nationwide.

Today, girls from high schools in San Francisco, Fairfield, Oakland, Pittsburg, Palo Alto, Los Gatos, Mountain View, Cupertino, San Jose, Monterey, Carmel, Santa Cruz, and Watsonville were recognized for their technical achievements.  With five, San Jose had the most winners for any city.

A group of 18 men and women from business, academic, and non-profit companies, schools, and institutions worked for the last six months to create today’s event. Sponsors were: The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, Apple, ETR Assoc., Girls Inc., Google, Intel, Microsoft, MOUSE Squad, NSBE Alumni, Palo Alto Unified School District, San Jose State University, SDForum Tech Women’s Program, Techbridge, The Computer History Museum, The Tech Museum, and UC Santa Cruz. I lead the Application Review Team. We plan to distribute these awards annually.

Images Copyright 2010 by Katy Dickinson

"Genghis Khan the Exhibition" Contortionist

Peter Friess (The Tech Museum) and Daniel N. Fenton (Team San Jose) announced that “Genghis Khan” will be the next blockbuster exhibition coming to San Jose.

“Genghis Khan’s brutality is well known, but less visible is the man whose natural leadership formed the first united Mongol nation – no small feat,” said Peter Friess, president of The Tech Museum. “Inasmuch as we carry the dark images of Genghis Khan the warlord, there is also the man who brought us passports, the pony express, printed money, hamburgers* and even pants.”

Much can be discovered about Genghis Khan (1167-1227) the ’emperor of all emperors’ who united nomadic tribes of northeast Asia and founded the Mongol Empire and Mongolia with a visit to The Tech Museum.

More than 200 13th century artifacts from Genghis’ reign will be on display including:

Live Cultural Performers: Mongolian singers, contortionists and musicians.

Live weaponry demonstrations are featured in the exhibition.

Paiza – passports.
Large Siege Weaponry – Large crossbow and tools to conquer walled cities and castles.
Ancient Mongolian Artifacts.
Ger – A traditional nomadic dwelling – Note: One-third of the people in modern Mongolia live in a Ger.
Shaman’s Robe – Ritual dress used to channel spirits. Genghis Khan practiced shamanism and believed in supernatural powers.
Jewelry – Treasures from the ancient Mongolian capital of Karakorum.
Mongolian Noble Woman Mummy – Mummy and coffin treasures including silk and leather robes, jewelry, comb and bowl.
Mongol Weapons – Swords, leather and metal armor, mace-heads, bows and arrows, and an early firearm.
Buddhist Relics – books, statue, and artwork. Note: The Mongolian capital of Karakorum was religiously diverse.
Clothing and Adornments – Silk garments and jewelry from Karakorum and Kublai Khan’s palace.
Musical Instruments – Strings made of horse hair.

“Genghis Khan The Exhibition” – Opens May 22 (Limited Engagement)

The Tech Museum – 201 South Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113-2008
(408) 294-8324

Special Exhibit Hours:
Monday – Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday – Sunday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Tickets:
Children ages 3 to 17 ~ $15
Adults ~ $25
Special prices for seniors and college students.
Admission includes access to all the regular museum galleries.

*It is amusing that hamburgers, the name coming from the German port of Hamburg, originated in the time of Khan. The fierce Mongol horsemen (the Golden Horde) were so busy conquering the world that having to stop to light fires and eat got in their way. Raw lamb or mutton was formed into flat patties and then placed under their saddles. The horsemen could easily grab some ‘hamburger’ at any time.

Modern day Mongolia (see U.S. Department of State) lies in central Asia between Siberia on the north and China on the south and is slightly larger than Alaska.

Ger/Yurt –  The burning of soft coal by some of the individual homes or “Ger” (yurt in Russian) adds to the polluted air.

Micky Rourke will star in a film about the Mongol ruler. He says: Genghis Khan Biopic ‘Not Your Stereotypical Blood and Swords’

Genghis Khan: at The Tech flickr set.

TeamSanJose on twitter

Here is something of interest for kids from 8 to 18 years-old. The Tech is having a Casting Call. The Tech Challenge Video Workshop and Gallery is a place for kids to learn about a scientific concept. They will star in their own video demonstrating what they’ve learned. Their video may even become part of the gallery exhibits!

Your child may be inspired to one day have a film accepted by the Cinequest Film Festival.

Sunday March 7
12Noon – 3PM

The Tech Museum
201 South Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 294-8324

Also Check Out: The Tech Summer Camps 2010

For kids entering grades 4 – 8

Nine full weeks of camp with morning and afternoon options. AM and PM extended care available.

See Site for information and cost.