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International Year of Light Comes to Washington D.C. on September 12th
[August 26, 2015]

International Year of Light Comes to Washington D.C. on September 12th


To promote the progress and promise of light research and education, leading U.S. science organizations will host two events on Saturday, September 12, 2015, in Washington.

The events are organized by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in conjunction with The American Institute of Physics, The American Physical Society, The IEEE (News - Alert) Photonics Society, The National Academy of Sciences, The Optical Society and the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE).

The two day and evening programs will mark the International Year of Light, a yearlong celebration of light science and its applications, as proclaimed by the United Nations.

These events will feature the latest in light-based technologies as well as leading scientists and educators to promote improved public understanding of the central role of light in the modern world.





 

Wonders of Light: Family Science Fun

WHAT:     An educational event for school-age children with activities demonstrating the science of light
WHEN: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm E.T. on September 12
WHERE: The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
4th St & Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20560
WHO: Public and media are welcome; no RSVP required
* The first 1,000 visitors will receive an International Year of Light tote bag.
 

Hands-on activities include:

• A LED-orb that changes color with music

• An interactive video game using sensors

• A green screen to be a reporter for a day

 

Light for a Better World: A Celebration of U.S. Innovation

WHAT: A public symposium and invitation-only reception
WHEN: 6:00 - 9:00 pm E.T. on September 12
WHERE: National Academy of Sciences
2101 Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20418
WHO: Media and invited guests

Interested members of the media, please contact [email protected].

 

This symposium will feature:

• Eric Betzig, Howard Hughes (News - Alert) Medical Institute, 2014 Nobel Prize Winner

• France Córdova, National Science Foundation Director

• Gerald Duffy, GE Lighting Manager

• Michael Liehr, AIM Photonics CEO

• Shuji Nakamura, University of California Santa Barbara, 2014 Nobel (News - Alert) Prize Winner

 

About The International Year of Light

The International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies (IYL 2015) is a global initiative adopted by the United Nations (A/RES/68/221) to raise awareness of how optical technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to worldwide challenges in energy, education, agriculture, communications and health. With UNESCO as lead agency, IYL 2015 programs will promote improved public and political understanding of the central role of light in the modern world while also celebrating noteworthy anniversaries in 2015-from the first studies of optics 1,000 years ago to discoveries in optical communications that power the Internet today. The IYL Global Secretariat is located at the Abdus Salam International Centre of Theoretical Physics (ICTP).

The Founding Partners of IYL 2015 are the American Institute of Physics (AIP), the American Physical Society (APS), the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft (DPG), the European Physical Society (EPS), the Abdus Salam International Centre of Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the IEEE Photonics Society (IPS), the Institute of Physics (IOP), Light: Science and Applications, the lightsources.org International Network, 1001 Inventions, The Optical Society (OSA) and the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE).

Patron Sponsors include Bosca, the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), Royal Philips (News - Alert) Lighting, Thorlabs and UL.

For more information on the International Year of Light, please visit, www.light2015.org.

For more information about NSF-funded light research and education, visit NSF.gov/light.

About NSF

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2015, its budget is $7.3 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 48,000 competitive proposals for funding, and makes about 11,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards about $626 million in professional and service contracts yearly.


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