Children’s Day Popular Science Activities Held

 Children’s Day Popular Science Activities Held

On June 1^st which is Children’s Day, the School of Ocean and Earth Science and the State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology hosted about 40 young guests from the city’s several middle schools, who visited our campus and took part in a series of popular science activities to have a meaningful celebration of their holiday.

During the visit, Professor Huizhong Wang first gave the students a lecture titled Towards the Deep Ocean in which his vivid explanation and abundant examples presented a good illustration of the history of mankind from discovering the ocean to knowing about the ocean, from temporary sea-surface observation, to the using of remote sensing technology such as satellites, and to current seafloor in-situ observatory. Prof. Wang also introduced to our young visitors the evolutionary processes of related ocean programs, from DSDP(Deep Sea Drilling Program) to ODP(Ocean Drilling Program), from IODP(Integrated Ocean Drilling Program) to the upcoming new IODP(International Ocean Discovery Program) which is to be launched this October, and the latest progress of the country’s construction of seafloor observatory network. The lecture provides not only some ocean knowledge, for these future hosts of the country, it also helps them understand that a country’s marine scientific power determines its future developmental capacity.        

After the lecture, members of the delegation were shown by our volunteer teachers and graduate students popular science museum Undersea as well as the Laboratory, where terrific models and samples there fascinated the students.   

The State Key Laboratory and the School as well are not only the main academic strength of the country’s deep sea researches, undertaking large numbers of national key research programs and contributing to the development of China’s deep sea science and technology. We also should responsibilities to popularize ocean knowledge and to better serve the society. Academician Pinxian Wang, our teachers and graduate students have been taking an active part in the publicity of popular sciences, such as inviting the public to visit our school and museum, volunteering in middle and primary schools, writing relevant reading materials, etc. In accessing the public to real science, the school has forged its unique culture and established a good social image.