04 February 2009 Kadima Mada students reach for the stars at science and space conference A capacity crowd of more than 200 people, including students from 30 schools participating in World ORT’s Kadima Mada (Science Journey) programme, packed into the Lottery Centre hall in Kiryat Yam for the second annual Space and Agriculture Seminar held in honour of Israel’s first astronaut Colonel Ilan Ramon, who died on the ill-fated Columbia shuttle voyage. Organised as part of the Kadima Mada programme to inspire a love of science and technology in young people, the Seminar this year attracted Colonel Ramon’s brother, Gady. ‘Ilan would be happy to know that there is something like Kadima Mada which not only shares his values but passes them on to new generations,’ Gady Ramon said. ‘Who knows, perhaps some of the students here today will become astronauts, too.’ The day-long seminar featured participative presentations by Dr Thomas Goodman, a lecturer in a programme for younger people at the Weizmann Institute of Science, on the physical aspects of living in zero gravity and by Dr Smith Johnston, a senior NASA physician who oversees astronauts’ medical standards, on the medical aspects of living in space. The students also took part in four workshops organised by the Israel National Museum of Science, Technology and Space (Madatech) on the themes of spectroscopy, astronomy, measuring distances from the sun and missiles which work using the energy from water. One of the highlights of the day was the announcement of the winners of a competition launched at last year’s inaugural seminar in which teams from each school undertook research projects on science, space and agriculture. The winning team was a group of Year 11 students from the Western Galilee High School who investigated how powerful a satellite’s camera would have to be in order to differentiate weeds from crops in a field. Team members Tal Miller, Liraz Cohen, Matan Gilad and Eldar Geleg each won a laptop computer. Their research will be presented at a national conference on weed management and at an international scientific conference in Athens. Tal said: ‘The research project was an exciting experience. I enjoyed studying new subjects and the whole experience of conducting research, writing it up and preparing an academic level presentation.’ His teammate, Liraz Cohen, added: ‘We learned so much from this research project; I particularly appreciate learning how to work as a team. And we had excellent supervisors [Dr Hanan Eisenberg and Anat Shtein] who guided us with patience and sensitivity.’ Their school principal, Dubi Verzberger, congratulated them and their supervisors on their high level of research and the quality of their presentation. ‘We see this win as the beginning of our development of science teaching at Western Galilee,’ he said. And the experience was a productive and positive one for the runners-up, too. ‘The day before the Seminar, our group sent flowers to their supervisor, Dr Adam Dvir, and wrote him: ‘Even if we don’t win first prize tomorrow, we’ve won!” said Dalit Avigad, a teacher at Kadoorie Youth Village. ‘Although they were disappointed that they didn’t win they were motivated to contact Dr Dvir again after watching the video of Ilan Ramon at the Seminar in which he said that he took with him a 4th Century coin that had been given him by Dr Dvir. Despite their disappointment they didn’t lose their aspiration for excellence. I’m very proud of them.’ The Seminar was used to launch a new one-year research competition, this time on the theme of space and medicine. Nitaye, a Year 10 student at Rodman High School, Kiryat Yam, was one of those excited by the prospect of delving into the subject. ‘The lecture by the doctor from NASA was the highlight of the day for me. I want to take part in the competition and do the research.’ The Seminar itself impressed students and teachers alike. Yuval Niv, a physics teacher at Rodman High School in Kiryat Yam, said: ‘The lecture and demonstrations the Weizmann Institute were very powerful; they should be brought to the schools. I and my students enjoyed the seminar and learned a lot from this special day.’ And Mayan Ziv, a Year 11 student from the Golan Heights, said: ‘I like the presentations, especially the one about space and medicine. It’s been a great day. Thank you for enabling us to learn and have a good time!’ And Sigal Tertween, a Year 12 student at Kadoorie, said: ‘Before the Seminar I didn’t know about space and astronauts. I’ve learned so much and enjoyed it, too. It’s been a wonderful day.’ The Mayor of Kiryat Yam, Shmuel Sisso, recalled meeting Ilan Ramon. ‘It was impossible not to be impressed by the twinkle in his eye and how his sparkling curiosity fascinated those he spoke to,’ Mayor Sisso told the students. ‘In a letter which he sent from space, Ilan Ramon wrote that the education of young people and space research are connected because young people are the space scientists of tomorrow. In this letter we can see the essence of the heritage which Ilan left for us.’