February 28, 2001

Former shuttle pilot presents space odyssey

By LISA PERKINS
Herald staff writer
       Former space shuttle astronaut, Dr. George "Pinky" Nelson kept his audience captivated as he spoke about his space flight experiences and the future of science and technology education in America.
      Nelson, the director of Project 2061, a long-term initiative to reform K-12 science education nationwide, spoke Thursday at the Traverse City Central High School auditorium, Nelson was the guest of the Northwest Michigan Consortium for Math and Science, a group of educators from several Northern Michigan districts working to improve the quality of education.
      "We don't know what jobs our students will have in the next 10 years, because they haven't been imagined yet," Nelson said. "We need to teach students how to learn and adapt in a global society that is changing very quickly."
      Nelson stressed that students will be faced with ethical dilemmas brought about by technological advancements. "We now have the capacity to create and change human life," Nelson said, " we need to prepare our students to deal with these situations, they need the skills it will take to become a successful citizen of the 21st century."
      Nelson, through Project 2061, is working with schools around the country to develop innovative and practical tools educators can use to reach science literacy goals. Nelson admits that "education is a lot harder than astrophysics," noting that the space shuttle is actually 1970's technology.
      Nelson also shared highlights from his three space shuttle missions. "Flying the space shuttle is a unique endeavor, I never get tired of talking about it," he stated.
      "You can't look down at the earth and not see something made by man," added Nelson as he shared a series of slides taken from the space shuttle. "The earth is an incredibly beautiful planet, of all the planets it's a pretty good place to live."
      If Nelson's predictions of tourism in space within the next 10 years are correct, those in attendance Thursday may have the chance to see for themselves.