Isabel Hawkins

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Isabel Hawkins Director of the Center for Science
Education/SSL, UC Berkeley Nahide Craig Director
of the Science Education Gateway program
(SEGway), SEGway NVO Project Director Rejane
Spitz Visiting Scholar, SEGway NVO-Arts May
9th, 2002
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NVO challenges
Data is doubling every year or two in
astronomy, but our understanding of the Universe
doesnt double at the same rate. George
Djorgovski, Caltech
Every set of data has quirks. Its there. Its
stored. Its archived. But its not
friendly. Alex Szalay, Digital Sky, John
Hopkins University
The universe doesnt know about our arbitrary
way of dividing things by wavelength. George
Djorgovski, Caltech
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and expectations
We expect a blurring of the now separate
cultures of radio, optical, x-ray and gamma-ray
astronomers and a democratization of astronomy,
in that researchers from poorly funded colleges
or countries would have easier access to fresh
data. Alex Szalay, Digital Sky, John Hopkins
University
I also think it will change the way an
individual looks at the world, because you can
really pose questions at your desktop. Stephen
Strom, NOAO Associate Director for Science
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A panchromatic approach to the universe reveals a
more complete physical picture. The
resulting complexity of data translates into
increased demands for data analysis, visualization
, and understanding.
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A panchromatic approach to the universe reveals a
more complete physical picture. The
resulting complexity of data translates into
increased demands for data analysis, visualization
, and understanding.
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• The NVO is not yet another data center, archive,
  mission, or a traditional project.
• It does not fit into any of the usual structures
  today
• It has an unusually broad range of constituents
  and interfaces, and is inherently distributed
• It requires a good inter-agency cooperation, and
  a long-term stability of structure and
  funding

• The NVO represents a novel type of a scientific
  organization for the era of information
  abundance

• Designing the NVO organizational/management
  structure is thus a creative challenge in
  itself

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Understanding of complex astrophysical phenomena
requires complex and information-rich data
sets, and the tools to explore them
this will lead to a change in the Nature of
the astronomical discovery process
which requires a new research environment
for astronomy A Virtual Observatory
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NVOs expected societal benefits
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According to the NVOs Science Definition Team
recommendations Education and Public Outreach
(EPO) should be treated as an essential part of
the NVO from the start (not just as an
add-on) in a way which would optimize the
involvement, results.
a national consortium of science
museums, research institutions and
educators working together to present the latest
space science research for students, teachers,
and the general public. SEGway has developed EPO
(education and public outreach) materials for a
number of NASA space science missions
including the HESSI, FAST, CHIPS and
STEREO/IMPACT satellite missions. 
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• The NVO-Arts project is a
• Needs Assessment Study of
• the art and science museum communities interest
• in space science objects,
• their imagery and data,
• as part of large distributed databases that will
  be integrated
• by the NVO project
• potential usage
• of the NVO database
• for education and outreach purposes.

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Objectives and goals
Research the needs, interests and demands
of the art community (encompassing both
traditional-media and electronic-media artists
and students), and the science museums
community (including directors,
coordinators, exhibit designers, trainees and web
development personnel).
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SEG-NVO Action Items 1. Interviewing
representative members of the art community and
science museums community in order to -
present - analyze - and discuss their - needs
- perceptions - and opinions on
the potential use of space science imagery
and analytical tools to be provided by
the NVO project.
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SEG-NVO Action Items 2. Presentation of a
summary report highlighting the main points
raised during the interviews (of both the art
and science museum communities)
3. Recommendations of website attributes and
characteristics based on the interests and
needs of the art and science museum communities.
Identification of how these attributes could be
implemented as part of NVO demonstration
websites for the art community and also for the
science museum community, giving existing
exemplary websites as guidelines.
4. Deliverables white paper with
recommendations tools (survey, interview
questions, focus group protocol) website
attributes roster of artists focus interest
groups, with contact information, expertise, and
interest in NVO
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What is the role of the Focus Interest Group ?

• help defining the categories for analysis
  questions for the interviewees
• suggest potential interviewees
• come up with innovative inputs and ideas
• provide inputs and comments on drafts of the
  white paper

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Projects structure 3 participating
teams

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Duration and phases of the project
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May June July
- September

• Phase 1
• focus group consultants
• definition of categories questions
• selection of interviewees

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September - October

• Phase 3
• 2nd Focus Interest Group Meeting
• Preparation of deliverables

Deliverables
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Expected outcomes of todays meeting

• suggestion of names/groups of professionals to
  be interviewed
• (artists science museum groups)

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categories for analysis?
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categories for analysis?
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categories for analysis?
Starting point for todays discussion 1 or 2
examples of projects, anecdotes, personal
experiences and/or insights that may have a
connection with the NVO projects theme. (5
minutes)