OAKLAND, California –- Diverse ideas and perspectives, coupled with scientific literacy, can help solve problems like California's energy crisis.
That was the message that Dr. Mae Jemison, a physician, professor and the first black woman in space, shared with students at the Chabot Space & Science Center here on Thursday.
"The more people we have involved, the better job we do," Jemison said, emphasizing the importance of including more women and minorities in science careers, fields generally dominated by white men.
Jemison's reason for the visit to Chabot was three-fold: to celebrate the first anniversary of the space and science center, to promote her autobiography -- Find Where the Wind Goes ... Moments From My Life -- and to work with students on scientific processes like inquiry, research and forming hypotheses.
About 40 middle- and high-school students from around the Bay Area spent the morning with Jemison, who challenged them to use science and creativity to tackle the energy crisis and pollution, and investigate how space exploration can help life on Earth.
Kids huddled around computers to do Internet research and brainstormed to work through the problems.
"As soon as students see how something relates to them, they're engaged," she said.
Katrina Davis, 14, who attends Oakland's Skyline High School, enthusiastically offered her opinions on how kids can help solve the energy crisis through conservation.
"Go outside and enjoy nature," she said. "Then you won't be inside using electricity."
She added she is better at conserving energy than she used to be because of her parents. "They were like, 'Stop leaving all the lights on!" she said.
The state should "use windmills instead of building big power plants that are wasteful to the environment," said Jake Maral, 12, from San Leandro.
The kids resorted to a bit of bathroom humor when offering scientific suggestions for preserving California's water supply.
The group suggested cloud seeding, checking for leaks in homes, watering the garden with recycled water, and as for the toilet, they resurrected the old California drought adage, "If it's brown, flush it down. If it's yellow, let it mellow."
Some of the wackier insights? Raise money for schools by auctioning off old NASA equipment, space rocks, or fragments of meteorites "on Ebay or something."
Jemison did her best to assist the groups despite the trail of reporters who lingered behind her, peppering her with questions and snapping her picture.
There was no doubting Jemison's star power. The teens, who normally look to people like baseball player Barry Bonds or Britney Spears as role models, seemed to be genuinely impressed with, and inspired by, this scientist.
"I think that's an amazing achievement," Davis said, referring to Jemison's accomplishment as the first woman of color in space.
"That breaks two barriers –- she's female and she's African-American," said Nick Galano, a teen volunteer at Chabot and a student at Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward. "It just shows you that anyone can get to the top."
The workshop was part of Jemison's brainchild, a program called Making Science Make Sense. Bayer corporation sponsors the science literacy program in 21 communities around the country. Volunteers from the company work with parents, teachers and students at schools and youth centers.
