04.03.08
"The Great Planet Debate: Science as Process" is a scientific conference and educator workshop planned for August 14-16, 2008, at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHUAPL) in Laurel, MD. The three-day event is sponsored by NASA, JHUAPL, the Planetary Science Institute, the Planetary Society, and the American Astronautical Institute.
The purpose of the conference is to discuss science as a process, using the ongoing debate about what should or should not be considered a planet as a framework for the discussion. Children and the public have genuine interest in this subject, which presents an excellent opportunity to humanize what scientists do by showing science as more than a list of facts to be memorized.
The first two days will feature scientists who are prominent in the debate on planet definitions presenting current knowledge about planetary bodies derived from 40 years of robotic exploration of the Solar System and what we are learning about planets around other stars. The International Astronomical Union's 2006 definition of a planet will be presented, as well as an alternative geophysical definition and other potential planet definitions.
A public lecture and panel discussion is planned for the evening of the second day. The third day will be an Educator Workshop to discuss how the question of "The Great Planet Debate" should be treated in schools and how that can be used as a springboard to discuss science as a process, as well as other topics in planetary science.
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