SC Junior Academy of Science to Explore Artificial Intelligence at Converse
Converse College will host the South Carolina Junior Academy of Science (SCJAS) Fall Workshop on Saturday, November 12, 2011 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., exploring topics relating to the theme of “Artificial Intelligence: Why are We Still Smarter?” The workshop will include a keynote address; a Challenge Bowl competition among teams from various schools; break-out sessions for teachers, students and parents; and lunch. Tours of Converse College will also be offered for interested students. High school students and teachers throughout South Carolina are invited to participate. Information and registration is available online or by contacting Dr. Edna Steele at edna.steele@converse.edu.
Dr. Sebastian van Delden, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Director of Research at USC Upstate, will present a keynote session on the roles of science and math in creating an artificially intelligent machine (robot) that can move, speak, see, and think like a human being. He will demonstrate a robotic arm and discuss the challenges in robotics, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and simulation that must be overcome in order to develop a genuinely intelligent machine.
During the Challenge Bowl, teams of students will test their knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics, and math to compete for a championship trophy.
Break-out sessions include the following topics:
ASTRONOMY/PHYSICS
• What’s That Light in the Sky? The Optics of Atmospheric Phenomena
BIOLOGY
• A Changing Climate: Four Million Years Along Our Coast
• Creativity, Innovation, Design—Conducting and Presenting a Competitive Science Fair Project
• Forensic Anthropology: Whose Bone Is It?
• Signing Science (Deaf and Science)
• Fruits and Vegetables
• Shark Dissection
BUSINESS/ACCOUNTING
• Trading Can Be Fun and Fundamental: The Art and Science of Generating Economic Well-Being
• Auctioning Fundamentals: An Investigation Into the Market Price
CHEMISTRY
• Who Killed Anita Break?
• How Much Iron is in That Cereal: Quantitative Analysis by Flame Atomic Absorption (Hands-On Laboratory Work)
• Is that Aspirin Pure? Analysis by UV-Visible Spectroscopy (Hands-On Laboratory Work)
MATHEMATICS
• Building Bridges Between Mathematics and Art
PSYCHOLOGY
• Forensic Interview Techniques: An Ex-Interrogator’s Perspective
• Interpersonal Attraction: What Motivates You to Establish Relationships with Others?
• Rooting for the Bad Guy
• Science of Yoga