Larry Bock
carlyo | December 28, 2015By USA Science & Engineering Festival Founder Larry Bock
Edison´s contribution to those wondrous beacons of the holiday season is a poignant one. On a wintry night during the Christmas season of 1880 -- just weeks after introducing his revolutionary invention of the first practical incandescent light -- Edison, in a bold move to promote his new technology, wowed thousands of people in front of his Menlo Park lab with a live outdoor display of dozens of incandescent lamps strung together, creating the very first strand of electric lights. Two years later, Edison´s friend and associate,…
carlyo | March 13, 2014
By Larry Bock
Co-Founder of USA Science Science & Engineering Festival
No doubt, the influences that move individuals into their chosen field of science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) are often as different as night and day, but one thing seems constant: most STEM professionals, in remembering how they made their selection, can trace that ¨A-ha!¨ moment back to a pivotal experience in their lives that connected them on an emotional level for the first time with their chosen line of work.
That moment for scientist James E. West, inventor of the foil electret microphone,…
carlyo | March 7, 2014
By Larry Bock
Co-Founder of USA Science Science & Engineering Festival
Engineers are some of the most necessary problem solvers on the planet. They conquer the daunting technological challenges -- both immediate and long-range -- that stand in the way of human progress and quality of life. You don't have to think long and hard to realize what our daily existence would be like without these innovators. Their imprint is everywhere - ranging from the water we drink, the cars we drive (and the roads and bridges on which we travel) to our iPhones and computers, and the programs that…
carlyo | February 13, 2014Curious to know what people in STEM fields love about their jobs? Ever wonder what it takes to begin a STEM career? Join the USA Science & Engineering Festival and experts from Lockheed Martin, Project Lead The Way and Bucknell University on Twitter to discuss their path to a career in STEM. The expert panel includes Festival Inspiration and Co-Founder Larry Bock, Jeff Wilcox, VP of Engineering from Lockheed Martin, Dr. Margot Vigeant, Associate Dean (college of engineering) and Professor of Chemical Engineering from Bucknell University, Dr. Vince Bertram, President and CEO of PLTW and…
carlyo | January 23, 2014By Larry Bock
Co-Founder of USA Science Science & Engineering Festival
Seemingly as fast as the speed of technology, another new year is upon us, leaving us to ponder and predict what the next 12 months will bring. You only have to view a recent issue of Popular Science which lists the top 100 innovations that occurred in 2013 to realize that 2014 will undoubtedly continue to belong to those with the courage, talent, vision and tenacity to innovate – especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
So, to all you young students with the desire to be the next Elon…
carlyo | September 17, 2013The USA Science & Engineering Festival is the proud recipient of the 2013 Hoyt S. Vandenberg Award from the Air Force Association in recognition of the Festival’s contributions to aerospace education and for its efforts in encouraging young people to pursue the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The award was presented yesterday morning at the annual Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition in National Harbor, Md., and was made possible by the AFA’s National Aerospace Awards Committee.
The USA Science Festival was co-founded by serial entrepreneur…
carlyo | April 29, 2013By USA Science & Engineering Festival Founder Larry Bock
In what started out as a hopeful trickle more than four years ago has seemingly evolved into a full-blown trend: Suddenly it's cool and hip to be a scientist in Hollywood. Ranging from such blockbuster films as The Amazing Spiderman, Battleship, The Avengers, and Iron Man 2 to TV hits including House, Fringe, Criminal Minds, and Breaking Bad, an increasing number of Hollywood productions are using real-life scientists as advisors to not only boost the technical accuracy of scripts and video content but to also create more exciting…
carlyo | March 23, 2012
By Larry Bock
Founder and Organizer, USA Science & Engineering Festival
Planet Earth -- that fragile blue marble in space that we call home -- deserves better from all of us, I think we would agree.
And for good reason. With such issues as energy, pollution, conservation and sustainability, and climate becoming rising worldwide concerns, it behooves everyone to do their part to make sure she thrives -- and survives.
NASA astronaut Ron Garan said last year after returning from spending more than five months on the International Space Station situated 250 miles above Earth: "I looked down…
carlyo | March 15, 2012
By Larry Bock
Founder and organizer, USA Science & Engineering Festival
When searching for a prime, real-life example of how science and technology are making a difference in the world right now, my thoughts lately turn to a small but feisty greentech startup that you may never have heard of: Kurion, Inc.
Based in Irvine, CA with 15 employees, this profitable three-year-old company which specializes in nuclear waste cleanup has quietly and effectively been using its technology at the front lines of Fukushima, the site of what is being called one of the largest nuclear disasters in…
kcollins | August 26, 2011When was the last time you saw a science special in prime time on one of the major networks? Better yet, when was the last time you heard rock stars speaking passionately and convincingly about the value of science, engineering and technology? If you had to think long and hard before answering, you're not alone. These phenomena are as rare today as sightings of Halley's comet. But they did happen -- in case you missed it -- as recently as this month when will.i.am, the front man and producer for the award-winning musical group The Black Eyed Peas, teamed up with eminent technology innovator…
kcollins | July 22, 2011Fed by the news media, our fascination and reverence for celebrities has reached shameless heights.
But when you add the element of royalty to the mix, celebrity worship can take off into the stratosphere, triggered even by an item as seemingly mundane as a dress.
This leaves me wondering -- and angered -- over what is happening to us and our priorities.
I'm referring most recently to the whirlwind North American tour this month of newly weds Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton (a.k.a. Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge), who seem to be a wonderful couple committed to fostering…
kcollins | April 6, 2011Meet Larry Bock, the founder of the USA Science and Engineering Festival, interviewed by engineering.com
What do you think is important celebrating science and why we should celebrate science?
kcollins | October 16, 2010In case you missed this on Huffington Post back in September.
~~ written by Larry Bock
Sept 13th 2010
We pride ourselves on being a nation of diversity. But when it comes to diversifying our workforce in high-tech fields of tomorrow, well, let's just say we still have a lot of work to do.
Consequently, as we attempt to motivate more young students into the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), it is paramount that we also increase our efforts to include more women and underrepresented minorities in these fields.
To put it succinctly, if America is to retain its role as a…
kcollins | October 14, 2010Thanks BioWorld for the article on the USA Science Festival! Read more here:
By Trista Morrison
BioWorld Today Staff Writer
Editor's note: Biotech Foundations is a new BioWorld Today column that recognizes biotech-related nonprofit organizations, as well as those founded by biotech industry luminaries. Tell us about your nonprofit at newsdesk@bioworld.com.
Former biotech venture capitalist and entrepreneur Larry Bock knows how to turn an idea into reality. He's had a hand in founding dozens of companies, including Athena Neurosciences Inc. (bought by Elan Corp. plc.), Vertex Pharmaceuticals…
kcollins | September 16, 2010
I need your HELP and it will take just three simple steps: copy the link, Add your friends to an email and Send.
For the past year I have been organizing the USA Science & Engineering Festival in what I hope will be the country's largest celebration of science and engineering -- a FUN, entertaining, educational and FREE event geared toward reinvigorating the interest of Americans in the Sciences. I have put as much energy and imagination and effort into this as any of the companies I started. And now I need your help getting the word out.
Why is this important?
In a nutshell:
--…
kcollins | September 14, 2010A shout out to Vincent Caprio for posting this interview with Larry Bock and blogging about the festival on his website. Thanks for helping us get the word out!
NanoBusiness Alliance Interview - Larry Bock, Executive Director, USA Science & Engineering Festival
Posted on September 1st, 2010
This month's interview, 6th in our series, is with Larry Bock, icon of the Nanotechnology Community. I had the pleasure of meeting Larry in Washington, DC in February 2002. We walked the Halls of Congress together and Larry was one of the key players in advocating for the National Nanotechnology…
kcollins | September 7, 2010Shout out to CrazyEngineers for a recent interview with Festival Director Larry Bock
Larry Bock - Celebrating Science & Engineering
CEans,
Mr. Larry Bock is the Founder of Nanosys Inc. He is a General Partner of CW Ventures, a $100M life sciences venture capital fund, and a Special Limited Partner to Lux Capital a $100M nanotechnology-focused venture capital fund. He is a Member of the Board of Directors of FEI Corporation (NASDAQ: FEIC), the leading supplier of tools for nanotechnology research. He has found and/or grown about 4 dozen companies. He is the inspiration behind the most…
lbock | July 23, 2010 As a founder and organizer of the upcoming inaugural USA Science & Engineering Festival, I'm in frequent contact with a wide range of teachers, students, innovators, community leaders, entrepreneurs and decision makers in science and technology across the country.
One thing that I continue to learn from these experiences: There is a growing need out there, even a grassroots desire, among average Americans to understand and connect in meaningful ways with the vast array of science and technology impacting their lives today -- provided that this information is presented to them through…
lbock | July 5, 2010It's funny what inspires one toward a career in science or engineering.
Kary Mullins who earned the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993, says it was the experience of growing up in the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina that did it for him. There, in a more simple and idyllic time than today, he had the freedom to build and launch his own rockets, and to dream while exploring the biodiversity in the woods, the swamp and the orchards near his home.
Inspiration and the chance to discover are important for all of us. Like with Kary Mullins, these experiences plant…
lbock | June 25, 2010
Let's face it, we as a society have a limited, even poor, image of scientists and engineers. For instance, just ask the average fifth-grader to draw his or her perception of a scientist and you'll most likely be given a depiction of a white male with wild Einstein-like hair, eccentric habits and attired in a lab coat, coke-bottle spectacles while working in an ivory tower laboratory...some might even describe him as "mad."
Science's poor public image goes even deeper. In a survey conducted in 2007 by the Museum of Science and Industry in which 1,304 American adults were asked if they…