Mars Exploration 'By Mind Alone': Project for High SchoolStudents

Please inform any High School educators you may know. This
international project is supported by the UK's Earth and Space
Foundation, but based in Portland, Oregon.

MARS EXPLORATION 'BY MIND ALONE'

23 January 2004

PORTLAND, Oregon - Explorer Cameron McPherson Smith (36) will
encourage high-school-age students to 'mentally explore Mars' by
planning expeditions to the red planet while they monitor his upcoming
winter expedition in Iceland. Students will follow Smith's progress,
via internet, on his fourth attempt to make a 200-mile solo trek on
the Vatnajokull ice cap. The expedition begins in mid-February 2004.

'Exploring and colonizing Mars is a natural continuation of human
exploration of our universe,' says Smith, an archaeologist. 'We've
been exploring new terrain for at two million years, with new
technologies such as fire and, later, watercraft. Exploring Mars, to
me, is no different.'.

As Smith skis across the ice cap, at roughly 16km (10 miles) per day,
students monitoring his progress will complete a variety of
assignments stimulating them to think about Mars exploration. By
watching Smith's expedition, students will be able to think more
realistically about exploring remote and hostile environments.

Among the assignments, one asks students to write a fictional journal
of a Mars explorer, another that they prepare a detailed plan to
explore some surface feature, and another that they create visual art
as it might be done on Mars. The lessons were developed by Smith and
Chuck Sullivan, a writing instructor at Portland Community College.

'It was important to us to allow for students with all sorts of
talents and interests to participate,' Smith says, 'because Mars
colonization will have to include all of humanity, not just "rocket
scientists".'
Materials for teachers and students can be found at the expedition
website (http://www.soloice.com). Assignments can be submitted for
evaluation in an international competition. Awards range from books to
participation in Smith's next expedition.

Smith teaches anthropology and archaeology at Portland State
University and Linfield College. He is a Life Fellow of London's
prestigious Royal Geographical Society and has participated in
expeditions to Africa, South America, Alaska, Canada and Iceland. His
expedition (www.soloice.com) is sponsored by the Earth and Space
Foundation and outdoor gear manufacturers Patagonia and Outdoor
Research, among others. Smith and Sullivan can be reached by email at
.

Contact: Cameron Smith at:

*END OF FILE*

"Cameron M. Smith" wrote in message
om...
Please inform any High School educators you may know. This
international project is supported by the UK's Earth and Space
Foundation, but based in Portland, Oregon.

MARS EXPLORATION 'BY MIND ALONE'

23 January 2004

PORTLAND, Oregon - Explorer Cameron McPherson Smith (36) will
encourage high-school-age students to 'mentally explore Mars' by
planning expeditions to the red planet while they monitor his upcoming
winter expedition in Iceland. Students will follow Smith's progress,
via internet, on his fourth attempt to make a 200-mile solo trek on
the Vatnajokull ice cap. The expedition begins in mid-February 2004.

'Exploring and colonizing Mars is a natural continuation of human
exploration of our universe,' says Smith, an archaeologist. 'We've
been exploring new terrain for at two million years, with new
technologies such as fire and, later, watercraft. Exploring Mars, to
me, is no different.'.

I don't see anything in this approach but a blatant attempt to attach a
pointless "expedition" to the worldwide interest in the exploration of Mars.

I honestly can't see a single factor in common between the exploration of
Mars and someone's skiing holidays in Iceland. Gravity, different.
Atmosphere, very different. Risks, totally different. Terrain, absolutely
different. Weather, well, you see what I mean?

Al Bedford.











As Smith skis across the ice cap, at roughly 16km (10 miles) per day,
students monitoring his progress will complete a variety of
assignments stimulating them to think about Mars exploration. By
watching Smith's expedition, students will be able to think more
realistically about exploring remote and hostile environments.

Among the assignments, one asks students to write a fictional journal
of a Mars explorer, another that they prepare a detailed plan to
explore some surface feature, and another that they create visual art
as it might be done on Mars. The lessons were developed by Smith and
Chuck Sullivan, a writing instructor at Portland Community College.

'It was important to us to allow for students with all sorts of
talents and interests to participate,' Smith says, 'because Mars
colonization will have to include all of humanity, not just "rocket
scientists".'
Materials for teachers and students can be found at the expedition
website (http://www.soloice.com). Assignments can be submitted for
evaluation in an international competition. Awards range from books to
participation in Smith's next expedition.

Smith teaches anthropology and archaeology at Portland State
University and Linfield College. He is a Life Fellow of London's
prestigious Royal Geographical Society and has participated in
expeditions to Africa, South America, Alaska, Canada and Iceland. His
expedition (www.soloice.com) is sponsored by the Earth and Space
Foundation and outdoor gear manufacturers Patagonia and Outdoor
Research, among others. Smith and Sullivan can be reached by email at
.

Contact: Cameron Smith at:

*END OF FILE*

Cameron M. Smith wrote:

Please inform any High School educators you may know. This
international project is supported by the UK's Earth and Space
Foundation, but based in Portland, Oregon.

MARS EXPLORATION 'BY MIND ALONE'

23 January 2004

PORTLAND, Oregon - Explorer Cameron McPherson Smith (36) will
encourage high-school-age students to 'mentally explore Mars' by
planning expeditions to the red planet while they monitor his upcoming
winter expedition in Iceland.


This is _exactly_ how John Carter ended up on Barsoom- you had better
warn those kids of the threats they may face up there; you don't want
those kids to come home with Martian Chessmen rather than heads on top
of their shoulders. :-)

P.C. F.

Alan Bedford wrote:

I don't see anything in this approach but a blatant attempt to attach a
pointless "expedition" to the worldwide interest in the exploration of Mars.

I honestly can't see a single factor in common between the exploration of
Mars and someone's skiing holidays in Iceland.


You just wait till they do their "Mental Exploration Of Io" while
sliding into the crater of Mt. Surtsey... then the "Mental Exploraton Of
Venus" in Reykjavik's red light district.

Pat

P.S. Discovery Channel's special "Mars Rocks" just said the Mars is much
like Iceland...but I bet it's a lot harder to find Bjork CD's on Mars.