Posted on 09/27/2015 7:01:58 PM PDT by Faith Presses On
Summary: U.S. Chief Data Scientist D.J. Patil shares why he's proud to see people across the country standing up for innovation and intellectual curiosity today.
Yesterday, a 14-year-old student named Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for bringing his engineering project (an electronic clock) to his high school. Officials mistook it for a bomb.
When I was growing up, my friends and I were fortunate to know how to use soldiering irons, circuit boards, and even a bit of duct tape when nothing else worked. We played, experimented, and learned through trial and error. The best part? When I brought my work in, my teachers loved it. And thanks to them it fed my desire to embrace science, engineering, and technology. That learning to play with technology and curiosity has helped me on every step of my journey so far.
That’s why I’m so proud to see people across the country standing up for the innovation and intellectual curiosity that Ahmed has shown.
That includes the President:
(President's tweet)
And he's not the only one. Today, Dr. John Holdren -- the President's top science advisor -- reached out to Ahmed and personally invited him to come to join us at the White House Astronomy Night on October 19, where we'll bring together scientists, engineers, and visionaries from astronomy and the space industry, along with students and teachers. They'll share their experiences and spend an evening stargazing from the South Lawn.
We think Ahmed will fit right in.
That's because we think it's really important that kids with a passion for science and technology have the opportunities they need to reach for the stars (sometimes, that's literal).
It's why the President has prioritized broadening participation in science and technology to a more diverse pool of students.
It's why we host kids from across the country at the White House Science Fair.
It’s why we believe that the National Maker Faire is so important, and why we are a nation of makers.
And it's why we're dedicated to telling the untold stories of some of the brightest minds in our country -- to inspire young people to follow in their footsteps.
Ahmed, you inspire us -- and we can't wait to meet you.
P.S. -- Don’t forget your NASA shirt. I’ll be wearing mine.
DJ Patil Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Data Policy and Chief Data Scientist in the Office of Science and Technology Policy Follow @DJ44
“Officials mistook it for a bomb.”
No, they didn’t.
Oh goodie, another “where’s the barf alert?” article.
I’m Shocked, I tell ya, I’m shocked!/s
...a 14-year-old student named Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for bringing his engineering project (an electronic clock) to his high school....
So, taking a 1970’s clock out of its case and putting into another is an engineering project worthy of a White House invitation?
Maybe a working transporter, replicator, a cure for cancer, flux capacitor, or an Interrositer.
Not this cr@p.
What the heck is a “soldiering” iron?
Pathetic.
I notice this article is dated 9/16. Later revelations have made Ahmed and his Dad’s actions questionable, at best. As in “Astronomy Night is when we blast you to the moon, infidel!”
Yeah, you just try to get that “clock” you “invented” past the Secret Service and see how far you get.
Imagine if he’d created a non-working replica of a gun out of a simple Pop-Tart...
Do you think it’s something you get in the Marine Corpse?
Never let a good lie go to waste.
Wouldn’t it be ironic if he brought a bomb?
It was a hoax bomb,not a clock.
Which, is the most innovative thing a raghead has ever done.
Maybe Ahmed can blow himself up while standing right next to Obama, than it would be win/win
Lol, probably!
As has been said, “The best part of waking up is *soldiers* in your cup.” :)
Maybe he’d learn how to spell it correctly if a hot one was shoved up his arse.
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