Ignite@AGU 2011

Ignite@AGU A view from above: interesting ways to understand Earth using satellite information

AGU’s annual meeting, with dozens of parallel sessions, provides a great forum for in-depth presentations and discussions for attendees. Yet due to AGU’s size, people sometimes find it hard to meet new investigators and get exposed to new research areas. Ignite1, a concept created by O’Reilly Media, is a forum of short, fast paced, thought-provoking talks, where presenters get five minutes and 20 slides to make their point.

Sonoma Technology, Inc. (STI) and the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) are bringing the Ignite approach to AGU. Ignite@AGU represents a new effective way to communicate diverse knowledge, engage younger scientists, and interact across disciplines. A recent Forbes article by Scott Berkun noted that short talks force speakers to refine their talk, use each slide for its maximum value, and use images to convey points. Correspondingly, Berkun said that our brains are designed to understand concepts faster through pictures and when presentations are shorter.

The theme for the 2011 Ignite@AGU meeting would be “A view from above: interesting ways to understand Earth using satellite information.” This meeting would address the Earth Science goals in the 2010 Science Plan for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. More importantly, it creatively addresses the Science Mission Directorate’s need to “bring together members of the scientific communities relevant to NASA in order to expose investigators to new subject areas.”

The Ignite@AGU would be held during the evening hours on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at the AGU annual meeting in San Francisco. This event will be packed with information from 10 five-minute talks. Light snacks will be served and cash bar will be available. Talks will be recorded archived to share knowledge with others who couldn’t attend in person.

Our tentative schedule, which we have created using guidance from Ignite, is as follows:

6:00 PM Doors open

6:00 to 6:30 PM Social time

6:30 PM Ignite talks begin (8 talks)

8:00 PM Event ends