[NFBO-Linn-benton] FW: Independence Science Newsletter First Quarter 2024

[rjaquiss at earthlink.net]

Hello Friends:

 

     Since some of you are engaged in STEM related studies, I thought the following might be of interest.

 

Best of luck with the Light Out Luau.

 

Regards,

Robert Jaquiss

 

 

  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/view?id=12193.83.1.2772196fcd930adba16b4798351b2c3a> 





  <https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/6f90e7a5-f47a-4bdc-9b28-aaea32aa97f6/isciBanner.jpg/:/cr=t:17.18%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:74.07%25/rs=w:686> 

	

 




Independence Science Newsletter First Quarter 2024 


Published and distributed by Independence Science 
3000 Kent Ave 
Suite 1718 
West Lafayette, IN 47906
Phone: (866) 862-9665 
Email: info at independencescience.com <mailto:info at independencescience.com>  
http://www.independencescience.com 
To reach Robert Jaquiss, press #4. 
Email: rjaquiss at independencescience.com <mailto:rjaquiss at independencescience.com>  

Robert Jaquiss, Editor 


From the Editor 


Happy New Year! The staff at Independence Science hope our readers are enjoying early Winter weather and had an enjoyable holiday season. This issue's Content: 

	

 



*	The 2023 ISLAND conference wrap-up 
*	Get ready for ISLAND2024 ·
*	Some thoughts about AI 
*	Product and Service Offerings 
*	Podcasts 
*	Computer Science Resources 
*	Tactile Adaptation Kits now available 
*	Consulting Services on Science Accessibility 
*	Technical tips: Brailler repair, upgrading TLQ2 
*	Independence Science custom trainings for STEM Access 
*	Service! PDF Remediation for Science and Mathematics 
*	Meet the Element: Magnesium 
*	Jokes of the Quarter 
*	We want your feedback on our products 
*	External announcements: Scholarships etc. 
*	The Rock, an accessible comic part four 
*	Conclusion: See you next quarter!

	

 




ISLAND 2023 Hybrid Conference Wrap-up 


The Inclusion in Science, Learning A New Direction, Conference on Disability and STEM was held as a hybrid conference on Friday, October 13 and Saturday, October 14, 2023. We had 65 attendees. 

This year’s conference was hosted by Princeton University. The presentations were very informative. 

The following departments at Princeton Sponsored the ISLAND conference: 

Princeton Center for Complex Materials (PCCM) NSF DMR # 2011750 
Office of Information Technology, Princeton University 
Campus Conversations on Identity, Princeton University 
Independence Science 

High-Tech and Low-Tech Solutions for Access to Outer Space for Disabled Astronauts 
Dr. Sherri Wells-Jensen 
NASA/Library of Congress 

Blindness Memory Perks: Restructuring Access into the System 
Dr. Karen Arcos 
Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz 

Teaching Physics with Disabled Learners: A Review of the Literature 
Dr. Erin Scanlon 
Department of Physics, University of Connecticut 

Tactile Periodic Table Project 
Dr. Michael Fricke 
Olon Ricerca Bioscience 

Best practices in teaching chemistry to students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing 
Dr. Annmarie Ross 
Rochester Institute of Technology/ National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID) 

A Summer Class Exploring Computer Science with Educators of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students 
Meghan McSherry and Maria Johnson 
Playful Learning Lab, University of St. Thomas 

Tactile Sun-Watching Graphics: Bridging Past and Present 
Dr. Nicole E. Johnson and Tasnim A. Alshuli 
University of Colorado, Boulder, Fiske Planetarium 
College of Education, University of Arizona 

Introducing Graduate Students to Accessible Data Visualization 
Dr. Helen T. Sullivan, Dr. Markku T. Hakkinen, Jenni Arovaara Anu Horttanainen, Dr. Charles Rambo, Aino Sutinen, Saara Wahlroos 
Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ, USA University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ, USA 

Stories of Neurodiversity in STEM: Finding a Common Professional Language 
Derek Hidalgo, Dylan Sullivan, Fernando Zavala, Jacob Stolle moderated by Dr. Christin Monroe panelists, Landmark College moderator, Landmark College 

Learning from the Experts: Analysing Responses to the Question "Is there anything you wish professors or colleagues knew about being neurodivergent?" 
Liam McDermott 
Rutgers University 

Possible Approaches for an Accessible CAD System for the Blind 
Robert Jaquiss 
Independence Science 

The Semantics of Sonics 
Sadish Dhakal 
Independent 

Wolfram Syndrome 
Ellie White 
Ellie White Foundation 

Updates on Rapid Prototyping, Concept of the Model Lending library and the Comic featuring three blind Labradors 
Robert Jaquiss 
Independence Science 

Access to Forensic Sciences: A Fully Accessible Murder Investigation 
Ashley Neybert and Annalise Diodato 
Independence Science 

Banquet Keynote Address 
Dr. Siegbert Schmid 
Faculty of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Australia 

Accessible Audio Periodic Table 
Dr. Greg Williams 
Independence Science 

Mission INSPIRE: Increasing Conceptual Knowledge, Building Rockets, and STEM Career Exploration 
Dr. Tina Herzberg and Susan Osterhaus 
University of South Carolina Upstate 
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Austin, Texas 

Feel the Difference: Using Texture to Create Meaningful Tactile Graphics 
Dan Gardner 
ViewPlus Technologies Inc 

Non-Visual Delivery of Accurate Volumes to Improve Laboratory Access for Blind Students 
Charis Glatthar 
Metropolitan State University of Denver 

Tigers in Tech: Roaring with Excitement over APH’s SALS and Code Jumper! 
Katrina Best and Roseanne Hoffmann 
American Printing House 

The State of Accessible Digital Mathematics 
Brian Richwine and Mary Stores 
Indiana University 

Inclusio: A Convergent Effort for Creating Accessible, Multimodal Graphics 
Amy Keith and Dr. Jenna L. Gorlewicz 
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saint Louis University 

Get ready for ISLAND2024 

ISLAND Hopping in 2024 
Lot’s of water 

Where oh where will it be? 
Across the Atlantic to Tampere, Finland 

	

 



*	Week of August 26, 2024 (final date TBD) 
*	Co-hosted by University of Tampere TACCU 
*	Modern conference center in the new NOKIA Arena 
*	Details will be coming including the call for presentations… stay tuned 
*	Coordinated with other accessibility events 

	

 



Tervetuloa Suomeen! 
(Welcome to Finland!) 


Some Thoughts About AI


It goes without saying that artificial intelligence or AI is changing our lives. Systems such as Chatgpt from Open AI or Bard from Google can help find information. For example, I recently wrote a paper on 3d printing and I needed to know the build volumes for some 3d printers. I was able to obtain the information I wanted. Some of the web sites I was trying to access were difficult to use due to rapidly changing dynamic content. AI tools solved the access problem for me. A user of AI technology must take care since sometimes AI systems hallucinate and provide erroneous information. As an example of the news stories about AI that interest the disabled community, see the information excerpted from the Top Tech Tidbits for December 21, 2023. 

The URL for Top Tech Tidbits is:  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.1.1.58435350b541a562e78038afd82c0557> https://toptechtidbits.com/ 

10) AI Updates 

A.) Did GPT-4.5 Secretly Roll Out In ChatGPT? | Matt Wolfe | YouTube 

Exploring all the latest rumors around GPT 4.5. Is the hype real? Or just hallucinations

 <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.2.1.b538100f6f8309e5e6598aecc626c450> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpxIUpwz9U0 

B) OpenAI Releases Guide To Prompt Engineering | OpenAI 

This guide shares strategies and tactics for getting better results from large language models (sometimes referred to as GPT models) like GPT-4. The methods described here can sometimes be deployed in combination for greater effect. We encourage experimentation to find the methods that work best for you. Some of the examples demonstrated here currently work only with our most capable model, GPT-4. In general, if you find that a model fails at a task and a more capable model is available, it's often worth trying again with the more capable model. You can also explore example prompts which showcase what our models are capable of: 

 <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.3.1.d07d7d5caabde9b69160c9ea667c5f09> https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/prompt-engineering 

C) Democratizing Access To AI-Enabled Coding With Colab | Google Blog 

On December 19, 2023 Google announced the expansion of code assistance features to all Colab users, including users on their free-of-charge plans. Anyone in eligible locales can now try AI-powered code assistance in Colab: 

 <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.4.1.1c6422510dd26bd327bb47ab948792af> https://blog.google/technology/ai/democratizing-access-to-ai-enabled-coding-with-colab/?ref=futuretools.io 

D) ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions Have Been Turned Back On | December 13, 2023 | Sam Altman | X 

Sam: We have re-enabled ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions! Thanks for your patience while we found more GPUs: 

 <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.5.1.efee838bcdd30adb4cd28b6ab0084cef> https://twitter.com/sama/status/1734984269586457078 

E) Google DeepMind Utilizes Large Language Model to Solve Previously Unsolvable Mathematics Problem | Aaron Di Blasi | Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. 

In a groundbreaking development, Google DeepMind has successfully employed a large language model to decipher a previously unsolved problem in pure mathematics. According to a paper published in Nature on December 14, 2023, this marks the first instance where a large language model has been instrumental in discovering a solution to a longstanding scientific conundrum, thereby generating verifiable and novel information that was hitherto unknown. "It's not in the training data — it wasn't even known," asserts Pushmeet Kohli, Vice President of Research at Google DeepMind:

 <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.6.1.7cf8897ddc63091a4d3507a2456ee27d> https://mvsltd.com/news/google-deepmind-utilizes-large-language-model-to-solve-previously-unsolvable-mathematics-problem/ 

F) ChatGPT Is Not Ready To Handle Web Accessibility Remediation | Karl Groves 

Recently a friend shared with me a “Custom GPT” called "Accessibility Copilot". This is one of many interesting applications of ChatGPT that are arriving to market at breakneck speed, but is unfortunately not something I would rely on for effective remediation of accessibility issues: 

 <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.7.1.2eb1142af8f98494cba546fa7ba48b38> https://karlgroves.com/chatgpt-is-not-ready-to-handle-web-accessibility-remediation/ 

G) 2023: The Year AI Transformed the World for Blind Individuals | Aaron Di Blasi | Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. 

Here I highlight the significant advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) in 2023 with regard to assistive technologies for the visually impaired. The 2023 Sight Tech Global conference recently showcased many of these innovations, including the collaboration between Be My Eyes and OpenAI's GPT-4, leading to the development of Be My AI. Other notable advancements included AYES.AI's OKO app for street navigation, Envision's smart glasses integrated with GPT-4, and Meta's AI-enabled wearable technologies offering voice navigation and AI-assisted interactions. The conference also highlighted the ethical challenges of AI in accessibili consideration of privacy and ethical integrity in technological advancements: 

 <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.8.1.c21ff3a049be6ada217e717aac0b7d80> https://mvsltd.com/news/2023-the-year-ai-transformed-the-world-for-blind-individuals/ 

H) 12 Things Microsoft Copilot Can Do On Windows 11 That You Really Should Know About | Mauro Huculak | WindowsCentral.com 

Copilot can do much more than answer questions on different topics, and in this guide, I'll show you features to get the most out of the chatbot AI: 

 <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.9.1.eb8df4db99eff0483ae5fdbdc43c1f7a> https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/12-things-microsoft-copilot-can-do-on-windows-11-that-you-really-should-know-about 

I) Thanks To Suno On Copilot, You Can Now Use AI To Make Music | MSPowerUser.com 

A new plugin has just arrived on Copilot. It's called Suno. Suno lets you create music using AI regardless of your musical background/knowledge. Simply toggle the plugin on and then write your prompts: 

 <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.10.1.453f233b72cbf41ad85b123e089bcd18> https://mspoweruser.com/thanks-to-suno-on-copilot-you-can-use-ai-to-make-music/ 

J) Seleste Glasses — Hands-Free AI Assistive Technology For The Blind | Carrie on Accessibility | YouTube 

In this recent episode of the Epic Ally Podcast, Carrie from “Carrie on Accessibility” delved into the world of assistive technology through an enlightening interview with Shubh Mittal, CEO of Seleste. The focus was on the innovative Seleste Glasses, a product that stands at the forefront of assistive tech development. Carrie's excitement about the product's potential was palpable as she explored its features and implications for the visually impaired community: 

 <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.11.1.f82fbfa5a38828899b4e630490a6bfab> https://carrieonaccessibility.com/?p=996&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=seleste-glasses-hands-free-ai-assistive-technology-for-the-blind 

K) Apple Isn't Standing Still On Generative AI, And Making Human Models Dance Is Proof | Apple Insider 

Apple has released a research paper discussing what it calls HUGS, a generative AI technology that can create a digital human avatar from a brief video in about 30 minutes: 

 <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.12.1.ba92329998005ed65af966dfcf485aed> https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/12/19/apple-isnt-standing-still-on-generative-ai-and-making-human-models-dance-is-proof?utm_medium=rss 

L) Now You Can Talk to an AI Santa Claus With Fixie's HiSanta.ai | David Goldfield 

I couldn't resist writing about this very cool Santa AI. HiSanta.ai is a conversational AI from Fixie, which provides conversational AI chat agents. HiSanta consists of two different Santa Claus personas, the nice, friendly Santa and the grumpy bad Santa. Deselecting the check box on the main page gives you access to the grumpy Santa, which I found to be extremely entertaining. It honestly had me laughing harder than I've laughed in quite some time. This service took me back to that nostalgic excitement that I remember as a kid when I heard about new phone numbers offering some new form of phone-based entertainment. To use this service you'll need to ensure that your browser has permission to use your device's microphone, at least on this particular site. Enjoy!

 <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.13.1.70b83c29f310e1ffd71f3b66c492f302> https://davidgoldfield.wordpress.com/2023/12/20/now-you-can-talk-to-an-ai-santa-claus-with-fixies-hisanta-ai/ 

Three AI services that I have used are: 

Ask AI:  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.14.1.4560cdd3b513d9ebc8d1d2baece72a02> https://iask.ai/ 

Bard from Google:  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.15.1.72bfd6fd7535bbef98dc3cdbb7beb5d0> https://bard.google.com/ 

Copilot with GPT-4:  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.16.1.d6bda565b93c935beb2a2d55e3a2096c> http://chat.bing.com/ 

In conclusion, use AI with care and remember that AI cannot make value judgements.


Product and Service Offerings


Group for BLV Community members using 3d Printers 

There is a new group that discusses issues related to accessing 3d printers by those in the BLV community. The name of the group is: 3d-Printing-Access 

The website is:  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.17.1.5e5f598ad2525954c4dff435797088e3> https://groups.io/g/3d-Printing-Access

Podcasts 

There are a variety of science related podcasts. Many are available on an iPhone. Paid subscriptions result in add free podcasts. I have used a Humanware Victor Stream and this device will download free versions of podcasts. 

I find the history of science interesting, so I subscribed to Patented a podcast in the HistoryHit group. 

An example podcast is one on the thermos flask:  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.18.1.223d73d9cdac41aa576721d9509c403a> https://shows.acast.com/patented-history-of-inventions/episodes/thermos-flask-a-hot-and-cold-history 

The Patented podcast is no longer being produced, but the content is still available. 

More information on HistoryHit podcasts can be found on the site:  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.19.1.8d0254a3adfde429ffc26eeda6d0993d> www.historyhit.com 

NPR's Science Friday and TED Talk are available from NPR. 

The Scientific American also has short science podcasts. This article wouldn’t be complete without the mention of the Tumble Media podcasts which are also available. 

Computer Science Resources 

The Independence Science website has a section devoted to Computer Science Resources. Please see the link:  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.20.1.911833c76c97f3f590fd0922790443c6> https://independencescience.com/computer-science-resources/ 

Tactile Adaptation Kit and LabGear Kits Now Available! 

The Tactile Adaptation Kit and LabGear kits are now available. These two multi-sensory kits have proven to be valuable resources for teachers of Blind and low vision students by helping to make science learning more accessible in a hands-on way. Parents will also find these kits of use. The Tactile Adaptation Kit includes materials to make tactile representations in numerous ways, along with an instruction manual documenting different methods and illustrative examples. The LabGear kit includes an instruction manual illustrating how students can use adapted measuring tools in their middle and high school laboratory learning experiences. For more information, or to order, please call us at (866) 862-9665 or email  <mailto:info at independencescience.com> info at independencescience.com. 

Consulting Services on Science Access 

Independence Science offers consulting services to make STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) classes more accessible to blind and low vision students. We provide both individual and group training to faculty teaching STEM classes to students who are blind or vision impaired. For more information, please contact Independence Science at  <mailto:consulting at independencescience.com> consulting at independencescience.com 

Technical Tips 

The following technical tips are offered in hopes they may be of use. Due to the many possible variations in PCs and equipment, Independence Science cannot be responsible for any undesirable outcomes. 

	

 



*	Sending mail using “FREE MATTER FOR THE BLIND” Here is a link to a USPS publication outlining how to use free matter postage for the blind and physically handicapped.  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.21.1.de4d140d3797f1edadfc23e8b836902f> https://about.usps.com/publications/pub347/pub347_v03_revision_102015.htm?fbclid=IwAR0vjfgNlCLkKx2MGFQzkclJKYx_tbGH6NyAGUAjMoWC3btrFoApp5JWvM8 
*	Sharon's Shortcuts - How to Use a PC without the Mouse Sharon's Shortcuts is a site containing information on shortcuts for several Microsoft products. See the site:  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.22.1.dbe6b2a43adbbfb8eef9a2ec060556e2> https://sharons-shortcuts.ie/ 
*	Immersive Reader - Immersive Reader is a Microsoft Edge feature that simplifies the layout of text and reduces clutter. Use it on pages where it is available to read continuously, bypassing ads and other page content. This can include pages containing content such as articles, blog posts, and recipes. JAWS provides notification if Immersive Reader is available when the page loads. To enable Immersive Reader: Press F9 to activate Immersive Reader. JAWS indicates it is active. Read the article or blog using standard reading and navigation commands. Press CTRL+HOME to navigate to the top of the page, then press DOWN ARROW to review the Immersive Reader buttons. These include: Read Aloud Text Preferences Reading Preferences Unpin Toolbar (if the tool bar isn’t pinned, you will have the option to pin it instead.) Press F9 to turn off Immersive Reader. 
*	With Winter upon us, remember to keep phones warm. Lithium ion batteries tend to fail when cold. 
*	Some computer programming books in EPUB format may not display computer code correctly when read with access technology. One solution can be to download the book in Word format. Having a book in Word format also allows the user to remove annoying characters. 
*	For many of us, a classic Perkins brailler is still an essential tool. If you need to get yours repaired, here is a link to a list of brailler repair services:  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.23.1.ad1298cf5f761b4d39507cc047a185b0> https://nfb.org/resources/braille-resources/braillewriter-repair-resources 
*	Warning! Independence Science strongly advises all current and future IS customers to not upgrade the operating system on their Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest 2 device without being notified by Independence Science. There are other versions of operating systems that are not compatible with the text-to-speech features of Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest. Therefore, we strongly advise all ISci customers to not upgrade the OS on your device without prior notification. Failure to do so will likely disable the text-to-speech on your device. 

	

 



Independence Science Custom Trainings 

Independence Science now offers custom-designed trainings in STEM access. Do you know someone interested in STEM? If so, we can offer them an individually tailored curriculum based on their specific science interests and skillset needs with professional blind science instructors. 

Some of our frequently requested trainings include: 

	

 



*	Laboratory Safety 
*	Hiring and Managing Assistants 
*	Dissections 
*	Microscopy 
*	Titrations 
*	Optics •
*	Learning Basic Code 

	

 



Additional topics and advanced topics are available. Call us today to start a discussion for a custom training at (866) 862-9665 or e-mail  <mailto:%20info at independencescience.com> info at independencescience.com. All trainings have a minimum of 2:1 teacher to customer ratio. 

PDF Remediation for STEM 

Struggling with inaccessible PDFs in science and math? Independence Science is here to help! We know that professionally done accessible PDFs are hard to come by so we now offer PDF Remediation services for individuals, schools, teachers, and more! 

Imagine not having to worry about data loss, and wrestle with inaccessible research articles or class assignments, handbooks, calendars, or posters. Instead you will have beautifully tagged PDFs with headings, image descriptions, and proper reading order that will work with screen readers without needing OCR processing commands. Simply send us your PDF for a confidential and risk-free estimate. Only pay for the time you use and never pay any more than the estimate in your quote even if extra time is required. We can transfer to Word or HTML if preferred. Have your science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) images described by science content experts! It’s a win-win! 

For a quote or for more information, contact us today at  <mailto:pdf at independencescience.com> pdf at independencescience.com or visit  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.24.1.dbcbd412db36b19f98340585e227498a> https://independencescience.com/pdf-file-remediation/ for example projects. 

Video of Halibut Point 

Here is a short video that highlights the importance of place when exploring Earth & space. The video describes Halibut point in Massachusetts. Note, adds may interrupt the video.  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.25.1.379e556812aebe96a5d23ae3903a6e1b> https://youtu.be/depe6N9ny_s 


Meet the Element: Magnesium


Hi, my name is Magnesium and I hang out at atomic number 12. I am a metal and my symbol is Mg. I am the eighth most abundant element in the earth's crust. In appearance, I am a shiny gray solid. I don't occur naturally in a pure state. 

The credit for my isolation as a pure metal goes to Sir Humphry Davy, who in 1808, successfully extracted me from my oxide using electrolysis. 

My melting point is 650 degrees Celsius (1202 degrees Fahrenheit). This makes it easy to melt and cast me into various shapes. I am used to make alloys with aluminum, zinc and lithium. My alloys are light and strong and I am used in the aircraft and aerospace industries. I am important for your good health. 

Historically, I was used for illumination purposes, you could say I have a flare for lighting up the scene. As a powder I formed the flash for early photographers. I am used to help people start camp fires. 

Well you know more about me! Always here and gone in a flash! 


Jokes of the Quarter 


Q: What did the math book say to the chemistry book? 
A: “You’re lucky you always have solutions. I only have problems.” 

I don’t trust people who use graph paper. They’re always plotting something. 

Zinc, Mercury and lead walk into a bar. The bartender says “Guys, the heavy metal bar is down the street. 

Q: How do trees use the Internet? 
A: They log in. 


Request for Feedback on Our Products. 


Independence Science would like customer feedback on our products. What do you like, what works, what you want improved, and what new features would you like to see? We welcome any photographs or videos of how people enjoy using their LabQuest and their favorite activities. We want to make our products better and make your lives easier. Please send comments to  <mailto:feedback at independencescience.com> feedback at independencescience.com. 


External Announcements 


The following announcements are STEM and education related. Independence Science reprints this information as we receive it. We make no warranty as to the accuracy of these items although we will endeavor to only print legitimate items. We reserve the right to edit for space and clarity. We will also repeat some announcements such as scholarships etc. until the opportunities expire. 

Workshop Series on data Science and Data Sonification

Workshop series hosted by Pandas, NumFOCUS, and Iota 

Weekly from Tuesday, February 6th to Tuesday, March 5th 

13:00 - 15:00 Eastern Time (18:00 - 20:00 UTC) 

Free and open to the public. Registration required. Seats may be limited. Recordings will be provided to all registrants. 

Workshops will be hosted on Zoom. A Windows desktop or laptop is required. The NVDA screen reader will be used during the workshops. 

This five-workshop series will teach the fundamentals of data analysis and sonification using nonvisual tools and technologies. The workshops are designed for those who are blind, low vision, or who otherwise have difficulty accessing visual tools for data science. The workshops will cover some basics of the Python programming language, an introduction to the Pandas data science library, working interactively to explore data, preparing a data set for sonification, and using sonification to represent data. The workshop series will use the NVDA screen reader on Windows, and will be taught by blind / low vision practitioners. No prior experience with Python or data science is needed, but some familiarity with Windows and NVDA will be helpful. More information and registration at this link: 

 <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.26.1.fbea3c6b30eab34501b0ef5adaf8175b> https://iota-school.github.io/nonvisual_data_science_workshops/ 

Scholarships from ACB and NFB 

Scholarships are available from the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). Please visit the sites listed below for more information. Both organizations require documentation along with an application Applicants should start applying as soon as possible. 

ACB:  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.27.1.15d4bdc9c311fe801a92c4aaca701c7d> https://www.acb.org/scholarships 

NFB:  <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.28.1.deb677915542a97a0060036e049c976f> https://scholarships.nfb.org/ 

Teacher Recruitment for STEM Storytelling with Podcasts 

Thank you for your interest in the STEM Storytelling with Podcasts project. We are inviting you to be a member of the teacher testing group. 

What is this project about? 

The STEM Storytelling with Podcasts project is about using podcasts in grades 3-5 classrooms to teach about science and supporting students in creating their own podcasts. 

The project is also about sharing stories of blind and low vision (BLV) scientists through podcasts to support both BLV and sighted students in thinking about who can pursue STEM careers. 

What will teacher advisors do? 

We want to hear from you! We invite you to join a panel of 12 teachers who will provide iterative feedback on new teaching resources by testing them in classrooms, and using the resources to listen to and create podcasts with students. Your feedback will help us share effective and widely available resources for other teachers of students who are sighted and blind/low vision. 

Here's what you need to know: 

	

 



*	We will ask you to review the teaching resources before implementing them in your classrooms by sharing your feedback and recommendations for improvement through a feedback form. 
*	We will incorporate your initial input into the next iteration of resources. 
*	We will ask you to implement these updated resources into your upper elementary classrooms with students (sighted and blind/low vision). 
*	The resources will ask you to not only listen to podcasts with students but also to try developing podcasts with students. 
*	We will observe how some teachers implement these resources in their classrooms, including capturing the affordances and challenges of the resources. 
*	We will collect feedback from you about how the resources worked in your classrooms through another feedback form and through discussions with other teachers on Zoom. 
*	We will incorporate your feedback to improve the resources. 
*	We will finalize the resources for other teachers to access and use. 
*	We will host a summer teacher professional development to the AUI campus in Washington, DC. Your travel, lodging and meals will be covered by the grant. 

	

 



Overall, we expect that your participation as a teacher advisor will take roughly 15 hours over the school year and a 2-day in-person teacher workshop in DC. As a thank you for your participation as a member of the teacher advisory board, you will receive a $1000 honorarium upon completion of teacher advisory board activities. 

Please complete the following questionnaire if you are still interested in being a part of the teacher testing group: [ <https://email.cloud.secureclick.net/c/12193?id=83.29.1.6ea3e40fbbca05b3f0e8ae68b3b9867c> Year 2 Teacher Testing Group Questionnaire]. 

Questions about this study or the project can be directed to PI Kelly Riedinger at  <mailto:kelly.riedinger at oregonstate.edu> kelly.riedinger at oregonstate.edu. 


THE ROCK 


Robert Jaquiss 
January 25, 2024 

Copyright © Independence Science LLC. 

At Independence Science we are creating an accessible comic featuring three blind dogs; ISci a black lab, Stella a yellow lab and Gadget a chocolate lab. ISci, Stella and Gadget are the smartest dogs on earth. They talk, read braille and their front paws are more like hands so they can type, fly a spacecraft, explore and do science. Let your imagination run as these three lovable labs and their human companions have many adventures. 

Instead of pictures, captions are provided to describe the action. 

Note: Picture captions start on a new paragraph and are preceded by PC:. 

THE FOURTH MISSION 

The Background 

According to Joseph Abel President of the nation of Sophia, “About sixteen thousand years ago, beings called the Kronians visited earth. They apparently spent about three years exploring and collecting samples of the flora and fauna. A number of orphaned children were rescued and the Kronian mission then traveled to the planet Sophia. With some help from the Kronians, the plants, animals and humans flourished. By the year 1800, the Sophians were technologically very advanced. In that year, an asteroid struck the eastern hemisphere of Sophia destroying about ninety percent of the population. It was obvious that more asteroids would strike Sophia, so plans were put in place to leave. A few Sophians landed in America and began assimilating and making preparations. On the planet Sophia, we were governed by a monarchy. In 1895, 72 Sophians arrived in six small spacecraft which landed in several different locations. After landing on Earth, we resolved to form the nation of Sophia. The government of Sophia is a republic with democratically elected leaders. 

After several generations, there are about fifteen thousand of us. The nation of Sophia occupies a small island in a remote part of the south Pacific.” 

PC: picture of one of the groups of Sophians that landed in 1895. Recapping The Episodes 

Episode One: 

The mission: Start building a space station from recycled space debris. The collected debris is to be taken to an already existing orbiting fabricator. The fabricator uses 3d technologies to recycle materials. Isci, Stella and Gadget accomplish the mission flawlessly. 

Episode Two: Consequences from Mission One. 

A twenty meter Sophian telescope spots an asteroid a kilometer in diameter headed for Earth. Curiosity is raised at NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) when a number of objects monitored by NORAD disappear. There are meetings with various U. S. government officials. We meet a number of the human characters. 

Episode Three: More Consequences. 

There are more meetings, we learn more about Sophian history and technology. Rob and Sam Gilmour make some presentations and graduate early. During one presentation, Isci, Stella and Gadget find buried drums of hazardous waste on the high school grounds. 

The Human Characters 

The major human characters are: 

	

 



*	Joseph and Rachael Abel; President and first lady of Sophia. 
*	John and Jayne Gilmour; Sophian ambassadors to the United States and the parents of David Gilmour. 
*	Majors David (Dave) and Francis (fran) Gilmour; Dave is in the Air Force at Andrews Air Force Base. Fran is in the Space Force. Their children are: twins age fourteen Robert (Rob) and Samuel (Sam), twins age ten Thomas (Tom) and Tammie (Tam), Susan (Susie) age six and Bonny age four. 

	

 



Friday, April 9, 2032. 

PC: The three Sophian Labradors are sitting on a bench in front of a large house. ISci is a black lab, Stella is a yellow lab and Gadget is a chocolate lab. 

PC: The family is having breakfast. 

Dave said, “The ladies have done a great job with breakfast. Its great to go to work on a full stomach.” There was a chorus of agreement. 

Jayne replied, “Thank you, we will need to go shopping so we can feed this hungry crew.” 

Dave said, “Marshal Chestnut is retiring early. I am in the running for a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. If I don’t get the promotion, I could retire on full pay. I would like a little change in duties.” 

Stella said, “I expect to be on maternity leave for at least five months, so you could fly in my place for the next mission.” 

Gadget said, “The commissary does have human style food.” 

ISci said, “It was a great experience being an astronaut dog. I checked and we are about to get a big supply of fuel. The large plane and spacecraft are ready to fly.” 

Dave smiling said, “Thank you, I couldn’t choose two better astronaut dogs to fly with.” 

Fran said, “Yesterday, we found out that Osborne Clayton was injured earlier this week in a water-skiing accident. His injuries are bad enough that he will be medically retired. This means that I am also in the running for Lieutenant Colonel.” 

PC: Dave and Fran are in the garage getting into their vehicles. They are both in full dress uniforms. Dave leans close to Fran and gives her a hug and kiss. 

Fran said, “Good luck at work.” 

“Same here,” replied Dave. 

PC: Dave is approaching is office door. Across the corridor is an office that is being cleaned out. On the door is a plaque that reads, “Lt. Col. Kevin Carpenter”. 

PC: An Air Force Lieutenant Colonel in full dress uniform complete with sword is walking toward Dave. The two men salute. 

Kevin held out his hand and said, “Hello Dave, a word with you please.” 

Dave opened his office door and said, “Come on in Kevin. Welcome to AFB.” 

“Thank you,” replied Kevin, “General Albert Reynolds wants to see us in fifteen minutes in his office. I will be brief, I have a suggestion, I checked, and you are eligible for retirement. If you get an offer you like, take it. You can of course continue here. You probably should ask to discuss any offer with your family. You can also take some of your leave and see what opportunities are available. I know you will get an interesting offer.” 

Dave looking a bit startled replied, “This morning, I was telling the family about possibilities. ISci and Gadget said they would gladly welcome me to join their next mission.” 

Kevin laughed and said, “You would want to make sure the commissary packed your human food.” 

“That is for certain,” replied Dave, “Raw meat and dog biscuits don’t appeal.” 

PC: Dave is buckling on a ceremonial sword. 

Kevin said, “Secretary James Carpenter will offer you a chance to fly on a mission. You can also test out the new big heavy lift plane. Secretary Connie Livingston wants a thorough search made of all the spacecraft to look for a collection of missing memory discs. She found a diary that listed more discs than she has in the library.” 

Dave replied, “I haven’t seen the spacecraft that arrived on our farm. I switch out the nitrogen tanks every year but haven’t opened the chamber. I don’t think the chamber has been opened in at least eighty or possibly ninety years.” 

PC: Several people are in Major General Reynolds office. 

Colonel Adams said, “General Reynolds, please excuse me but I need to make an urgent announcement. I have been suffering from Angina. I just came from Walter Reed Hospital and the cardiologist has declared me unfit for duty. It is with regret that I must go on inactive status effectively immediately. I apologize for the trouble this will cause.” Colonel Adams handed General Reynolds a sheaf of papers. 

General Reynolds, a startled expression on his face said, “Zach, I am truly sorry for this state of affairs. Please let me know if there is anything I can do. It has been great having you in my command.” 

The other officers in the room expressed similar sentiments. 

“Thank you everyone,” replied Colonel Adams as he rose, saluted and left the room. 

General Reynolds took a breath and said, “Nothing like a change in personnel, Lieutenant Colonel Carpenter, you are now promoted to Colonel. I need to select one of you majors to become a Lieutenant Colonel. While Major Gilmour was on leave, we had an embarrassing incident. The officer that welcomed a delegation from Taiwan seriously botched the ceremony.” Taking a piece of paper from his desk, General Reynolds said, “Major Gilmour, please read this and translate the content in to Mandarin Chinese.” 

Major Gilmour quickly read the paper and spoke the contents in Mandarin. 

Captain Susan Wong smiling said, “General Reynolds sir, the translation is absolutely correct.” 

General Reynolds said, “Major Gilmour, you are now a Lieutenant Colonel.” 

Dave saluted and replied, “Thank you sir, I’ll do my best.” General Reynolds said, “The rest of you are dismissed, Kevin and Dave, please stay.” 

PC: General Reynolds is opening a metal briefcase and has laid four books on the desk. Each book is about 6cm thick. 

After everyone else left the room, General Reynolds said, “Gentlemen, I have an odd situation. The very brief version is that when I was five, my great grandmother Erin Reynolds held me on her lap and told me that I was a Sophian. She told me not to talk about being a Sophian. My parents were dismissive of the idea to say the least. My step-father assured me that make believe wasn’t allowed and that the woodshed contained materials to make life unpleasant. My great grandmother died in 1990 at the tender age of one hundred thirty. My grandmother died one month ago, she was only one hundred twenty-five. A month before she died, I found her out of her wheel chair, standing in front of the built in bookcase. She had managed to remove the top and one side of the frame. I removed the other side and found out that the bookcase could roll out on wheels. Behind the bookcase were several metal boxes. One of the boxes had these books in it. There are diaries that start in 1874 and end in 1925. I need more education, and as a member of the JCS, I would very much appreciate learning about the current state of Sophian technology. I know about the asteroid that is headed our way, so action will be needed soon. Some advice would also be welcome. Dave, yesterday I drove past your farm and noted that the house and barn are in the locations as Erin Reynolds drew them. The big pavilion is impressive.” 

Dave seeing a bookmark turned to a page in the diary and saw a detailed sketch of what the Gilmour house had looked like in 1895. 

Dave said, “The sketch is reasonably accurate. Our house had a third story added in the 1920s. The pavilion is a temporary structure. It was erected in less than five hours.” 

Kevin said, “General sir, I implore you to please not discuss this material with any nonsophians. My Grandfather is the Secretary of Defense for Sophia. Your great uncle James Reynolds is the secretary of the Science department. I will contact them and seek advice.” 

Dave said, “President Joseph and First Lady Rachael Abel are my wife’s grandparents. They are currently living in our house. I expect to open the chamber where the spacecraft is. As far as I know, it hasn’t been seen for at least eighty or ninety years.” 

General Reynolds replied, “Thank you for the advice. That’s all I have for now.” Kevin and Dave rose, saluted and left the office. 

PC: Fran is in her office hanging up her coat. She quickly checks her in basket and email. Her phone rings which she answers. 

Seeing the caller-id, Fran said, “Good Morning sir, what can I do for you?” 

Colonel Fletcher replied, “General Anderson wants you in his office ASAP please.” 

Fran replied, “I’ll be right there.” After checking in a mirror, Fran quickly walked to General Anderson’s office. 

PC: Major General Anderson, Colonel Fletcher and Fran are in an office. Colonel Fletcher and Fran are standing at attention. 

General Anderson said, “Please be seated. As you know, Lieutenant Colonel Clayton has been medically retired. Major Gilmour, I am promoting you effectively immediately to Lieutenant Colonel. Do you think Linda is capable of being a major?” 

Fran replied, “Certainly sir, and thank you for the promotion.” General Anderson continued, “President Harris is going to grant diplomatic recognition to the Republic of Sophia. The State Department is issuing diplomatic credentials to John and Jayne Gilmour. Everyone is invited to the White House for a small dinner Sunday evening. The Space Force needs a liaison officer to coordinate with the Sophian military. Fran, I want you to take on that responsibility.” 

Fran replied, “Yes sir. As it turns out, President Joseph and First Lady Rachael Abel are my grandparents and when in the area live on the third floor of our house. John and Jayne Gilmour also are frequent house guests. Meetings will be easy.” 

A smiling General Anderson said, “Very good. You will soon have a new office, sign and better parking place.” The phone rang and General Anderson answered it listened and said, “Very good, Lt. Col. Gilmour is our liaison officer to the Sophian military.” 

After hanging up, General Anderson said, “Your husband also received a promotion a few minutes ago. That’s all I have.” Fran and Colonel Fletcher left the office. 

Colonel Fletcher said, “Congratulations Fran, I think you will have your work cut out for you.” 

In the Gilmour home, Jayne asked, “Stella, are you ready?” 

Stella wagging her tail replied, “Yes,” and raced for the minivan. 

PC: Jayne and Stella are in the vet’s office. The receptionist said, “Stella, Dr. Grafton will see you now.” 

PC: Stella is jumping onto the examination table. 

Dr. Grafton smiling said, “Most of my patients don’t bound into the exam room and land on the table wagging their tails.” 

After the procedure was completed, Dr. Grafton said, “All right Stella, you are officially on maternity leave for five months. I will see you in two weeks for a follow-up checkup. Do not do any rough activity for the next two weeks and stay away from chemicals. Be sure to eat a healthy diet.” 

“Will do,” replied Stella. Jayne and Stella returned home. 

PC: In his office, Joseph is reading his email. 

Joseph said, “I have requests from secretary Carpenter, Livingston and Reynolds to open the chambers where the spacecrafts are stored. There are possibly memory discs that are not in the archives.” 

PC: Joseph is unlocking a small safe and removing a key ring. 

PC: Joseph and Rachael are speaking to Rob and Sam. 

Joseph said, “Well you two, you have discussed the possible existence of a spacecraft, you are correct. It needs to be checked out.” 

PC: A large enclosed machine shop is located on the Gilmour property. The shop is forty meters long, twenty meters wide and eight meters high. The roof is arched and is ten meters high in the center giving the building a rounded top. There are large doors on each side of the building and on one end. One end of the shop is buried in the side of a hill. Inside the building various farm implements are parked along the walls. In one end, work benches are along one side flanked by tool cabinets and bins of supplies. A variety of metal and wood working machines are along the opposite wall. A long center aisle runs the length of the building. 

PC: Joseph, Rachael, John, Rob and Sam followed by ISci and Gadget are inside the big machine shed. The big doors are open as well as windows. Two large fans are blowing in fresh air. 

Joseph said, “Everyone stay near a window, the spacecraft is in a cave in a dry nitrogen atmosphere. When I open the doors, we will wait five minutes for the nitrogen to be cleared out.” 

PC: Joseph and John open a built in cabinet and Joseph presses a small concealed panel. A small door opens in the end wall. John turns off valves on four large tanks of nitrogen. Joseph is turning the dial of what looks like the combination lock on a safe. A door opens revealing a crank handle. John pulls out the crank and inserts the end into a socket. He then begins to turn the crank clockwise. 

PC: Two doors swing open in the buried end of the shop revealing the spacecraft. 

PC: the spacecraft has a cylindrical fuselage that is six meters in diameter. The cabin is ten meters long and the whole craft is thirty meters long. 

PC: ISci wearing an oxygen mask is opening the two hatches on the spacecraft. 

ISci said, “We need to wait about five minutes for the nitrogen to leave the spacecraft.” 

PC: The group is entering the spacecraft. The interior of the spacecraft has two seats in the front for the commander and pilot. Further back are seats for twelve people. There are three rows of two seats on each side of a center aisle. Above each row of seats are overhead bins for luggage storage. Behind the seats on each side are two closets labeled spacesuits. Next on the left side of the spacecraft is the galley. On the right side are more storage closets. Further back is the head complete with shower. In the back of the cabin is a second hatch and the power closet. 

PC: Gadget has opened the power closet and after inserting a key, opens it. Gadget throws a mechanical arm that activates the main battery. 

PC: ISci inserts his key and starts the small atomic reactor. 

Using a light detector, Gadget said, “The main battery and reactor are go for operation.” 

Throwing a large circuit breaker, ISci said, “The main power is on.” 

PC: Green lights are glowing on various panels throughout the spacecraft. 

PC: John gets into the left hand seat and after inserting a key, turns it one position. 

John said, “Let’s see if the circuits are still in tact.” 

PC: John presses a button labeled Initial Check. A screen reads, “Decommissioned January 8, 1895. Please enter current date.” John uses a keyboard to enter the information. 

A computerized voice announced, “Starting check, please wait.” 

Gadget closed the hatch. 

John said, “Everyone, please take a seat.” 

PC: Everyone is sitting in seats. 

The voice said, “Check complete, system go for stage two check. Please add water.” 

John said, “We will switch to wheels.” John pressed a button and the spacecraft lifted slightly. The skis retracted. 

Sam asked, “Did this spacecraft land on skis?” 

Joseph said, “I have no clue. Since it landed in the Winter, skis are a possibility. The reason the skis were holding the craft up was so the tires wouldn’t degrade.” 

PC: John carefully moves the throttle to the first position. The electric motors whine and the spacecraft slowly moves through the shop and outside into the sunshine. 

PC: Motors whine overhead and the wings unfold and lock into position. A message reads, “Solar panels all active.” John presses a red button labeled Lock controls and then removes his key. 

Joseph said, “Absolutely positively no one goes into the cockpit area unless an astronaut is on board.” Everyone nodded. 

PC: The luggage bins and closets are all opened and checked. 

Rachael said, “Here are some memory discs and a player. Sam, please find me a cart please.” 

Rob looking into a bin said, “Looks like everyone left their luggage. The bags are all marked.” 

Joseph opening a closet said, “It looks like the Sophian state regalia is here.” 

Rachael said, “On Sophia, no one except for the king and queen, the jeweler and high priest were allowed to touch the state crowns. One of those swords was used for knighting a person.” 

PC: Two carts are brought. One cart carries the memory discs, player and two large duffel bags. The second cart contains the Sophian regalia. 

PC: John wires a power supply to the memory disc player, plugs it in and turns on the player. A number of pictures are displayed on a projector screen. 

Jayne and Stella returned from the vet. Seeing the memory disc player, Jayne said, “Those pictures will change a lot of history books.” 

PC: Jayne and Tam are making a large cake. After the cake is cooled off, Jayne decorates it. 

PC: ISci and Gadget go outside and finding a hose begin filling the water tanks on the spacecraft. 

PC: Inside the craft, ISci opens a panel which filters the water. 

Gadget said, “We can test the plasma jets.” ISci said, “Let’s check the hull integrity.” Pressing a button, the hull was pressurized for a few minutes.” 

Gadget said, “The hull passes integrity check.” 

ISci said, “Good idea.” Inserting his key, ISci started the jets and tried them out for thirty seconds. There was a roar and huge clouds of steam. 

ISci said, “I will fire the solid engine for one second.” Pressing a test button resulted in a tongue of flame sixty meters long. 

Gadget said, “All systems are go, the only thing missing is fresh food.” ISci removed his key. 

PC: ISci and Gadget are standing at attention in front of President Abel. The president on the phone. 

ISci said, “Mr. President and Secretary Carpenter sirs, with the exception of fresh provisions, Sophia One is ready to fly.” 

Secretary Carpenter replied, “Thank you ISci and Gadget.” 

ISci said, “The engines have both been tested.” 

“Very good. Since we have six old spacecraft, we will start the naming of missions with eleven, so last Friday’s mission will be redesignated as Sophia Eleven.” replied Secretary Carpenter. 

PC: The Gilmour family is having dinner. 

Dave said, “Looks like you all had a very interesting day.” 

Rob said, “Sophia One looks cool. Can we get a radio for it and take a test flight?” 

Fran said, “We will need to make arrangements. Our driveway is not an airport and using the road will require care so it isn’t damaged.” 

PC: Sunday evening in the Gilmour home, everyone is dressed in their best. Rachael, Jayne and Fran are wearing some of the jewelry found in the spacecraft. 

PC: Sunday, everyone is at the White House going through security. 

PC: In the East room, a long table has been formally set for dinner. President Harris and the first gentleman are seated at the head of the table. Everyone is smiling as dinner is served. 

PC: A large screen TV is set up in the room. President Abel said, “President Harris, I thought you might find some of these pictures informative.” 

PC: Joseph presses a key on a laptop and images of animals appear. 

Rachael said, “These images were taken by the Kronians who visited Earth sixteen thousand years ago. There are also images of the people they encountered.” 

PC: A variety of animals mammoths, cave lions, cave bears, wooly rhinoceros etc. There are also images of families and groups going about various tasks. 

Secretary Woods from the Smithsonian said, “President Abel, these images are incredible. They will change what we know of the paleolithic era.” 

There was much friendly conversation. After a while, the gathering broke up. 

PC: Monday April 12, ISci, Gadget, Dave, and Rob and Sam are getting into a van driven by Fran. Each person has a suitcase, laptop case and backpack. Fran drops everyone at Andrews Air Force Base. 

Fran said, “You all be very careful. Boys, you pay extra careful attention to your father, ISci and Gadget.” 

Rob and Sam replied, “Will do.” 

PC: After last minute hugs, the group boards a Sophian plane. 

The plane was soon airborne and headed out over the Atlantic. Dave was in the co-pilot seat and Jack Carpenter was the pilot. 

Jack a wide grin on his face said, “Okay, let’s show the other pilots around here what speed is all about.” 

Jack pushed the throttle all the way and the jet climbed to one hundred thirty thousand feet. The plane was soon flying at Mach eight. In four hours, the plane landed on Sophia. 

PC: The group is looking at a huge plane with eighteen jet engines. 

PC: Inside the plane is a spacecraft. 

Dave said, “ISci and Gadget, this spacecraft is very much larger than the one you flew. It can seat four crew and twelve passengers. We are simulating a full load of passengers. The aft compartment has side payload doors so large objects can be carried inside. There is an arm like you have used before. The mission is to go up, orbit once or twice and if everything checks out, we go get that dead satellite and bring it home. The fabricator has removed the propellant. The passenger seats each have a bag containing one hundred liters of water to simulate a passenger. The food storage, water tanks and oxygen tanks are at full capacity. There are extra space suits and clothes in a closet.” 

ISci said, “Sounds simple enough.” 

Gadget said, “I presume we will be in pressure suits since this is a new spacecraft?” 

“Absolutely!” replied Dave. 

Capcom shook hands with all the crew and said, “Good luck with the mission.” 

PC: Dave, Jack, ISci and Gadget are in the rocket which is inside the plane. 

Dave is in the Commander’s seat (left front), ISci is in the right seat and Gadget is in the left seat behind the commander. Jack Carpenter is in the right seat behind ISci. Everyone is in pressure suits which are connected with an umbilical hose to the spacecraft. 

Capcom called over the radio, “You are go for launch, all the tanks are fueled, and the hoses and cables are disconnected.” 

Dave replied, “Roger that.” Dave took a key, inserted it into a console and turned it to position One. 

A voice said, “Initializing, please wait.” Equipment fans began to hum and lights turned on in the spacecraft. The voice said, “Initialization complete.” 

Dave turned the key to position Two. Using a keyboard, he entered the flight plan. 

The voice said, “Plan accepted.” 

ISci turned the key to position Three. 

The voice said, “Starting preflight check please wait.” 

PC: All the crew are monitoring their displays while the preflight check progresses. 

The voice said, “Preflight complete.” 

Gadget said, “Engineering go!” 

Jack said, “Communications and visual long range go!” 

ISci said, “Navigation go!” 

PC: Dave flips up a panel and flips up switches for each of the jet engines. As he does so, an engine starts up. 

Dave said, “We are go for launch!” 

PC: Dave shoves the throttle forward all the way and the huge plane begins to move. The linear motor catapult engages and the plane is hurled along the runway. Dave pulls back on the stick, and the plane is airborne. 

Dave said, “We will fly as high as possible before launching the rocket. There is about fifteen minutes to use the head.” 

“We are good,” replied the group. 

PC: Dave flies the plane until the plane reaches twenty thousand meters. All the crew are checking their screens. 

ISci said, “Approaching launch point.” 

PC: ISci arms the release system. 

Dave said, “Jack, you get the honors.” Jack seized the release handle and pulled firmly. 

PC: The rocket is sliding out of the plane tail first. The rocket is tail heavy, so it swings to a vertical position. The plane banks and on auto pilot returns to Sophia. 

PC: ISci flips up a panel, puts his paw on a big red button. 

ISci called, “Launch in five, four, three, two, one.” Pressing firmly on the button fired the rocket engine. There was a tremendous roar and everyone was pushed back in their seats. 

Capcom called, “Sophia twelve, we read you go for orbit.” 

Dave replied, “Roger Capcom we show go for orbit.” 

PC: The first stage separates and glides back to Sophia. 

PC: The second stage fires and again everyone is pushed back in their seats. 

ISci said, “We have orbital velocity. We are 222KM or 120 nautical miles above Earth’s surface.” 

Dave said, “We will do one orbit and then start collecting. We can relax for a few minutes.” 

An hour and a half later Dave said, “Let’s do some collecting. We can try out that grabbing pear.” 

Jack said, “I have a booster in site.” 

Gadget moved some switches and said, “The grabbing pear is ready.” 

PC: The grabbing pear is a pear shaped device a meter across at the base and two meters long. Eight legs come together in a rounded point forming the pear shape. 

PC: ISci presses a button launching the pear. The legs rapidly unfold and open becoming ten meters long. 

PC: the pear contacts the booster and the legs fold around it. Small jets on the back of the pear stabilize the booster so the arm can grab it. 

PC: Gadget attaches the booster to the end of a long cable. The crew took turns collecting space debris. 

After five orbits, Dave said, “I think we have quite the haul, lets take our collection to the fabricator.” 

ISci said, “There is enough work to keep the fabricator busy for a couple of weeks.” 

Capcom called, “Sophia twelve, great job collecting. We just received word that three groups of astronauts are in trouble. Do you think you can help?” 

Dave an incredulous look on his face replied, “Send us more information. How do three groups get into trouble at the same time?” 

Joseph joining the conversation said, “Intelligence thinks each group is using the same model of spacecraft and they all failed the same way. Dave, it is your crew’s decision. The government will support any decision you make.” 

Dave said, “Is there anyone opposed to trying to rescue the people?” No paws or hands were raised. 

PC: Gadget and Jack are preparing beacons. The beacons have solar cells. Jack connects each beacon to the console and programs it to flash a message in Morse code and transmit a low power radio message. 

PC: Gadget is tethered with a life line inside the payload bay. He carefully attaches the beacons to the cable. 

PC: Gadget returns back inside the spacecraft wagging his tail. PC: Jack and ISci have traded places. 

ISci said, “Our displays are not as fast as eyesight.” 

PC: ISci and Gadget are changing into EV spacesuits. The EV spacesuits are heavier and have a reflective layer on the outside. 

Gadget said, “You can use a flight suit inside the payload bay, but it doesn’t take much sun to burn you. The EV suits are also more puncture resistant.” 

PC: Dave and jack navigate to the first spacecraft. The rear of the spacecraft is blackened. A hatch is open a small amount. 

Gadget asked, “do you suppose there was a fire and the hatch was opened to put it out?” 

ISci replied, “Sounds logical to me. Lets use the grab bag. It will provide some shielding.” 

PC: a large fabric cylinder framed with pneumatic tubing inflates. ISci and Gadget are inside the open bag. The bag is fastened to the arm. Each dog is tethered with a lifeline. 

Gadget used his jetpack to reach the disabled spacecraft. Throwing open the hatch, he grabbed the first person in his paws and ISci pulled him back into the grab bag. ISci opened the outer hatch, pushed the person in and slammed the hatch shut. 

Jack quickly pressurized the airlock, opened the inner hatch and pulled the person into the cabin. The sequence was repeated two more times. 

PC: Everyone is back in Sophia Twelve. The disabled spacecraft drifts away. 

Dave said, “ISci and Gadget, great work you two. That was a very dangerous job.” 

PC: The dogs are wagging their tails. 

PC: The dogs are recharging their oxygen tanks and jet packs. The next rescue was a repeat of the first. 

Dave navigated to the last spacecraft. It was tumbling wildly. 

ISci asked, “Could the grabbing pear catch it?” 

Jack replied, “We can try.” 

Jack deployed the grabbing pear which contacted and caught the spacecraft. The grabbing pear expended its fuel stabilizing the spacecraft. 

After the disabled craft was stabilized, three more people were rescued. Just as the last person was removed, a retro rocket fired and the disabled spacecraft headed away from Earth. 

PC: All the rescued people and crew are in fresh clothes enjoying a meal. The all thanked ISci, Gadget and the rest of the crew for rescuing them. 

PC: Sophia Twelve has reacquired the collection of debris and is towing it to the fabricator. 

The return to Earth was uneventful. Dave and ISci landed Sophia Twelve on Sophia to much cheering. 

PC: The rescued people six men and three women and the crew line up for pictures on the beach. 

Many congratulatory messages were received. 

Rob said, “You all made those rescues look easy.” 

Dave said, “Young men, that is the most dangerous mission I have ever completed. There’s no rehearsing. One wrong move and you’re dead.” 

Sam said, “All the major networks covered the action.” 

Rachael said, “You are to stay on the ground the rest of the week for R&R.” 

PC: All three labs are resting on grass with their heads on their paws. 


Conclusion 


The Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) Declaration has ended. Students can again engage in hands-on learning activities. Hands-on science learning experiences were proven to be challenging during the pandemic. With your support and enthusiasm Independence Science looks forward to making accessible science experiences more possible for blind and low vision students. Please send your questions and comments to: <mailto:%20info at independencescience.com>  info at independencescience.com.

	

 



		

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