Contents: 

DIRECTOR'S NOTE  

DOE PUBLIC BUS TOUR  

EXHIBITS    

EDUCATION

EVENTS  

DISCOVERY SHOP   

K-25 HISTORY CENTER  

PROGRAMS  

117 SOCIETY 

SUPPORT  

MEMBERSHIP  

VOLUNTEERS  

VISIT 

Thanks as always for your support of our work at AMSE and the K-25 History Center.

The bus tour has been a fantastic success.  We want to begin by thanking our Dept. Of Energy partners at CNS /Y-12 and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Additionally, a huge thanks for our incredible team of AMSE Volunteers. These generous individuals are the true heart and soul of AMSE and make these tours a truly one-of-a-kind experience. When guests get to hear first-hand stories and experiences from the very people worked in these areas it is like nothing else.   

We will be opening new dates for August very soon! Check out AMSE.org and our social media pages regularly for updates.

AMSE is looking forward to its new space exhibit! With a grant from the Arts & Culture Alliance, local artist Brandon Woods is creating a large sculpture of the new James Webb Telescope. Due for installation in September, this piece will be surrounded by panels and images that describe the Telescope's engineering and purpose, and Oak Ridge's contributions to our exploration of the universe. 

Additionally, AMSE has been awarded by NASA a temporary kiosk exhibit about the James Webb Telescope. Beginning in January, visitors will be able to manipulate and edit actual images from the telescope to discover how scientists use the Telescope's data to unravel mysteries far beyond our little planet. 

As summer is winding down and the 2022-23 school year is kicking off to a great start, AMSE educators are gearing up for a busy Fall with Virtual STEAM related classes sponsored by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). This experience is being offered at no charge to underserved Title I elementary school systems around our region. Supplies are provided and AMSE brings the fun and learning of STEAM content into the classroom via Zoom or TEAMS, all while supporting Tennessee State Standards. If you know a teacher... Please help us get the word out and send them to this link to learn more about the classes and getting scheduled.

Scheduling will be limited and done on a first come first serve basis. 

In addition to virtual classes, our new Coding for Mineral Quest Class was introduced this year and students have been having fun with unplugged coding of AMSE Bot to retrieve mineral samples to be tested and investigated in the classroom. The class offers a real-world challenge for students to approach with their Engineering Design Process skills. This is just one of many great education classes schools can purchase as part of their field trip to AMSE. 

ETEC’s 2022 Nuclear Opportunities Workshop

AMSE is excited to participate in this in-person event which will give industry professionals an opportunity to network, re-connect with colleagues, and interact with young professionals interested in career opportunities. University of Tennessee students along with interns from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 Nuclear Security Complex, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, and United Cleanup of Oak Ridge will be invited and encouraged to attend.

Join us in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on August 1 for an evening reception (5:00-7:00 p.m.) at AMSE (more info below) and all day on August 2 (7:00 am – 5:00 pm), for an industry conference at Bridgewater Place located at 205 Bridgewater Rd in Knoxville.

Feature discussions will be on the opportunities and issues around four key topics: 

1. Advanced Reactors: Lessons Learned in the Early Days of Advanced Reactors
2. Nuclear Fuels: Nuclear Fuel Demand and Development
3. Radioisotopes: Impact and Processes of Radioisotope Production
4. Nuclear Workforce: Workforce Initiatives and Opportunities Available to the Nuclear Industry in East Tennessee

You and your team members are invited to the welcome/community reception on Aug 1, 5-7 pm at AMSE. Feel free to bring your early career professionals and interns.

We had a fantastic time this past Friday with our first Game Night. We'll be sure to do it again. What a hoot!

There should be no reason why AMSE is not your most, best, secret place to score some truly awesome gifts. The real problem is that people end up keeping these things for themselves. Whether you are shopping for yourself or someone else you don’t know the coolness waiting for you. Here is just a glimpse. Shopping does not require the price of admission. 

Did you know General Leslie Groves oversaw acquiring the location, water, and electricity for the construction and operation of the K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Plant site? General Leslie Groves was also known for his work on the construction of the Pentagon. 

Visit the K-25 History Center today to learn more about General Leslie Groves and his work at the K-25 Gaseous Diffusion Plant site. Using the Google Maps app or the web browser is the best way to locate us. Just enter the name: “K-25 History Center” or the address: 652 Enrichment Street, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 in the directions search engine.

New AMSEcast episodes premiere this month. Click below to listen before the episodes are released to the public. 

Join the American Museum of Science and Energy's exciting virtual Race to Space and receive a custom t-shirt. This race encourages everyone to walk or run to reach the International Space Station virtually! As participants log and report distances to AMSE, we will send out fun 3D-printed medals at each atmospheric milestone. The race is completed at the participant’s pace. 

We encourage folks to get to know our Race to Space sponsor, GEM Technologies, Inc., and visit our Race to Space partners, the Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department and the Ijams Nature Center. 

Did you know you can explore the North Ridge Trail and Melton Lake Greenways to earn the Troposphere and Stratosphere medals? Explore the historic city of Oak Ridge’s trials and greenways and stop by AMSE’s sister Museum and the K-25 History Center just down the road. Or explore the Ijams Nature Center and walk the Burnett Ridge, Hickory, and Tharp Trace trails to be on your way to earning your Troposphere medal. 

August 2022

Evolution: The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory

by Edward Larson 

We recently recorded an interview with Edward Larson for AMSEcast. Stick around it'll post soon! 

SPONSORED BY Terra Integras. 

AMSE is very proud to have Terra Integras, LLC. as a sponsor for AMSE’s Online Book Club! We sincerely appreciate their support, and we hope that all of you join the book club and check out the amazing things going on at Terra Integras.  

AMSE is proud to partner with the Oak Ridge Public Library, Clinton Public Library, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Libraries, for our online Book Club. We encourage our Book Club members to visit AMSE’s online “The Discovery Shop” to buy this month’s book or borrow a copy from our Oak Ridge Public Library or Clinton Public Library partners.  

Please check out this great video showcasing our award-winning virtual classes. 

Created in the midst of the pandemic and supported by initial funding from our partners at ORNL, our virtual, hands-on classes have been recognized by the Tennessee Association of Museums with a Certificate of Excellence. Since we began offering these innovative classes, nearly 700 students have taken part. Our original topics are States of Matter, Electricity, Bees and Pollination. 

The newly established 117 Society allows each member to donate one of the original, virtual hands-on Periodic Table classes we are creating to a school of the member’s choice, free of charge. There will be a Periodic Table class for middle school students, and another appropriate for high school students. These classes will be available starting in the fall of 2022. 

Please consider a gift to the American Museum of Science and Energy Foundation (AMSEF), a 501(c)(3) organization. Last year was a big year for AMSEF – we proudly operate both the American Museum of Science and Energy and the K-25 History Center. We need your help to ensure the success of both those wonderful institutions and to help us accomplish our vital mission of STEAM education.     

There are many ways to give – please consider a one-time gift, an individual or family membership, or becoming part of our new 117 Society. You can find those options and more by going to https://amse.org/support/. Or you can always send your gifts to 115 Main St. East, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Thank you for your support and we hope to see you often in 2022 at AMSE and the K-25 History Center. 

Why? Seriously, being a member of the ASTC Travel Passport Program gives members free general admission to participating science centers and museums outside their local area. Join the savviest of science-loving families and adults and visit more than 350 science centers and museums in 20 countries around the world! As an AMSE Membership holder you also can get huge discounted rates at ANY Smithsonian Affiliate Museum. Learn more here! 

Norm Dobbs leads the Public Bus Tour Volunteers through training.

We are always looking for eligible volunteers for AMSE/K-25 History Center as well as the DOE Public Bus Tours, if you are interested, please contact Glenda Bingham at (865) 294-4517 or gbingham@amse.org. 

American Museum of Science and Energy

& K-25 History Center

Monday through Saturday:

9AM – 5PM

Sunday:

1PM – 5PM

AMSE address:

115 Main Street East

Oak Ridge, TN 37830

K-25 address:

652 Enrichment Street

Oak Ridge, TN 37830

You can always reach us by calling +1 (865) 294-4531 or

emailing us at info@AMSE.org.

Check us out online at amse.org and k25historycenter.org.

Come see us soon at AMSE and the K-25 History Center!