Families, teachers, early-career scientists, and people who simply love science and technology are invited explore a range of free public events at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

With cutting-edge, plain-language lectures on topics such as science and democracy, the power of ideas, and the parallels between primate and human behavior, as well as hands-on science activities for children, the meeting will provide something for people of all ages and interests when it convenes in Vancouver, British Columbia, from 16-20 February 2012.

Registration for these free events is required on-site at the Vancouver Convention Centre, 1055 Canada Place.

FAMILY SCIENCE DAYS AND “MEET THE SCIENTISTS”
Saturday 18 February and Sunday 19 February
11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Vancouver Convention Centre, Exhibit Hall A-B1, Family Science Days entrance

Family Science Days features hands-on activities and stage shows for families with children, teenagers, and young adults. To attend, the public should plan to pick up a free badge at Exhibit Hall A-B1, using the Family Science Days entrance.

At Family Science Days, youngsters will be able to try space food, create an earthquake, touch live sea creatures, and launch their own rockets. "Meet the Scientists" will give them an opportunity to meet cool scientists who will talk about their work.

“Meet the Scientists” stage shows will include talks on: “The Real Science of Alien Worlds,” by Jaymie Matthews, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of British Columbia, (Saturday, 18 February at noon); “Science on Your Dining Table,” by Nitsara Karoonuthaisiri of Thailand’s National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Saturday, 18 February at 1:00 p.m.); “Brain Network: More than the Sum of its Parts,” by  Daniel  Colón-Ramos, assistant professor of cell biology, Yale School of Medicine (Sunday, 19 February at 1:00 p.m.); and “Enormous Feats of Nature’s Nano-Machines,” by Nancy Forde, assistant professor of physics at Simon Fraser University (Sunday, 19 February at 2:00 p.m.).

Chris Hadfield, an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency, will talk about living and working on the International Space Station, at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday 18 February. Other presentations will encompass mathematics, astronomy, clouds and weather, biodiversity and global fisheries.

WORLD RENOWNED SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS
Thursday - Monday, 16-20 February
Ballroom C, West Building, Vancouver Convention Centre

The 2012 Annual Meeting offers free plenary lectures by world-renowned speakers who will discuss important progress on pressing science, technology, and policy issues, and share insights on future directions. The meeting will open at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, 16 February, with the AAAS President’s Address by Nina V. Fedoroff, a leading geneticist and molecular biologist at Pennsylvania State University and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia.

Other plenary speakers include Mike Lazaridis, vice chair of the board of Research in Motion and the founder and board chair of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 17 February; a panel at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, 18 February featuring James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Olivia Judson of Imperial College London, Hans Rosling, professor of international health at the Karolinska Institute, and moderator Frank Sesno, director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University; a speaker still to be named at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, 19 February; and Frans B. M. de Waal, professor of psychology at the Yerkes Primate Center, Emory University, at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, 20 February.

Registration for these free events is required on-site at the Vancouver Convention Centre, outside Exhibit Hall B1.

CAREER-BUILDING FOR STUDENTS AND SCIENTISTS
Friday - Sunday, 17-19 February, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Times and Locations Vary

The AAAS Annual Meeting is rich with activities for professional and career development. Activities are designed for everyone regardless of degree level or career stage and offer many opportunities for networking and meeting colleagues and peers. Career Development Workshops for scientists, students and others are planned throughout the weekend and will cover topics ranging from basic skills such as interviewing to more advanced subjects such as dealing with career transitions and communicating with the U.S. Congress. The Guide to Exhibits and Public Events contains a list of workshops and other open events; available at registration, Vancouver Convention Centre, outside of Exhibit Hall B1. In addition, many Exhibitor-Sponsored Workshops will take place during the AAAS Annual Meeting.

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION
Friday 17 February - Sunday 17 February
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Vancouver Convention Centre, Exhibit Hall A-B1

Dozens of exhibitors from around the globe will showcase their programs, products, and services. For example, the Canada Pavilion will feature displays on how Canadian science is providing solutions to global challenges. The U.S. National Science Foundation will show how it supports scientific, technological, and engineering innovation. Representatives of R. B. Manufacturing will display the Power Wheel, a micro-hydro generator that can be used in the classroom or home to teach about energy, conservation and sustainability. The other exhibitors include the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the European Commission; TRIUMF, the Canadian national laboratory for particle physics; the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo, Ontario; and research entities from countries such as Germany, Japan, Korea, and Singapore


AAAS was founded in 1848, and today serves 262 affiliated societies and academies of science, reaching 10 million individuals. The first AAAS Annual Meeting took place in 1848 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2010, the AAAS Annual Meeting drew 6,700 participants, including nearly 800 journalists and other newsroom registrants. Past meetings have featured such notables as Albert Einstein, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates, and Google co-founder Larry Page.

AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal Science as well as Science Translational Medicine and Science Signaling. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. AAAS, a non-partisan, non-profit, non-governmental organization, is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and other areas.