**Day 3 Morning -- Plenary Session Summary Notes**

**Feedback from NASA Goddard Visit**

Value gained from being able to see 2 SOS installations.

Tour of the Cryosphere: great show but needs unpacking for museums --
too dense as is. Maybe could get some programming about the Cryosphere
that is suited to museums. Need to recognize that way programs work in
museums is different.

A lot of great stuff out there -- need to figure out how to use them on
the sphere and what to have as supporting displays.

Horace Mitchell will be developing content -- could be open to suggested
topics although NASA does have some stories they want to tell.

Did people like look & feel of NEO? Liked 3 levels that NEO had. NASA
will be happy to organize some distance training to show people all the
features of NEO. ICE Box would be a good feature to use -- ability to
compare data. NASA has talked about having teacher workshops for how to
use NEO -- can be good for science fair settings.

**Communications**

Having an email list with 75 people not very workable -- people come and
go and hard to keep updated. Would like to have everybody who is
interested being part of an SOS forum. If interested in joining Yahoo
users group need to email David Himes.

Email distribution lists -- have a group that is actively involved in
SOS now; and another group who don't have SOS but are interested in
getting it. Need to think about how we are going to manage the different
lists.

**Guidelines**

Footprints showed new ways of doing things that weren't included in the
guidelines -- would hope that the guidelines that are produced are not
too restrictive. Talked about use of kiosks and other displays with SOS
-- have an opportunity to set the trend for how things are produced.
Important though to have the guidelines as convention rather than the
law -- otherwise could stymie development of the technology. Want to
make sure that we protect the freedom for SOS to evolve. More a case of
sharing what works and what doesn't work.

Resolution -- will recommend that 1024 x 2048 is the current standard
but should still allow for people to use 2k x 4k, but there will be
limitations there which should be defined in the document. General data
sets should use 1k x 2k but if have capability to go higher then can do
that -- much harder to go back and start again than to downsize a higher
image. Having a higher resolution will allow those who have higher end
gear to get the most from them, otherwise serving the lowest common
denominator.

**Content Development**

Earth System Science (ESS) as a general concept -- climate, could use
corals to tell story too. ESS could be classed as a general theme.

Animations that highlight more specific aspects of a topic -- e.g. bring
out the Trade Winds in cloud patterns, global conveyor belt -- have
things that jump out at the audience. Could include a module on a kiosk
that shows the concept in more detail. Should come up with a list of ESS
concepts that we would like to show.

Can also highlight current events that work hand-in-hand with broader
concepts. Could have separate modules that play independently but build
a story.

Topics listed are the hooks to teach concepts of ESS -- e.g. can put a
piece out on corals during the Year of the Reef to talk about ESS --
same with IPY. ESS community is working on general concepts that people
need to know to be ESS literate -- could combine them in a display and
come up with content that display these principles.

Question of how agile science centers are to adopt new material that
will be produced during IPY? Pre-packaged educational tools are very
helpful -- centers often have small education staffs. If NOAA can put
out a complete package with docent materials, display info as well as
the sphere content then that would be very helpful. Can send out a
prototype of what these packets would look like. Will not be able to
have a full packet done by IPY launch but maybe could do something
simple for then and then produce more detailed info later in the year.

If NOAA/NASA could produce short 30-60 second pieces then would be quite
easy to switch into the programming cycle. Would need an audio track to
go with it. Other centers generally happy to include. Maryland plans to
do IPY activities. Nauticus, McWane no current plans for IPY but if
NOAA/NASA could put out IPY theme material then would be included and
could maybe be the basis for an IPY related exhibit.

Packet of materials would be very useful along a set theme for science
centers -- would be more use than just having one show.

Could use energy as another theme, energy balance, how we use energy,
who uses it -- could maybe link into climate change. Tech Museum's piece
could be a good starting point for this.

Can use the sphere to teach history -- borders changing over time,
explorers charting new territory. NOAA interested in teaching about
coastal migration and the effect this is having.

Could do human health -- across the globe. World Bank has something
along these lines in a very rough form.

Astronomy could be another theme -- is some great stuff out there. Need
to try and keep that fresh with what is happening within the astronomy
field. Some centers use both earth based and space based content. Is an
interest on part of JPL in sharing the new Mars mission data with the
SOS community -- have some very high def stuff.

Currently have to get someone in front of the sphere to get them amazed
by it -- need some way to convey how compelling SOS is to get them to
come to the museum. Is this a marketing issue? Very hard to do with SOS
-- simply taking a picture of it doesn't get the impression across.
Technical explanation from Goddard will be very useful to have. Do have
some images of the sphere with kids looking at it in awe. Time magazine
photo was also very good (took about a day to get the lighting right!).

NOAA very interested in long-term behavior change aspects of SOS. What
about having more of a complete story of say how hurricanes form
end-to-end? Could do that as long as it was brief enough. Feel that
people don't grasp how big our footprint is on this planet -- this could
be presented on the sphere. Theme: how humans impact the earth.

**Other Conferences**

AGU meeting in San Francisco -- if could get a sphere there would be
great. Have 13,000 people each year. Could have an SOS session --
poster/oral.

5^th^ International Symposium on Digital Earth -- San Fran in June.
Interest in SOS session? Expensive registration fees. Would reach a
different audience -- fewer scientists, more industry, international
audience. More of an outreach/education effort. Not a whole load of
interest (except for Frank).

**Suggestions for future meetings**

Could combine a users meeting with ASTC -- easier to get travel money to
existing conference. Martin Fisher will work to set up a SOS meeting at
ASTC.

If had funded travel? Would be great to have meeting at another SOS
location -- may be have a longer meeting, maybe divide content &
technical in a more clear cut way. Maybe so people can go to both. If
have sphere at ASTC then there will be a chance to see the sphere there.

Regular conference calls? NASA does something similar but suffered from
lack on attendance -- didn't speak to common goals of institutions.
Needs to be ground-up effort & people should feel guilty if they miss
it. Need to make sure there is a need before scheduling, could have
focused conversations.

Question of NOAA/NASA hosting v SOS institutions hosting? People liked
NOAA/NASA leading but good to partner with sites. Idea of a rotating
chair? Rotating site for the meeting -- venue could chair that meeting.
Would need to elect future chair to ensure overlap and continuation.
Could plan next two meetings and have the second chair help out with the
current chair. Could arrange future meeting in the Fall -- problem with
budget issues though. Spring might be another good time for the
meetings. Jan/Feb will be quiet time of the year for most science
centers. Would be hard to combine a full meeting like this with another
full conference.

General consensus is for there to be an annual user meetings.