DISCOVERY SELECTS THE FINAL FORTY

-- AMERICA’S TOP 40 YOUNG SCIENTISTS TO COMPETE FOR OVER $100,000 IN PRIZES IN 3rd ANNUAL DISCOVERY YOUNG SCIENTIST CHALLENGE --

BETHESDA, MD, September 10, 2001 – Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI) and Society for Science & the Public announced today the names of America’s Final Forty middle school science students competing in the 3rd annual Discovery Young Scientist Challenge (DYSC) for the title of “America’s Top Middle School Scientist of the Year.” Next month, the Final Forty will travel to the nation’s capital and compete for more than $100,000 in college scholarships and other awards in science competitions that will take place at Smithsonian Institution museums and the National Zoo.

While working alongside the nation’s leading scientists and historians at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of American History, and the National Zoo, as well as scientists from Celera Corporation in Rockville, Maryland, these students will tackle some of the 21st century’s top science issues, including human genome mapping, renewable energy, and animal conservation.

“We designed the DYSC to address America’s lagging achievement in math and science, and promote science excellence among middle school students at the pivotal age when their interest starts to wane,” said Kyle O’Connor, DYSC Program Director. “The DYSC also takes science contests to a new level because it is hands-on, high-impact, and it makes science ‘cool’.”

While the DYSC rewards the nation’s top middle school student who demonstrates the best skills in leadership, teamwork, and scientific problem solving, it specifically seeks to identify the student who can most effectively communicate science – a key component of the judging that further differentiates the DYSC from other contests, and reflects Discovery’s philosophy that scientific knowledge is most valuable and effective when shared.

The Final Forty range in age from 11 to 14 and were selected from 400 Semifinalists who were announced last month. Although studies show that boys outperform girls in science, twenty-one (52 %) of the Finalists are girls. Out of 18 states with Finalists, California has seven Finalists – the most of any state – followed by Texas, which has five Finalists, and Florida and Indiana, each of which have four Finalists in the competition.

A complete listing of the names of the Final Forty, their project title, school and state, is available at http://www.discovery.com/dysc. The Final Forty and highlights from the competition will also be featured on the Discovery Science Channel later in the year. Discovery Science Channel, the on-air home of the DYSC, is available on digital cable around the country.

“These talented DYSC Finalists represent America’s next generation of science communicators,” said Professor Ray Ann Havasy, Professor of Science Education, New York Institute of Technology and DYSC judge. “The DYSC nurtures effective communication skills and a general understanding of science -- crucial competencies that all of us, including our youth, need to master, especially as we continue to face controversial and complex scientific issues like cloning and genetic mapping.”

Finalists’ projects cover a wide range of science disciplines, including biochemistry microbiology, environmental and social science. Projects include research on renewable energy sources, hydraulic conductivity, pesticides, genetically-modified fruits, the effect of antioxidants on nicotine, and the feasibility of sending an airplane to Mars.

Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI) is the leading global real-world media and entertainment company. DCI has grown from its core property, the Discovery Channel, first launched in the United States in 1985, to current global operations in more than 155 countries and territories with over 650 million total subscribers. DCI’s 33 networks of distinctive programming represent 14 entertainment brands including TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery Kids, and a family of digital channels. DCI’s other properties consist of Discovery.com and 165 Discovery Channel retail stores. DCI also distributes BBC America in the United States.

Society for Science & the Public, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance the understanding and appreciation of science through publications and educational programs, has administered the DYSC since its inception. As publishers of Science News, and administrators of the Intel Science Talent Search - the "Nobel Prize" of high school science - and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, Society for Science & the Public encourages students, parents, teachers and communities to explore the vast world of science.