Welcome to the Science On a Sphere Network!

Science On a Sphere (SOS)^® is a spherical display system approximately 6 feet in diameter which shows "movies" of animated Earth system dynamics (http://www.sos.noaa.gov/). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) supports the use of spherical dis Viewing content at 2008 workshop play systems, such as SOS, in public exhibits as part of a focused effort to increase environmental literacy. The institutions that currently have NOAA's Science On a Sphere, as well as other partners who are creating content and educational programming for these systems, have formed a collaborative network. The SOS Users Collaborative Network is supported by NOAA's Office of Education (OEd) and the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) to provide a mechanism for these institutions to work together to maximize the effectiveness of the SOS system as an Earth system science education platform.
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NEWS AND SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

(Posted May 2013) - The Office of Education (OEd) is pleased to announce an upcoming exhibit featuring NOAA’s Science On a Sphere® at NOAA Headquarters in Silver Spring, Md. Learn more about this exciting new exhibit and provide your input at: http://sosinssmc.education.noaa.gov. The exhibit will be a significant achievement and an important education, outreach, and media tool for NOAA. OEd has been working with exhibit designers Design Minds to create an interpretive atmosphere that emphasizes the connections between NOAA and its constituents and stresses the importance of NOAA sciences in everyday life.

The exhibit is managed by OEd and was made possible with support from NOAA offices made in 2010-2011 to aide in the agency’s cross-cutting priority of promoting environmental literacy. The SOS exhibit will serve as a model for the SOS Network to test new ideas in content creation and educational programming, as well as expand NOAA’s capability to communicate NOAA science to the public. Additionally, the exhibit area will serve as a multi-use room where NOAA employees and guests can have scientific discussions, make presentations to leadership and decision-makers, and host events that incorporate the sphere.

Construction is currently underway. To follow the progress and learn more about the exhibit, visit its website. The website includes blog features where visitors can share ideas, keep up with the exhibit’s progress, learn about upcoming events, and schedule visits. Input from NOAA staff, the SOS Network, and the public is welcome.