Last year, deep-sea researcher Robert Ballard attracted media attention with his inauguration of the Jason Project, an expedition to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea that was telecast live to museums throughout North America. Assembled at these viewing posts were approximately 250,000 elementary- and secondary-school students, who were able to communicate via a satellite hookup with researchers on the expedition. The project, an unprecedented endeavor, was named after the underwater robot used on the mission, which in turn was named for Jason, the mythological Greek explorer (The Scientist, May 15, 1989, page 1).
This year, Ballard has established a new philanthropic organization, the Jason Foundation for Education, to support Jason's expeditions in 1990 and beyond. In addition to its exploratory purpose, the Jason Project aims to get more young people interested in science careers by showing them that scientific pursuits are exciting. "It takes 10 or more years [of study ...
