Homework from an astronaut

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

American astronaut Duane "Digger" Carey stresses to students at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in McCook the importance of homework, practice, science and math, calling math, "the language God uses to teach us about our universe. Math and science are the keys to having lots of adventures in life. Luckily, you kids like to learn new things -- they lead to great adventures in life." Carey said he flunked ninth grade science and had to take summer classes to graduate. It was only after high school, he said, that he learned that, for him to have fun in life and to get to fly fighter jets and be an astronaut, he had to go to college and really work hard on math and science. He agreed with students that "homework is a pain," but, he continued, homework and practice are necessary "to do the great things you want to do later in life." Carey told a first grader that scientists and astronomers do not know if space ever ends. "Some think it does, others think it doesn't. We just don't know," Carey said. "It'll be someone in your generation who discovers the answer." Before his presentation, Carey visited with fifth graders, from left, Allison Tolliver, Cade Cappel, Taylor Ford, Haylee Gray and Gabby Pacheco. Seventh graders Dakota Blancas, top right, left, and Sean Tolliver laughed at Carey's description of outer space outhouses. Students watched a video that Carey taped with fellow astronaut Mike Massimino aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 2001, completing 165 orbits, traveling 3.9 million miles and repairing the Hubble space telescope.

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