[ PatCowings/ARC - 7 - 10:48:53 ]
RE: [Sandy/NASAChatHost] Hello! And welcome to Women of NASA's Black History Month QuestChat with Patricia Cowings. Today's chat will begin at 11 am, Pacific (2 pm, Eastern). Be sure to read Patricia's profile before coming to the chat room: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/women/bios/pc.html -- "See you" then :-)
hello!! It's Dr.Pat

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 8 - 10:58:06 ]
Welcome Dr. Pat! We're very happy that you could join us today-- especially since you're at home with the flu! Chicken noodle soup and orange juice for you, as soon as we're finished with the chat :-)

[ Elizabeth-Aztecs/MontgomeryHigh - 12 - 11:07:43 ]
hi, my name is Elizabeth and I'm in 11th grade and I go to Montgomery High School, I would like to ask you some questions about your job,sow i could share them in my u.s. history class, sow we can be more informed about NASA.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 18 - 11:13:12 ]
EVERYONE: WE'RE HAVING A BIT OF TROUBLE STAYING CONNECTED WITH DR. PAT-- PLEASE HOLD ON AND WE'LL BE WITH YOU MOMENTARILY-- BTW, YOUR QUESTIONS ARE GREAT :-)

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 23 - 11:17:53 ]
EVERYONE: WE'RE STILL HAVING SOME PROBLEMS GETTING DR. PAT BACK INTO THE CHAT ROOM. WE CAN GET A SPACECRAFT TO MARS, BUT KEEP AN EXPERT IN A CHAT ROOM... hmmmmm... If we're not able to get Dr. Pat back, she will still answer your questions, but it will be later today. I will post the archive of your questions and Dr. Pat's answers later this afternoon. But for now, stay tuned for a bit longer and keep your questions coming. Thank you for your patience :-)

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 29 - 11:23:57 ]
THESE ARE REALLY TERRIFIC QUESTIONS EVERYONE! PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING! AGAIN, I apologize for the delay in getting Dr. Pat back in the chat room. We're still working the problem...

[ EdisonMiddleSchool-MrsZaccaro/EdisonMS - 30 - 11:24:38 ]
We have to go, but we hope you feel better!!! :-) Goodbye! from: Courtney, Judithe, Keisha, Anthony, and Gilda

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 33 - 11:26:31 ]
EVERYONE: DR. PAT IS BACK!!! She will begin answering your questions now :-) Give her a few moments to catch up...

[ PatCowings/ARC - 34 - 11:26:36 ]
RE: [Elizabeth-Aztecs/MontgomeryHigh] 5. Are you currently working in any new projects? 6. How does it feel to be the first female scientist to be trained as an astronaut? 7. How would you feel if you had a chance to go to space? 8. How long does it take to train an astronoute?
yes I;m working on several new projects. Helping patients to control nausea and fainting--and helping helicopter pilots improve their performance and safety. The most exciting is the new company started by former astronaut Mae Jemison--we will be able to work with lot's of folks in the near future

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 37 - 11:28:50 ]
RE: [EdisonMiddleSchool-MrsZaccaro/EdisonMS] We have to go, but we hope you feel better!!! :-) Goodbye! from: Courtney, Judithe, Keisha, Anthony, and Gilda
Thanks so much for joining us today, and for sending in your great questions. Dr. Pat is back and answers to your questions will appear in the chat archive later today.

[ PatCowings/ARC - 40 - 11:34:03 ]
RE: [Kirsten-Mrs.Choate/ViennaGradeSchool] If you were to go into outerspace, which planet would you want to visit first?
MARS--absolutely!! I plan to still be working here when humans go to Mars--I'll be chhering. After Mars (aside from a second honeymoon on the moon), I'd like to visit Titan - an Earth sized moon!

[ PatCowings/ARC - 42 - 11:35:11 ]
RE: [Elizabeth-Aztecs/MontgomeryHigh] 9. Do you like the idea of being an eternal student.
Of course being an eternal studen is fun. You never run out of interesting things to learn about. It makes life worth living!

[ PatCowings/ARC - 44 - 11:36:35 ]
RE: [Amy-Mrs.Choate/ViennaGradeSchool] What do you find out when you ask astronauts what it is like to go into space?
I find out that--it's a hard job. It's an exciting job--it's the best adventure they've ever had--it's the scariest thing they've ever done... I'd like to experience it for myself some day.

[ PatCowings/ARC - 46 - 11:37:53 ]
Yes--but although my experiment has flown on MIR--I'd like to wait for the international space station - better accommodations :-)

[ PatCowings/ARC - 48 - 11:39:01 ]
RE: [Elizabeth-Aztecs/MontgomeryHigh] Dr.Pat did you receive my questions 1-5?
Question 1-5 could you send them again?

[ PatCowings/ARC - 52 - 11:41:46 ]
RE: [Angel-Mrs.Choate/ViennaGradeSchool] If you had the chance would you go on a space mission?
I'd love to visit the international space station. I was on a committee once on space tourism. I think the space station hotel would be great to visit.

[ PatCowings/ARC - 54 - 11:44:07 ]
RE: [Elizabeth-Aztecs/MontgomeryHigh] 1. You say scientists are eternal students, What advice would you give to students to help them get to this state being?
If science isn't fun--if you don't see that answering questions is a life-long challenge and joy--then the student wasn't shown the beauty of it by his teachers and parents.

[ PatCowings/ARC - 57 - 11:47:09 ]
RE: [ACWilliams/6thgradescienceclass-MissVaught/ACWilliamsSchool] What is your Zodaic sign and have you ever seen your constellation? Have you ever meet with any famous astronauts? What do you enjoy about your job the most? What are the challenges of your job? What are the advantages of your job? Have you ever been in the simulators? What inspired you to go into your field? If you could choose another field, what would it be?
Lot's of qustions--I'm a Saggitarius--the eternal studen. I've met lots of astronauts and cosmonauts including Buzz Aldrin. Cosmonauts are just space cowboys who speak Russian. People are the same all over the world. We all laugh and bleed. The most fun for me are rides on the zero-gravity aircraft where I can be weightless (fly!!) for 30 seconds at a time.

[ PatCowings/ARC - 59 - 11:53:05 ]
RE: [Brittany-Mrs.Ice/CrandonHighSchool] I'm a junior in highschool and when I graduate I want to be an astronaut. It has been my dream ever since I was a little girl. I guess I'm wondering what to major in college in order to be an astronaut. This is my plan for when I graduate: I'll go to get my degree (whatever that would be) and then I'm going to join the navy to get some flying experience and they said that they would pay for my 2nd schooling. They also said that they have connections with Nasa and that they would send me on the right path.
Brittany I share your interest in the astronaut office. You don't have to be a pilot - unless you want to be a mission commander of Pilot. The other jobs are fr mission specialists - scientist/engineer astronauts. Rule of thum--if you want o be a pilot/commander --fly as many different types of aircraft as you can and rack up the flight hours. If you want to be a mission specialist - you will need advanced degrees in more than one subject --like MD and geology for example. When a mission to Mars - let's say, is planned, they will want crew members who can wear many hats --do many jobs --there's not room aboard for too many people.

[ PatCowings/ARC - 62 - 11:57:39 ]
RE: [Elizabeth-Aztecs/MontgomeryHigh] 3. What workplace skills do you use that students need to be aware of for the transition from school to career? 4. Who is your favorite writer? Have you read any books by the African American contemporary author, Octavia Butler?
I've read everything that Octavia Butler ever wrote. My faviroate author remains Asimov although I'm partial to Ben Bova since he and I were on the same Space tourism committee for NASA. Workplace skills? Students need to go out and get experience working in or as near as possible to the field they want to get into. Work for free--scientists, professors etc always welcome the student who wants to work for free. If you do well, you'll get a part-time job and your toe in the door. Reading is good - but hands on experience is the best,

[ PatCowings/ARC - 64 - 11:59:51 ]
RE: [Brittany-Mrs.Ice/CrandonHighSchool] what are the chances of someone walking on the moon again?
The chances of walking on the moon again are excellent. If we find water at the south pole - then colonies on the moon will no doubt follow. It's just a matter of time--and money.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 67 - 12:06:55 ]
EVERYONE: DR. PAT WILL REMAIN ONLINE ANOTHER 15 MINUTES-- UNTIL 25 MINUTES AFTER THE HOUR... :-)

[ PatCowings/ARC - 68 - 12:07:28 ]
RE: [Elizabeth-Aztecs/MontgomeryHigh] 12. How do people develope in space? And what method's can they use to help them adapt faster?
When you ask, how do people develop in space? are you asking about embryo-ology? That's a whole field. But if you mean how do we respond to space--there are several answers. First people experience space sickness - because what happens to your inner ear in space is unique to that environment. Next, blood and fluid rise to your head - you feel like you're standing up-side down. Other things - like weaking muscle or bone follow because we don't have gravity to help us exercise. BUT--the great thing is that people can and have adapted. We HELP with this adaptation process by teaching people to control their own bodily responses - like heart rate and blood pressure.

[ PatCowings/ARC - 69 - 12:09:55 ]
RE: [Brittany-Mrs.Ice/CrandonHighSchool] Is it possible to plan visits to spend a day with an astronaut and if so how do you go about it?
To visit with an astronaut - you'd have to contact the external affairs office at Johnson space center. They have scheduled tours and many of them are led by astronauts. Also--try space camp - you never know who might drop by.

[ PatCowings/ARC - 72 - 12:14:21 ]
RE: [Elizabeth-Aztecs/MontgomeryHigh] 2. Have you written any books?
Not yet--although I've written some Chapters in science books--I've written lots of science fiction too--but nobody has bought any yet :-)

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 74 - 12:15:06 ]
EVERYONE: JUST A REMINDER-- THERE ARE 10 MINUTES LEFT IN OUR CHAT WITH PAT TODAY.

[ PatCowings/ARC - 75 - 12:17:14 ]
RE: [Brittany-Mrs.Ice/CrandonHighSchool] Have you ever seen a rock from the moon or mars? What is your favorite planet and why?
I stood in line for 3 hours when I was in college to see a moon rock --it looked like a little rock.... A scientist here showed me a tiney pebble that he said was a martian meterorite --looked like a tiny pebble. My favorite planet is Earth--it's where I keep all my stuff!

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 76 - 12:17:20 ]
EVERYONE: AFTER TODAY'S CHAT WITH DR. PAT IS OVER... PLEASE FILL OUT A SHORT QUESTIONAIRE TO LET US KNOW HOW WE DID. You can find the questionaire at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/qchats/qchat-surveys -- Thank you very much :-)

[ PatCowings/ARC - 80 - 12:25:48 ]
RE: [Brittany-Mrs.Ice/CrandonHighSchool] Have you ever been inside a space shuttle?
Not the real thing--although my husband has--he's my research partner and his job was to help astronauts hook up the biomedical instruments we use to record their responses during a launch. I've been in plenty of the shuttle mock-ups--which are life sized models of the real thing used for training.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 82 - 12:28:30 ]
EVERYONE: Today's chat with Dr. pat is now over. Thank you so much for your great questions and your patience! Dr. Pat's chat will be archived later this afternoon. Please check out the Black History Month chat schedule for next week's chat! Hope to chat with you all again soon :-)

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost - 84 - 12:30:53 ]
RE: [Elizabeth-Aztecs/MontgomeryHigh] I have to go now, the bell rang.
Goodbye Elizabeth. Thank you for your thoughtful questions :-) Hope we can chat with you again :-)

[ PatCowings/ARC - 85 - 12:32:44 ]
RE: [Elizabeth-Aztecs/MontgomeryHigh] 10.Are you happy with your choice of you career or do you have regrets? 11.What made you want to become a scientist?
Yes-basically I'm very happy with my career choice. I am a scientist and that's how I define myself. Regrets? Well--I'd like to be rich too!! But there are few rich civil servants. When I was young I realized - to be a scientist does NOT require you to be male, strong, white, rich--you just have to want to learn. You just have to have a MIND and the desire to feed it new information. I wouldn't have it any other way....