EVENTS

2009 Spring Fling to the Computer History Museum

In the spring of 2009, the SRI Alumni Association organized a visit to the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA. It had been five years since we last visited the Museum. Since then, new exhibits have been added, so it was time for a re-visit. About 35 people attended and the visit began with a talk during lunch by Judy Estrin, CEO of JLABS, LLC (formerly known as Packet Design Management Company). On Fortune Magazine’s list of the most powerful women in American business three times. She is the author of Closing the Innovation Gap; Reigniting the Spark of Creativity in a Global Economy, published in September 2008. Following Judy’s presentation, visitors were free to tour the museum.

The Museum’s collection of artifacts contains more than 13,000 objects, 25,000 still and moving images, 4,000 linear feet of documentation, 5,000 software items and several hundred gigabytes of historic software.

2008 Spring Fling to NASA Ames Research Center

On April 24, the SRI Alumni visited NASA’s Future Flight Central simulation facility, the only one of its kind in the United States and toured one of NASA’s wind tunnels.

NASA Ames Research Center, located at Moffett Field, California was founded December 20, 1939 as an aircraft research laboratory by the National Advisory Committee fro Aeronautics (NACA) and in 1958 it became part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). With over $3 billion in capital equipment, 2300 research personnel and an annual budget of $600 million, Ames plays a critical role in virtually all NASA missions.

Ames is a national leader in information technology research, supercomputing, nanotechnology, networking and intelligent systems, fundamental space biology, biotechnology, aerospace and thermal protection systems and human factors research. In addition, Ames works collaboratively with the FAA conducting research in air traffic management and simulation.

2007 Spring Fling to Lawrence Livermore National Lab

On Wednesday morning May 16 a group of about 35 SRI Alumni met in front of Bldg. A to board the bus for Livermore, California. The big event was the Alumni Spring Fling -- a trip to Lawrence Livermore National Lab arranged by our very own Tom Anyos, who had the credentials with the Department of Energy to get us inside the security barrier to see what's going on.

Following a very fine lunch in Livermore at the Crooked Vine Winery, we went to the lab and passed through their security checkpoint. We then proceeded to the National Ignition Facility for a close look at this impressive $3.5 Billion facility, whose purpose is to study the behavior of materials at temperatures and pressures many times greater than those at the center of the sun. The NIF will permit a giant step in the understanding of such environments.

2006 Spring Fling to the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) in Menlo Park

The SRI Alumni Spring Fling was held on May 23, 2006 at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) in Menlo Park. For many of the 80 plus Alumni attending, this was their first opportunity to tour the SLAC facility. Established in 1962, SLAC is one of the world’s leading research laboratories. Its mission is to design, construct and operate state-of-the-art electron accelerators and related experimental facilities for use in high-energy physics and synchrotron radiation research. The Alumni were surprised to learn that over 3000 visiting scientists from universities, laboratories and industrial firms from the U.S.and many foreign countries can routinely be found working at SLAC. SLAC also boasts of three Nobel Prize winners and numerous prestigious awards received over the years.

SLAC occupies 426 acres of oak grassland. Among the diverse native flora found here are 4 of California’s 18 species of Oak Trees. A wide variety of animal life can be seen here as well, including mule deer, red-tailed hawks. gopher snakes and an occasional mountain lion. After a picnic lunch under the trees, many of the Alumni boarded buses and enjoyed a tour of the key attractions of the facility.

For more information on SLAC, click here:  SLAC Website

SLAC Tour and Picnic Photos; by Boyd Fair, James Hodges, John Leung, and Bob Schwaar
See the photos

2005 Spring Fling to Hiller Aviation Museum

In the spring of 2005, the SRI Alumni Association organized a visit to the Hiller Aviation Museum. Approximately 75 alumni, family and friends shared box lunches prior to the tour. The walking tour was self guided and the visitors could take as much time as they desired examining the full size aircraft that chronicle aviation history since 1869.

The museum contains a 27,600 square foot main gallery with over forty aircraft, exhibits, and many interactive displays. The museum is truly a unique experience with a cohesive theme devoted to telling the story of early historical and future aviation developments in California. The aircraft on display included a 1-hp unmanned heavier-than-air aeroplane from 1869; numerous early helicopters; the Condor, a super-secret robotic spy plane that flew in the 80's; and a full-size mock-up of the Boeing SST that never went into production.

For more information on the Hiller Aviation Museum, click here:  Hiller Aviation Museum Website

2004 Spring Fling to the Computer History Museum

In the spring of 2004, the SRI Alumni Association organized a visit to the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA. The museum had recently been moved from Boston, MA. While the displays were still in the process of being set up in their permanent locations, hundreds of mechanical and electronic calculators and computers, slide rules of all shapes and sizes, and early core memories were on display. Approximately 70 alumni enjoyed renewed acquaintances and shared good times over box lunches prior to the docent-let tour.

The Museum's collection of artifacts contains more than 13,000 objects, 25,000 still and moving images, 4,000 linear feet of documentation, 5,000 software items and several hundred gigabytes of historic software.

For more information about the Computer History Museum, click here:  Computer History Museum Website

See the photos