AMERICA'S TOP SCIENCE WHIZ KIDS GATHER IN WASHINGTON, D.C. OCTOBER 22-25 TO COMPETE FOR TITLE OF "AMERICA'S TOP YOUNG SCIENTIST OF THE YEAR" IN 3rd ANNUAL DISCOVERY YOUNG SCIENTIST CHALLENGE

(Bethesda, MD - October 17, 2001) - Forty of America's top middle school science students from 18 states will convene in the Nation's Capital next week to compete in the 3rd Annual Discovery Young Scientist Challenge, a national middle school science contest.

The "Final 40" will vie for the title of "America's Top Young Scientist of the Year" and more than $100,000 in scholarships and other prizes. Students will compete in sophisticated science challenges involving a variety of subjects, from Giant Panda behavior to human genome mapping. The competition will take place at Smithsonian Institution museums and its National Zoo, from Monday, October 22-Wednesday, October 24. On Thursday, October 25, the contest will culminate in a final competition between the top three teams, and the top winners will be announced.

The Discovery Young Scientist Challenge (DYSC) identifies and rewards outstanding students in middle school who show an aptitude for science, problem solving, leadership, and creativity, and who are also effective science communicators.

"During these challenging and uncertain times, we honor these 40 outstanding young Americans, for they represent the best and brightest of our future and the future of our country," said Judith A. McHale, President and Chief Operating Officer of Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI). "They will be our leaders, our doctors, our physicists in a future that will require excellence in communication, leadership, teamwork, critical thinking, and creative solutions - the skills we encourage through this contest."

While in Washington, D.C., the "Final 40" will compete under the direction of renowned scientists and historians at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of American History, and the National Zoo. Finalists will also work with J. Craig Venter, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Celera Genomics of Rockville, MD, who led the team that successfully mapped the human genome last year.

The Finalists will work in teams to tackle the following sophisticated science challenges, some of which are related to this century's most pressing and complex scientific issues. They include:

• Giant Panda/Zoology Challenge -- at the Zoo, students will work with panda experts to conduct animal conservation-related research on two of America's newest national treasures - the Giant Pandas.
  
  
• Genetic Research Challenge -- Finalists will compete in a genetic analysis challenge created exclusively for the DYSC by Celera Genomics. Celera's President and Chief Scientific Officer J. Craig Venter will give Finalists unprecedented access to the same information used to map the human genome.
  
  
• Nintendo's Alchemy Challenge -- This challenge is adapted from a new Nintendo video game release, Golden Sun. A Smithsonian scientist will take on the role of an alchemist and demonstrate seemingly magical phenomena - instantly crystallizing liquid into a pillar of salt; "growing" an ash-generating and glowing miniature volcano; creating perfect smoke rings; and tying water into knots. Finalists will be tasked with determining the real science behind each activity and debunking the alchemist's ruse.
  
  

The "Final 40" range in age from 11 to 14 and were selected from more than 1,700 DYSC entries. Although studies show that boys outperform girls in science, 21 (52 percent) of the Finalists are girls. Out of 18 states with Finalists, California has seven Finalists - more than any state - followed by Texas, which has five Finalists, and Florida and Indiana, each of which have four Finalists in the competition.

Created in 1999 by Discovery Communications, Inc. and Society for Science & the Public, the DYSC targets fifth through eighth graders, an age group that is at-risk age for science and math achievement and whose performance in these subjects often declines dramatically during middle school. While encouraging science achievement, the DYSC also champions America's next generation of science communicators. The ability to effectively and enthusiastically communicate science is an important but often overlooked aspect of science that reflects Discovery's philosophy that scientific knowledge has more impact when it is well communicated.

More information on the Finalists and details about the DYSC is available at http://www.discovery.com/dysc. More information about the contest is also available by tuning into Discovery Science Channel, the on-air home of the DYSC. Discovery Science Channel is available on digital cable nationwide; call your local cable or satellite provider for availability in your area.

Discovery Communications, Inc. (DCI) is the leading global real-world media and entertainment company. DCI has grown from its core property, the Discovery Channel, first launched in the United States in 1985, to current global operations in more than 155 countries and territories with over 650 million total subscribers. DCI's 33 networks of distinctive programming represent 14 entertainment brands including TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery Kids, and a family of digital channels. DCI's other properties consist of Discovery.com and 165 Discovery Channel retail stores. DCI also distributes BBC America in the United States.

Society for Science & the Public, one of the most respected non-profit organizations advancing the cause of science. Society for Science & the Public has a sterling reputation for conducting high-quality competitions on the national and international level, including the Intel Science Talent Search and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.