DYSC 2002 Semifinalist Press Release

AMERICA'S BEST AND BRIGHTEST YOUNG SCIENTISTS ADVANCE TO THE SEMIFINALS IN THE 4TH ANNUAL DISCOVERY CHANNEL YOUNG SCIENTIST CHALLENGE

- From the Stock Market to Anthrax, Students' Projects Reflect Today's National Issues -
-Students from 43 States and the District of Columbia Represented -

(Bethesda, MD) August 13, 2002 - Discovery Communications, Inc., announced today the names of 400 middle school students selected as semifinalists in the 2002 Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge. The nation's premier science contest for students in grades 5-8, the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge (DCYSC) celebrates and encourages science excellence among America's youth, at an age when many begin to lose their interest in the field.

"At a time when science and technology play an increasingly critical role in all our daily lives, there is an urgency to ensure we are nurturing the next generation of young scientists," says Kyle O'Connor, DCYSC Program Director. "Discovery Channel's contest responds to this challenge by engaging middle school students and pushing the limits of innovation and creativity in science, as demonstrated by these 400 outstanding semifinalists."

The "Final Forty" will be selected from today's 400 semifinalists and advance to the DCYSC National Competition, October 19-22, in Washington, D.C. The "Final Forty," who will be announced on September 18, will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the nation's capital, where they will compete for more than $100,000 worth of scholarships and special prizes as well as the title of "America's Top Young Scientist of the Year."

The DCYSC will test the "Final Forty" in a range of innovative and complex science challenges and will judge the students based on their science ability, leadership, teamwork and effective communication skills. From working as real-life "Spy Kids" at the CIA in Langley, VA to fighting cyber-crime by determining ways to safeguard sensitive information, the finalists will be challenged and tested in the most critical issues relating to modern science and security. The students will also have fun exploring the physics of baseball with Hall of Fame players and fighting pollution with the National Park Service. The winners will be announced at the Final Challenge and Awards Ceremony at the National Zoo on Wednesday, October 23.

About the Semifinalists

The 400 students represent 43 states and the District of Columbia, with Florida, Texas and Missouri topping the list of states with the most semifinalists. They range in age from 10 to 15 years, with a nearly even split between girls and boys - 198 females and 202 males. Students qualified for the DCYSC by winning or placing in their Society for Science & the Public-affiliated state or regional science fair. DCYSC judges, who reviewed more than 1,700 entries, based their semifinalist selections on the quality of each student's original science project in addition to each student's ability to effectively communicate the science behind their work and their findings.

Semifinalists' original science projects represent diverse areas of science and many reflect topical issues of national importance, including the following:

• The stock market - a Brandon, FL student reveals why it's not necessary to be a stockbroker to make money in stocks in his project, How the Method of Stock Selection Affects Portfolio Profit;
• The environment - after local wildfires devastated the region where she lives, a Great Falls, MT student examined the impact forest fires have on decomposition in her project, After the Forest Fire, Who and What's Left?
• Bioterrorism - a Bloomington, IN student discovered that placing contaminated mail in a special pressure cooker will rend it both safe and readable in her project, How to Protect Your Mail from Anthrax.

For a listing of the semifinalists and their projects, visit www.discovery.com/dcysc.

"Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge" Background

Created in 1999, Discovery designed the DCYSC to be a part of the solution to America's chronic underachievement in science and math. The contest responds to evidence that academic performance and interest in science among American students declines dramatically as students get older - particularly during the middle school years.

The DCYSC identifies and honors America's top middle school student who demonstrates the best skills in leadership, teamwork, and scientific problem solving. In addition, the ability to be an effective science communicator -- a goal that reflects Discovery's philosophy that scientific knowledge is most valuable when communicated and shared -- is a key component of the judging.

More than 6,000 middle school students have entered the DCYSC since its inception. Winners have received more than $400,000 in scholarship awards, federal government recognition, and have participated in science-related trips that have taken them to the far corners of the globe.

Discovery Communications, Inc. 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 700 million cumulative 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 newer, targeted channels. DCI's other properties consist of Discovery.com and 167 Discovery Channel retail stores. DCI also distributes BBC America in the United States. DCI's ownership consists of four shareholders: Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE: L), Cox Communications, Inc. (NYSE: COX), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, the Company's Founder, Chairman and CEO.

Society for Science & the Public administers the DCYSC. 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.