DCYSC 2003 Semifinalist Press Release

TOP MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENTISTS ADVANCE TO THE SEMIFINALS
OF THE 5TH ANNUAL DISCOVERY CHANNEL YOUNG SCIENTIST CHALLENGE

Children from 45 States and D.C. One Step Closer to "America's Top Young Scientist of the Year"

(Silver Spring, MD) August 13, 2003 - Four hundred of the nation's brightest middle school students today were named semifinalists in the 2003 Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge (DCYSC). Now in its fifth year, the DCYSC encourages science excellence among students in grades 5-8, recognizing the young scientists who demonstrate the best leadership, teamwork, communication and scientific problem solving skills.

Discovery Communications, Inc. launched the competition in partnership with Society for Science & the Public to nurture the next generation of American scientists at a critical age when interest in science begins to decline.

"What sets Discovery's competition apart is that it makes science fun for middle school students, while reinforcing valuable communications skills they will rely on for their entire lives," said DCYSC Program Director Kyle O'Connor.

The Semifinalists

The 400 DCYSC semifinalists hail from 45 states and the District of Columbia, with Florida (32), Ohio (24), Texas (22), Pennsylvania (15), California (14) and Arizona (13) topping the list of states with the most middle school innovators. The semifinalists' original science projects represent diverse areas of science and many reflect topical issues of national or local importance. For a listing of the students and their projects, visit www.discovery.com/dcysc.

The top 400 range in age from 10 to 15 years old, with a nearly even split between girls and boys. Students qualified for the DCYSC by being nominated in state or regional science fairs. The Discovery Channel judges based their semifinalist selections on the quality of each student's original science project in addition to their ability to effectively communicate the science behind their work.

"These remarkable students have the curiosity, creativity and talent to push the limits of innovation and exploration," said O'Connor. "And, we are instilling in them the belief that scientific knowledge is most valuable when communicated and shared."

The field of 400 young scientists soon will be narrowed to 40, who will become the "Final Forty" and advance to the DCYSC Finalist Competition, held October 19-22, in Washington, D.C. In commemoration of the 100 years of aviation, the theme of this year's DCYSC finals is "Flight at 100."

At the team-based, interactive finals, finalists will be judged in a range of innovative and complex aviation-focused science challenges. The children 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."

About the Competition

In 1999, Discovery created 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 it is communicated and shared - is a key component of the judging.

More than 6,000 children have entered the DCYSC since its inception. Winners have received more than $400,000 in scholarship awards, federal government recognition and 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 950 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, Discovery Times Channel, The Science Channel, Discovery Wings Channel, Discovery Home & Leisure Channel, Discovery en Español, HD Theater and The Health Network. DCI's other properties consist of Discovery.com and 120 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. Society for Science & the Public in a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding and appreciation of science among people of all ages through publications, outreach and science programs.