Watch Live as Kids Test Their Inventions in Annual Challenge

Tune in to see middle- and high-school teams showcase their inventions -- cardboard bridges capable of carrying up to 235 pounds (107 kilograms) -- in this year's Invention Challenge hosted by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

The live event will air on the "NASAJPL" channel available on Ustream TV at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasajpl on Dec. 11 starting at 11:30 a.m. PST (2:30 p.m. EST and 1930 UTC).

Twenty student teams from throughout Southern California will watch to see if their bridges remain standing as bricks get piled on during the annual Invention Challenge at JPL. Image credit: NASA/JPL

Twenty student teams from throughout Southern California will watch to see if their bridges remain standing as bricks get piled on. Ten teams of JPL engineers and scientists will also compete in this friendly but challenging contest.

The bridges must meet certain requirements: they must be made of cardboard or paper products, use reasonable amounts of glue, span a 1.2 meter (48 inch) gap, and be no more than 45.7 centimeters (18 inches) wide. The bridges must carry standard-sized bricks (between one and 44) that weigh about 2.42 kilograms (5.35 pounds) each.

More information about the Invention Challenge is available at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/events/inventionchallenge/2009/.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is managed by the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena.

Carolina Martinez 818-354-9382
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
carolina.martinez@jpl.nasa.gov

For more information visit http://www.nasa.gov/topics/technology/features/invention20091207.html