bookmark_borderMarch for Science in Philadelphia

Saturday, April 22 at 10 AM – 2 PM / Earth Day April 22, 2017
Penn’s Landing
101 S. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106

PHILADELPHIA — March For Science is a nationwide protest in support of science and technology. The Trump administration has discredited scientist in many areas. President Trump has said the climate change is a hoax. The acting director of the EPA stated that carbon emissions are not causing global warming.

Join the March for Science Philadelphia on Saturday, April 22, 2017. The March for Science PHL will be held at Penn’s Landing Great Plaza. (March for Science in Philadelphia on Facebook)

They will assemble at 10:00am on the east side of City Hall (Juniper Street). The March will kick-off promptly at 11:00am and will go down Market Street to Front Street, Front Street to Chestnut Street and then over Chestnut Street to Penn’s Landing Great Plaza.

Entertainment will begin at 11:30am and the March for Science speakers will begin at 12.

Similar marches will take place throughout the country including Washington D.C. and 394 satellite marches.

“The Franklin Institute supports the March for Science, and it’s exciting to see the greater Philadelphia community come together to celebrate science. Our mission is to inspire a passion for learning about science and technology, and we provide opportunities for students, families, and adults to do that all year long. We will continue to be a resource for science education for our community, and to stand up for science, as we have done for 193 years.”

ABOUT THE MARCH FOR SCIENCE
The March for Science champions robustly funded and publicly communicated science as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity. We unite as a diverse, nonpartisan group to call for science that upholds the common good and for political leaders and policy makers to enact evidence based policies in the public interest.

The March for Science is a celebration of science. It’s not about scientists or politicians; it is about the very real role that science plays in each of our lives and the need to respect and encourage research that gives us insight into the world. Nevertheless, the march has generated a great deal of conversation around whether or not scientists should involve themselves in politics. In the face of an alarming trend toward discrediting scientific consensus and restricting scientific discovery, we might ask instead: can we afford not to speak out in its defense?

People who value science have remained silent for far too long in the face of policies that ignore scientific evidence and endanger both human life and the future of our world. New policies threaten to further restrict scientists’ ability to research and communicate their findings. We face a possible future where people not only ignore scientific evidence, but seek to eliminate it entirely. Staying silent is a luxury that we can no longer afford. We must stand together and support science.

The application of science to policy is not a partisan issue. Anti-science agendas and policies have been advanced by politicians on both sides of the aisle, and they harm everyone — without exception. Science should neither serve special interests nor be rejected based on personal convictions. At its core, science is a tool for seeking answers. It can and should influence policy and guide our long-term decision-making.

The March for Science champions and defends science and scientific integrity, but it is a small step in the process toward encouraging the application of science in policy. We understand that the most effective way to protect science is to encourage the public to value and invest in it.

The best way to ensure science will influence policy is to encourage people to appreciate and engage with science. That can only happen through education, communication, and ties of mutual respect between scientists and their communities — the paths of communication must go both ways. There has too long been a divide between the scientific community and the public. We encourage scientists to reach out to their communities, sharing their research and its impact on people’s everyday lives. We encourage them, in turn, to listen to communities and consider their research and future plans from the perspective of the people they serve. We must take science out of the labs and journals and share it with the world.

bookmark_borderStars And Stripes — Betsy Ross Flag

Betsy Ross Flag
Betsy Ross Flag

PHILADELPHIA — The first U.S. flag to feature stars on a blue field is known as “the Betsy Ross Flag” and “the Stars and Stripes”. There is little factual evidence to the story that Betsy Ross sewed the flag. It is believed that “in June 1776, when a small committee – including George Washington, Robert Morris and relative George Ross – visited Betsy and discussed the need for a new American flag. Betsy accepted the job to manufacture the flag, altering the committee’s design by replacing the six-pointed stars with five-pointed stars.”

Thirteen stars represent the original colonies: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Stars were added to the flag as states were added to the country.

The thirteen stripes also represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain and became the first states in the United States. Legend attributes the red on white as symbolism for blood on white bandages.

The Betsy Ross house is located at 239 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106. The exterior of the house can be viewed for free. There is a small charge for a ticket to tour the interior.

Map to the Betsy Ross House
Map to the Betsy Ross House

More Things to Do in Philadelphia
The History of Philadelphia and the USA | Back to the Greater Philadelphia Region

bookmark_borderPhiladelphia Becomes First World Heritage City in US

PHILADELPHIA — The Organization of World Heritage Cities voted to add Philadelphia as the United States’ first World Heritage City. Philadelphia qualified because Independence Hall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. “The Declaration of Independence (1776) and the Constitution of the United States (1787) were both signed in this building in Philadelphia. The universal principles of freedom and democracy set forth in these documents are of fundamental importance to American history and have also had a profound impact on law-makers around the world.”

Philadelphias Story

Independence Hall Philadelphia
Independence Hall Philadelphia