(AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) — For a president who promotes technology at every opportunity, Barack Obama often strikes an awed, self-effacing pose in the presence of technicians, scientists and high tech machinery.
“If I’m nodding, you should just assume that everything you said is going completely over my head,” he once told winners of a New York science fair.
Still, he loves the stuff.
At no point has his inner geek been more evident than on Tuesday as he mischievously — “The Secret Service is going to be mad at me about this” — helped fire an eighth-grader’s award winning high-speed marshmallow air cannon at the drapes of the White House’s elegant State Dining Room.
From factory floors to classrooms, from high-tech centers to the White House residence itself, Obama steeps himself in the innovative, sometimes feigning interest while at others showing genuine delight.
He dons safety goggles to tour manufacturing plants with state of the art equipment. He steps gingerly around scooting robots built by teenage engineers. And, like many a dad, he helps his daughters with their science projects, even dropping eggs from the White House’s Truman Balcony to test the optimal soft landing.
To be sure, touring factories and schools is a staple of presidencies. But Obama, a Harvard University-trained lawyer, has placed greater emphasis on technology by making the point that in an era of scarce resources, government still must play a role investing in three key areas: research and development, innovation and education.
On Tuesday, Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair, an exhibit of more than 30 student projects that ranged from a system to detect nuclear threats to a prosthetic hand to portable disaster shelters. For nearly an hour, Obama toured the displays and visited with students, pressing them for details and admiring their work.
At factory or fair, Obama’s reaction can range from bemusement to enchantment.
During a recent trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Obama examined an enormous conveyor screw used to transport foodstuffs. “What do you do to keep it so shiny?” he finally asked.
At an Alcoa plant in Davenport, Iowa, in June, Obama observed machines that milled aerospace parts. He then approached a handful of reporters who had been watching nearby: “Did you know aluminum is not magnetic? I learned something today.”
The incongruity of some such moments is not lost on the president. Aides say he got a kick out of a New York magazine picture essay in 2010 depicting him in various factories, laboratories or workshops. The piece was titled “A History of Obama Feigning Interest in Mundane Things.”
But he can also be impressed.
In October, as he saluted winners of the National Medals of Science and the National Medals of Technology and Innovation, Obama said: “It’s safe to say that this is a group that makes all of us really embarrassed about our old science projects. You know, the volcano with the stuff coming out with the baking soda inside. Apparently, that was not a cutting-edge achievement even though our parents told us it was really terrific.”
Robots figure prominently in Obama’s catalog of impressive technological innovations. Over the past year he has been introduced to robots that perform tasks from simple retrieval to telecommunications. They often have names — Skrappy, Derp, Ned.
Ned, a sewer pipe inspection robot, was featured at the National Robotics Engineering Center at Carnegie Mellon University that Obama toured in June. “This is our guy we’re gonna send into the sewer?” he asked. “He‘s sending back data as he’s going through?”
“This is pretty cool,” he concluded.
Robots were prominent during Tuesday’s White House Science Fair too.
But nothing captured Obama’s imagination more than Joey Hudy and his “Extreme Marshmallow Cannon.”
“Let’s try it out!” Obama declared, surprising aides and the handful of reporters who had gathered inside the State Dining Room for the tour. “OK, back up guys,” Obama ordered. “This is a little impromptu.”
Hudy, a precocious 14-year-old from Phoenix who confidently explained the apparatus to the president, began compressing air into his cannon with a tire pump. “Need some help?” Obama asked. Hudy stepped aside and let the president prime the gun. With two hands, he gave a final push. “That good? All right, OK, here we go.”
Hudy explained the trigger mechanism before firing. With a loud air gun whoosh, the marshmallow projectile struck the far upper corner of the room.
“It came out pretty fast!” the president exclaimed. Then, as if to assure everyone, he added: “It was safe.”
Moments later, he complimented a high school junior on her soluble sugar pack invention. “Tell me when I can buy stock,” he told Hayley Hoverter, 16, a student at Downtown Business Magnet High School in Los Angeles.
Then he lingered over a rocket exhibit by three young Presidio, Texas, girls. Pointing to one lime green rocket painted with a blue bird and cherry blossoms, Obama said: “This is not like a tough looking rocket.”
The girls, all English-as-a-second-language students, explained that the rockets must be able to reach a height of 800 feet with payload of two raw eggs, fall to earth with a parachute and leave the eggs intact.
Obama brightened, telling the girls that he knows something about egg drops because he helped his daughter Sasha with a science project.
“We practiced by dropping them from the Truman Balcony,” he said. “And we had a whole bunch of prototypes and she ended up winning. Cheerios in like a plastic bottle, and the egg survived.”
“So I’m hip to the whole egg thing.”
White House Science Fair Winners: http://tinyurl.com/7htjhro
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Comments (108)
capnjack
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 9:27amIt looks like he’s experimenting with his latest idea of what he thinks will suffice for arming the military against his Mus lim brothers.
Report Post »Highland
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 11:06amAfter he’s done eviscerating our military readiness, this is about the only weapon our troops will have.
Report Post »JohnTwoFeathers
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 11:59amI’d like to put this fool on the Arizona-Mexico border with this to defend his sorry a$$ with.
Report Post »JohnTwoFeathers
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 12:04pmOf course he’s providing more government jobs….wiping that gooey crap off of my Whitehouse walls. Just wait till Joker Joe Biden gets his hands on this new tactical warfare equipment…Marshmello Gate.
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 12:08pmThis gun has been approved by Eric Holder, Nancy Pelosi, and Hillary Clinton as compliant with their new regulations on the 2nd Ammendment.
Report Post »Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 1:33pmThis article made Obama look like a good guy. Time to protest the blaze, right morons?
Report Post »Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 2:58pmThe marshmellow cannon can act as a stand in for Mittens when they debate. It probably hits harder.
Report Post »TexasHunter
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 4:57pmHey Bible, Glad he is busy shooting marsh mellows and first woman is busy playing sack races with jimmy fallon.. While this nations is being infiltrated with anti-USA mus-lim’s, cartels, and terrorist. Yeah here is the time for a photo op. Not to mention our stock market is very close to failing again. He looks like a good guy in this picture? Please he looks like the lying potus he has been from day one!!
Report Post »bigdaddyt46
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 9:23ami‘m surprised obama didn’t call the kid a racist for inventing a gun that shoots him and his fellow marshmellows :)
Report Post »supressorgrid
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 9:23amObama unviels the newest weapon in the war on terror. Says it will soon be approved as a home defence alternative as soon as the cops get marshmallow proof body armor.
Report Post »YesNdeedie
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 9:18amHe just wanted to see how many moo-mmoochelle would chase after.
Report Post »oldchevyguy
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 9:58amShe has lost interest in the frisbee.
Report Post »dissent
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 10:49amThis was developed as a long range mooo-chelle feeding device, her servants are tired of losing fingers while they feed her highness.
Report Post »supressorgrid
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 7:46pmThe best comment of the day. Thumbs up!
Report Post »YesNdeedie
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 9:15amHe is best suited for the local elementary school play ground than the white house.
Report Post »poster
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 9:10amWhy Did Obama Shoot a Marshmallow Gun Inside The White House? Because he wanted to test the country’s latest strategic defense weapon. Look out, Iran — we’re ready for you.
Report Post »YesNdeedie
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 9:17amThat’s funny……… but with the weakening of our military, this just could be his plan.
Report Post »countryfirst
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 8:57amIf they really wanted to shot a marshmallow cannon in the white house, since our POTUS foreign policy is so soft it would have to be big enough for Barry it fit into.
If Barry gets another 4 years this may be our only line of defense left, we need to let our marshmallows go stale, hard marshmallows may be more lethal.
Report Post »mbck1491
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 8:56amAt 1:35 Obama said, he wants to feel like an aid. He might be implementing that feeling sooner than he thinks.
Report Post »Cemetery
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 8:39amShouldn’t the kid get expelled from whatever school he goes to and his parents sued and sent to prison?
Report Post »TheFonz
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 8:35amYou’ll shoot your eye out.
Report Post »JesusH.Christ
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 8:24amHey! Watch your mouth. }:-|
Report Post »Losersblameeveryone
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 8:11amSend Obama to Syria with the Marshmallow guns, just forget to tell him AF1 is leaving afterwards
Report Post »Losersblameeveryone
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 8:10amSend the marshmallow guns to Syria
Report Post »texasoysterman
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 7:34amMan-eating gazelles!
Report Post »Holy cow…something else I have to worry about.
old white guy
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 7:48amobama thinks the military should be using these guns.
Report Post »txwheels
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 7:29amAs I stated in a comment on another article, here is another perfect example of the no class occupants of the White House!
Report Post »Dig4Oil
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:56amHe’s got his gun!!
Report Post »http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvxHfuctrIk
Mr.Fitnah
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:46amObama the renaissance man. Like our own Franklin and Newton rolled into one.
Report Post »Or maybe spongebob and a turnip.
Magyar
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:09amGeez, does this really rise to the level of publication? How stupid. Yup, this is how hard he works in the White House!
Report Post »Mateytwo Barreett
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:59amGee! I’m so glad he was able to spend time with the science fair winners! A aggod diversion. Now hat the middle east is blowing up again, her bitchness sybellius has hacked off a quarrter of the voters, even the media is questioning (finally) the veracity pf any statement made by the white house. Oh, yeah! and little old me spent another $12 to fill my gas tank.
Report Post »But doen’t the machild look—entertained.
Defiant530
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:09amI say that marshmallow gun will be the next generation weapons system for our military if Obama gets re-elected
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:18amMichelle was on the receiving end of the marshmallow gun…She caught a whole bag full with her mouth.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:07amMichelle would have made him shoot some veggie from the WH garden.
Report Post »Godfather.1
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:07amOther than having a misleading headline (yes it was in the article but was not the focus), why is this article posted here? Or, is it just to provide another opportunity for Blazers to bash Obama over nothing?
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:19amFor nothing??? Any socialist deserves bashing!!
Report Post »EWWGPDN
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:48am@Godfather.1 Headline? Who cares. Try taking a look at our President’s actions outside of shooting a marshmallow gun. After all this appears to be an entertainment piece.
Evil wins when good people do nothing
Report Post »Losersblameeveryone
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 8:15amUrkel needs to go………..
Report Post »poster
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 9:13amWhy are you here? Was CurrentTV’s web site closed?
Report Post »Godfather.1
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 10:22am@poster
The retardedass comments posted every minute on this site provide all the entertainment I need for the day.
Report Post »majasdad
Posted on February 9, 2012 at 4:51amFinally! A person who makes sense on this bull—t site. I also get a kick out of ready these moronic comments, but at the same time, they scare the crap out of me. But hey, thank God they’re not representative of Americans as a whole… not yet anyway.
Report Post »scout n ambush
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 4:51amHope the marshmallows were not harmed, I am thinking racisim is involved somehow ,white marshmallows i bet.
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 4:49amOk, I read this story, and now I think I’m gonna have to go vomit……….Yes everyone, our beloved Fuhrer is just like us “common folks”……well, if we were all steeped in evil…….can you say monumental hypocrisy??
Report Post »scout n ambush
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 4:58amHave to give him credit it’s more dignified than what the last democrat prez did in there.
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:08am@SCOUT N AMBUSH…….lol……you know, I still cant believe that some tobacco company didn’t come out with a commemorative “Presidential” cigar, based on that particular incident.
Report Post »Tidewater_VA
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:22amTxpilot – I’ve been following your posts for some time now and I have to say that I appreciate your views and agree with you. Your “spot on” with calling out the crap. Keep it up…you must be former military.
Report Post »MCDAVE
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 8:44pmAnother tough day at the office for Obama…Going to need another vacation
Report Post »Bullfrog85
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 4:49amWho cares?
Report Post »Sandra
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 4:48amHe is a good parent, and likes science projects which encourage the mind to expand into the unknown. Good for making an impression on the young. Future voters.
Report Post »BOMUSTGO
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 5:23amFuture minds full of mush ready to march to the beat of socialism.
Report Post »Exile
Posted on February 8, 2012 at 6:42amObama is an evil marxist. He should go after the greatest threat to the united states and go back to Kenya and get eaten by a gazelle.
Report Post »