Obama hosts White House science fair

President Barack Obama shakes hands with Bill Nye, The Science Guy, during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, for the White House Science Fair. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama watches as Joey Hudy, left, of Phoenix, Ariz., left, pumps up a gun to shoot a marshmallow in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, for the White House Science Fair. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama pumps up a gun designed by Joey Hudy, left, of Phoenix, Ariz., left, to shoot a marshmallow in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, during the White House Science Fair. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama watches as a marshmallow is launched in a gun designed by Joey Hudy, left, of Phoenix, Ariz., left, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington during the White House Science Fair. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama watches as a marshmallow is launched in a gun designed by Joey Hudy, left, of Phoenix, Ariz., left, Tue., Feb. 7, 2012, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington during the White House Science Fair.

President Barack Obama watches as a marshmallow is launched by a gun designed by Joey Hudy of Phoenix, Ariz., Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington during the White House Science Fair. For a president who promotes technology at every opportunity, Barack Obama often strikes an awed, self-effacing pose around technicians, scientists and high-tech machinery. "If I'm nodding, you should just assume that everything you said is going completely over my head,

President Barack Obama reacts after watching a marshmallow launched from a gun designed by Joey Hudy, left, of Phoenix, Ariz., left, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, during the White House Science Fair. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama shakes hands with a student during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, for the White House Science Fair. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama talks with Janet Nieto, left, Gwynelle Condino, from Presidio, Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington during the White House Science Fair. The girls have successfully competed in a number of rocketry challenges and have attended the NASA Student Launch Initiative Advanced Rocketry program. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama talks with, from left, Janet Nieto, Gwynelle Condino, and Ana Nieto, all from Presidio, Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington during the White House Science Fair. All three girls have successfully competed in a number of rocketry challenges and have attended the NASA Student Launch Initiative Advanced Rocketry program. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama has a group hug with Janet Nieto, Gwynelle Condino, and Ana Nieto, right, all from Presidio, Texas, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, during the White House Science Fair. All three girls have successfully competed in a number of rocketry challenges and have attended the NASA Student Launch Initiative Advanced Rocketry program. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama talks with Morgan Ard, center, and Titus Walker, left, both 8th grade students at Monroeville Jr. High School in Monroeville, Alabama as they how their robot picks up an stuffed eagle in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, for the White House Science Fair. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama talks with Jessica D'Esposito, from Petersburg, Ind. to learn about her team's portable disaster relief shelter, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington during the White House Science Fair. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama talks with Anna Woolery, left, and Colton newton, from Petersburg, Ind., to learn about her team's portable disaster relief shelter in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, for the White House Science Fair. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama talks with Benjamin Hylak of West Grove, Pa., about his interactive robot, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington during the White House Science Fair. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama talks with, from left, Jayla Dogan, Ashley Thomas, and Lucas Beal, all from the Paul Robeson/Malcolm X Academy in Detroit, Mich., Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington during the White House Science Fair. Obama hosted the second White House Science Fair celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

President Barack Obama acknowledges students as he speaks about the White House Science Fair, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington.