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A cooperative venture between the Science Reference Section and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center continued to bring an array of NASA scientists to the Library. They spoke about eclipses and volcanoes, the Chesapeake Bay from space, gamma-ray bursts and black holes, extraterrestrial real estate, and more. Meanwhile, speakers with a more terrestrial view gave presentations on subjects ranging from the history of bird feeding to anthrax attacks, the history of barbecue to the connections between opera and the origins of modern media technology.
James Green, NASA Chief Scientist, discusses shadow techniques used to uncover new science in the study of eclipses, occultations and transits and will provide spectacular examples from recent events.
C. Alex Young spoke about the science and wonder of total solar eclipses. He explained the celestial mechanics of the eclipse, viewing opportunities and how NASA will study the sun and Earth during this rare event on August 21, 2017.
Co-Authors Paul Baicich and Margaret Barker discuss their book, Feeding Wild Birds in America: Culture, Commerce and Conservation (Texas A&M University Press: 2015), which describes how the simple practice of bird feeding has become, in recent decades, a multi-billion dollar business and helped change Americans’ attitudes toward the natural world.
LaManda Joy, the founder of Chicago’s Peterson Garden Project and a board member of the American Community Gardening Association. Ms. Joy spoke about her book, Start a Community Food Garden: The Essential Handbook.
Holly Gilbert speaks about solar storms and how these dynamic phenomena interact with the Earth's magnetic field.
Award-winning cookbook author and "master griller" Steven Raichlen lectures at the Library of Congress on the history of barbecue, from the discovery of live-fire cooking nearly 2 million years ago to the invention of the charcoal briquette, gas grills and modern barbecue restaurants.
A lecture by Mark Schubin on how a 400-year-old art form helped create modern media technology.
NASA scientist Michelle Thaller discusses Galileo and the history of the telescope.