449th Birth Anniversary of Galileo Galilei

Portrait of  Galileo Galilei (public domain) Wikimedia
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

Thought I'd jump ahead of the clamor as most of the world will celebrate Galileo Galilei's 450th in the coming year. Adam Gopnik in the New Yorker is also looking ahead and has some thoughts on Galileo's iconoclastic life and achievements. He also discusses some new books about him that are forthcoming.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Amazing Living Bridges

The living bridges of Cherrapunji, India are made from the roots of the Ficus elastica tree.

These are made of tree roots that people have encouraged to grow and intertwine to form durable foot bridges! For a more extensive gallery of these, see the rootbridges blog which highlights the bridges in Cherrapunji, India. There are also root bridges in other parts of the world, notably in Iya Valley, Japan. These bridges call to mind certain Elven Kingdoms of lore :)

Take Me to Your Leader!

Image assembled by theLibraryLander

It's Extraterrestrial Culture Day - at least in New Mexico, where it is an unofficial holiday actually recognized by the State Legislature. How cool is that? How many places on earth can claim to recognize and appreciate Martians? The Roswell UFO incident has given NM a certain spaciness, hence, House Bill 766, which was passed in 2003 by the New Mexico State Legislature. It proclaims,

"INTRODUCED  BY Daniel R. Foley -  AN ACT RELATING TO SPACE ALIENS; DESIGNATING EVERY SECOND THURSDAY IN FEBRUARY AS "EXTRATERRESTRIAL CULTURE DAY".

Section 1. EXTRATERRESTRIAL CULTURE DAY.--The second Thursday of February each year shall be designated "Extraterrestrial Culture Day" in recognition of the many visitations, sightings, unexplained mysteries, attributed technological advances, experimentations, expeditions, explorations, intrigues, provision of story lines for Hollywood epics and other accomplishments of alien beings from throughout the universe that have contributed to New Mexico's worldwide recognition as a unique and dynamic mosaic of cultural anomalies. The day should be observed to celebrate and honor all past, present and future extraterrestrial visitors in ways to enhance relationships among all the citizens of the cosmos, known and unknown."

Newsworthy

1.  Dr. Weil - maybe dirt has its uses.

2.  UK Telegraph's interesting Bill Gates interview.

3.  NYT - antibiotics' role in nutrition.

4.  NPR -  a time for everything.

5.  Yahoo! - food face-off:  sweet v. white potatoes.

6.  WP - best and worst places to be born today.

7.  NYT - gloomy weather can spur creativity.

8.  LAT - Pluto's newest moons need names.

9.  MIT - what time is it? Half-past Apple?

10. TIME - animal GPS?

Happy Lunar New Year!

Better known as Chinese New Year, but it is celebrated across Asia so it's more accurate to say Asian Lunar New Year. It's the Year of the (water) Snake - here's hoping for good luck in 2013!

Image composed by TheLibraryLander

Blizzard Nemo

The name refers not to the Clownfish, but the very tough Captain Nemo, who fought storms in Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It's interesting that the National Weather Service disavows any naming schemes for winter storms, which is primarily promoted by the media. But Nemo brings back memories of Snowmageddon - referred to as the 2010 North American blizzard by the NWS - which pounded the Mid-Atlantic just three years ago. Those memories are still fresh so we in the Mid-Atlantic states deeply sympathize with New Englanders currently dealing with Nemo.


(Left) Satellite image of the February 2013 Nor'easter - image by GOES, NASA

Jules Verne's 185th Birth Anniversary

Photograph of Jules Verne by Félix Nadar
 - public domain, Wikimedia Commons

“How many things have been denied one day, only to become realities the next!”  ~ Jules Verne, From the Earth to the Moon


Often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction", Jules Verne was a remarkably prescient prognosticator of future technology. Many know him as the author of works such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in 80 Days, and A Journey to the Center of the Earth among others; but he also described such inventions as the submarine, fax machines, and even the Taser. My own love of science fiction, like many others, was awakened when I read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as a child. This led to reading more books by Verne as well as other authors, notably Arthur C. Clarke, who was also another accurate technology forecaster. And today, Steampunk as a genre wouldn't exist without Verne's imaginings!

Prison Libraries

Prison libraries throughout the US - Library Journal
Top photo by Stephn M. Lilienthal; bottom left photos
by Darren Wagner

Library Journal recently published a feature on prison libraries and the services they provide to the incarcerated. It's an important service which helps a population that greatly benefits from access to information and reading materials. Prison libraries serve not only in an educational capacity, but also a rehabilitative one. Many inmates make use of the legal materials that prison libraries stock, as well as the computers which provide a variety of software but with limited or no internet access. If internet access is provided, it will be heavily filtered so as not to pose a security risk. Wikipedia has a good entry on prison libraries. Library services for inmates isn't a luxury, but is often seen as an essential tool for helping them turn their lives around after paying their debt to society.  NPR not long ago interviewed librarian Glennor Shirley who was in charge of Maryland prison libraries before she retired in 2011. The WP also profiled her extraordinary life and career as a prison librarian. Society owes a debt of gratitude to anyone willing to work behind bars serving a high-risk population - a humbling and gratifying mission! 

APOD - Celestial Gossamer

LL Ori and the Orion Nebula
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team

Today is National Weatherperson's Day!

John Jeffries flew across
the English Channel - NOAA

Traditionally, weather forecasters have gotten a bad rap for less than accurate predictions, but today that reputation is completely unjustified. Technology has improved forecasting to such an extent that weather people predict almost to the minute when the first snowflake will fall for a snowstorm! Computer models show storm tracks using spaghetti plots which aid forecasters with possible weather events. Long range forecasting is still difficult (witness the inaccuracies found in the Farmer's Almanacs), but day-to-day and even weekly predictions are very reliable. Feb. 5 has been designated National Weatherperson's Day in honor of John Jeffries (American, Feb. 5, 1744 - Sep. 16,1819) who was among the very first people to keep daily weather records. He also conducted the first weather balloon observation over London in 1784. He took weather instruments to an altitude of 9,000 feet and recorded temperature and barometric pressure during the flight. Some people may find weather boring and only worthwhile as the subject of small talk, but for me, it can be a fulfilling pastime, especially as it can impact our lives quite dramatically. In particular, if one lives anywhere along the eastern seaboard, which sees more than its fair share of wild weather! And in honor of National Weatherperson's Day, I want to express my appreciation to one of our local weather persons, Sue Palka, who not only provides accurate weather information, but does so in a calm and reassuring manner. She provides the information without the hype, which is the way news should be delivered. Thanks, Sue!

Sue Palka, WTTG Weather Person

Rosa Parks' 100th Birth Anniversary

Rosa Parks received the Congressional Medal of
Freedom in Detroit in 1999 - AP photo.

Small acts of courage can have huge consequences. Rosa Parks' life exemplifies the idea that a seemingly ordinary person can perform heroic acts which can benefit society at large. But she was far from an ordinary person - she had been involved in efforts to improve the lives of Black people well before her arrest in 1955. A new biography of Parks, “The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks,” by Jeanne Theoharis, paints a portrait of a citizen who didn't shirk her duty when confronted with wrongdoing. A fitting tribute on her 100th birthday. 

The Income Tax Celebrates its 100th

IRS 1040 form (irs.gov)

Don't hear too many people cheering though!  Probably the best headline I've read so far on this anniversary is, "Many Unhappy Returns." But, however one feels about the whole idea, it's a power that Congress was given when the 16th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified a hundred years ago. Cornell University Law School has a great legal website which provides a lot of info on the law and government. Here's their page on Amendment XVI. 

Ground Hog Day 2013

Snow lovers will lament; spring lovers rejoice. Apparently, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow today so we'll hold him to his prediction that spring is near! Though, we're still waiting word from his taxidermied relative, Potomac Phil, who should make a stoic appearance in Dupont Circle. And of course, there are a whole slew of other groundhog prognosticators that may have their own prediction. But it's undeniable that Punxsutawney Phil is the ultimate prognosticator among the Marmota monax crew.

February is Library Lovers Month!

 

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