Category Archives: At the Ilsley

At the Ilsley, Public

At The Ilsley: Shadblow, Vermont’s Landscape and Community in a Time of Climate Change

John Elder, Middlebury College Professor Emeritus of Environmental Studies and of English and American Literature, talks about the native Vermont tree called alternatively shadblow and serviceberry and relates its deep cultural associations to current controversies surrounding climate change and renewable energy. As part of this reading, which is adapted from his recent book Picking Up the Flute, Elder plays on his Irish (wooden) flute an air by Liz Carroll called “Island of Woods.”   This event is sponsored by AAUW.  Recorded 10/15/19 by MCTV.

Producer: Ilsley Public Library

At the Ilsley, Public

At The Ilsley: Meet Bina48, an Advanced Social Robot w/ Bruce Duncan

Meet Bina48, the world’s first advanced humanoid robot based on the “mindfile” information of a real person. Listen to a talk presented by Bruce Duncan, who is responsible for ongoing development of Bina48. Bina48 is designed to be a social being that represents a mix of memories, values, and beliefs from the original Bina along with new experiences gained through interaction with others. Since she “came to life” in 2010, she has been featured in the New York Times Science Section, GQ Magazine, NPR and National Geographic Magazine. This event, sponsored by the Addison County Retired Educators Association. Recorded 10/9/19 by MCTV.

Producer: Ilsley Public Library

At the Ilsley, Public

At The Ilsley: Epic Survival and Wildlife in the Antarctic w/ Prof. Tom Perera

This illustrated talk chronicles Shackleton’s epic Antarctic exploration aboard the Endeavor and the miraculous survival of his crew after his ship was crushed in the ice and his crew were forced to take refuge on a tiny spit of land. While visiting the sites of Shackleton’s adventures as they exist today, the talk will take you to the Falkland and S. Georgia Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. It will also highlight the current density of wildlife including penguins and seals and take you on a wild ride through the infamous Drake Passage in 25 foot seas and 69 knot winds.Tom Perera is a retired Columbia University professor who hunts for and restores German Enigma machines, travels widely with his wife, and gives talks on his travels. Recorded 9/19/19 by MCTV.

Producer: Ilsley Public Library

At the Ilsley, Author Talk, Public

At The Ilsley: The Legacy of Apollo 11

Middlebury resident and former Nasa senior science writer Louis Varricchio offers a 50-year look back at the historic and scientific legacy of the United States’ first mission to land astronauts on the Moon in July 1969. Varricchio was also a producer of science-related documentaries for Prairie Public Television and Public Radio International. Today, he is an adjunct science instructor at Community College of Vermont as well as the managing editor of the Vermont Eagle weekly newspaper. He is the author of the science-history book, titled Inconstant Moon: Discovery and Controversy on the Way to the Moon, which was first published in 2006 (and remains in print). Recorded 7/15/19 by MCTV.
Producer: Ilsley Public Library

At the Ilsley, Public

At The Ilsley: How to See a Black Hole

The idea of a black hole — a region of space whose gravitational pull is so strong that even light cannot escape from it — was proposed just over a century ago. Fifty years later, the discovery of quasars provided circumstantial evidence that black holes may actually exist in the centers of distant galaxies. This past year, an international team of astronomers revealed to the world the very first direct image of a black hole residing in an enormous galaxy 50 million light years away. How did we go from a hypothetical idea to definitive proof in just a century?

In this talk, Middlebury College Assistant Professor of Physics Eilat Glikman will present the many ways astronomers infer the presence of supermassive black holes residing at the centers of galaxies, how we think they grow to such extreme masses, and how they might influence their host galaxies and cosmic environments. Glikman will also explain how the very first direct image of a black hole was taken and what it tells us about the nature of black holes in the universe. Recorded 7/2/19 by MCTV.


Producer: Ilsley Public Library

At the Ilsley, First Wednesdays, Public

First Wednesday: “What You Didn’t Know about Evangelicalism” by Randall Balmer

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Most Americans associate evangelicals with the hard-right precincts of the Republican Party. But as Dartmouth religion professor Randall Balmer explains, evangelicalism in America has a much longer and more complex history, including a distinguished pedigree of working for progressive reforms. What happened? Recorded 5/22/19 by Middlebury Community Television.

Producer: Ilsley Public Library

At the Ilsley, First Wednesdays, Public

First Wednesday: Frederic Church’s Landscapes by Eleanor Jones Harvey

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Frederic Church painted landscapes of distinctive American features, including Natural Bridge in Virginia and Niagara Falls in New York.  Eleanor Jones Harvey, senior curator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, explores how and why we used these American landscapes to distinguish the scale and scope of our cultural ambitions. Recorded 5/1/19.

Producer: Ilsley Public Library

At the Ilsley, Author Talk, Public

Author Talk: Glacier National Park – Reflections from an Artist (and Angler) by Matt Dickerson

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Through image, video, and story Matthew Dickerson shares some of his experiences as June 2017 artist-in-residence at the stunningly beautiful Glacier National Park in Montana.  He spent a month exploring the Park and learning from USGS and NPS biologists, rangers, and other park workers, as well as taking lots of photographs and videos.  The presentation focuses on river and lake ecology and the native fishes of the west slope, most notably bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout, and the impact and future threats from invasive species as well as climate change. Professor Dickerson has just published a book set in Glacier National Park, The Voices of Rivers. Recorded 4/24/19.

Producer: Ilsley Public Library