April 2008
Posted April 25, 2008
I want to see if the new news itesm will be formated correctly.
Posted April 22, 2008
Earthquake, Tsunamis and a Modern Journey to the Center of the Earth
(Kansas City, MO) April 21, 2008--As the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in Sumatra showed, we live on the surface of our vibrant planet by geological consent. This earthquake released more energy than the energy contained in the nuclear arsenals of all countries combined. However, geological disasters are not limited to places on the other side of the world. Earthquakes pose continuous threats in many parts of the United States, even many places that are often thought to be “safe.” Remember, even Missouri has been subjected to magnitude 7 earthquakes. Professor Michael Wysession from Washington University-St. Louis, will provide an examination of the enigmatic phenomenon of earthquakes and a tour of Earth’s interior, crust to core, in his talk on Thursday, April 24, 2008, at the Linda Hall Library, 5109 Cherry, Kansas City, Missouri. This “Journey to the Center of the Earth” will reveal aspects of our planet that are too strange for even Jules Verne or Hollywood to have imagined. The talk, which is free and open to the public, begins at 5:30 p.m.
We are able to predict violent storms such as hurricanes and tornados, even volcanic eruptions can be predicted, sometimes down to the day. However, this is not the case for earthquakes, despite many efforts. We may have better luck with earthquake forecasting, which is the determination of statistical likelihoods of quakes occurring based on past activity. In certain instances of very high seismic risk, real-time warning systems are providing the best means of anticipating earthquake damage.
The Linda Hall Library, the world’s largest privately funded library of science, engineering and technology, is open to the public. It is located at 5109 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Library hours are Monday, 9:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
For more information about this talk or other upcoming events at Linda Hall Library, please contact Kathy Alshouse at 816-926-8727.
This lecture is partially underwritten by Swiss Re.
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Posted April 16, 2008
Ice: A Victorian Romance Exhibition Opens
(Kansas City, MO) April 15, 2008--In March of 2008, the British Antarctic Survey reported that 220 square miles of ice had collapsed in Antarctica and an ice shelf, the Wilkins shelf, is in danger of collapsing. In recent years, much attention has been paid to climate changes occurring in Antarctica and the Arctic Archipelago, but both the North and South Poles have been the subject of fascination and exploration for well over 150 years. Ice: A Victorian Romance, the new exhibition at the Linda Hall Library, examines the search for the Northwest Passage and the first assault on the Antarctic continent by British, American and French explorers.
The exhibition, which runs from May 1 to September 13, 2008, will feature books on the many expeditions including the desperate search for the ill-fated Franklin expedition that disappeared in 1845. Besides books on the various expeditions there will also be works on glacial studies, which around 1840, mark the beginning of the idea of an Ice Age.
The expeditions and books on glaciology feature impressive illustrations, often in color, of forbidding icy landscapes and of animals indigenous to the area. Maps, beginning with one from 1818, will also be on display.
The opening reception on Thursday, May 1, will feature a lecture by renowned Arctic Historian, David H. Stam, Syracuse University Librarian Emeritus and Senior Scholar in the History Department. Dr. Stam most recently co-authored Books on Ice: British and American Literature of Polar Exploration. The reception begins at 5:00 pm and the lecture starts at 5:30 pm. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be at the Linda Hall Library, 5109 Cherry, Kansas City, Missouri. Space is limited and reservations are requested. Please call 816-926-8772 or go online at www.lindahall.org/ice_lec.shmtl to reserve space by April 25, 2008.
The Linda Hall Library, the world’s largest privately funded library of science, engineering and technology, is open to the public. It is located at 5109 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Library hours are Monday, 9:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
For more information about this talk or other upcoming events at Linda Hall Library, please contact Kathy Alshouse at 816-926-8727.
Posted April 8, 2008
At the Water's Edge Book Discussion
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Kathy Alshouse, Development Officer
816-926-8727
April 1, 2008
At the Water’s Edge: Fish with fingers, Whales with Legs, and How Life Came Ashore but Went Back to the Sea
Kansas City, MO—How did our fishy ancestors climb out of the water, onto dry land? How and why did whales dive back in? These twin puzzles are the subject of At the Water’s Edge, a book by Carl Zimmer that will be discussed at the next Periodic Roundtable Book Discussion. Join Christine Taft, reference librarian at the Linda Hall Library on Monday, April 7, from 6-7:30
pm to discuss these dual conundrums of transformation and other thought provoking insights Zimmer provides. Having read the book is not a requirement for participation.
The discussion will be in the auditorium of the Linda Hall Library, 5109 Cherry, Kansas City, Missouri. This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required, but seating may be limited. To ensure your seat, please RSVP by calling Christine Taft (816) 926-8778.
The Linda Hall Library, the world’s largest privately funded library of science, engineering and technology, is open to the public. It is located at 5109 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Library hours are Monday, 9:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
For more information about this talk or other upcoming events at Linda Hall Library, please contact Kathy Alshouse at 816-926-8727.