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Archive: September 2014 (6 Posts)

Sweeping view from the floor of a great room, looking upwards past marble columns and arches to a grand golden-colored dome

History, Discovery and Analogy: Steven Dick Talks with C-SPAN’s American History TV About Discovering Life in the Universe

Posted by: Jason Steinhauer

In a new video interview with C-SPAN’s American History TV, Kluge Center astrobiology chair Steven Dick explains how history, discovery, and analogy may be useful frameworks for approaching the problem of what societal reactions may be to the discovery of life beyond Earth. Dick has spent the past year at the Library of Congress as …

Sweeping view from the floor of a great room, looking upwards past marble columns and arches to a grand golden-colored dome

September’s New Scholars at the Kluge Center

Posted by: Travis Hensley

On the first Monday of each month, the Kluge Center welcomes new scholars from any of our numerous chair and fellowship programs. The day consists of an orientation, setting up new residents in their work areas, and an informal new scholar’s lunch. These are busy days, and this month’s was no exception. There are new …

Sweeping view from the floor of a great room, looking upwards past marble columns and arches to a grand golden-colored dome

Women, Fashion, and the Transatlantic Avant-Garde

Posted by: Dan Turello

“Oh, ok, I see, you think this has nothing to do with you” taunted fashion editor Miranda Priestly, played by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, as she explained to her skeptical assistant that the “cerulean” sweater she had picked out, to prove she was immune to trends, was actually the calculated product of …

Sweeping view from the floor of a great room, looking upwards past marble columns and arches to a grand golden-colored dome

On Microbes and Planets: Our Second Astrobiology Symposium Recapped

Posted by: Dan Turello

Last week’s astrobiology symposium, a part of our NASA/Library of Congress astrobiology program, was a feast of ideas and perspectives. I won’t attempt to summarize the entire event here. The conference proceedings will eventually be published as a volume, and the full webcast will be available on the Library of Congress and the NASA Astrobiology Institute websites …

Sweeping view from the floor of a great room, looking upwards past marble columns and arches to a grand golden-colored dome

Why Astrobiology Matters to the Humanities

Posted by: Jason Steinhauer

For the second year in a row, scholars in philosophy, the social sciences and humanities will come together with scientists at the Kluge Center this week to discuss the implications of astrobiology research on humanity and society. What does astrobiology matter to philosophers, anthropologists, historians and religion scholars? A great deal, it turns out. Astrobiology, …

Sweeping view from the floor of a great room, looking upwards past marble columns and arches to a grand golden-colored dome

Top Scholars Conduct Research at the Library of Congress Every Day. This Blog Tells The Story.

Posted by: Jason Steinhauer

Hello. Welcome to “Insights.” Here we’ll tell the story of top scholars in residence at The John W. Kluge Center conducting research in the Library of Congress collections. It’s a big topic, with much diversity. The Library of Congress enables research on an infinite number of subjects, and attracts some fascinating people to do it. …