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Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
The following is a guest post by Emmy-Award-winning engineer Mark Schubin who is a frequent researcher at the Library of Congress. He has been writing about the intersecting histories of opera and media technology since 1972 and currently serves as engineer-in-charge of the Metropolitan Opera’s Media Department. In October 2011, Mark gave a presentation at the Library …
Posted in: Guest Blog Posts, Inventions
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
This post features the Library’s ST&B 2013 junior fellow Camron T. Lee from Utah State University. 1. What is your background I was born and raised in Utah. After graduating high school, I spent two years living in Japan and developed a passion for Japanese language, culture, and history. Since returning to the States, I …
Posted in: Five Questions, Military science, Technical Reports and Standards
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
As summer is winding down and our interns and junior fellows are heading back to school or a new job, the Library is grateful to these students who take time out of their summer break to help with special projects. For the next month we will be highlighting the ST&B interns and junior fellows in …
Posted in: Five Questions
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
As the world was on royal baby watch there was another arrival that folks have been waiting for here in D.C. (and perhaps the world as well) – the blooming of the Sumatran (Indonesian) Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum) a.k.a. the corpse flower or stinky plant at the U.S. Botanic Garden (USBG). Like the arrival of …
Posted in: Gardening
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Question: How can you test your knowledge and impress your friends? Answer: Trivia! Everyone loves trivia and Science.gov is asking us to “Test your knowledge of science trivia and take the Science.gov Trivia Challenge.” These trivia challenges are part of a continuation of the celebration of its 10th anniversary. The trivia questions were thought up …
Posted in: Favorites From the Fifth Floor
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Many of us associate July 4th, Independence Day, with barbecues, picnics and fireworks. But it is also the day when we proudly display the National Flag of the United States. We honor this day by flying Old Glory’s stars and stripes, draping our buildings with American Flag bunting, and outfitting our celebrations in red, white …
Posted in: Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Technical Reports and Standards
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Are we alone in the Universe? That’s what we often wonder as we look up at the stars of the night sky. We may become particularly fascinated with this question after reading a great science fiction novel or watching a film that centers on the exploration of other planetary systems (e.g. The Star Trek franchise). …
Posted in: Aeronautics/Astronautics, Astronomy/Mathematics, Lunchtime Lectures and Videos
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
The following is a guest post written by Caitlin Rizzo, a staffer at the Poetry and Literature Center and a blogger for the Library’s From the Catbird Seat. Caitlin and I decided to swap blogs for the week. She wrote this piece for Inside Adams and I wrote a piece about the first, and only, poem …
Posted in: Guest Blog Posts
Posted by: Jennifer Harbster
Last week I had the fantastic opportunity to give a gallery talk in the Library’s Civil War in America Exhibit Hall about the role of technology during the U.S. Civil War. There were many technologies or tools in use or being developed at this time, such as the telegraph, ironclad steamships (e.g. Merrimack and Monitor), railroads, …
Posted in: Aeronautics/Astronautics, Biography, Heritage Months, Holidays, and Today in History, Inventions, Military science