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Before and Beyond Thomas Levenson Lecture: “The Brief Life and Exciting Times of Vulcan — the Planet that Wasn’t There” Thursday, March 10, 7 p.m. Thomas Levenson, professor of science writing at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, discusses and signs copies of his book “The Hunt for Vulcan ... And How Albert Einstein Destroyed a Planet, Discovered Relativity, and Deciphered the Universe.” The planet Vulcan first appeared in our solar system in 1859 as the only sensible explanation for Mercury’s misbehavior. It disappeared for good in 1915, banished from reality by Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity. In between, its story is one of perfectly sound science, vaulting ambition and persistent self-deception, adding up to a cautionary tale about how science actually works. Community Room
Thomas Levenson
Film and Discussion: “CodeGirl” Friday, March 18, 6:30 p.m. In this 2015 documentary, teams of high school girls from around the world develop apps to solve problems in their communities. Following the screening a discussion moderated by Montgomery Upper Middle School teacher Violet Markmann features panelists from Code for Princeton, the Techsters of Montgomery Upper Middle School, and Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart. Film running time: 1 hour, 47 minutes. Community Room Laurie Wallmark Author of “Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine” Sunday, March 20, 2 p.m. The author will read from her children’s book “Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine,” an illustrated biography of Ada Lovelace. More than 100 years before the invention of the electronic computer, Byron followed her creativity in science and math to become the world’s first computer programmer. This story serves as an inspiration for children, especially girls, to be fearless in pursuing their passions. Two craft activities appropriate for grades 1-5 will follow the reading. Story Room
“CodeGirl”
Angela Creager Book Discussion of “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” by Thomas Kuhn Wednesday, March 23, 7 p.m. Angela Creager, Thomas M. Siebel Professor in the History of Science and the director of graduate studies for History of Science at Princeton University, leads a discussion of the book that is considered the paradigmatic history of science text. Originally published in 1962, the book is still widely read by specialist and non-specialist audiences. Story Room Laurie Wallmark
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Angela Creager
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