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BURBOT

POSTED JANUARY 10, 2010
AT 6:58 AM

To anyone out there ice fishing... ECHO is looking…

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Thanks for checking out our online newsletter, the ECHO Update. Check here for current events happening in and around ECHO as well as the larger science and stewardship community. Or better yet, sign up by typing your email address into the field on the left and have the Update delivered right to your inbox every month! Rest assured — we would never sell or otherwise share your email with another entity.

In This Issue:

March 2010
Issue 67
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"The Eye of Senator Leahy" - A Front Row Seat to History
Unique Photography Exhibition Opens March 13
Members-Only Event on March 20
 


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U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy has served Vermont for 35 years in the Nation’s Capital — years that have given him a front row seat to innumerable historic events and extraordinary access to the world’s most remarkable leaders and cultural icons. At every opportunity, his camera was close at hand to capture the moment. And now, a personally selected collection of his unique images, entitled “The Eye of Senator Leahy,” will be exhibited March 13 to May 2 at ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain. In addition, at a special ECHO Members-only event on Saturday, March 20, the Senator will lead attendees on an exclusive guided tour of the exhibition.

From the Senator’s over-the-shoulder image of President Obama signing the Lilly Ledbetter Act (protecting women from hidden pay discrimination) to the Senator’s favorite image of a Tibetan man who literally risked imprisonment by publicly showing him a photo of the Dalai Lama, the 52 candid images in the collection present a wide spectrum of many of our time’s most important and fascinating people, conveying a universal sense of humanity. Senator Leahy’s images are keenly sought by the media, and have been featured in such leading publications as the New York Times, U.S. News, USA Today, Newsweek and Time.

“As the son of a printer in Montpelier,” Senator Leahy recalls, “I learned early about the power of the printed word and the printed image, and a lifelong interest in photography was born the first time I picked up a camera. Photographs can at once be both timely and timeless. They enhance our understanding beyond the ability of words alone. They can bridge the gap from generation to generation and breathe life into our history. The essence of leadership and life sometimes is better captured by the lens than by the pen.”

Beyond the movers and shakers of our times, the Senator’s eye has also documented the hopes and dreams of “just plain folks” from around the globe. Senator Leahy comments, “When I have been fortunate enough to visit with presidents or popes, or spend time with locals in another country, sometimes I have also been fortunate enough to have my camera along at just the right moment.”

“The Eye of Senator Leahy” is a rare opportunity for ECHO visitors to experience an inside view of history.

For additional information on this exhibition please visit www.echovermont.org/leahy

Pictured: Winter Gathering Materials of Culture Presentation ©Urban Rhino; Senator Edward M. Kennedy & Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy; President Barack Obama; Tibetan man, child, & Dalai Lama photo ©U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy


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ECHO & Senator Leahy Welcome National Guard Families
Free Admission on March 21


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As a special “thank you” to the Vermont National Guard, ECHO will host "National Guard Day" on March 21, 2010, and offer free admission to all active Vermont National Guard servicemen and women and their families, as well as families of deployed Guard. In addition, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Vermont’s senior statesman, U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, will be on hand to welcome the families, and lead them on a guided tour of ECHO’s new exhibition of the Senator's personally selected photographs, entitled “The Eye of Senator Leahy.”

"We're delighted to host National Guard families here at ECHO," says ECHO's Executive Director, Phelan Fretz, "and honored to have Senator Leahy take part in this sure-to-be memorable day."

Beyond “National Guard Day,” ECHO offers a year-round Military Discount to any active servicemen and women and their families, as well as families of deployed Guard when they present their military ID at the Admissions Desk.



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Café Scientifique Topic 12
ROBOTS: Teachers of Human Nature or Future Overlords?


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The topic of robots is an endlessly fascinating one, conjuring images from The Jetsons to The Terminator to automated auto assembly lines. Facing major global challenges this century — war, climate change, terrorism, nuclear proliferation — should we build more and more advanced intelligent machines to come to our aid or will they make matters worse?

Join Josh Bongard, an Assistant Professor in the Computer Science Department at UVM, on Thursday, March 18 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. as he leads us in conversation about his research in robotics. Dr. Bongard received his Bachelors degree in Computer Science from McMaster University, Canada, his Masters degree from the University of Sussex, UK, and his PhD from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. He served as a postdoctoral associate under Hod Lipson in the Computational Synthesis Laboratory at Cornell University from 2003 to 2006. He is the co-author, with Rolf Pfeifer, of the popular science book entitled "How the Body Shapes the Way We Think: A New View of Intelligence." His UVM research interests focus on robotics, and he was named both a Microsoft Research New Faculty Fellow in 2006, as well as a member of the TR35: MIT Technology Review's top 35 innovators under the age of 35.

Dr. Bongard will be breaking the discussion into three parts:

Technical: What are robots; how far has their development advanced? In the '80s, people feared that computers would put large numbers of people out of work. Many predict that in this decade and the next, robots may start to do the same. What do you think?

Philosophical: What can robots tell us about human nature? Could a machine ever be intelligent? Conscious? Could a machine exhibit free will? How would we know?

Ethical: Should we use robots to kill for us? Should we utilize robots in certain areas and avoid integrating them in others? As an example, the U.S. military is already using unmanned aerial vehicles such as the Predator Drone to help eliminate Al Qaeda and Taliban forces in Pakistan. Where do we draw the line between using robots to protect human lives and sending highly-efficient machines to destroy our enemies?

...and yes, he promises he'll bring some actual robots!

ECHO’s Café Scientifique, based on the popular European salon concept, is a chance for science and culture to intersect. The discussions, led by acknowledged experts, are free, 21+ events with a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres provided by Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society.

You can visit our website for further information.

 

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Reminder: "Regatta For Lake Champlain Icebreaker Benefit
Help Celebrate Years of ECHO Support


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Don’t forget to join us on Thursday, March 4th for a special event celebrating the “Regatta for Lake Champlain” and their support of ECHO totaling almost $20,000 in the last five years! From 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. the second annual “Regatta for Lake Champlain Icebreaker Benefit,” sponsored by KeyBank and the Shelburne Shipyard, will be taking place at
The Film House in the Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center located at 60 Lake Street.

This year’s event will feature Rich Wilson, Executive Director of the Sites Alive Foundation and skipper of the sailboat Great American III. He will talk about his experience participating in the 2008-2009 Vendée Globe around-the-world, single-handed, non-stop race. Out of the 30 boats that started, 11 actually crossed the finish line, and Wilson finished 9th.

To put Rich's latest accomplishment in perspective — he singlehandedly sailed his boat for 121 days with broken ribs and symptoms of asthma; battled waves of 30 feet or more and winds up to 80 knots in the treacherous Southern Ocean; celebrated his 59th birthday alone and at sea; and communicated in real-time with thousands of school children in 37 countries to share his story.

The Regatta for Lake Champlain is an annual happening that brings together hundreds of lake-loving sailors for land events and a race across the Lake to support organizations dedicated to the health of Lake Champlain. ECHO is proud to have the Regatta as a long-time partner in our mission of promoting stewardship of the Lake Champlain Basin.

This is a great opportunity to support one of the organizations that gives to ECHO — and experience an incredible, firsthand account of a solo sailing trip around the world.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online or by calling ECHO Director of Development Kate Villa at 864-1848 ext. 118. Hope to see you there!

Pictured: Rich Wilson ©SitesAlive.org


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Lake Champlain Basin Program's 2009 Annual Report


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Stop by the Lake Champlain Basin Program’s (LCBP) Resource Room at ECHO to pick up a copy of the Progress 2009 Annual Report. This LCBP report summarizes technical, education and outreach, and cultural heritage and recreation initiatives in 2009.

Accomplishments in 2009 included awarding $490,000 in grants to local nonprofits and communities for projects that address lake stewardship and pollution prevention. As a result of these grants:

• Water quality was monitored at 15 lake stations and 18 major tributaries to inform both lake science and public health advisories for blue-green algae.

• Nearly 7,000 boaters were informed about invasive species spread prevention at boat launches through the LCBP’s “Lake Stewards” program.

• In the most critically impaired region of the watershed, LCBP funds helped implement 30 nutrient management plans on Vermont farms.

• Through the “Watershed for Every Classroom” workshops, a partnership with ECHO and other local groups, educators were taught how to teach lake science and stewardship to 800 students.

The LCBP thanks Senator Patrick Leahy and our entire Congressional delegation for their continuing support for these initiatives. The full report can be downloaded at www.lcbp.org/progress2009.htm.

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Catch a Burbot - Release It at ECHO


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The search began in early January — ECHO Animal Care wanted an 18 inch or smaller Burbot to include in the Landlocked Salmon and Lake Trout exhibit. In a flurry of blogging, Facebook status updates, and Twitter posts, Animal Care spread the word to ice-fishing enthusiasts. Two weeks ago, Steve Smith, director of ECHO Animal Care, received a phone call from a fisherman who had read about ECHO’s need on Twitter. Smith learned this fisherman could provide a Burbot, ECHO just needed to pick it up — in Wyoming.

“It was eye-opening and unexpected to get a response to a Tweet from someone 2000 miles away” said Smith. "Unfortunately, the logistics of breaking in a live fish from Wyoming didn’t really make sense."

The Burbot is the only example of a freshwater Cod found in North America. While not particularly attractive, the Burbot is actually a delicious catch and is sought-after during the ice-fishing season on Lake Champlain. Typically bottom-dwellers who prefer extra cold, oxygenated water, Burbot move up the water column to 20 to 40 feet during the winter months, making them a prime target for the hearty anglers who venture out on the ice.

However, this winter many areas within the Lake Champlain Basin have been lacking a critical component of ice-fishing: ice. Ice levels have been minimal at best in many places and because of this, ECHO remains in need of a Burbot. The search continues, but as winter turns to spring, the chance of an angler catching a specimen suitable for ECHO decreases.

If you, or anyone you know, happen to catch a Burbot more local than Wyoming, please get in touch with Steve Smith at 802.864.1848 x128. ECHO Animal Care will be happy to coordinate the pickup and transport of the Burbot and the lucky angler will receive an ECHO Single Membership — good for unlimited, year-round admission to ECHO.

Incidentally, if you want to be kept abreast of the many happenings here at ECHO, including the status of our Burbot search, feel free to join our “virtual” community. You can follow ECHO on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, and of course visit our website and blog (link). Perhaps some more social networking can help ECHO Animal Care enhance one of ECHO’s most visible exhibits.

Pictured: Burbot ©Achim R. Schloeffel

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Contraption of the Month: The Phonograph


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During the run of Contraptions!, our latest changing exhibit, ECHO Update will be featuring a different contraption each month. For March, the phonograph takes center stage.

First created by Thomas Edison in the late 19th century, the phonograph was the first gadget that could record, and play back, sound. Edison created the phonograph inadvertently — he was tinkering with a method to turn received telegraphs into sound and trying to create a medium for mechanized sounds to be broadcast across telephone lines.

Initially, the phonograph was very much a novelty item. Phonograph parlors popped up throughout the United States allowing patrons to listen to selections for a fee, but the cylinders which contained the music or spoken words were fragile and typically limited to a single location. As the manufacturing processes advanced, portable phonographs became available. This evolution coincided with the increase in variety, availability and medium of recordings.

It was Emile Berliner who first created the “disc” shaped record. Dramatically different than Edison’s cylinder, Berliner’s format was easily mass-produced and allowed distribution to reach previously unthinkable levels. Some tinkering from Eldridge Johnson provided the disc records with the quality to match that of Edison’s cylinders. The modern “LP” had been created and widespread appeal followed closely behind.

As their popularity grew, phonographs were modified and updated with new technology that created a higher-fidelity sound. By the late 20th century, however, digital audio devices became the norm. Today, CD and digital music players have pushed phonographs into obscurity. Vinyl records have been relegated to the domain of audiophiles, DJ’s, and purists who maintain that the updated 19th century technology available now provides the best sound available.

A by-product of the invention process, the phonograph represents something ingenious that accidentally ended up having a very practical application. As the vehicle for delivering sounds to generations of people, there truly is nothing like it. And, as some insist, the phonograph still stands alone.

Pictured: Thomas Edison & early phonograph ©Levin C. Handy; A Victor V Phonograph ©Norman Bruderhofer


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What's Happening in March


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This month, don’t miss regularly scheduled programming and our very special “The Eye of Senator Leahy” exhibition. As always, you can visit our website www.echovermont.org/events/calendar.html for a complete listing of all the happenings at ECHO. All of these activities are free for members and included with ECHO admission.

• Sunday, March 7, 2:00 p.m. Essex Improv Team does Contraptions. Using their bodies (and volunteers) the Essex Improv Team will interpret various contraptions. Come help us stimulate their ideas into action!

• Friday, March 12, 11 a.m. Pint-Sized Science. Where have all the colors gone? It has been a long, drab winter and it is time to bring a burst of color into our lives. Join Elizabeth to investigate and experiment with all the colors of the rainbow.

• Saturday, March 13 to Sunday May, 2. The Eye of Senator Leahy. An exhibition of 52 unique photos taken by Vermont’s senior statesman, presenting many of our times most powerful and fascinating people. This personally selected collection is a rare opportunity to experience an inside view of history.

• Thursday, March 18, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Café Scientifique Topic 12: ROBOTS: Teachers of human nature or future overlords? UVM’s Josh Bongard, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, will be here with his robots for an eye-opening demonstration and discussion. Cash bar with themed drinks opens at 6.30 p.m., discussion begins at 7 p.m.; free light hors d’oeuvres sponsored by VT Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Society.

• Saturday, March 20, 6 p.m. The Eye of Senator Leahy. Join us for an evening with Senator Patrick Leahy as he leads an exclusive, guided tour of photographs that highlight the entire human spectrum. The Senator will provide anecdotes, opinion, and background for each of the 52 photos displayed at ECHO for “The Eye of Senator Leahy” exhibition. This is a Members-only event; please visit our website to purchase a Membership and gain access to this private showing as well as many other special events.

• Saturday, March 27, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Meet the Scientist: Brain Awareness. What does a jelly bean test have to do with your sense of smell? Dr. Rona Delay, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, UVM, focuses her research on how these neurons change information about the external world into a language the brain can understand. Come learn about her profession and what her research means for people like you and me. Appropriate for children 14+.

• Every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. you can get a special sneak peek of the baby turtles spending the winter at ECHO. Animal Care staff will introduce the three distinct species, highlight their roles within the Lake Champlain Basin ecosystem, and even point out some unique adaptations each species has made as they’ve evolved.

• And in our changing exhibit space: Contraptions! A contraption is often defined as “a device more ingenious than practical.” Contraptions! — the newest exhibit at ECHO — is a unique fusion of art and science, where visitors can experience an interactive, Rube Goldberg-esque world of gadgets, gizmos, doodads, and whatchamacallits: contraptions that are often the roots of invention. The exhibit features the innovative, folk art-like works of Clifford Wagner from Science Interactives, and futuristic creations from Vermont artists Janet Van Fleet and Dave Blumenthal. Contraptions! is sponsored by Conant Metal & Light, Inc.


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Friends & Sponsors


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SUPPORT ECHO ON TOURISM SITES

ECHO, like so many of Vermont's attractions, relies heavily on the tourism audience. Many travelers these days are choosing destinations via the Internet and through online reviews by the general public, so we could use your grassroots support! Please visit your favorite travel website and add another positive voice to our attraction reviews — and encourage relatives or friends who have experienced ECHO to do so too! This greatly helps bring folks to both Vermont and to ECHO. The following are a couple of websites to get you started — thanks in advance!

IgoUgo
Find & Go Seek
TripAdvisor
Yahoo! Travel

Photo: © Jeff Clarke 2007

WPTZ/NewsChannel 5 Live at ECHO







Mark your calendars to watch WPTZ/NewsChannel 5 on the second Thursday of every month, when Chief Meteorologist Tom Messner broadcasts his Precision Weather forecast live from ECHO during "First at Five," "5:30 Now," and "NewsChannel 5 at 6PM."

ECHO Update Feedback
Consistent with our stewardship mission, we are saving resources by communicating electronically. We will never give away or sell your e-mail address. Let us know if there is anyone whom you think would enjoy getting our ECHO Update, and please pass it on to a friend. We welcome your comments about this e-newsletter. Would you like to see additional topics included or some omitted? Do you like the format? ECHO wants to know!

Click here to send us your feedback. Thanks for your input!

Update Staff:

Editor: Steven Leibman, Director of Marketing and Communications
Associate Editor: Todd Carroll, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Contributors: Kate Villa, Director of Development; Tracy Truzansky, Assistant Director of Education; Linda Bowden, Lifelong Learning Coordinator
Design: Travis Cook, Information Technology Coordinator; Erica Viscio, ECHO Marketing and Communications Intern

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