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NEW FROM
THE ECHO BLOG |
BURBOT |
POSTED JANUARY 10, 2010
AT 6:58 AM |
To anyone out there ice fishing... ECHO is looking… |
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ECHO
NEWS |
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
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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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 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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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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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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Quick Links
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1.802.864.1848
