Science

A Dark History Revealed

In the early twentieth century, eugenics was at the forefront of scientific discourse in the quest to understand human genetics. On Long Island and throughout the nation, eugenicists were granted unfettered access to conduct experiments on prisoners, psychiatric patients, Coney Island circus performers and more, all in an effort to legitimize a false science. The origins of the eugenics movement can be found within the Eugenics Record Office, an otherwise nondescript two-and-a-half-story administrative building at Cold Spring Harbor, New York, under the direction of Charles Benedict Davenport from 1910 to 1939. The work conducted there directly led to the forced sterilization of thousands of American citizens and the passage of anti-immigration laws and sparked a deadly global movement.

Author Mark Torres explores the local characters, influences, landmarks and ghastly consequences that emanated from this small Long Island facility for decades and spread throughout the world.

In March 1921, Major John G. Thornell and his crew were detailed to Italy to procure a new experimental airship for the United States Army Air Service. Stationed at Langley Field in Hampton, the ROMA never lived up to expectations despite being heralded as the future of military innovation. Tragically, it crashed and erupted in a ball of fire in 1922, claiming the lives of thirty-four of the brave men aboard.  Author Nancy E. Sheppard reveals the forgotten, harrowing story of one of the last great airships and those who sacrificed for the promise of a new era in aviation.

Situated in the sand dunes of California's Central Coast, Space Launch Complex Ten, often called SLC-10 or Slick Ten, is a National Historic Landmark that commemorates a powerful Cold War legacy. Home to Vandenberg's Space and Missile Technology Center, or SAMTEC, the facility contains the rich technological heritage of the U.S. Air Force's space and missile launch systems. As the only remaining Thor intermediate-range ballistic missile launch site in the world, SLC-10's noteworthy achievements span the globe. The complex trained British Royal Air Force missileers for Project EMILY, assisted during nuclear atmospheric tests in the Pacific and launched military weather satellites in support of the covert National Reconnaissance Program. Former air force space and missile officer Joseph T. Page II introduces these amazing stories of dedicated men and women who led the American military effort to explore space.

New England is a rocky, rugged region. Its towns are marked by stone walls and its cities anchored by native granite and marble buildings. Historically significant boulders, many with Native American as well as colonial and neo-pagan origins, attract tourists from around the world. Some are formations that are complex in shape, form and significance, while others contain enigmatic messages, meanings and intriguing characteristics. Learn more about the famous sites like Plymouth Rock, the Old Man of the Mountain and the Sleeping Giant, as well as the lesser-known such as Profile Rock, Dighton Rock and Slate Rock. Authors Michael J. Vieira and J. North Conway examine the history, the legends and the people associated with forty-five notable geological wonders.

Pluto looms large in Flagstaff, where residents and businesses alike take pride in their community's most enduring claim to fame: Clyde Tombaugh's 1930 discovery of Pluto at Lowell Observatory. Percival Lowell began searching for his theoretical Planet X in 1905, and Tombaugh's eureka! experience brought worldwide attention to the city and observatory. Ever since, area scientists have played leading roles in virtually every major Pluto-related discovery, from unknown moons to the existence of an atmosphere and the innovations of the New Horizons spacecraft. Lowell historian Kevin Schindler and astronomer Will Grundy guide you through the story of Pluto from postulation to exploration.

Long ranked as one of the top zoos in America and even the world, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium's history has remained untold, until now. Beginning as little more than a menagerie, the zoo transformed into a spectacular attraction that now draws two million visitors per year. Supporters responded to innovative features such as the iconic desert dome, the new African Grasslands exhibit, the indoor jungle and the all-encompassing aquarium. More than just a showcase, the zoo also supports renowned wildlife conservation and research programs that help preserve endangered species ranging from coral reefs to tigers. Author Eileen Wirth celebrates the history and promising future of the landmark that continues to elicit great local pride.

Solving the mystery of California’s most persistent smog.Once known as the Smog Capital of the World, Los Angeles has changed “air you can see” into “air you can breathe.” While the fight to eliminate pollution in the city continues, modern smog is not the thick, oppressive, silver-blue haze that drove people to move out of Los Angeles altogether during the mid-twentieth century. Professor Arie Haagen-Smit became a key leader in the fight against smog after making a crucial discovery—what caused it.   

Join author Carl R. Oliver as he delves into the sixty-year battle to clear the air in Los Angeles.

p>Explore Indiana's rich scientific heritage

Scientists who lived, worked, or were educated in the Hoosier State have made fundamental contributions to astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics. Astronomer Vesto Slipher discovered that almost all the galaxies were moving away from our own Milky Way Galaxy. Biologist Alfred Kinsey was a pioneer in the field of human sexuality. Chemist Harold Urey discovered deuterium and worked on the Manhattan Project. And physicist Edward Purcell discovered nuclear magnetic resonance, the basis for MRI, one of the most significant medical advances in a century. Scientists with Indiana connections have also been awarded a dozen Nobel prizes.

Hoosier science teacher Duane S. Nickell offers a glimpse into the lives of seventeen scientific heroes from Indiana.

Founded in 1914, Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park is one of the leading zoos in North America. From humble beginnings as a small collection of animals, it transformed into a state-of-the-art home to more than seven hundred animals, including many threatened or endangered species. A small family of Asian elephants, including an unusual set of twins, play a crucial role in both education and conservation efforts to protect these majestic animals. The zoo collaborates with its nonprofit partner, Friends of the Zoo, to provide visitors with experiences that excite, memories that endure and knowledge that inspires global wildlife conservation.

A wine country odyssey.

In 1976, the picturesque, agrarian Napa Valley was all but unknown to those who didn’t live there. That changed dramatically when Steven Spurrier and Patricia Gallagher decided to host a blind tasting of American and French wines in Paris. When wines from California defeated those of France, the world was shocked, an industry reawakened, and Napa Valley exploded in a frenzy of growth and development. Families who had farmed for generations battled to hang onto their land, and many paid a steep price as the area transformed into one of the world’s premier wine-growing regions.

Join author Mark Gudgel as he explores the trials and tribulations of Napa’s meteoric rise to prominence.

From Spanish Missions to World-Class Wines, the San Luis Obispo County wine industry is legendary.  

Local viticulture originated with the Spanish Missions, but it blossomed with the influx of intrepid adventurers seeking their fortune in 19th century California. Many of them settled in San Luis Obispo County, drawn by the Mediterranean climate perfect for planting a familiar crop — grapevines. Growers and winemakers like Pierre Dallidet, an immigrant who helped save the French wine industry, and Henry Ditmus and James Anderson, who were the first to plant Zinfandel grapes, established vineyards and set about crafting award-winning wine in the fertile soil of Central California.

Join the experts at the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County as they share the unique stories of these legendary winemakers.