On Thurs., July 14 at 8 pm. David Mindell, MIT professor and author of Our Robots, Ourselves: Robots and the Myths of Autonomy will give a lecture on artificial intelligence and human/machine relationships at Great Harbor Yacht Club as part of the Nantucket Atheneum’s 2016 Geschke Lecture series. Each summer […]
Island Science
What Is This? Meridian Stones
~ by Katherine Brooks, Maria Mitchell Association ~ Have you seen stones inscribed with these messages? “Northern Extremity of the Town’s Meridian Line” “Southern Extremity of the Town’s Meridian Line” These two stones are located near the Pacific National Bank and the Fair Street Quaker Meetinghouse in downtown Nantucket. The […]
What Is This? – Barn Owls
~ by Katherine Brooks Maria Mitchell Association ~ Have you heard a piercing shriek in the night accompanied by a flurry of white light? Although it sounds like the making of a summercamp ghost story, what you might be observing is the barn owl – unique in its aesthetics with […]
Dr. Regina Jorgenson, New Maria Mitchell Association Director
~ by Rebecca Nimerfroh ~ If you are ever lucky enough to look up at the Nantucket sky on a clear summer night, no doubt you will be taken aback by what you see; thousands upon thousands of stars, twinkling back at you from thousands of light years away, enveloping […]
What Is This? – American Burying Beetle
~ by Katherine Brooks Maria Mitchell Association Volunteer ~ What is black and orange and has six legs? Nicrophorus americanus, commonly known as the American burying beetle. American burying beetle is striking with sleek black & orange wing markings, and acts as nature’s recycler. Nantucket is the site of the […]
Free Rides on the Starlight Express
Nantucket’s Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) is operating a free shuttle this season, “The Starlight Express,” from three locations in downtown Nantucket to its Loines Observatory to encourage visitors and residents to stargaze each Friday night during the Observatory’s Open Night. The shuttle will operate three round-trip loops with the first […]
2015 Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative Spawns Research & Surprises
~ by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station ~ This article will be my last one for Yesterday’s Island. My husband, Len Germinara, and I are moving off island this winter because I am joining the Executive team at the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab in […]
The Trifecta of Moon Gazing Nights
~ by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station ~ In just a couple of hours I will go outside along with many people in the United States to watch the total lunar eclipse on a lovely night with some cloud cover. This year is special […]
Summary of Harbor Research in New Book
The Maria Mitchell Association, in collaboration with the Nantucket Land Council and the Nantucket Shellfish Association, has produced a twenty-page book highlighting a decade of research focused on Nantucket Harbor. Nantucket Harbor Research: A Ten Year Summary is a synopsis of research projects conducted by island conservation groups ranging from […]