The Linda Hall

Cancer signs, it's your time to shine!🦀♋

📖: The Cancer constellation depicted here can be found in Astrognosie oder Anleitung zur Kenntnis der Sterne (1826) by Franz Niklaus König. These rare lantern slides are based on John Flamsteed's "Atlas céleste" and feature a stunning collection of celestial bodies and astrological figures.

Unlike traditional bound books, the constellations featured in this set of cards are printed on thick cardstock, with each star hand-cut and sealed with a thin piece of tissue paper, allowing them to be illuminated from behind.

See the full work here: https://bit.ly/3H175hU

Scientist of the Day: Rachel Carson

Throughout the 1940s and 50s, Carson became a highly celebrated, beloved author for her beautifully written books about ocean life, like Under the Sea-Wind and The Sea Around Us.

But by the late 1950s, Carson noticed a dark trend: the indiscriminate, unchecked use of synthetic chemical pesticides like DDT. At a time when society believed the military-industrial complex could do no wrong, Carson meticulously gathered evidence showing that these aerial poisons were devastating bird populations and ecosystems.

When Silent Spring hit the shelves, the chemical industry erupted. They threatened lawsuits and launched a massive smear campaign, calling her incompetent, a fool, and a "hysterical woman". Yet, Carson remained the epitome of the calm, methodical scientist. Her quiet courage won the day, eventually moving three presidential administrations to action, creating the EPA, and banning commercial DDT.

Read more about this champion of the natural world: https://bit.ly/4erWM3E

📷 Image 1: Portrait of Rachel Carson, photograph, unknown date (news.ucsc.edu)

📷 Image 2: Dust jacket of Under the Sea Wind, by Rachel Carson, second edition, 1952 (author’s copy)

📷 Image 3: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring. Cambridge MA, 1962. (Linda Hall Library)

📷 Image 4: U.S. postage stamps honoring Rachel Carson, 1981 (amazon.com)

In town for some futbol? ⚽
Take a break from the stadium crowds and explore another side of Kansas City!

SELFIE LOVE connects visitors to some of the city’s most inspiring cultural destinations, all easily accessible along the Streetcar corridor. Complete the scavenger hunt, share your journey, earn points, and unlock rewards today!

More info: https://bit.ly/44gRJOB

We're turning 80, and we'd love to celebrate with you! 🎂

Join us June 18 for cake, punch, and a look back at eight decades of history with Emmy-winning journalist Nick Haines (Kansas City PBS) and the contributors behind our brand-new visual history book.

It's free, it's fun, and there's cake. Reserve your spot today: https://bit.ly/4u4J7oZ

Scientist of the Day: Alan Turing 💻

Before there were computers, there was Alan Turing.

Many know Turing for his legendary wartime codebreaking at Bletchley Park, where he designed the "Bombe" to crack the German Enigma machine. But his most revolutionary breakthrough happened years earlier.

In 1936, at just 24 years old, Turing published a paper describing a theoretical device: the "Universal Turing Machine." He proved mathematically that a single machine could perform any conceivable computation just by following programmed instructions. It was the blueprint for the modern computer.

Tragically, Turing’s brilliant life was cut short. In 1952, he was prosecuted under Britain's anti-homosexuality laws, forced to undergo chemical castration, and stripped of his security clearances. He died just two years later at age 41.

It took decades for the world to fully acknowledge his contributions, culminating in a royal pardon in 2013. Today, we honor Alan Turing not just as a wartime hero, but as the true father of computer science.

Dive into his incredible legacy: https://bit.ly/43MUIhC

📷 Image 1: Portrait of Alan Turing, photograph, 1951 (National Portrait Gallery, London)

📷 Image 2: Replica of the bombe, the machine that could decipher Enigma messages, Bletchley Park Museum, Buckinghamshire (cryptomuseum.com)

📷 Image 3: Cover of the October 1950 issue of Mind, which contains Alan Turing’s paper, “Computing machinery and intelligence.” (christies.com)