Hanford Observatory

June 2006

Astrophysics and the Humanities converged at Columbia Basin College in Pasco on June 7 as LIGO Hanford scientist Greg Mendell presented a discussion of "LIGO and the Search for Gravitational Waves from Neutron and Strange Quark Stars." Greg's talk was the final offering in the 2006 Mid-Columbia Literary Festival, a joint production of Columbia Basin College and the Mid-Columbia Library Foundation. LitFest 2006 brought seven late-spring events to the Tri-cities including book discussions, films, poetry readings and Greg's lecture.

The Atrium of CBC's new Washington Institute for Science Education (WISE) provided the backdrop for the June 7 activity. Completed in November of 2005, the WISE facility adds significant new instructional space to the college's science and math programs. The Atrium is a nature-themed area, illuminated by natural light and accented with water features and native plants. Greg's presentation created a unique opportunity for CBC to share the facility with the community

Greg's talk introduced the basics of LIGO then moved into the structure, dynamics and gravitational-wave behavior of highly dense bodies. A mix of graphics, animations and wry humor engaged the audience throughout, and Greg's final comments dealt with issues related to the publication of scientific research, including a humorous anecdote describing a 1930's encounter between Albert Einstein and the editors of a peer-reviewed physics journal. LIGO's display materials in the Atrium included a collection of physics literature that ranged from highly technical journal articles to popular books that tell a variety of stories related to astronomy and astrophysics

A number of community interests co-sponsored 2006 LitFest activities in addition to CBC and the MCL Foundation, including the Battelle Foundation, Mid-Columbia Library, the Community Lecture Series, Community Reads, the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation, Richland Public Library, Northwest Public Radio, the Tri-City Herald and Battelle.