With the arrival of March, rains wash the snow away, the days grow longer, muck and melt prevail.
Robb Report has been keeping me busy, with a series of short articles about jets and airplanes for the magazine. Besides the weekly news updates for AVweb, I wrote blogs about “The Persistence of Mystery” — why, after so many years, do we keep up the hunt for Amelia Earhart? — and the rapid advance of automated systems for airplanes — “If Your Airplane Flies Itself, Is It Still Fun To Fly?”
My podcasts for February featured interviews with Ric Gillespie, the executive director of TIGHAR, a group that’s been searching a Pacific atoll for signs of Earhart, and Peggy Chabrian, the ex. dir. of Women In Aviation, for a preview of her group’s annual gathering, held in Reno.
Locally, I’ve been attending various events and talking with folks about efforts to expand agriculture here in Rhode Island. There is a lot going on. More about that, next month!
I’m also working on a new version of my Science, Technology & Society seminar, which I teach online for Northeastern University. In the past, the course focused on the technology of exploration, from sailing ships to satellites. This summer, I’m shifting the focus to sustainability, so we’ll be exploring topics like alternative energy, mass transit, and food production. Should be fun!
Onward to Spring!
photo by Mary Grady: Random art at my neighborhood beach, courtesy of the volunteer cleanup crew.
