Lecture and Book Launch: ‘The Leak’
Robert P. Crease Examines Scientific Trust and Political Fallout
The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum will host Robert P. Crease, author and philosopher of science, for an evening lecture on public trust in scientific institutions on Thursday, October 27.
Crease’s lecture will serve as a book launch for his latest publication, The Leak: Politics, Activists, and Loss of Trust at Brookhaven National Laboratory (The MIT Press), co-authored with former BNL Director Peter D. Bond. In The Leak, Crease reconstructs the events of 1997, when scientists discovered a small leak of radioactive water near the laboratory’s research reactor. He details how, despite posing no threat to public safety, the discovery sparked public outrage; drew the attention of politicians, activists, actors, and supermodels; and threatened the existence of the national laboratory. Crease’s narrative retelling of “the leak’s” fallout offers a timely reflection on the gaps that still exist between social, political, and media understandings of science and, in doing so, examines how our institutions can build better trust with the publics they serve.
The lecture will take place at 7:00 pm in the Museum’s Charles and Helen Reichert Planetarium. Tickets are available online at the Museum’s website. Members have FREE admission.
Copies of The Leak will be available for pre-order through the Museum’s gift shop.
Robert P. Crease is the Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Stony Brook University, where he has taught for more than three decades. His research in phenomenology, the philosophy of science, and aesthetics has influenced countless scholars and helped bridge the gap between the arts and sciences. He has published, edited, or translated 16 books, including The Workshop and the World: What Ten Thinkers Can Teach Us about Science and Authority and World in the Balance: The Historic Quest for an Absolute System of Measurement. In 2021, Crease received the William Thomson, Lord Kelvin Medal and Prize for his contributions in explaining scientific ideas to humanities scholars.
Bring Your Watercolors, Paint in the Hall of Fishes
Join us in the Hall of Fishes marine museum for a watercolor workshop for adults on Saturday, September 10, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
A museum educator will discuss William K. Vanderbilt II’s global marine expeditions in the 1920s and 1930s and the work of his curator and artist William Belanske, who accompanied Vanderbilt and made small, intricately detailed paintings of many freshly collected marine specimens. Participants will sketch and paint from the collection.
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Shakespeare Festival Concludes with ‘Henry V’
The 33rd annual Summer Shakespeare Festival at the Vanderbilt will offer Henry V, the final play of the season, which runs through September 18. Presented in the Mansion Courtyard by the Carriage House Players (CHP), the festival is sponsored by Bank of America.
Performances are given on the stage in the Vanderbilt Mansion’s beautiful Spanish Revival courtyard. Performances: Wednesday and Friday at 8:00 pm, Sunday at 7:00 pm. Tickets: Adults $20; children 12 and under (member child 18 and under) $15; senior (age 62-plus) $15.
Evan Donnellan, director of the CHP, said, “We’ve been so excited to present the annual Summer Shakespeare Festival once again in the Vanderbilt Courtyard. With a wide mix of comedy and tragedy, the festival has offered something for everyone. Join us under the stars for nights of timeless magic as these classical stories come to life before your very eyes.”
‘Storytime Under the Stars’ for Children in Planetarium
The Vanderbilt Museum’s Storytime Under the Stars program, the first in a series, will be offered on Sunday, September 18, from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. A live narrator will be at the front of the theater reading selected picture books, with pages projected onto the Planetarium dome for families to enjoy the illustrations and follow along. Between stories, an astronomy educator will explore seasonal constellations visible from here on Long Island. All children are invited to wear their comfiest pajamas and bring their favorite stuffed animals. The admission fee is $8 per person and $6 for members.
Purchase Tickets
Erin Bennett, Planetarium Education Coordinator, said, “Storytime Under the Stars brings classic storybooks to life, and will introduce families to new favorites, too. We’re excited to revitalize this popular planetarium program using our state-of-the-art digital projectors. Join us for a magical and memorable night out with the whole family.”
Vanderbilt Annual ‘Morning for Families’
The Vanderbilt will present its annual A Morning for Families event on Saturday, October 15, from 9:00, am to 12:00 pm. Admission is free, but advance registration is required. The event is exclusively for people with special needs and their families.
Free Registration
Spend the morning exploring the collections, grounds, gardens, architecture, and the Reichert Planetarium’s “Open Sky.” Activities include a preserved specimen touch table and crafts.
For more information contact Beth Laxer-Limmer at 631-854-5552 or beth@vanderbiltmuseum.org.
‘Fly Me to the Moon’ – An Evening of Art, Music, and Celestial Happenings
‘The Heckscher Museum of Art and the Vanderbilt Museum will present Fly Me to the Moon, an art and music event, on Thursday, September 8, from 7:00 to 11:00 pm. See lunar art at the Heckscher and experience Laser Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon at the Planetarium.
The evening begins at The Heckscher Museum of Art, exploring the exhibition Moonstruck: Lunar Art from the Collection. Join author and radio host Tom Ryan as he examines how the moon and outer space have inspired musicians since the beginning of recorded history. Travel back in time through sound and film clips, from Frank Sinatra to Bruno Mars, and everyone in between.
Next, head to the Vanderbilt Museum’s Reichert Planetarium (located at 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport, NY) where telescopes will be available for fantastic views of the Moon, the planet Saturn, and other celestial objects in the night sky.
Enjoy a live, 45-minute talk about the night sky, stars, planets, constellations, and the Moon in the 60-foot domed Planetarium theater, housing one of the finest star-projection systems in the world. End the night with an amazing Pink Floyd light show, Laser Dark Side of the Moon. Refreshments will be available for purchase at the “Under the Stars Café.”
Tom Ryan has been writing actively about music trends since the first publication of American Hit Radio in 1994. He has written three books and has a fourth in the works. Ryan is the founder of the music-information website AmericanHitNetwork.com and is a musician and a co-founder of NYRMA (New York Roots Music Association), a Huntington-based group of musicians that organizes themed performances. He also hosts American Hit Radio and How Music Changed on radio station WHPC 90.3.
$35 per person. Registration recommended. Walk-ins are welcome as space allows.
Long Island Jaguar Club Plans Concours d’Elegance
The Jaguar Drivers Club of Long Island will hold its annual Concours d’Elegance, a show of vintage and modern Jaguars and other British and international makes on the Great Lawn at the Vanderbilt Museum overlooking Northport Harbor. The event will be held on Sunday, September 11, from 11:00 am to 4 pm (rain date: September 18).
Charity raffle proceeds will benefit Little Shelter Animal Rescue & Adoption Center (https://www.littleshelter.org/) and General Needs (https://generalneeds.org/), an organization based in East Northport, N.Y., that helps homeless veterans.
Visitors pay only the Vanderbilt’s general admission cost: adults $10; seniors (age 62 and up) $9; students (with ID) $9; children 12 and under $7; Members, active military, and children under 2 are FREE.
For additional information about the show visit the Jaguar Drivers Club of Long Island website, www.jdcli.com, under the Events tab.
Walk & Talk Tours: Architectural Details, Famous Ironwork
Come for an intriguing walking tour of the Vanderbilt Estate with knowledgeable Museum educators. Learn about the history of the Eagle’s Nest estate; Warren & Wetmore’s design and exterior architectural details of the 24-room Spanish Revival mansion; and the striking ironwork of Samuel Yellin, considered the greatest iron artisan of the early 20th century.
These Walk and Talk Tours, created by the Vanderbilt Education Department will be offered at 1:00 pm on Fridays, September 16 and 30.
Tickets, which include general admission, are available for purchase only at the door: Adults $16, seniors/students $15, children under 12 $13, and Members FREE.
Beth Laxer-Limmer, associate director of education, said, “The grounds are beautiful at this time of year and the walking tour is a perfect way to be introduced to the history of the estate and collections. There is an abundance of beauty in the eclectic architecture and the unique details that reflect William Vanderbilt’s interests.”
William K. Vanderbilt II (1878-1944) spent summers at his Eagle’s Nest estate and mansion on Northport Bay between 1910 and 1944. He and his wife, Rosamond, hosted intimate gatherings and entertained well-known guests, such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Pierre Cartier, Conde Nast, Charles Lindbergh, and the Tiffanys. Eagle’s Nest is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Vanderbilt Bricks Mark Milestones, Memories
Celebrate your family, a loved one, a special anniversary, or other milestones and memories by sponsoring a commemorative brick with a custom engraving. Your donation will help the Vanderbilt Museum to bring outstanding science, history, and art education to more than 25,000 students annually.
Your message will be displayed permanently in one of the brick walkways around the Vanderbilt Mansion and Terrace, or on the grounds of the beautiful waterfront Estate.
For more information, call Debbie Stacel at 631-854-5579, or email: debbie@vanderbiltmuseum.org
