BRATTLEBORO — On Thursday, June 22, at 6:30 p.m., at 118 Elliot, the Windham World Affairs Council (WWAC) will host a timely and moving discussion of Antarctica with physicist and photographer Jack Jewell and his partner, Tina Boniface, who will share their observations having recently returned from the Antarctic region.
Through breathtaking photographs shown on a big screen, their travelogue will prompt a discussion of evolving geopolitics and the worldwide environmental impact of climate change in Antarctica.
The event is free but a $10 donation is suggested to support WWAC's work. Reserve your space by registering at bit.ly/720-axis.
A mostly retired scientist, entrepreneur, and pioneer in the field of fiber optics, Jewell holds a doctorate in optical sciences from the University of Arizona.
At Bell Laboratories in the 1980s, he spearheaded a collaboration that demonstrated over 1 million lasers on a chip smaller than a pinky nail in a quest to develop computer logic devices based on optics instead of electronics.
That ignited the field of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), which are now used in fiber communications, laser mice, sensors, atomic clocks, medicine, smartphone/tablet “dot projectors” for facial recognition, and 3D-sensing lidar. Jewell started two companies and holds 79 U.S. Patents.
“What happens in the Antarctic doesn't stay there,” Jewell said in a news release. “Climate change in the Antarctic has severe global impacts as it plays a vital role in global climate and oceanographic processes - the massive changes underway affect our whole planet.”
For more information about WWAC, visit windhamworldaffairscouncil.org, or contact Susan Healy at [email protected] or 781-422-9485.