Visual Time-Lapse Journey of Planet Earth—Climate Change & Energy

Visual Time-Lapse Journey of Planet Earth—Climate Change & Energy

Randy Sargent, Carnegie Mellon

Randy Sargent, Senior Researcher at Carnegie Mellon’s CREATE Lab, will take us on a fascinating time-lapse visual exploration of planet Earth, viewing trends built from petabytes of historical satellite imagery and numerous other dimensions of data collected from across the planet. For our group, Randy will focus on the causes and effects of climate change and explore energy–including fossil fuel extraction and the deployment of renewable energy over time across the US and across the globe. As we observe these chances geographically and over time, the presentation will explore connections between deployment rates, policy, and public opinion.

In his role at Carnegie Mellon University’s CREATE Lab, Randy leads the Explorables project, developing ways to interactively explore and understand large datasets and complex systems, including climate change, pollution, resource use, and employment and economic trends.

Randy is also Visiting Scientist at Google with the Earth Engine team, where he researches and develops time-lapse explorable maps, including a 30-year explorable map of the planet which won the 2014 People’s Voice Webby for Best Use of Video or Moving Image.

Prior to CMU and Google, Randy helped develop planetary rover software in NASA Ames’s Intelligent Robotics Group, and founded/co-founded two successful technology companies. Randy received his BS in Computer Science from MIT, and his MS from the MIT Media Lab, where he developed the Programmable Brick, a prototype for LEGO Mindstorms.

We hope you can join us on Tuesday, September 27 at 7:00 at TEKPark (9999 Hamilton Boulevard, Breinigsville, PA 18031, between Kutztown and Allentown). Meetings are free and open to the public. After the meeting, please plan to stick around and chat with friends old and new. Light snacks will be served. Hope to see you there!

For questions, contact Vera Cole, [masked] .

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Free DVD with MAREA membership (https://www.themarea.org/join.shtml) While supplies last, all new and renewing MAREA members will receive a free copy of “Saving Sunshine, Keeping the Lights on with Batteries and Solar Power,” the 30-minute DVD produced by MAREA this year with funding from the Berks Community Foundation and distributed by Bullfrog Films. It’s terrific film, offering an interesting and easily understood explanation of the electricity grid and distribution generation, especially the role of batteries with solar. MAREA is a 501(c)3 non-profit. Donations and memberships are how we keep the lights on. You can join at the meeting or anytime online (https://www.themarea.org/join.shtml). Thanks for your help.