During the first lecture of the 2007 Telluride Unearthed: Rails in the Valley, Dr. Duane Smith from Ft. Lewis College provided insight into the coming of the railroad into Telluride at the turn of the last century. Dr. Smith shared stories about the construction of the rail line through the treacherous San Juan Mountains, the boom and bust of the financiers behind the lines, and the prosperity the train brought to emerging towns throughout the Rocky Mountain West.

The second lecture of the Telluride Unearthed series will build on this topic, diverting from the history of the line to the science behind the railroad’s success. On Nov. 8, Telluride Unearthed features Boston University Theoretical Chemistry Professor and Telluride Science Research Center Scientist Dr. David Coker, who will present “The Science of Steam,” a discussion of how thermodynamics was developed by railroad engineers to help understand the workings of steam engines.

Coker’s talk will discuss cover the battle of horse versus “iron horse,” a metaphor for change and progress at the turn of the last century that challenged the ideas of modernism and mechanical prowess. Coker’s discussion of thermodynamics will explain how this theory was developed by engineers to help understand the workings of steam engines, perpetual motion machines, and “all sorts of extraordinary stuff that took off in the 1800s.” Coker says thermodynamics “is a remarkable theory that spans every aspect of human endeavor and we wouldn’t know anything about it without the advent of the steam engine.”

This talk will also include demonstrations on how thermodynamics are used today to describe everything from metabolism, to molecular machines, to the energy and entropy balance of galaxies in the universe. Demonstrations will include everything from leaky buckets, to chemical experiments, to actual working steam engine models, to rocket launches to showcase the future of hydrogen economics. Coker explains that these demonstrations will help illustrate how “every single thing we do is based on the energy balance that all goes back to the invent of the steam engine.” This is sure to be an educational and entertaining topic not to be missed.

The Telluride Unearthed lecture series is hosted by the Telluride Historical Museum and Pinhead Institute, a Smithsonian Affiliate, on Thursday evenings in November in the Museum’s Weatherford Room from 6 to 8 p.m. Spanning the history, science, and stories of the railroad, the series is designed to give locals an opportunity to discover more about their resident valley. The 2007 “Rails in the Valley” series costs $10 per lecture or $25 for a series pass. There will be free refreshments and a cash bar beginning at 5:30 p.m. prior to each lecture.

In collaboration with the Wilkinson Public Library, there will be a free showing of the David Bowyer film, “The Return of the Galloping Goose No.5” on Wednesday, Nov. 7 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The film chronicles the story of the Galloping Goose Historical Society of Dolores in their efforts to restore a train in the 1930s.

This program is an accredited course through Adams State College and is supported by a Museums for America Grant given by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Other sponsors include the Telluride Science Research Center, Camels Garden, CCAASE and the Telluride Foundation. Partners of the program include the Telluride School District and the Wilkinson Public Library. While in town, each of the presenters will be making classroom presentations at the Telluride Schools as part of the Pinhead Institute’s “Scholars in the Schools” program.

For tickets, call the Telluride Historical Museum at 728-3344 or visit www.telluridemuseum.org or www.pinheadinstitute.org for additional information.