by Eric W. Austin On Saturday, October 26, representatives from historical societies across Central Maine met at the Vassalboro Historical Society, united by a shared goal: to preserve and celebrate Maine’s rich history. About two dozen history enthusiasts and society members gathered to share updates, discuss challenges, and brainstorm solutions to common issues. Each society […]
by Eric W. Austin The China Historical Society is pleased to invite the public to an engaging presentation on the history of the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington (WW&F) narrow gauge railway. This event, featuring local experts Bob Wallace and Phil Dow, from the Albion Historical Society, will take place next Thursday, October 17, at 7 […]
by Eric W. Austin The annual meeting of the China Historical Society, held on Thursday, July 18, was a delightful blend of business and nostalgia. This year, the meeting doubled as a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the China Elementary School, a cornerstone of our community since 1949. The event, hosted in the gymnasium […]
by Eric W. Austin In the lead-up to the 2024 elections, the problem of misinformation looms larger than ever before. The information landscape has changed drastically over recent decades, and many of us have not developed the tools to discern good information from bad quickly enough to keep pace with these changes. Let’s explore how […]
by Eric W. Austin For these five high school seniors, the Kennebec Valley Youth Symphony Orchestras have been a place to grow, to build friendships, and to nurture their passion for music. This Spring, they are preparing for their final concert before heading off to college, on Mothers Day, May 12, 5 p.m., at the […]
by Eric W. Austin On the afternoon of Sunday, March 17, I parked in a puddle across from the China Baptist Church on Causeway Road. The day was cold and gray, but notably, China Lake was almost entirely free of ice, marking an unusually warm and (mostly) snow-sparse midwinter in Maine. I was attending a […]
by Eric W. Austin This past weekend, I was lucky enough to attend the opening night performance of the Southern Maine Association of Shakespearean Homeschoolers’ production of As You Like It at the Cumston Hall theater, in Monmouth. The play is one of Shakespeare’s most accessible comedies and the plot rushes forward on the wings […]
by Eric W. Austin In an age where artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly integrates into our daily lives, from virtual assistants to autonomous vehicles, the question of what constitutes ‘intelligence’ becomes increasingly relevant. Is it the ability to solve complex problems, the capacity for creative thought, or something more elusive? When we witness machines performing tasks […]
by Eric W. Austin The Boynton-Webber American Legion Post #179 has recently announced plans to expand the veterans memorial at the four corners in South China Village. The plan entails adding a brick pathway leading up to the monument, with the names of veterans engraved on each brick. “My idea for the brick walkway at […]
by Eric W. Austin Can machines think? How do we even define thinking, and how can we recognize it in anyone other than ourselves? These questions are becoming increasingly important as recent advancements in artificial intelligence blur the line between human cognition and digital simulation. The progress made in language processing through the use of […]