There's a lot of genuine science built into the kinetic creations of "Almost Scientific" artist Alan Rorie. That doesn't necessarily mean that his mechanisms comply with the natural laws that govern our world—although they might.

From an early age, Alan Rorie knew that he wanted to study science. So he did. But as he neared completion of his Ph.D., his interest in making art eclipsed his passion for research. But he's found that there's really no separating of the two interests.

The dramatic photo above is a device Rorie called a Neuron Chamber. See it in action in this video:

While his post-graduate training in neurobiology has informed his art, Rorie says he also has found his education as good training for learning the new skills he's needed to develop to create his art.

 Alan Rorie will offer alive demonstration of his  Uira Engine Tuesday evening, Nov. 16 at 6:30 pm as part of the current Mad Science exhibit at the Sonoma County Museum. Here's a preview:

 How about using the heat from the Earth’s core to power your home? Guess what: you already are. Solar, wind and water power are the big three natural and sustainable sources for electric power, but the North Bay also benefits from a fourth—geothermal energy.

The geological conditions that allow access to geothermal heat and steam are scattered in just a few areas around the world, almost always where the subterranean slabs of planetary rock known as tectonic plates are moving against each other. Bruce Carlsen, Calpine’s Director of Environmental Health and Safety at The Geysers, explains the underlying forces.

The same conditions often create numerous hot springs and can be a source of seismic activity—as is also the case in the North Bay. But while earthquakes can alter the flows that feed hot springs, Carlsen explains that the deeper strata that feed geothermal steam fields are not affected.

The Geysers is by far the biggest geothermal generating facility in California, but Carlsen says there are some other locations that could be developed to make a smaller contribution to the state’s energy needs.

Bruce Carlsen talks about geothermal energy in Sonoma County at an informal potluck gathering at the Glaser Center in Santa Rosa on Aug. 31, 5:30-7:30 p,m, co-hosted by the Climate Protection Campaign.

The Rialto Cinemas Lakeside will close their doors at the end of next week, and re-emerge, at least partially, in a new location several weeks later.

The North Bay Report previously reported on the Rialto's lease loss here.  And here's a link to more information about the Sixth Street Playhouse.

Meanwhile, the final chapter of the first phase of the Rialto's history  will play out next weekend, with a final day of regular film screenings on Sunday, August 22, followed by a final night celebration on Monday August 23. Part of that ticketed event will include the chance to see one of five favorite films that Ky has selected specially for the occasion.

Whether Jack London set his stories in the harsh Yukon winter, the savage beauty of south Pacific islands, or contemporary American society, his insight into human behavior keeps them compelling now. That was the attraction behind the latest effort to convert London’s fiction to film.

Burning Daylight is set in 1920s New York, but it was actually shot entirely in and around Toronto. Writer-Director Sanzhar Sultanov says his hometown made a good stand-in for the Big Apple.

There will be a special preview screening of Burning Daylight Monday, August 9 at  7 pm at the Sebastiani Theater in Sonoma, as a benefit for the Jack London Foundation. Sultanov will be present for a question and answer session after the film is shown. Advance tickets can be purchased here. Watch the trailer for Burning Daylight: