Gentleman Scientist- Scientific Presentations w/ Dr. Roy Torley
Roy Torley has an extensive science background including study of volcanoes, Oregon geology and geophysics. He has a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Oregon, and was instrumental in developing the first wind-energy technology program on the west coast at Columbia Gorge Community College in the The Dalles. Roy’s other activities include tutoring, web design and programming, as well as musical performances on the Ukrainian bandura and Russian balalaika!
Dr. Torley shares his eclectic knowledge of science in a series of PowerPoint presentations:
1.) Orchids: Not What You Think!
There are more than 25,000 different species, way more than grasses. Some orchids imitate wasps, moths, bees and other insects in order to trick them into pollinating them. They come as big as your hand and smaller than the head of a pin! Dr. Torley takes you on a fantastic orchid show that fills your imaginations with the rich colors and amazing shapes and habits of these distinctive plants.
2.) The Northern Lights: Silk of the Gods
Imagine the night sky shimmering in an ever-changing tapestry of light. Dr. Torley takes you on a fascinating celestial field trip to enjoy their shapes and colors here on Earth, and on other planets in the Solar System.
3.) Do You Have Your Head in a Cloud?
Clouds are like different forms of life – denizens of the atmosphere. They come in all shapes and sizes, and perhaps personality traits. Dr. Torley takes you on a cloud-watching tour through the Earth’s air envelope where you will see clouds that we commonly see, and others that are distinctively different and exotic.
4.) Oregon Geology: What’s in Your Backyard?
Our state is a wonderland of waterfalls, caves, active volcanoes, the Columbia Gorge, and plain lands created by mind-boggling floods and glaciers. Dr. Torley takes you on a geological field trip through Oregon, and you don’t even have to leave your seat!
5.) Volcanoes
Volcanoes can seem like any other mountain, and then transform themselves in a split second in a catastrophic eruption. They stand quietly for centuries as sentinels guarding the countryside and then erupt violently, wreaking havoc over the landscape. Dr. Torley takes you on a tour across Earth and across the Solar System, looking at volcanoes “near and far out!”
6.) Oceans: Wet and Wild!
The oceans cover three-quarters of the Earth’s surface and yet, how much do we really know about them? Dr. Torley takes you on a world-wide journey above and beyond the oceans so we can enjoy a better understanding of them. He will talk about how our oceans came into existence, the ocean floors, coasts, islands, seahorses, sea dragons, and more!
“All the drops of water that make an ocean!”
7.) Crystals and Crystallography: Perfection in Shape
Like flowers, crystals come in all shapes and sizes, colors and habits. Some are of gem quality; others capture your attention just by their geometry that defies description. Dr. Torley takes you on a crystal show to inspire you with Nature’s own sense and sensibility of perfection.
8.) The Wonder of Wind Turbines
Columbia Gorge Community College started the very first wind-energy technology program on the west coast in 2006. Dr. Torley helped design and develop it from its very beginning. He also worked as an intern at PGE’s first wind farm at Biglow Canyon, east of The Dalles. These were dynamic times in the fledgling industry. Dr. Torley shares his experiences teaching wind technology and working at the Biglow Canyon wind farm through his collection of pictures.
9.) Nebulas: Ghosts of Old Stars and Birthplaces of New Suns
Stars are born, go through their life spans, and die. Astronomers have been recording these stellar cycles for centuries. Now, with the help of the Hubble telescope and computer imaging, we can see these celestial life processes in great detail. Dr. Torley takes you through space and time to visit stars being born, exploding as novas, creating new solar systems, and gives you an inkling of the future of our solar system.
10.) A Virtual Planetarium Show #1: Dr. Torley’s Terrific Trek through the Solar System
Travel into outer space in a ship that you can control. Orbit the Earth, see its magnetic field, the northern and southern lights, the planets and moons of our solar system, and fly by a volcanic eruption on Jupiter’s moon, Io. Dr. Torley shares with you a powerful program designed to teach and put the wonder back into astronomy and the cosmos.
11.) A Virtual Planetarium Show #2: Roy’s Royal Romp through the Universe
If you watched Dr. Torley’s Terrific Trek through the Solar System, then here’s your opportunity to see the rest of the universe in all its cosmic glory. See nebulæ, binary stars, pulsars, and black holes; visit galaxies and travel to the edge of the known universe. In his spaceship of the imagination, Dr. Roy Torley takes you on a tour from the edge of our solar system to the farthest reaches of space and back home again (and in one piece)!
12.) The Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington
Ancient floods ravaged the landscape of eastern Washington as glaciers retreated during the last ice age. Rapid-moving rivers sliced through the land to create V-shaped canyons. Glaciers scoured away mountainsides to create U-shaped valleys. Soil was carried away, resulting in flat plateaus, gigantic ripples, and gargantuan potholes. There is no other place like it in the world. Dr. Torley takes you on a tour of this landscape molded and carved by the powerful hands of Nature.
13.) The Channeled Scablands of Eastern Washington, Earth; and Mars
Ancient floods on Mars left their marks deeply etched into the planet’s surface. Canyons bigger than the Grand Canyon, dry riverbeds, deltas, and huge sandbars suggest to us that Mars had a lot of water and that it flowed with a vengeance. We see something amazingly similar in southeastern Washington, in the Channeled Scablands. Dr. Torley takes you on a tour to do some interesting planetary geology on Earth and its sister planet, Mars.
14.) Halos and Rainbows: Halos Aren’t Just for Angels!
Sundogs, moon dogs, double rainbows, fire rainbows, sun pillars, and more! Here, at the South Pole, Norway, and other places around the globe. Enjoy a light show of panoramic proportions!
15.) Roman Life in Pompeii and Herculaneum before the Eruption
Three Roman cities were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius almost two thousand years ago. They disappeared from history for 700 years. Since the late 1700s, archeologists have been unearthing houses, city centers, jewelry, and other artifacts that shed light on how these citizens of the Roman Empire lived. Dr. Torley takes you on a tour of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae. He also shows you the art that Mount Vesuvius inspired through the centuries. Inspired by the Pompeii Exhibition.
16.) A Closer Look at Roman Life in Pompeii and Herculaneum before the Eruption (for slightly more mature audiences)
Three Roman cities were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius almost two thousand years ago. They disappeared from history for 700 years. Since the late 1700s, archeologists have been unearthing houses, city centers, jewelry, and other artifacts that shed light on how these citizens of the Roman Empire lived. Dr. Torley takes you on a tour of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Walk down streets, into houses, a token brothel, admire the art, and enjoy an insight into the lively and lusty lifestyle of the ancient Romans. Inspired by the Pompeii Exhibition.
17.) Majestic Waterfalls of the World
Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls, our very own Willamette Falls, and other waterfalls from around the world add their splendor to our experience as human beings. Like water pouring over the edge of the world, they stretch our imagination with their size, sheer power, dressed with lush vegetation or decorated with a rainbow, and plumes of spray showering the landscape. Dr. Torley takes you on a trip around the world to see some of these wonders of the world up close, and without getting drenched in the process!
18.) Distinctive Architecture Around the World
Visit China to see Shan Xi, a city in the sky. Survey the distinctive architecture found in Singapore, including the Gardens by the Sea, the Sky Forest, and the walkway along Singapore’s Southern Ridges. See these unique and distinctive works of human art and more as Dr. Torley takes you on an architectural tour of the world.
19.) The New Horizons Flyby of Pluto and Its Moon, Charon
Dr. Torley presents pictures of Pluto taken during the New Horizons spacecraft flyby. Mega-icebergs of water ice might be floating in seas of nitrogen. Pluto’s moon, Charon, might have experienced colossal upheavals in the past, creating huge faults and canyons. These pictures and more suggest that Pluto is geologically active, even though it is located at the fringes of our solar system.
20. & 21.) Views of Earth from the International Space Station
Astronauts who visit the International Space Station have contributed to a huge collection of breath-taking views of Earth as can be seen only from outer space. See mountain ranges, glaciers, clouds, the oceans, and cities that sparkle at night. Dr. Torley shares with you choice images taken from a special point of view.
22.) Distinctive Architecture of Portland, Oregon
Visit Pittock Mansion, the Cobweb House, the Governor Hotel, the special architecture in the Ladd’s Addition neighborhood, and more. All of these examples of fine design give Portland neighborhoods a distinctively unique sense of place and time.
23.) Butterflies of the World
Many people remember the butterflies of their childhood – the monarch butterflies, swallowtails, buckeye butterflies, and more. Now see butterflies from the tropics, from Africa, from Singapore, and other exotic locations around the world. They are like living pieces of rainbow. Dr. Torley shows you his fine collection of distinctive butterflies, along with silk moths the size of your spread-out hand and bigger.
24.) Solar and Lunar Eclipses
Oregon gets to see a solar eclipse on 21 August 2017. It will be a historic event of astronomical proportions for Oregon this year. Hotels are already all booked up for the event. Dr. Torley shares with you pictures of past eclipses of the sun, of the moon, on Jupiter, and on Saturn. You will also see what the shadow of the moon looks like from the International Space Station as an eclipse shadow path crosses the Earth’s face.
25.) Orchids – Masters of Mimicry (Orchid presentation II)
Many people remember orchids as the special flowers worn to junior and senior proms, adorning wedding bouquets, and the colorful sprays of flowers now sold at many grocery and department stores. Orchids also imitate bees, wasps, spiders, pansies, have monkey faces, and display a wide range of fanciful shapes. These flowers are out to hoodwink their pollinators into actually pollinating them, and they commonly give nothing in return! How can such an exotic flower do such a dastardly deed?! Dr. Torley shows you the many other sides of the orchid that people rarely see.
Invite Dr. Roy Torley to give one of his presentations at your facility or
event in the Portland/Vancouver areas!
**Presentations run at least 45 minutes; Facilities are requested to
provide use of a computer and projector.
Phone: (503) 666-4795
Email: bandura1@efn.org
Don’t forget to tell Dr. Roy Torley you found his services using ElderAudience!
Praise for Dr. Roy Torley:
“Dr. Roy Torley is very educated and has many different science lessons that he brings to our residents. I get a great turn out and residents are very interested and entertained with the topics presented. He is flexible with his pricing and worth every penny.” Tami I., Activities, Somerset Assisted Living
“Roy Torley gave an amazing presentation at Van Mall retirement. We are looking forward to having him again in 2014.” Destiny W., Van Mall Retirement
“I just wanted to give you some positive feedback about Dr. Roy Torley. I saw him featured on your website, and brought him in to The Quarry today to give a presentation on “Volcanoes in Your Backyard”. It was fascinating! He did such a great job presenting to the residents. His voice was clear and good toned, his slide photos were interesting, and his talk was accessible for everyone and very interesting! I’m booking him right away for his talk on Irises! ” Laura M., The Quarry Senior Living
“He is really a grand fellow. Very informative, with a wide range of knowledge and easy to understand — laced with humor and wit! He is also a very talented musician playing the Ukrainian bandura, very beautiful mystical sound, and the Russian balalaika. Roy’s wife Joan sings (and is very knowledgeable on) Ukrainian folk songs, Transylvanian-Hungarian vocal music and other things. They have my FULL recommendation!” Deanna D., Activity Director, Parkview Retirement, Portland
*Information on this listing may be subject to change. Please contact this lister directly with any questions.
Tags: Clouds, Crystallography, Crystals, Education/Instruction, Geology, Meteorology, Northern Lights, Oceans, OK to contact on short notice, Orchids, Oregon Geology, Portland/Vancouver area, Powerpoint, presentations, Rainbows, Science, Speakers, travel to where seniors reside, Volcanoes, Wind Energy