Survivor: Universe

This is very cool, the Space Telescope Science Institute, the people who decide what research is done with the Hubble Space Telescope, are holding a public vote on which object to image.
Now that I think about it, they should have called it “Survivor: Universe” and let people vote against objects, ’cause being mean-spirited is way [...]

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Scientist makes the D-list, almost

Via The Bad Astronomer, my picture was on gawker.com! Well, kinda. It’s of the crowd at a recent reading by Neil deGrasse Tyson; I’m just to the left of the central pillar, in case it isn’t blindingly obvious to everyone…
The actual article is either typical pro-stupid drivel or brilliant satire. Given the source I have [...]

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Coincidence and creativity

An off-hand comment of Neil Gaiman’s has shattered of my notions about the difference between science and literature. But first, a short pontification:
Science is, as any active researcher will tell you at great length, a very creative endeavor. There is a constant stream of problems — ranging from “Why do particles have mass?” to “How [...]

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Simple ideas

One of the more exciting ideas for how to get stuff up into space is a Space Elevator. Basically, you stretch a rope from the ground to a satellite in geosynchronous orbit, and then ferry stuff up and down the rope.
A few weeks ago the BBC published a story about a new technique to lift [...]

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And we’re back!

Sorry for the long and unexpected hiatus. This blog is now being reassembled, reanimated, and restored to normal operation at the several posts-per-week level.

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