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Category: Sunday Science

  • Sunday Science: Gravity baby

    As we resume our Sunday Science column, I’m excited to share this next link with you. We are finally able to detect gravity waves. Why is this a big deal? Well, keep in mind that microwaves were discovered in 1946, but it took 21 years to develop an affordable way for us to use microwave ovens in our kitchens.
    My instincts tell me that this is a monumental moment in science, but it could be a bit before we can really wrap our heads around the scope that gravity waves can do for us.

    Evan Gough over at UniverseToday.com breaks down this amazing find for you.

    Read about the historic discovery of gravity waves at universetoday.com

  • Sunday Science: Touchdown to blast-off!

    I read a great story about a former NFL’er who really lived the dream.  NPR has a great write up on astronaut Leland Melvin and his journey from the NFL to going to space.  It’s a fascinating read and a great example of a man having the discipline and focus to plan his future.

     

  • Sunday Science: How *did* we find the distance to the Sun?

    It’s been a while since we had a Sunday Science, so here we go!  This is a fascinating article that Universe Today shared today.

    Spoiler: Math is amazing!

    How did we find the distance to the Sun?

  • Touchdown!

    What a great day for the ESA team!  A huge congratulations to all involved, and to those who will analyze the data that Philae sends back to Earth.

    Philae_on_the_comet_Front_view

  • Sunday Science: Crowd sourced astronomy

    The Ultrascope is a 3D printed telescope that uses the 41 megapixel smartphone Lumia 1020 to give average citizens their own personal observatories.  The plans are being released under an Open Source license by the Open Space Agency.  While the Lumia 1020 is a bit pricey for my tastes, the overall concept is outstanding.  As 3D printers come down in price, it won’t be long before you can build some amazing projects right at home. I think we are entering some exciting times for amateur astronomy and astrophotography.

    Check out the plans for the Ultrascope and sign up for the beta here!

    ultrascope

  • Beautiful Earth time lapse from the ISS

    Love the Hans Zimmer music as well…

     

  • Sunday Science: Fractals

    Fractals are amazing. That something so simple can be so complex. I started using fractals in my art about a decade ago. As I have been working on Suzi, the idea that the universe is one big fractal has been lurking in the back of my mind. As I was doing more study on the nature of fractals this weekend, I came across this article from Space.com about how that idea works, but only to a point.

    Go check out this cool fractal article from Space.com and let me know what you think.
    Have you played with generating your own fractals?  Apophysis 7x is my go to app for creating fractal art, and the best part?  It’s free!  George Kiehne actively develops Apophsis and has some stunning art on his site, so click the link already and start making your own fantastic fractals!

    wraith

  • Sunday Science: Lies!

    The good people over at BuzzFeedPop put together a funny video that shows some of the literary license films take with science. You probably know most of these already, but it’s still a fun little video.

     

  • Sunday Science: Smart girls rock!

    All too often we are seeing stories about how schools are taking their inane zero tolerance policies to the degree that is ridiculous. Case in point, Kiera Wilmot was arrested after conducting a simple science experiment. I commend Kiera and her family for weathering the stupidity of the Polk County School District. This bunch of so-called “educators” lost all common sense. You can read about it here.

    Schools today should be doing everything in their power to encourage all kids to get into science. The US is outsourcing our intellect to other countries, and we are going to pay a heavy price for it. Young science enthusiasts should be nurtured and guided into rewarding and challenging careers, not treated like criminals.
    Thankfully, Kiera and her family stayed true to their convictions, and aided by a huge uproar and the spotlight of the national media, they were able to have a very nice outcome to a very unnecessary situation.

    We salute you, Girls of Science!

  • Sunday Science: This *could* be huge

    The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics has called for a press conference to say that it has some big news.  Many in the science community are speculating that the information could involve the discovery of gravitational waves.  These waves are some of the last that Einstein predected that have yet to be discovered.

    You can read more about it here, as well as get a link to the press conference on Monday the 17th.  I will follow up next week with the results of the announcement.