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What We're Talking About Sunday, February 12, 2012

Celestial Square One

On Dynamics of Cats, Steinn Sigurðsson flags a few foreboding articles on the future of NASA. Sigurðsson says the orbiting telescope Galex, or Galaxy Evolution Explorer, will be shut down later this year despite continuing to function. And many "2011-12 programs appear effectively suspended pending the 2012-13 budget, to the point where an entire funding cycle will be lost for some lines." Meanwhile, Ethan Siegel conjures up an apt scenario on Starts With a Bang, writing "Let's pretend that, for all of our history on Earth, we had never once bothered to look up with any instruments beyond what our own eyes could offer." From neighboring planets to the stars to extended nebulae and distant galaxies, our existing technology would allow us to peer deeper and deeper into the universe and quickly arrive at a conclusion that historically took centuries: the Big Bang theory. Of course, we've employed every technological advance to improve our view of the stars every step of the way. There's something innately human about keeping an eye on the heavens. And although old habits die hard, they might also run out of money.

Ominous signs for NASA

dynamics of catsFebruary 10, 2012

"There are several signs o'doom for NASA bubbling up out there.

"GALEX is going into standby mode in preparation for shut down. It is working fine, but past its design lifetime, as so many NASA satellites do nowadays, and there is no more money for mission operation and data analysis.

"There is a rumour that Caltech hustled for some private money to extend MODA, but they may not be able to do it anyway, because of liability and ownership issues. So it goes."

The Big Bang for Beginners

starts with a bang!February 9, 2012

"But we can go back even further! Imagine a time that was even hotter and denser than when this plasma existed, to a time where it was so hot that even protons and neutrons -- the constituents of atomic nuclei -- would be blasted apart by the scorching hot radiation of the Universe!

"At some point, the lightest elements in the Universe would have been unable to form. These are some of the consequences of this Big Bang model of the Universe, and these are theoretical predictions that we can test!

"How's that?

"Each of these events will leave observable signatures behind. If we start out in a hot, dense, roughly uniform state and come forward in time, we can predict what we should see today based on the Big Bang model of the Universe! Let's start at the beginning and come forward."

Insight

bigfoot2.jpg

Video

Adaptive optics allow the Gemini Observatory to see stars as clearly as Hubble on Starts With a Bang!

Video

Alleged global cooling is really noise caused by sporadic weather patterns on Greg Laden's Blog.
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In Conversation

“My favorite part of the 'hoax' myth is that scientists are making up data so they can keep receiving grant money. [...] It's not like we can take grant money and go out and buy a Porsche.”

A global warming conspiracy theorist has won 4 states, should we be worried?

denialism blog

Channel Surfing

Life Science

Greg Laden's Blog

Lions!

Lions, lions, lions. And more lions.

Greg Laden's Blog

Changing the rep of Fungi one mushroom-based robot thingie-builder at a time

It's alive!!!!! And, it's wallboard....

Life Lines

Why zebras have stripes

Image: Wikimedia Commons The most recent issue of The Journal of Experimental Biology provides insight into why...

The Life Science Channel RSS Feed

Physical Science

Starts With A Bang

Weekend Diversion: Interactive Scale of the Universe

"The human world stands about midway between the infinitesimal and the immense. The size of our planet is...

Dynamics of Cats

Ominous signs for NASA

There are several signs o'doom for NASA bubbling up out there...

Starts With A Bang

Hey, America! Break out the Binoculars after Sunset and see Uranus tonight!

"The phenomena of nature, especially those that fall under the inspection of the astronomer, are to be viewed,...

The Physical Science Channel RSS Feed

Environment

Greg Laden's Blog

Is climate change a leftist scientific conspiracy to destroy America?

According to Rick Santorum, it is. Strange. Brad Johnson has context and analysis here. I think Rick Santorum...

USA Science and Engineering Festival: The Blog

Just in Time for Valentine's Day: The Science Behind the Kiss

It's both funny and remarkable how some of the most simple and natural acts we do each day are teeming in science.

Greg Laden's Blog

Wild Mississippi

A new multi-part special, Wild Mississippi will be first aired on February 12 at 6 Central on...

The Environment Channel RSS Feed

Humanities & Soc. Sciences

Dean's Corner

Whitney Houston's Legacy, A Life Too Short

Photo source. Such sad news today - Whitney Houston died at the young age of 48. I...

Uncertain Principles

Language and Statistics Poll: Define "Vast"

Prompted by a number of people using the phrase "vast majority" recently, I wonder where the line between...

Uncertain Principles

Random Note That Wouldn't Bother Normal People

In a book that I read recently (either The Cloud Roads or The Serpent Sea-- I finished the...

The Social Sciences Channel RSS Feed

Education

USA Science and Engineering Festival: The Blog

The Festival Recognizes Our First "Featured Fan"!

The 2012 Festival is will be here this April and we thought it would be special to honor some of the people that make the Festival happen: our fans. The Festival would not be possible without the help of our partners, sponsors and exhibitors; however our fans play a huge impact in the success of the Festival.

Greg Laden's Blog

Ten States Will Get No Child Left Behind Waivers

My State is better than your state! (Or Province or District.) The No Child Left Behind Law, for...

Greg Laden's Blog

Cannon Fired in White House!

Obama instantly reacts by hiring his new science advisor!...

The Education Channel RSS Feed

Politics

EvolutionBlog

The Contraception Kerfuffle

Over the last few days, there has been no shortage of crazed invective on the contraception issue from...

denialism blog

A global warming conspiracy theorist has won 4 states, should we be worried?

The states in Green have gone for Rick Santorum, who besides having a a Google problem also...

Deltoid

Robert Manne on Monckton's plan for the Australian media

Over at the Monthly, Robert Manne writes about Monckton's plan for a super-rich person to establish a Fox...

The Politics Channel RSS Feed

Medicine & Health

Aetiology

Great Plains Emerging Diseases Conference

I mentioned earlier in the week that I had two pending announcements; now I can officially share the...

Respectful Insolence

An uncomfortable question

Work called last night. (It happens.) Basically, I had two deadlines for two big things (finishing reviewing the...

Respectful Insolence

Yes, Virginia, there is an antivaccine movement (efforts to deny it notwithstanding)

There are times when I want to fall down on my knees and give thanks for certain cranks....

The Medicine & Health Channel RSS Feed

Brain & Behavior

Greg Laden's Blog

How to improve learning

There is a learning technique pioneered in language studies by Pimsleur which makes sense: You learn a word...

Greg Laden's Blog

Modern Neuroscience Verifies a Peircian Idea

I know some of you are Piercians, and some of you are interested in Neuroscience. So, without comment...

Dean's Corner

Beauty and Brains Tease

Sources: PetaPixel and Photo Vatika (Sony India) No, I'm not the first to discovery this extraordinary brain...

The Brain & Behavior Channel RSS Feed

Technology

Greg Laden's Blog

myMac 01

I am a Mac. Oh, wait, no, different commercial. Let me start again. I have a Mac. I...

Uncertain Principles

Lap Desk?

It's apparently a good day for asking questions of the readership, so here's another one: as SteelyKid has...

Starts With A Bang

Weekend Diversion: The Best (and Easiest) Charity Ever!

"You cannot hope to build a better world without improving individuals. We all must work for our own...

The Technology Channel RSS Feed

Information Science

Confessions of a Science Librarian

Best Science Books 2011: January Magazine

Another list for your reading, gift-giving and collection development pleasure. Every year for the last bunch of years...

Confessions of a Science Librarian

Job Posting: Science Librarian, York University Libraries

Come work instead of me! Below is a posting for a 3-year contractually limited appointment in my unit....

Confessions of a Science Librarian

Reading Diary: Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

Walter Isaacson's book on Apple founder & CEO Steve Jobs is a fairly long book. It's not exactly...

The Information Science Channel RSS Feed

Jobs

Confessions of a Science Librarian

Job Posting: Science Librarian, York University Libraries

Come work instead of me! Below is a posting for a 3-year contractually limited appointment in my unit....

Pharyngula

Looking for a postdoc?

Here's an opportunity: you could work with Reed Cartwright at Arizona State University!...

Confessions of a Science Librarian

Digital Assets Librarian, York University Libraries

A terrific new opportunity at my institution. I'm not in the reporting department or on the search committee,...

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