iPod Classic Remakes
Category: random
A pseudonymous commenter proposes a Classic of Rock and Roll for remake as an iPod v-ad
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:13 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Speculations on astronomy, astrophysics, news I find interesting, theoretical issues, science and science policy. I will digress into computational physics, science fiction and general issues and basically whatever I feel like whenever. And, of course, cats.
Working for an analytic exactapproximate solution to the herding problem
So you want to be an astrophysicist?
Random info.
The Old Dynamics of Cats blog
Old Favourites:
May 14, 2008
Category: random
A pseudonymous commenter proposes a Classic of Rock and Roll for remake as an iPod v-ad
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:13 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 13, 2008
Category: random
Why wait till tomorrow
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:01 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
A letter from Einstein to Eric Gutkind sent in 1954 is up for auction.
It is rather blunt.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 9:54 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
Hubble gallery of galaxy crashes, with added bonus simulations
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 8:02 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 12, 2008
Category: random
more random naval ponderings
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:32 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
NASA Ames is getting some new big iron
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:47 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
CNN is surprised at how much astronomers make, and how few there are
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:32 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
In the beginning, a To Do list was not needed.
Everything important To Do could be remembered...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 6:49 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
NASA EOS has some startling images
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:29 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 11, 2008
Category: astro
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:54 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 9, 2008
Category: random
Friday. Raining, again.
So, Oh Mighty iPod - what is going on on the mystery Canadian Train in Ontario?
Woosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 3:46 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: science
Passenger train halted and quarantined in northern Ontario
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:14 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
Nima Arkani-Hamed front pages cnn.com
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:37 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: academia
apropos nothing - what sort of circumstances hypothetically trigger university disciplinary investigations?
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:17 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 8, 2008
Category: astro
Now we know why Ron Weasley didn't like Astronomy
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:55 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 7, 2008
Category: academia
Prof Brad DeLong dislodges an academic grain of sand, and formally requests academic action on the question Prof Yoo.
The immediate response is repose.
We will see if the talus slope is ever exceeded. Inertia works both ways, even at the institutional level.
Another episode of linking as a public good.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:21 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: science
The Chaiten Volcano in Chile is erupting, first time in at least 2000 years, more likely the last eruption was about 10,000 years ago.
The eruption is intensifying and local towns are being evacuated
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 7:02 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 6, 2008
Category: science
The news from Tropical Cyclone Nagris keep coming and getting worse
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:17 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
...57 papers to grade on the pile on the desk
57 papers to grade on the pile on the desk
take one off, grade it down
56 papers to grade on the pile on the desk...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:45 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 5, 2008
Category: astro
All right.
Which of you jokers edited wikipedia to say "Cosmic Magnetic Background"?
It was funny the first time, but the nth time I read that for the CMB in ugrad essays it gets tiresome... just in time for finals week, eh?
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 3:09 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
selected referee comments on "A bold proposal to do something new and interesting",
years 1-3
with added bonus translation
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:39 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 4, 2008
Category: astro
some time ago I made an off-cuff comment to a colleague that he "had been lucky".
He reacted badly to this, and rather curtly told me he resented being told he had been lucky, he had worked for his success and earned it.
At the time I shrugged it off - no big deal, he was being a bit oversensitive.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:57 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 2, 2008
Category: random
Boris is the new mayor of London?!
I'm so sorry, me ol' mates.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:47 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
Last friday!
And, somewhere, it is snowing.
So, we skip joyfully to the Mighty iPod, and ask, intrepidly: what interesting things are we in for this summer?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:46 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 1, 2008
Category: astro
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 3:08 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 30, 2008
Category: random

Crucio!
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 4:38 PM • 13 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: science
Chad he says: Scientists Don't Have To Do Everything
Do as he says.
This is another episode of linking: because linking is an inherent public good.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:19 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 29, 2008
Category: astro
Gorgeous Spitzer Space Telescope Image of Ω Centauri
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:52 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 28, 2008
Category: astro
Physics used to be simple: the universe was eternal, static and predictable...
but there were dark clouds on the horizon.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:08 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
Is APOD for the iPod.
Seriously. A neat little web accessible archive of the public subset of the APOD archive, continuosly updated, bundled for a quick iPod upload.
With an index, please.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:39 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 27, 2008
Category: random
After the revelations about Syria's plausible secret nuclear project, destroyed by an Israeli air raid, speculation is turning back to Iran
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:09 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 25, 2008
Category: random
The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is being reinforced.
That is not good.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:19 PM • 13 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
Friday, at last, and just one more week to go.
So... lets be scientific today and ask the Mighty Inscrutable iPod One: have seasonal modulation of WIMPy Cold Dark Matter really been detected, as reported?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:06 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
I was discussing the "Landscape" in string theory, as it relates to modern cosmology in class, and the students first reaction was: "what is all the fuss about"?
It seemed a bit mystifying to them that the community was having such angst over the issue.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:18 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: science
the mystery of the "box" in Syria that was bombed by the Israelis was claimed to be a North Korean design nuclear reactor
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:32 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 24, 2008
Category: astro
Carnival of Space #51 at Astro Engine now.
Next week is the big one year anniversary edition...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:47 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
Happy first day of summer!
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:56 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 23, 2008
Category: astro
Someone is getting lucky and the laser is getting hot
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 9:58 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
Another one bites the dust
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 9:48 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 22, 2008
Category: random
the blog belongs to me
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 3:26 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
people changing their votes
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:51 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 21, 2008
Category: science
I was just pondering the appalling lack of interesting science news the other day, and then I got back home and found these: CSI Ambleside...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:13 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
Welcome to classical football 101.
This class will cover classical football from a historical perspective, starting with 17th century english village contests.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 8:41 AM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 18, 2008
Category: random
It is a beautiful warm day in the Bay as we contemplate our flight home.
So how will we fare in this fair round?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:09 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
April 17, 2008
Category: astro
The 2008 Astrobiology Science Conference is over.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:50 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
It is, I gather National Poetry month...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:05 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
The Astrobiology Science Conference sponsors a student poster competition,
this year the top four posters got cash prizes, thanks to a generous donation.
Fourth prize was $250...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 4:47 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
GLAST was due to be launched next month.
Apparently the launch is on hold, they hope to have the issues resolved soon and a new launch date scheduled.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 4:09 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
The "Super-Earth" topical session at the Astrobiology Science Conference wasn't quite the "Woodstock" of astrobio, but it was pretty good.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 8:32 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
the Earth is oxidized, not just because there is free oxygen in the atmosphere, but also because the rocks are predominantly silicon oxides
there has been some speculation about "carbon planets", but not much detailed modeling
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:05 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
