iPod iChing - LIGO and IMBH ringdowns
Category: random
Topical friday and so we ask the Mighty One a Topical Question:...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:04 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Dynamics of Cats
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.
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Working for an analytic exactapproximate solution to the herding problem
Recent Posts
- details of a PBD
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- iPod iChing - oh canada
- flu like illness on Canadian train
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- cut off their goolies
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- Steinn Sigurdsson on teh science frame
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Scientists:
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Other Information
So you want to be an astrophysicist?
Random info.
The Old Dynamics of Cats blog
Old Favourites:
- Global warming on Mars? (or here, here, or here)
- WMAP for Dummies
- Fractal Dust, LEDs and Cracks in the Cosmos
- On The Proper Subject Order in High School
- Iranian Nukes: Plain Language version
- Imminence of the Eschaton
- Chasing the wrong variable
- Triumph of Evil
- Getting cold gets you colds
- What to do...
- Hæstaréttarmálaflutningslögmannsvinnukonuútidyralyklakippuhringurinn
- Bird 'flu for theorists
- The More You Write, The More You Write...
- King of Tambora
- Goethe's Revenge
- Food for Fighting - in praise of Skyr
- Is this going to be on the test?
June 30, 2006
Hubbles News: ACS looks live
Category: astro
Side 2 (spare) electronics were powered up on the Advanced Camera for Surveys. Preliminary indications are that they are in good shape and that the ACS will be live and taking science data again by July 4th. Looks good....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:52 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 29, 2006
No more Exploding Spaceship Bikini Babes with Large Guns
Category: random
Jim Baen died. He was publisher of Baen Books, the primary source of libertarian and military oriented science fiction, with emphasis on the above. He discovered and promoted some excellent authors, and kept teenage boys everywhere amused for hours....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:12 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 28, 2006
Song of the Science Policy Successes
Category: science
ScienceBlogger asks: "What are some unsung successes that have occurred as a result of using science to guide policy?" Um, errr......
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 7:52 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Las Cumbres Observatory: A Seriously Good Idea
Category: astro
The Las Cumbres Observatory is a private foundation planning a network of 5-7 homogenous 2m telescopes around the world, and an associate network of smaller educational telescopes for schools....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 7:40 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
launch trail in the sunset
Category: science
From space.com Vandenberg AFB launched an NRO sat on a Delta 4 last night. Launch was scheduled around 8 pm, I had dinner obligations but we sat outside and I was facing the right way, less than perfect angle,...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:11 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Space: top ten strange things
Category: astro
space.com is running the top ten weird things in space. Some of the choices don't seem that strange, but then familiarity does bring contempt. Go vote. Vote early. Vote often....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:55 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 27, 2006
I am, Spiderman...
Category: random
Your results:You are Spider-Man Spider-Man 70% Hulk 65% Green Lantern 55% Robin 52% Superman 50% Batman 40% Iron Man 40% The Flash 35% Supergirl 30% Catwoman 30% Wonder Woman 20% You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 9:43 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
World Cup Lessons
Category: random
The first few minutes are not warm up. The game is still on even if it is the last minute. Fascinating game Gha vs Bra. The Ghanan's are dominating the midfield and the Brazilians are relying on the quick counter....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:44 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 26, 2006
40 signs of Rain
Category: random
DC flooded, more on the way You should sooo read this book - 40 signs of rain by KSR NSF panels, biotech, global climate change, NSA, and Tibetan Monks. What more could you want? Sequel is good to....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 6:05 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Barnard's comet!
Category: astro
There it is, back after a hundred years in the outer system. From CARA - the Cometary Archive for Amateur Astronomers in Italy. Nice one....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:26 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Socceroos!
Category: random
Good game by the Ozzies, they are actually somewhat dominating the midfield at halftime and the Italians are trying to slow things down to regain control. Toni looks a bit off pace, he's had good shots, very good shots, but...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:46 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 25, 2006
Barnard's Comet of 1889 Returns
Category: astro
The Minor Planet Center reports the discovery by L. Buzzi of the Schiaparelli Observatory, Varese, Italy of comet P/2006 M3. Computations by Green strongly suggests it is Barnard's comet of 1889 (c). Returning with a about a 128 year period....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:06 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Please learn from my mistake
Category: random
Quick trip to California, and between life, the neighbours dogs, and a late connection I was drive to the ultimate in desperation......
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:43 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Sad news from Santa Cruz
Category: academia
The newly instated University of California at Santa Cruz Chancellor, Prof D. Denton died saturday in San Francisco in a fall from a tall building....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:28 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 23, 2006
iPod iChing -the deathspirals...
Category: random
Rainy friday, and we approach the mighty iPod with a topical question. Oh, mighty iPod, when LISA is finally launched, will it see shitloads of EMRIs? Whoosh goes the randomizer. Whoosh....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:53 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 22, 2006
In Defence of Hawking: Daily Show and Colbert attack
Category: random
Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are on a roll tonight. I too think the WSJ editorial board should be left behind to tough it out in the event of a suitable catastrophe. like the SCOTUS ruling gay marriage constitutional....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:36 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Ask a Sb: What makes a good science teacher?
Category: academia
I don't know. But I'll answer anyway....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:03 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Skyr
Category: random
I just bought $100 of skyr. Vanilla and blueberry, both. And I transported it across State boundaries. And now I am going to enjoy it. With my wife. The kids are asleep. Phbt....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:51 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 21, 2006
Hubble Trouble: ACS down
Category: astro
NASAwatch reports ACS outage Electronics problems. ACS observations suspended for a week while a tiger team studies the issue. Could be resolved quickly, or could be Really Bad News....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:14 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
How do you despin a black hole?
Category: astro
From Andrew Hamilton's black hole image collection There are, for most practical purposed, two qualitatively distinct types of black holes: Schwarzschild - which are spherical and not spinning and Kerr - axisymmetric and spinning So... I know how to...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:54 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 20, 2006
Moon gets hit
Category: astro
Video of meteor striking the Moon Bad Astronomy has it also Comparable to the one that hit Norway recently! oops. video bit too big, cut header image down and left link, go take a peek...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:09 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Women in Academia: Stars
Category: academia
RPM writes about a senior female scientist resigning a post over a failure to hire a female editor Astronomy is one of the sciences with very low senior female presence, not the lowest, but way down there. The incident...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:31 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
that's unusual
Category: random
Seen on floppingaces.net Operation "Valiant Shield" - 3 aircraft carriers doing operations together in the Pacific, off Guam, first time in 30 years. USS Enterprise is in the Persian gulf and as far as I can tell three other...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 9:48 PM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
2-2
Category: random
Bloomin' heck, that combined the best and worst football I've seen for a while. Good fun, but both teams need to be a bit more consistent if they're going to get through the next round... Sunday morning should be...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 4:49 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
There's Gold in them thar Spacecraft: LISA 6
Category: astro
The actual LISA spacecraft Or, one of the three modules....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:30 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
A random shortcut
Category: science
Beautiful post by Tara on network connectivity and outbreak of exponential spread in disease transmission....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:25 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 19, 2006
Seeing in the Dark: LISA 6
Category: astro
Bats' ears at AMNH To really see in the dark, at some point you must abandon the light......
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 4:40 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 18, 2006
The Italian Diving Team
Category: random
Happy Father's Day! The Big Kid sat through all of USA vs Italy, and enjoyed it....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:01 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 16, 2006
iPod iChing - to infinity and beyond
Category: random
It is friday, and I am late. We ask the Great and Mighty iPod: is there a reason for us to get a manned presence off Earth on a time scale of a century or less? Whoosh goes the...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 3:16 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
17 years in harbour
Category: random
Hvalur 8 RE-388 The Icelandic whaling fleet has been in harbour for 17 years now....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:53 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Answer a ScienceBlogger
Category: academia
How is it that all the PIs (Tara, PZ, Orac et al.), various grad students, post-docs, etc. find time to fulfill their primary objectives (day jobs) and blog so prolifically?......
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:29 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I feel all dirty now
Category: random
So, I popped down to the campus bookstore and browsed C*u*ters latest tome on the "Church of Liberalism"......
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:16 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Donors Choose - SEED charity match
Category: random
SEED is doing a $10,000 match to charity donations to the "Donors Choose" educational charity. Sounds like a good cause, and a lot of the Sb bloggers jumped in. If you want to chip in, go for it, can...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:24 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 15, 2006
Conservative Cosmology
Category: astro
I am hearing an irritating buzz in my ear... Apparently cosmology is liberal. Can someone tell me, what is a conservative cosmology? And what is the distinction?...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:57 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
so you know
Category: astro
Astrology is crap You can not buy a star name Yes, there really was a Big Bang...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:10 AM • 5 Comments • 1 TrackBacks
In defence of space cadets
Category: astro
So Stephen Hawking spoke in defence of off-planet colonization and got pounced by, among others, a trio of tough sciencebloggers. Shelley, grrlscientist, and PZ. Also Chris Clarke......
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:39 AM • 14 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
One of my favourite clusters
Category: astro
European Southern Observatory press release on globular cluster 47 Tucanae 47 Tuc is one of my favourite globulars. It is large, quite dense, metal rich as globulars go, and it is gorgeous. It is full of pulsars, blue stragglers,...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:16 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Sex is better sober
Category: science
Aftenposten reports a survey of 1736 Norwegians finds the majority think sex is better sober The majority is larger for the women. A full 1/4 of the men, and a surprising 1/5 of the women think sex is better...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:07 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 14, 2006
Maybe the Norwegians can borrow the spare
Category: astro
the Spirit Rover discovers a possible meteorite, on Mars That is one way to find a meteorite, I wonder how the Rover spares would do north and east of Tromsø in mid-summer, there's Nkr 100,000 at stake. About 870...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:31 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Dangeral Freedom
Category: academia
Bérubé pontificates on Academic Freedom Read it. I don't want to tell you how much time was wasted chasing down the false allegation of the the "bio instructor who showed a Michael Moore movie in class" last year, this...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:18 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Guardian mail orders 1/2000th of smallpox virus
Category: science
Interesting piece of journalism by the Grauniad They ordered a 78 "letter" piece of DNA for a smallpox envelope protein. As they note, the actual genome is rather longer than that, but as they also note, there are techniques for...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:59 AM • 4 Comments • 1 TrackBacks
June 13, 2006
Day in the life...
Category: random
Pancake family brunch; soccer (Big Kid playing, me assistant coach temp); ballet (family appreciation day); pig roast with belly dancing (really, organic pig at that). There are worse ways to spend a day....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:44 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Call that a meteorite?
Category: astro
As reported by Uncertain Principles and Bad Astronomy, there was a meteorite impact in Northern Norway - Tromsø area....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:07 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 12, 2006
World Cup - commentating lows
Category: random
Ok, I caught 5 mins of ESPN coverage this afternoon (during a commercial break in SpongeBob), and the commentator is standing in a suit, on an open floor, holding a soccer ball. Why is he doing that?...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:58 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Eating Sb Pi
Category: random
Jane over at Ethics and Science tags the New Kids on the block with a Neighbourhood Pi mem We obey, and please mam, may we have some more?...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:15 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 11, 2006
Answer a Science Blogger
Category: random
Stochastic, our master's voice, asks: Assuming that time and money were not obstacles, what area of scientific research, outside of your own discipline, would you most like to explore? Why? Well, of course it'd be...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:10 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
June 9, 2006
iPod iChing - Oh Brave New World!
Category: random
Every friday, life permitting, we do an "iPod iChing". It is well known that the randomizer on the iPod is oracular, and in recent times it has been used widely on the Net as a fountain of wisdom. ......
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:22 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Origin of Dust
Category: astro
Spitzer has an interesting press release... Dusty SN2003gd The Spitzer infrared space observatory recently did followup imaging of a type II supernova in the nearby spiral galaxy M74. Type II supernovae occur when a short lived massive star (>...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:20 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
