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
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September 29, 2006
Category: random
Traveling friday, and we ask a timely question: Oh Mighty Omniscient One - who will the Academy give the nod to next week for that most noble of all science prized? Whoosh goes the randomizer. Whoosh....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:27 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
Drove to DC today. Took six hours, rather longer than planned. Car transporter jack-knifed on the PA turnpike, took out two 18 wheelers. If there were any passenger cars involved, they'd been cleared up by the time I got...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:20 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 27, 2006
Category: astro
Via NASAwatch - NASA administrator Griffin replies to the American Astronomical Societies' Six Questions On NASA Priorities and Processes...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:08 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: science
The 2006 Nobel Laureates will be announced on Monday, October 2. Any early guesses as to who this year's honorees will be?... No....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 9:44 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 26, 2006
Category: science
This spring I took a look at the Iranian nuclear options. The summary version is that I think the focus on uranium enrichment is a red herring (unless there is intelligence that says there is a policy decision in...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:47 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 25, 2006
Category: random
Lots of news and speculation on possible steps to mobilization by US forces to position for a strike on Iran. They couldn't be that stupid, could they? Old Speculation Updated....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 3:22 PM • 12 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
One of the topics at the Pale Blue Dot workshop last week was detection of technological biosignatures. Serious discussion on everything from "I Love Lucy", early warning radars, and Dyson Sphere's to isotopic signatures of fission waste disposal in...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 3:12 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
I have come to the conclusion that the Pearl Jam cover of Kick out the Jams is actually better than the original... Maybe I'm just getting old....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:05 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: academia
a cabal of mandarin pundits says english is the new lingua franca...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:19 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 22, 2006
Category: science
Our masters voice speaks and Asks the ScienceBloggers: Why do men have a longer period of fertility, relative to their lifespan, than women? (Bonus: is this true of other species as well?)... I Am Not A Biologist, but... I am...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:33 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
Friday again, already? Oh man, lets stay topical, and ask the iPod a historical question: oh Mighty One, was there a single transition to an oxygenated archaen atmosphere, involving sudden onset of photosynthesis-2, with associated rapid mass extinction, say around...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:55 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 21, 2006
Category: science
The Weather Service has announced a severe storm warning for coastal areas as hurricane Gordon is expected to hit land friday morning....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:15 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 20, 2006
Category: science
ESA Envisat press release shows north pole ice pack cracked from Svalbarð to the pole. Finally large container ships will be able to take the short cut from Hong Kong to Rotterdam. Eh? The NASA EOS Aqua satellite provided...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:39 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
Cassini reminds us of home. It is a very pretty picture......
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 9:49 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
A panel of scientists strongly endorsed NASA's plans to return to the moon, saying in a report Tuesday that lunar exploration will open the way toward broader studies of the Earth and solar system. Did they now. And who...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:25 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 19, 2006
Category: astro
A couple of years ago, some research groups reported preliminary indications of Methane of Mars. At very low concentration - about 10 parts per million - but in the highly oxidised Martian atmosphere, methane has a short lifetime, and any...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:16 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
Another perspective on Pale Blue Dot III...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 9:17 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
Pale Blue Dot trucks on, some very interesting discussion on biomarkers and remote sensing, and ongoing plenary sessions on science and media relations and the current state and evolution of science journalism. UScentric, but very, very interesting. Good turnout by...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:41 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 18, 2006
Category: astro
It is true that for life to prosper, it is best to prepare fertile soil. That is best done by spreading a lot of bullshit....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:56 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
Interesting poster at the meeting by Richard Carrigan on data mining infrared surveys to constrain, or detect, the presence of Dyson Spheres around nearby stars; or other Kardashev class I++ civilizations....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 5:23 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
The third Pale Blue Dot meeting is underway at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. It is fun. If you're in the Chicago area you should come down for the public event, tuesday 19 Sep, 7-9 pm at the Harris Theater...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 5:10 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 15, 2006
Category: astro
NASA is about to do a pre-emptive sudden-death mission review for the next decade plus. Community input on selection committee solicited. Now, now, now!
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:16 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
A cool friday, and we stay on theme as we ask the mighty iPod: oh Mighty iPod, what is with the puffy planets we're finding......
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:07 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 14, 2006
Category: astro
Hrmph. If they must be dwarf planets, should they not at least have dwarf names? Instead of Eris and Dysnomia couldn't they have gone with Ori and Nori or Þráinn & Þórinn, or go with the real classics Nýi and...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:54 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
Xena is renamed ......
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 5:21 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
Through the magic of iTunes, I just got to listen to "Ever Fallen in Love" as covered by Fine Young Cannibals, right after hearing the Buzzcocks original version. I also got "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda..." right after a...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:49 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: science
First Philosophia Naturalis Carnival is up at at Science and Reason. Some good stuff there, including new blogs to browse, in your copious spare time. Not a plug for this 'ere blog. I was traveling and missed the deadline...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:46 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 13, 2006
Category: science
Tangled Bank #62 - this time with nifty cartoons At Hairy Museum of Natural History...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 3:15 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
Water here is hard. Hence the kettle needs to be cleaned with vinegar regularly. Overnight. It really isn't necessary to mention when this is done, if nothing else the smell is a hint. In spite of this, occasionally coffee...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:44 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
disturbingly interesting item on NASAwatch short version - the human spaceflight budget crunch is headed for open conflict with space science and it ain't pretty...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:37 AM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 12, 2006
Category: random
Ah, there is a plan. Army Group Steiner will move south and save Baghdad Science and Democracy have one unique strenght in common. They provide institutional mechanisms for negative feedback. When pundits are wrong, the mechanisms will, eventually, reveal...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:31 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: science
Interesting Boston study just published, claiming that the travel restrictions after 9/11 caused a two week postponement in the peak of the 2001/2 influenze season. Some lessons there....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:49 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
NASAwatch reports more rumours of Science Directorate turmoil I can not overemphasise how potentially important the top tree of SMD administration is for space science. The fine graining of science priorities, advising and solicitation is done at the level...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:42 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: science
There is an interesting SciBlog back-and-forth going on about the "pipeline" problem and retention of underrepresented subset of physical sciencists. The discussion raises some interesting points, but I want to pick on one small item: the question of intro classes...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 10:01 AM • 9 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 11, 2006
Category: science
Our recent Science paper lead to comments at the Washington Post about whether to believe press releases about science results. I discuss what is involved.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 3:02 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: science
Noticed a number of dead birds on the walk to and through campus today. Maybe I just notice these things more nowadays. Or, maybe it is the change to cooler weather. In the meantime here is something to cheer...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:00 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
I learned some amusing little things over the last couple of weeks. Some universities have staff who track blog and web comments about the institutions. They seem primarily interested in comments by prospective students!...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 9:40 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 8, 2006
Category: random
Oh, mighty iPod, travel time, and we ask you through the magic of scheduled time displacement: are there really habitable terrestrial planets in orbits exterior to the hot Jovians? Whoosh goes the randomizer. Whoosh....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 3:00 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 7, 2006
Category: astro
No, not that authority, silly. Us. And quite right too. My response in the Achenblog comments is below the fold......
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 3:52 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
Theoretical study published in Science suggests habitable Earth like planets, with deep oceans, may be found in some of the already known planetary systems containing "hot Jupiters", giant planets orbiting very close to their parent star. This both gives additional targets for planet finding missions, and increases the likelihood that habitable planets are relatively common.
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:00 PM • 17 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 6, 2006
Category: academia
Sometimes one just knows that certain issues are better left to others. "... students should shout at the president and ask why liberal and secular university lecturers are present in the universities" The Dangeral One Strikes Darn tootin'....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:43 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 5, 2006
Category: astro
Official word out of DC - associate administrator for the Science Directorate, Dr Mary Cleave is retiring in spring 2007. This implies possible significant policy changes for space science next year, including changes in funding priorities, particularly for the...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 2:01 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 4, 2006
Category: science
terrorist attacks follow Salpeter's Law the reassuring thing is that the integral converges in the high N limit
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 7:10 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: astro
I am happy to report, after a scout of the Wunderpalace, that Tom et al have kept up their social panache despite the move and other life changes....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 11:57 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 3, 2006
Category: random
hm, I leave town for a few days and first the servers are trashed, then the backup fails and now the mail servers are off line. oooee. my deepest sympathies to those who lost /home the week before lectures...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 3:01 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
September 1, 2006
Category: random
get your own 'cause all the k00l kidz are doing it...
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 1:54 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: random
Early friday, and we move to ask: iPod - was the Earth's atmosphere anoxic in the Archaean before 2.4 Gyr BPE or did we have oxic episodes going as far back as 3.8 Gyr BPE? Whoosh goes the randomizer. Whoosh....
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson at 12:30 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
