Politics
Category archives for Politics
ExSSII: mo’ better planets
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson on September 15, 2011 We’re back, we’re tanned, we’re rested, we’re ready: 4th day, session 7, in which Kepler annouces the discovery of the second circumbinary exoplanet…
Carbon Planets and Climate Change
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson on September 13, 2011 Earlier, Matthew Bailes and collaborators discovered a planet mass, carbon rich crystalline object orbiting a pulsar. It was a very nice discovery, published in Science, and received a lot of attention, mostly all positive. Matthew has now written a very interesting OpEd at The Conversation: Diamond planets, climate change and the scientific method It is…
JWST fights back
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson on September 12, 2011 JWST has called for a townhall meeting (webinar) on Mon 19th Sep http://www.stsci.edu/jwst/meetings/webinar2011 (registration required) to discuss the technical and funding situation. Should be interesting Bring popcorn.
JWST: the knives come out
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson on September 10, 2011 A House Divided Can Not Stand… As the American Astronomical Society tries to rally support for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which was deleted from the budget, with extreme prejudice, by the House Appropriations Committee, other players chime in, and they are not quite as enthusiastic.
Prince Valiant and Consumer Confidence
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson on August 13, 2011 This week, a WTF pair of plots were published on some economic data, namely US retail sales and consumer confidence. I have a theory about that…
Why we lecture
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson on August 12, 2011 Last year, Brad deLong did a most excellent dissection of the lecture, how it came to be, and why universities need to rethink the whole approach to learning concept before they get eaten by technology development providing even cheaper content delivery.
NASA: turmoil at astrophysics
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson on July 26, 2011 Sometimes correlation is causation: “Laurie Leshin, deputy associate administrator of exploration systems for NASA, will join Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as dean of the School of Science. “ (RPI news) Coincidentally: “…Jon Morse, director of the Science Mission Directorate’s Astrophysics Division and Laurie’s husband, also will be leaving government to join RPI as the associate vice…
Oslo explosion
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson on July 22, 2011 Large explosion in the center of Oslo, Norway. Near government buildings and VG newspaper, at central square. Multiple injuries. Early reports suggest it was a car bomb. P3S: NRK now reporting at least 80 kids killed on the island. Guy must have been a true psychopath to be able to shoot that many people in…
House Appropriations
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson on July 14, 2011 House appropriations committee reported out the Science etc bill. JWST remains deleted; armchair quantum wires are in…
Inappropriations
Posted by Steinn Sigurðsson on July 13, 2011 back to the science subcommittee appropriations