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davebaconski.jpg Dave Bacon is a theoretical ski bum who is also an pseudo professor assistant research professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. His research is on quantum computing, his scientific passions extend to everything in physics, mathematics, computer science and beyond, and his personal pleasures include making wine, playing poker, skiing, camping, and daydreaming (although not all of those at the same time.)

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« Other NSF News...Of Funny Kind | Main | Halifax Off A Bit »

See Planets!

Category: Astronomy
Posted on: November 13, 2008 10:54 PM, by Dave Bacon

Direct imaging of extra solar planets. The cat dynamicist has the details. (because, linking, I've heard, is good.) Fomalhaut b, a nice name.

When I was on the road to becoming an astrophysicist, as a young grad student, I remember thinking how cool it would be to join the planet hunters. I mean being able to say that in your research you "discovered a planet" well how cool would that be. Alas I caught the quantum bug and so all those days spent studying the interstellar tedium are now lost, like tears in the rain.

Comments

Interstellar tedium?

Posted by: Stephen | November 14, 2008 1:09 AM

So you think your career works better if you don't planet?

Posted by: Ian | November 14, 2008 7:24 AM

Stephen: have you seen how much chemistry you need to understand to the interstellar medium. Definitely the interstellar tedium. :)

Posted by: Dave Bacon | November 14, 2008 10:52 AM

Dave: that's funny. I was literally doing the same thing. Started out in grad school in astrophysics thinking I might do extrasolar planet hunting until I got the quantum bug.

Ian: absolutely! :))

Posted by: Ian Durham | November 14, 2008 2:32 PM

You've done a man's job, sir. It's too bad she won't live... but then again, who does?

Posted by: Mike | November 14, 2008 5:13 PM

Thank you, Dave, for quoting the line "lost like tears in the rain", which is surely among the most wonderful ad-libs in movie history ...

The study of complexity---when regarded as the study of rain as contrasted with the study of tears---is perhaps the perfect line of research for all who like to contemplate the "big picture."

Posted by: John Sidles | November 14, 2008 9:44 PM

Just `cuz I too admire this topic, I would like to point out that NASA's planet-searching New Worlds Mission is on-track to receive three billion dollars in funding.

What have they good that quantum information science has not got? Well, QIS arguably has better mathematics and sexier physics than planet-searching (although planet-searching does pretty well in both categories).

But planet-searching arguably has better engineering and a more-readily comprehensible mission. The result is that planet-searching ends up with top-quality fundamental research *and* top-quality engineering and applications.

The point being, the QIS might benefit from a similar upgrade.

Posted by: John Sidles | November 17, 2008 11:28 AM

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