Steinn Sigurðsson
Professor of Astrophysics at Pennsylvania State University. Science Editor at Astrophysical Journal. Icelandic. Herder of Cats.
catdynamics
Posts by this author
December 4, 2008
You think things are bad in California or Boston?
Hos plots his misery index - there are parts of the country that are really hurting.
I guess we have to infer that some things are not normally distributed.
Krugman also worries about stuff, arguably of comparable importance.
December 2, 2008
700,000,000,000
6,850,000,000
The lower number is the requested NSF budget for 2009, which represents an inconceivably bold 14% increase over 2008, in an attempt to get the budget back on the widely agreed upon track called for by the American Competitiveness Initiative.
The actual 2009 budget…
December 2, 2008
Calculated Risk is compiling a complete listing of the Tanta posts
December 2, 2008
Gorgeous 3D gallery toy for Chandra images from ChandraBlog
Requires CoolIris plug-in.
December 2, 2008
Eating Plasticized Piss is NOT A Good Idea
If I could think of it back then...
December 1, 2008
At my advanced and cynical age, I have concluded some level of corruption in the political process is necessary.
And I say that despite the very nice "thank you" note that Mr and Mrs Obama sent my wife last month for the challenge donation.
They must have had to write a lot of thank you notes.…
December 1, 2008
I had a really nice roast leg of lamb for dinner tonight, Icelandic free range, grazed on mountain grasses. Roasted pink, with a bit of garlic and light brushing of home made marinade.
Only $7.99 per pound at Whole Foods, picked it up on my last trip. We'll be eating lamb sandwiches all week.…
December 1, 2008
For posterity, a link to The Compleat ÜberNerd - Tanta's magnum opus on the mortgage industry.
It is a great example of how blogs can be used for outreach, and were of tremendous utility to the readers at the time they were written.
November 30, 2008
Tanta, one of the co-bloggers on the extraordinarily good blog Calculated Risk has passed away.
She was infamous for her übernerd series of technical posts and analysis of micro and macro issues in the mortgage and finance industry.
She'll be missed.
November 29, 2008
The Yorkshire Ranter suggests that the Dog's[sic] Dogs of War by Forsyth as the world's deadliest novel.
The plot of Dog's[at least I am consistent...] Dogs of War is a coup in an African country, and it seems likely the book has been used as a "how to" manual several times, possibly most recently…
November 29, 2008
'couple of good ones from the Yorkshire Ranter
Pakistan paranoia
and World's Deadliest Novel
November 28, 2008
Yikes, it is friday already, again?
Ok, we only have a reduced travel set of iTunes, but here goes.
Oh, mighty iPod - jobs, astronomy jobs that is, gonna be any over the next year?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Twenty Four Hour Garage People - Half Man Half Biscuit
The Crossing…
November 27, 2008
First Krugman makes a snarky comment about the grownups coming (though I seem to have heard that one before, a few years ago, how did that work out?).
Then Greg Mankiw gets all in a snit about it.
So, Krugman has to apologise, sort of.
Ok, I start to see some of the disadvantages of non-…
November 24, 2008
is, loosely translated, what the leader of the opposition "red-green alliance" said to a government member of Alþing in Iceland, who claimed the opposition had been procedurally delaying the setup and start of investigation into the Icelandic banking crisis.
This came during a vote of no confidence…
November 24, 2008
is how many people you could employ for a year for $306 billion, at a cost of $70 per hour, for 40 hour work week, 50 weeks per year.
Those people would then go out and spend the money, generating some velocity and additional jobs.
or at a mean hourly rate of only $15,000 - you could get 1,000 of…
November 24, 2008
We need one of those.
"I say, hand over your money. All of it, if you'd be so good.
Awfully decent of you chaps. Thank you most kindly."
"If you securitize the leveraged derivatives you enhance alpha, and you know housing prices never go down."
"They don't make any more land, you know."
"Your money…
November 21, 2008
It is snowing, and this time I am not pointing the wrong way on the I-271(N) staring at the headlights of 20,000 tired and grumpy Clevelanders who are late heading home (but who fortunately do know how to drive in snow, a trait I appear to have lost...).
So, Oh Mighty iPod: Hubble supplemental…
November 21, 2008
triple witching hour
option expiry today, I gather
something has to give, way up or way way down
November 20, 2008
some links to ponder
Japanese economists think maybe US Treasury should issue some bonds in yen - takes out some of the uncertainty, just in case the dollar were to slip a bit...
Fed capitulates - the new buzzword is "quantitative easing" - or "going fiscal" as they say.
Systemic Risk - trade and…
November 20, 2008
AAAoAAAoA
Harvard's many diverse mattresses (h/t IP
Unintended Consequences I: NSF - 2 and out
Unintended Consequences II: Italy - shortening the holding pattern for scientists
In some other universe I am writing an erudite blog response on multiple universes and the paradox of quantum mechanics;…
November 18, 2008
Students become like their advisors.
In academic style, in mannerism, or maybe just their irrational passion for raquetball.
Why is this?
Sincere form of flattery?
Memetic transmission?
Or, something more insidious...
I have before noted that the descendancy of graduate students from their…
November 18, 2008
XKCD 505
This is both frighteningly funny, and shockingly profound.
The really worrying thing is how few people in the world will ever get it.
h/t Chad
ok, I will show mercy:
34:
internet rule 34
wolfram's rule 34
Wolfram classified cellular automata rules - some of which are interesting and…
November 17, 2008
NASA and The Space Telescope Science Institute
announce a Supplemental Call for Observing Proposals for the
Hubble Space Telescope.
Told you so.
"A serious electronic malfunction on HST in late September led to
the postponement of Servicing Mission 4 (SM4). HST has been
restored to operations, and…
November 17, 2008
Carnival of Space #79 at One Astronomer's Noise
Praxis #4 at The Lay Scientist
go browse.
November 14, 2008
Wintry friday, and far too much excitement on all fronts.
So, we ask the Mighty iPod: about those new exoplanets - Fomalhaut b, really there or unlucky background? And, HR8799 - is it really a BSS?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Greetings to the New Brunette - Billy Bragg
The…
November 13, 2008
Coronographic imaging with the Advanced Camera for Surveys, on the Hubble Space Telescope, has revealed a jupiter mass planetary companion, with confirmed common proper motion with its parent star, Fomalhaut.
This would be the first robust bona fide direct imaging detection of an extrasolar planet…
November 13, 2008
All Public Universities will be free, says Congress.
Canadian Scientists find Shorter Work Week as Effective as Viagra
A special edition of the New York Times just appeared, with some good news, finally.
The Yes Men
Every headline is a joy, and pay special attention to the advertisements.
Though…