Steinn Sigurðsson
Professor of Astrophysics at Pennsylvania State University. Science Editor at Astrophysical Journal. Icelandic. Herder of Cats.
catdynamics
Posts by this author
September 6, 2006
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'.
September 5, 2006
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 smaller niche missions and sub-fields…
September 4, 2006
Ok, so I'm a bit behind on my reading, but Prof Johnson's group at OCCF came up with an intriguing study last year conjecturing that terrorist attacks follow Salpeter's Law.
see semi-technical article in PhysOrg or the pop article in the Grauniad
Richardson had found a similar law for the size of…
September 4, 2006
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.
It just figured that I'd be in the Bay Area and there'd be a party at Tom's place...
Good crowd, interesting conversation (I did not know synthetic…
September 2, 2006
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 began.
anyway, e-mail has been inaccessible for over a day - if you need to reach me urgently…
August 31, 2006
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.
The Covering: Take of Me - Alison Moyet
The Crossing: Summertime - Ella Fitzgerald
The…
August 31, 2006
Sometimes one is reminded of why doing science is really rather enjoyable...
I am currently visiting old friends, picking up undone work in an old collaboration.
And for once, everything just clicked together, in two short days we have put together new and old data, and extracted the near…
August 31, 2006
Just caught Bush's American Legion speech on CNN.
He just gave Iran an ultimatum. His Sept 19th speech to the UN will be interesting.
I am seriously concerned that the US is likely to make a unilateral pre-emptive strike on Iranian nuclear facilities and armed forces in late September. I'd now…
August 30, 2006
Bill Maher - new rules: min 2:51 on
"It is time for the United States to severe its ties with science..."
Defence of Planet Act! Now! Call your congresscritters.
You are either with us, or you are with the scientists...
August 30, 2006
Looks like Ioke is going to do bad things to poor little Wake Island.
That island has had a hard history, it may end tonight.
Bad Ioke on Wake.
See The Intersection and Wunderblog
bonus if you can spot the island - hint upper left...
NOAA advisory
Wake Island is 19N 167E - the eye is just about…
August 30, 2006
"I read this article in the NRO, and the author actually made some interesting arguments. 'Basically,' he said, 'I am questioning the premise that [you know what] is a problem rather than an opportunity.' Does he have a point?..."
Absolutely. Ok, some people may die, including possibly half your…
August 29, 2006
another Katrina revisit - this from six months ago
Is this going to be on the test?
Have you ever had that sinking feeling when you are talking to a class and you see the slouch...
That one student with attitude who slumps in his seat (it is almost always a "he") and gets the slightly impatient…
August 29, 2006
So, Santa Cruz is as lovely as ever.
Damn. I'll have to browse a real estate brochure to get a sense of perspective back.
Interesting thing on the plane out of DC...
For some strange reason it is impossible to get a flight out of State College round this time of year, at least for a finite price.…
August 29, 2006
So, somnilista asked I comment on the Steorn claimed over-unity device.
See Grauniad story here
The claim is for a permanent magnet configuration that draws power but returns more energy than it takes in, ie it is a type one perpetual motion machine claim.
I should note that I have not seen the…
August 28, 2006
August 29th 2005 I was at a meeting in Chicago, I was up late flicking between the Weather Channel and CNN while catching up on some work and preparing to chair a session...
2:27 am August 30th 2005
New Orleans - bad news breaking on CNN
Oh dear. Tulane Uni hospital director is reporting the lake…
August 27, 2006
Grauniad article reports...
Unfortunate Dr Coyne will not be available to lend his perspective on the meeting of the scholar's circle.
August 26, 2006
Jimmy and the Keyz sing out
now they've done it, the folk singers have risen...
seen on livescienceblogs
August 25, 2006
Janet asks...
Or, was it Sir, Professor, Doktor, Herr... I forget.
No I don't.
This was a real question for a friend of mine visiting Germany a few years ago...
Round here in Central PA, the students are excessively courteous, and I frequently find myself wondering who this "Prof Sigurdsson" is and…
August 25, 2006
From NASAwatch:
SOFIA taken from Ames and moved to Dryden Research Facility at Edwards
Science Mission Directorate turmoil - who is leaving next?
These are not unrelated.
I do wish certain people in Very Senior Positions would do their job like mature professionals and not like petulant high…
August 25, 2006
Friday, and I need to pack up this computer and move in the next 4 hours.
So, oh mighty iPod one, we ask the The Serious Astronomy Question of the Week, having presciently disposed of Pluto last week...
So, iPod, d00d, wazzup with this Dark Matter shit?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The…
August 24, 2006
there'd be eight little planets sitting on the wall
I am so very sorry; despite being a dynamicist with a natural affinity for Resolutions 5A and 6A, demoting Pluto was still bloody foolish.
Ok, here is the actual text
1) A planet1 is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has…
August 23, 2006
The Pope has fired the Vatican Observatory director, the highly respected Dr George Coyne , and replaced him with Dr Jose Gabriel Funes.
Well, now we know.
Seen on Pharyngula
"...speaking at a conference in Florida, Father Coyne said that "intelligent design isn't science, even if it pretends to be…
August 23, 2006
ScienceNow has more on the NAC firings: NASA Chief Blasts Advisors
Now, you can read this two ways: on the one hand the NAC has a purpose, set by NASA, and its members should stick to their function; on the other hand, the NAC is there to advise, even, or especially, when the advise is unwelcome…
August 23, 2006
Ok, time to stop the madness.
I propose consistent, competing definitons of planets; one leave Pluto in, the other not. Up or down vote.
The IAU now has a competing resolution that looks likely to delete Pluto as a planet, and the original IAU resolution is being voted on piecewise - which will…
August 22, 2006
Bora passes on (and supplements) a request for must read SF
here are some they missed
Axiomatic by Egan
Stories of Your Life ad Others by Chiang
Startide Rising by Brin
True Names by Vinge
Use of Weapons by Banks (actually anything by Banks, seriously)
Antibodies by Charlie Stross
Instrumentality…
August 22, 2006
lot of blog buzz about Iran, its rejection of the UN nuclear enrichment curtailment, attack on Romanian oil platform (?) and arabist doom'n'gloom about August 22nd being some symbolic date...
it is new moon, which is the most opportunistic time for US air strikes, should they be so inclined
only…
August 22, 2006
I hate scum sucking psychics - Angry Professor is really angry. With good cause.
Watch the Tube. Be ready to be angry.
Bloody rip-off parasites praying on people who are at their most vulnerable.
August 22, 2006
I travel a lot, mostly by air. More than I would like, actually. But less than I should.
I spent a number of years in the UK, during "the Troubles" - one day in London, three buildings I had been in earlier in the day were blown up. Strangely enough my wife had the same experience, possibly the…