catdynamics | October 14, 2017scienceblogs.com is shutting down
moving back to ye olde blog: catdynamics
out
catdynamics | January 22, 2017I've been puzzling over the rationale for some recent events...
Exxon has a large contract to develop oil and natural gas resources in the Russia.
This can only go forward if sanctions on Russia are lifted, which seems likely to happen in the near future.
But, there is too much oil and capacity to surge produce more oil and gas on the market. If nothing else, the US has well developed capacity which is idling.
The problem, as it has been for the last few decades, is that Saudi Arabia can squeeze new producers out of the market, by increasing production and sharply dropping prices, for a while…
catdynamics | January 22, 2017The Aspen Art Museum is doing a series of interdisciplinary lectures, titled "Another Look"
Another Look Lecture: Gabriel Orozco & Cosmology - so this is a thing.
I did one of the lectures. The first one, I gather.
It was quite an interesting experience, for me at least.
Good fun, riffing on the perspective from physics on Orozco's work, which is partially inspired by astronomy and thoughts on cosmology.
MoMA was very helpful in providing a perspective on Orozco's work over the years.
The actual exhibition was very interesting. The central floor display piece was quite startling in…
catdynamics | December 23, 2016The origins and history of the Yule Lads with bonus Christmas Cat...
Even I did not know that peak Yule Lads was 82!
Criminy!
catdynamics | December 23, 2016Ok, I confess, I was supposed to get these reviewed before the Holidays, but a Sequence of Unfortunate Events Intervened and I am only part way through these.
Anywho, if you need a last second pressie for random acquaintances so disposed, there are a couple of interesting science books out there:
A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tunes Cosmos by Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes, is a nice up to date book for the general (educated) public on modern physics and cosmology.
If covers modern cosmology and some of the Big Questions of our times, in particular the issue of anthropomorphism how…
catdynamics | December 23, 2016Roads to Rome
All roads really read to Rome
moovel lab makes funky maps,
go play
catdynamics | December 12, 2016
Grímfrost in Sweden give their take on the Meaning of the Season
- the Goat of Þór is serious business though...
catdynamics | December 12, 2016Today is the 12th of december, and there are 13 days until christmas.
This means, of course, that the first of the yule elves came to town this morning.
As you know, Bob, there are thirteen of the Yule Lads, or jólasveinar, as we call them.
And they are not really elves, since their mother is a troll.
The childstealing, cannibal Grýla, of legend.
Stekkjastaur
They come to town, one each day until christmas eve, and then leave in order, starting christmas day and finishing on the 6th of January.
They leave small treats or presents in the shoes of good children, if the kids know to leave…
catdynamics | August 24, 2016The Pale Red Dot project has found a planet.
It is a terrestrial planet, orbiting in the formal habitable zone of Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to the Solar System.
This wide-field image shows the Milky Way stretching across the southern sky. The beautiful Carina Nebula (NGC 3372) is seen at the right of the image glowing in red. It is within this spiral arm of our Milky Way that the bright star cluster NGC 3603 resides. At the centre of the image is the constellation of Crux (The Southern Cross). The bright yellow/white star at the left of the image is Alpha Centauri, in fact a system…
catdynamics | June 27, 2016In case anyone hasn't noticed, Iceland is playing England in the Euro 2016 Cup today, round of 16.
This is the first time Iceland has been in a major football tournament, the first time, obviously, they have progressed to the second stage, and as I write this they are unbeaten in tournament play.
Iceland has a population of just over 330,000.
It is about half the size of Wyoming, both in area and population.
For perspective, the mens' football team is drawn approximately from the 21-37 year old demographic, which has about 65,000 people in it. Or about 33,000 males.
The football squad has…
catdynamics | June 23, 2016Summer continues, and the public lecture series on physics continues a pace at the Aspen Center for Physics with Dr. Catherine Heymans of the University of Edinburgh talking today on the "Dark Side of the Universe".
The talk is part of one of the three workshops currently taking place:
"Testing the Laws of Gravity with Cosmological Surveys"
"Emergence, Evolution and Effects of Black Holes in the Universe: The Next 50 Years of Black Hole Physics"
"Entanglement Matters"
the public talks are recorded and will, eventually, be available online courtesy of Aspen Grassroots TV, in the meanwhile,…
catdynamics | June 10, 2016Tabby's Star - KIC 8462852 - remains one of the more interesting and mysterious objects in the sky.
There is a good update at "Updates on Boyajian’s Star" - Astrowright's blog and "Bradley Schaefer: Further Thoughts on the Dimming of KIC 8462852" at Centauri Dreams has the latest on the controversy over whether the star has undergone long term fading.
Update: "The Most Mysterious Star in the Galaxy" - another guest blog by Schaefer providing a good overview of the issues.
Ultimately to resolve this more data is needed.
There is a Kickstarter Project - "The most mysterious star in the Galaxy…
catdynamics | June 10, 2016The Aspen Center for Physics organizes weekly public lectures durings its winter conferences and its summer workshops.
This week the public lecture was by Roni Harnik of Fermilab on “The Higgs Boson and the Mystery of Mass.” The lectures are videoed by Aspen Grassroots television, and archived, and are very slowly being added to the Aspen Physics youtube channel.
This winter, Prof. Andrea Ghez, UCLA gave one of the public lectures at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen: "The Monster of the Milky Way", on the central supermassive black hole in our galaxy.
catdynamics | June 9, 2016"If life were a mellow elementary school run by well-meaning education PhDs what would your report card say?"
catdynamics | June 9, 2016Yay, NASA Senior Review is out:
SeniorReviewReport_2016
tl;dr - everyone is above average, they're good enough and we like you.
Mission ranks
bad news: per AAAC meeting earlier, there is not enough $ to actually pay for all these lovely toys, so something will have to give, somewhere.
Someone at a high enough pay grade to take the blame will decide whether to cut from the bottom or give everybody a haircut.
Early tealeaf readings are haircuts all around.
Official NASA site for Senior Review + Response
catdynamics | February 11, 2016In 2011 Daniel Holz gave a Heinz R. Pagels Public Lecture at the Aspen Center for Physics on the topic of Gravitational Waves. The talk is one of the better explanations of what this is all about, with a bonus introduction!
catdynamics | February 11, 2016LIGO and allies have also provided a bunch of fun useful stuff:
Have We Detected Gravitational Waves Yet?
Stretch and Squash
Black Hole Hunter
Einstein@Home
Gravitational Waves 101 - Markus Pössel's excellent visualizations.
The Data
The Papers
SXS - Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes visualizations
The Chirp - courtesy of Georgia Tech GR group
catdynamics | February 11, 2016February 11th was a good day.
I spent the day at the "Dynamics and accretion at the Galactic Center" Conference at the Aspen Center for Physics, where about 75 physicists have spent the week talking about black holes and stuff.
This morning we watched the LIGO press conference, frantically deciphered the papers, and had a LIGO Science Collaboration member give us a very good rundown of what the situation is.
Over the last few months, LIGO has been making some very good outreach material to explain what is what:
LIGO: A Passion for Understanding a film by Kai Staats
LIGO: Generations
LIGO…
catdynamics | November 30, 2015Ethan Kruse has update the Kepler Orrery, just in time for Extreme Solar Systems III now under way.
Enjoy