at first i was thinking... wow, thats a pretty clever use of natural forces. then i started thinking... woooah dude, hold on tight! and look out for those darwinian rocks!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
what type of blog is this?
inspired by asymptotia's description, i decided to use the typealyzer to see what type of blog this is! apparently i write as an "ESTP - the doer."
this classification comes from the myers-briggs personality classifications and stands for Extraverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving. i've taken myers-briggs tests before and i had to sit down and answer about a hundred multiple choice questions. i'm not sure how the typealyzer works just by the text of a blog, but it's still fun to see the results! here's how the typealyzer claims my brain works:
the most interesting thing to me is that the first time i took a myers-briggs test, i was about 14 years old and i was an INFP - Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving, described as
that description fits my 14-year-old-self pretty well i think. its amazing how much we change with time and experience.
another funny result from typealyzer is the little sketch-character that accompanies the description. almost every time i've submitted my blog for one of these online analyzer things, they tell me i'm a man. i wonder if this cute little picture of a girl stems from the fact that most "STFP Doers" are female, they could actually guess my sex from my blog writing style, or the fact that the title "astropixie" has feminine insinuations?
this classification comes from the myers-briggs personality classifications and stands for Extraverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving. i've taken myers-briggs tests before and i had to sit down and answer about a hundred multiple choice questions. i'm not sure how the typealyzer works just by the text of a blog, but it's still fun to see the results! here's how the typealyzer claims my brain works:
the most interesting thing to me is that the first time i took a myers-briggs test, i was about 14 years old and i was an INFP - Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving, described as
Quiet, reflective, and idealistic. Interested in serving humanity. Well-developed value system, which they strive to live in accordance with. Extremely loyal. Adaptable and laid-back unless a strongly-held value is threatened. Usually talented writers. Mentally quick, and able to see possibilities. Interested in understanding and helping people."
that description fits my 14-year-old-self pretty well i think. its amazing how much we change with time and experience.
another funny result from typealyzer is the little sketch-character that accompanies the description. almost every time i've submitted my blog for one of these online analyzer things, they tell me i'm a man. i wonder if this cute little picture of a girl stems from the fact that most "STFP Doers" are female, they could actually guess my sex from my blog writing style, or the fact that the title "astropixie" has feminine insinuations?
jupiter and venus race to december's horizon
if you have been able to see the early evening skies for the last several months, you have almost certainly noticed two very bright "stars" sinking towards the horizon: venus and jupiter.
venus sets first in the southwest and appears 2 magnitudes brighter than jupiter, which hangs higher in the sky (about 7° apart nov 23rd). watch these bright planets over the next week, as they move together in night sky. jupiter is moving more quickly along the ecliptic, and therefore appears to catch up to venus in the southwestern night sky, as if it wants to win the race to set earlier! by november 30th, the planets are only 2° apart, when the party is invigorated by a wee crescent moon, that passes near the planetary conjunction as it moves the opposite direction in the sky by 12° each night.
jupiter then continues its descent and slowly falls a bit westerly each night. the bright planet sets earlier and earlier so that it eventually catches up with the sun's position in our night sky! jupiter physically passes behind the sun next january 24th as it says goodnight to our night sky. when the planet moves around the far side of the sun, it begins to lead the sun along the ecliptic, and starts to greet us in our morning sky, as it rises just before the sun rises to bring the day.
UPDATE: a comment from chuck convinced me i needed to clear up issues about objects moving around in the night sky!
every night, all objects rise in the east and set in the west, just like the sun, due to earth's daily rotation. over time (many nights or weeks or months), the planets move more quickly with respect to the rest of the stars because they are closer to us in space (this was how we originally identified planets).
while each night venus and jupiter rise in our eastern skies and set in the west, over time they continue along their own orbits around the sun which causes them to move along the ecliptic defined in our sky. currently, jupiter is moving westward along the ecliptic causing it to set a bit earlier each night, while venus is moving, much more slowly, in the other direction, along the ecliptic. so venus isnt actually racing jupiter to set earlier, its very slowly setting later and later. sorry for the confusion, and thanks chuck!
venus sets first in the southwest and appears 2 magnitudes brighter than jupiter, which hangs higher in the sky (about 7° apart nov 23rd). watch these bright planets over the next week, as they move together in night sky. jupiter is moving more quickly along the ecliptic, and therefore appears to catch up to venus in the southwestern night sky, as if it wants to win the race to set earlier! by november 30th, the planets are only 2° apart, when the party is invigorated by a wee crescent moon, that passes near the planetary conjunction as it moves the opposite direction in the sky by 12° each night.
jupiter then continues its descent and slowly falls a bit westerly each night. the bright planet sets earlier and earlier so that it eventually catches up with the sun's position in our night sky! jupiter physically passes behind the sun next january 24th as it says goodnight to our night sky. when the planet moves around the far side of the sun, it begins to lead the sun along the ecliptic, and starts to greet us in our morning sky, as it rises just before the sun rises to bring the day.
UPDATE: a comment from chuck convinced me i needed to clear up issues about objects moving around in the night sky!
every night, all objects rise in the east and set in the west, just like the sun, due to earth's daily rotation. over time (many nights or weeks or months), the planets move more quickly with respect to the rest of the stars because they are closer to us in space (this was how we originally identified planets).
while each night venus and jupiter rise in our eastern skies and set in the west, over time they continue along their own orbits around the sun which causes them to move along the ecliptic defined in our sky. currently, jupiter is moving westward along the ecliptic causing it to set a bit earlier each night, while venus is moving, much more slowly, in the other direction, along the ecliptic. so venus isnt actually racing jupiter to set earlier, its very slowly setting later and later. sorry for the confusion, and thanks chuck!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
missing: particle.
news from the large hadron collider has slowed since a few complications arose in september of this year. LHC will remain shut down until spring 2009, since the time for repairs will take a while, and CERN usually shuts down all winter for an obligatory winter maintenance period.
but the scene isn't completely quiet in switzerland as this sign, recently seen around the CERN facilities, shows!
thanks to dark roasted blend.
but the scene isn't completely quiet in switzerland as this sign, recently seen around the CERN facilities, shows!
thanks to dark roasted blend.
shuttle night launch
here's a quick and cool video of a shuttle night launch from kennedy space center.
Shuttle Launch: Cape Canaveral, March 11 from Seth Gadsden on Vimeo.
here's a much longer video from endeavor's launch last week (nov 14, 2008). its interesting to watch the last ~7 minutes before the launch and hear commentary explaining each move during the final stages of launch preparation! it would be so great to witness a night launch in person!
Shuttle Launch: Cape Canaveral, March 11 from Seth Gadsden on Vimeo.
here's a much longer video from endeavor's launch last week (nov 14, 2008). its interesting to watch the last ~7 minutes before the launch and hear commentary explaining each move during the final stages of launch preparation! it would be so great to witness a night launch in person!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
reasons for attending grad school
i think i started in the blue, then moved thru green and orange... at some point adding "avoiding paying student loans."
found at graph jam via mike's meandering mind.
a christmas story
there's a classic 1983 american christmas movie that is played on TV for 24-hour marathons throughout the holiday season: "a christmas story." i loved this movie as a kid and i'm still entertained by it each year. i'm shocked to report that not a single person among the people here in nottingham that i've asked have heard of this movie, much less seen it! i must plan a screening! this movie must be witnessed!! where can i find it?
here's the original trailer for the movie to give you a taste:
"a christmas story" represents an integral part of the comforting holiday tradition i feel every year. my sisters and i quote the movie regularly, from triple dog daring each other, to singing "fa-ra-ra-ra-rar" at the annual family caroling session.
as a pointles bit of trivia, the "christmas story" house is located in cleveland, ohio... a mere 4 hour drive away from where i grew up in cincinnati, but i never went to see it.
thinking about this movie reminds me that i will get to watch all the british christmas specials this holiday season and experience the various traditions unique to this region of the world. is there anything that people particularly like that i should make a point to pay attention to??
here's the original trailer for the movie to give you a taste:
"a christmas story" represents an integral part of the comforting holiday tradition i feel every year. my sisters and i quote the movie regularly, from triple dog daring each other, to singing "fa-ra-ra-ra-rar" at the annual family caroling session.
as a pointles bit of trivia, the "christmas story" house is located in cleveland, ohio... a mere 4 hour drive away from where i grew up in cincinnati, but i never went to see it.
thinking about this movie reminds me that i will get to watch all the british christmas specials this holiday season and experience the various traditions unique to this region of the world. is there anything that people particularly like that i should make a point to pay attention to??
frugal astronomy
if youre interested in exploring the universe as an enthusiastic amateur astronomer, but lack the budget to buy a nice telescope or travel to distant locations to find the clearest skies available.... check out 25 useful tips for the frugal astronomer given by brian at one minute astronomer.
Friday, November 21, 2008
scenes from italy
italy has to be one of the most photogenic countries on earth, although i hardly seem to have a hard time finding things to take pictures of wherever i am. the bad news is that my camera requires retirement after the damage received on this trip. the good news is that its time to upgrade my technology! any camera suggestions? i've heard the new canon powershot g10 is excellent, but it might not fit into my little camera bag that i really like :(
anyway, here are some of my favorite scenes from italy.
the colosseum in rome
roman romance
man watching the scene in naples
mount vesuvius from the ferry to capri island
idyllic italy: capri
pompeii
(abbey road?) pompeii
beautiful marble sculptures recovered from the cities devastated by the 79 AD eruption of mt. vesuvius
the town of atrani
in the town of rovello
idyllic italy: amalfi coast
hello moon
these shots represent a simple preview of many images i have to share! enjoy!
anyway, here are some of my favorite scenes from italy.
the colosseum in rome
roman romance
man watching the scene in naples
mount vesuvius from the ferry to capri island
idyllic italy: capri
pompeii
(abbey road?) pompeii
beautiful marble sculptures recovered from the cities devastated by the 79 AD eruption of mt. vesuvius 
the town of atrani
in the town of rovello
idyllic italy: amalfi coast
hello moonthese shots represent a simple preview of many images i have to share! enjoy!
girl from ohio gets 2nd dessert
i'm a bit late in posting this one, but it's funny and so true in so many ways, that several people have emailed to say that it reminded them of me.
from PhD comics.
from PhD comics.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
grasshoppers don't like infinity
in my seventh grade math class, i heard my first version of zeno's paradox in the form of a thirsty grasshopper. a tired grasshopper wants to drink water that is some distance away. he can only jump half the distance to the water, because he is tired. but he is even more exhausted after the first jump and can only jump half of the remaining distance the next time, then half of that distance the next jump, then half, etc... will the thirsty grasshopper ever reach the water?
my answer was no.
but what about when it comes to mathematicians and beer?
haha! more dork jokes here.
joke found thru talk like a physicist.
my answer was no.
but what about when it comes to mathematicians and beer?
haha! more dork jokes here.
joke found thru talk like a physicist.
from italy to england
sometimes "home" is a relative term: home is where my family lives, home is where i keep my stuff, home is where my computer sits (sad, but true, modern statement). i'm at my current home again, nottingham, england, where it's not nearly as cold as i feared it would be!
it was nice to visit a country where english is not the first language. i learned some necessary words and phrases in italian, but found myself always defaulting to spanish. now i have to rush off to work to take care of some immediate business, and then prepare for my first spanish class! i miss speaking another language so i'm excited for these classes that are offered by the university.
overall, italy was beautiful. the ancient city of rome brought a disorienting sense of history to my mind, while naples tempted my palette in pastariffic ways! pompeii, ercolano, amalfi.... many, many pictures to come... as soon as i sit down to sort thru them!
it was nice to visit a country where english is not the first language. i learned some necessary words and phrases in italian, but found myself always defaulting to spanish. now i have to rush off to work to take care of some immediate business, and then prepare for my first spanish class! i miss speaking another language so i'm excited for these classes that are offered by the university.
overall, italy was beautiful. the ancient city of rome brought a disorienting sense of history to my mind, while naples tempted my palette in pastariffic ways! pompeii, ercolano, amalfi.... many, many pictures to come... as soon as i sit down to sort thru them!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
travel bug
ridiculously early tomorrow morning, i'm off to the campania region of italy! time for a little sun and warmth :)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
fa = a long, long way to run?
this made me laugh, and hear julie andrews in my head...
you can have it on a t-shirt if you want.
ps. i honestly never understood why or how "fa" was a "long, long way to run"... until i moved to england ;)
you can have it on a t-shirt if you want.
ps. i honestly never understood why or how "fa" was a "long, long way to run"... until i moved to england ;)
aesthetics & astronomy
you can help out with a ~15 minute survey and see some interesting astronomy images at http://astroart.cfa.harvard.edu/.
this is an image they share of the whirlpool galaxy (M51), as seen thru the lenses of many different space telescopes. looks like they've combined images from most of NASA's great obseratories: x-ray from chandra, infrared from spitzer, optical from hubble, and maybe ultraviolet from GALEX (but i'm not sure about the UV).
this is an image they share of the whirlpool galaxy (M51), as seen thru the lenses of many different space telescopes. looks like they've combined images from most of NASA's great obseratories: x-ray from chandra, infrared from spitzer, optical from hubble, and maybe ultraviolet from GALEX (but i'm not sure about the UV).
Saturday, November 8, 2008
obama: before and after
i found senator barack obama's speech from the 2004 democratic national convention. this was the first strongly publicized moment in obama's national political career that i remember. it's a 16 minute video where he's ultimately supporting then-candidate john kerry, but he talks for a long time about his life, inspiration, and philosophy - before he started to move toward the center, as candidates unfailingly do.
four years later, we are treated to an intimate view of how the obama's spent election night 2008... from an election night series at flickr.
president- and VP-elect, joe biden.
listening to mccain's gracious concession speech
support
(apparently the above video has a few lines cut out, here's the full speech which is a lot lower resolution)
four years later, we are treated to an intimate view of how the obama's spent election night 2008... from an election night series at flickr.
president- and VP-elect, joe biden.
listening to mccain's gracious concession speech
support
(apparently the above video has a few lines cut out, here's the full speech which is a lot lower resolution)
Friday, November 7, 2008
election cookies
this is some dedicated baking as a contribution to the project from 52 to 48 with love! i like that each state is individualized and that texas has a little blue dot in the center marking austin!
secretaries of style
with all the fuss about sarah palin's recent wardrobe costs, i thought i'd mention michelle obama's abominable dress from election night. as a family, the obama's looked lovely together, but i really didnt like her choice of designer dress. its a modified rodriguez narciso dress from the spring 2009 collection (aka. not cheap).
i enjoy that michelle actively makes a statement with her fashion, and generally i like her sophisticated fashion sense. but this dress made my jaw drop, in a negative way. i was unpleasantly distracted by the frock-induced shock that interrupted the smile-glued-to-my-face moment. maybe her point was exactly to be as bold and unmistakable as the moment in history, in which case, she succeeded grandly. but still, i just didnt like it. it felt awkward. so i'd like to officially nominate a dynamic duo for the potential new positions of secretaries of style ;) haha!
i enjoy that michelle actively makes a statement with her fashion, and generally i like her sophisticated fashion sense. but this dress made my jaw drop, in a negative way. i was unpleasantly distracted by the frock-induced shock that interrupted the smile-glued-to-my-face moment. maybe her point was exactly to be as bold and unmistakable as the moment in history, in which case, she succeeded grandly. but still, i just didnt like it. it felt awkward. so i'd like to officially nominate a dynamic duo for the potential new positions of secretaries of style ;) haha!
george bush is pants!
for most of you, the title of this post probably doesnt make any sense at all! i was quite confused the first time i saw this type of phrase. in fact, i took a picture so i would remember to ask someone about it later:
i sat there on the bus wondering if i read the writing wrong on the back of the bus in front of me. no... "parking is pants." i assumed it implied something negative, because who likes parking? but "pants" in england means "underwear" to me and equating parking to undergarments didnt make sense either. i figured the phrase was popular enough to be printed on the back of a metro bus, so it shouldnt be hard to figure out.
indeed, something that "is pants" is something that sucks. someone told me that a particular person (a comedian?) popularized the phrase, but i cant remember the popularizers name. i'm left with hearing the phrase all over and seeing it a lot!
the challenge is to use the phrase smoothly in conversation, but i'm pretty sure i'll just laugh if i try. we'll see...
i sat there on the bus wondering if i read the writing wrong on the back of the bus in front of me. no... "parking is pants." i assumed it implied something negative, because who likes parking? but "pants" in england means "underwear" to me and equating parking to undergarments didnt make sense either. i figured the phrase was popular enough to be printed on the back of a metro bus, so it shouldnt be hard to figure out.
indeed, something that "is pants" is something that sucks. someone told me that a particular person (a comedian?) popularized the phrase, but i cant remember the popularizers name. i'm left with hearing the phrase all over and seeing it a lot!
the challenge is to use the phrase smoothly in conversation, but i'm pretty sure i'll just laugh if i try. we'll see...
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
electoral aftermath
congratulations Barack Hussein Obama for being elected the 44th president of the USA!
(wow)
i'm pleased. so pleased that i slept in after staying up rather late to watch the results (with a keen eye on ohio). i didnt make it late enough to see the speeches, but thought they were both appropriate and inspirational when i watched them this morning.
looking at ohio's results county by county, i'm still amazed at how distinctly separated the cities and rural areas are. nearly all the blue democrat counties harbor major cities or universities. cleveland went strongly democratic, and i'm pleasantly surprised that cincinnati didnt go republican (or all of ohio, for that matter!).
this seems to represent the majority of the country: urban voters choose democrat while rural areas vote republican.
i was also thoroughly impressed by the accurate results predicted by the fellas at http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/. their statistical methods are/were quite impressive! scientifically motivated statistical analysis - it works, bitches!
now i get to go about being one of the few americans that i know around these parts, so i'm constantly (and pleasantly) bombarded by everyone's opinions and questions about how the complicated US electoral system works. i must say i'm feeling more relieved and positive on this side of the elections!
one question that i dont know the answer to - what is the origin of republican states as red states and democratic states as blue? i thought i'd ask my personal blog-i-verse before reverting to the googlipedia ;) yippee!
(wow)
i'm pleased. so pleased that i slept in after staying up rather late to watch the results (with a keen eye on ohio). i didnt make it late enough to see the speeches, but thought they were both appropriate and inspirational when i watched them this morning.
looking at ohio's results county by county, i'm still amazed at how distinctly separated the cities and rural areas are. nearly all the blue democrat counties harbor major cities or universities. cleveland went strongly democratic, and i'm pleasantly surprised that cincinnati didnt go republican (or all of ohio, for that matter!).
this seems to represent the majority of the country: urban voters choose democrat while rural areas vote republican.
i was also thoroughly impressed by the accurate results predicted by the fellas at http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/. their statistical methods are/were quite impressive! scientifically motivated statistical analysis - it works, bitches!
now i get to go about being one of the few americans that i know around these parts, so i'm constantly (and pleasantly) bombarded by everyone's opinions and questions about how the complicated US electoral system works. i must say i'm feeling more relieved and positive on this side of the elections!
one question that i dont know the answer to - what is the origin of republican states as red states and democratic states as blue? i thought i'd ask my personal blog-i-verse before reverting to the googlipedia ;) yippee!
don't look directly into the sun
watch steel melt with simple sunlight! they concentrate sunlight with many mirrors by focusing the photons all on one spot. the melting scene is not sped up footage... it's real time! cool!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
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