Cheney Dunk Tank Raises $800 Billion For Nation
if only it were that easy (and that fun)...
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
dick cheney helps economy?
once again, the onion finds a way to hysterically encompass many of the US's political issues into one solid headline:
Cheney Dunk Tank Raises $800 Billion For Nation
if only it were that easy (and that fun)...
Cheney Dunk Tank Raises $800 Billion For Nation
if only it were that easy (and that fun)...
Monday, February 2, 2009
snow creatures
in honor of snow finally sticking to the ground a little bit in nottingham... here are various snow creatures i've found pictures of around the web!
snow face from neatorama.
funny snowmen pics from unmc...
simonk at flickr...
mbryan777 at flickr...
snowman guarding... a beach! from extra medium at flickr
from chick-a-dee at flickr
carnby street - london!
snow face from neatorama.
funny snowmen pics from unmc...
simonk at flickr...
mbryan777 at flickr...
snowman guarding... a beach! from extra medium at flickr
from chick-a-dee at flickr
carnby street - london!
stereo astronomy images
this is one of the cooler things i've seen in a while: stereo astronomy images created by J-P Metsavainio at astro anarchy.
remember those images from 15 years ago or so, that looked like spotty noise, but if you adjusted where your eyes focused, you could see a three dimensional image pop out?? that's what J-P Metsavainio has done with images of astronomical objects! he explains how to view the images on his website.
i remember the first time i saw these types of images at the ohio state fair. i couldnt figure out what everyone was staring at, but the moment i finally figured out how to "see" them and watched the statue of liberty pop out of the flat image - i was amazed!
now, J-P Metsavainio has created a very interesting method for imagining the 3D structure of astronomical objects that we can only view from one direction!
remember those images from 15 years ago or so, that looked like spotty noise, but if you adjusted where your eyes focused, you could see a three dimensional image pop out?? that's what J-P Metsavainio has done with images of astronomical objects! he explains how to view the images on his website.
i remember the first time i saw these types of images at the ohio state fair. i couldnt figure out what everyone was staring at, but the moment i finally figured out how to "see" them and watched the statue of liberty pop out of the flat image - i was amazed!
now, J-P Metsavainio has created a very interesting method for imagining the 3D structure of astronomical objects that we can only view from one direction!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
25 things
here's a narcissistic indulgence spiraling its way around facebook. thought i'd participate and share it here too.
1. i have 55 (plus or minus 2) *first* cousins. all of them currently live within a few hour drive of cincinnati, ohio, USA.
2. at the start of each year in elementary school, i looked around the class to see who i would have a crush on. who knew i'd be facebook friends with some of my crushes 20 years later?!
3. i first left my country at the age of 15 to visit my aunt in south korea. the experience changed me completely... the world beyond suburban america became an attainable reality. thank you, amy! i hope i can share such an awakening adventure with my niece and nephew when they are old enough.
4. i went thru a strong christian phase when i was a teenager. the judgmental attitudes of some of my christian friends instigated my questioning of religion.
5. during my first year in college, i fell in love, smoked cigarettes, discovered the grateful dead, got a tattoo, tried some drugs, learned how to knit, and changed my major to physics - not necessarily in that order.
6. i was in a rock band called perelandra for a couple years in college. i often asked myself "should i be a rock star or a physicist?" then the band decided for me by breaking up one summer while i was in chicagoland working at fermilab, being an astrophysicist.
7. i once met jeff tweedy (of the band wilco) and told him that his austin city limits festival set was really great, but not quite as rockin' as the pixies.
8. i started school at the age of 4 and finally finished, after taking no breaks, at 28. i began to question my sanity near the end; they gave me a Ph.D.
9. i've spent about 90 nights awake on mountain tops around the world playing with big huge telescopes and admiring the sky!
10. one of my proudest moments was when the chilenos i played with soccer with in chile started calling me "ronaldinha!"
11. i've kept personal journals since i was 8 years old. maybe thats why i took to blogging so naturally.
12. i enjoy writing a blog. i started about ten years ago in order to learn html and update my family while i traveled (see #6). then i decided to use the venue as a way to practice writing about science to a popular audience. i'm constantly entertained by the personal online community astropixie has developed. i'm constantly intrigued, and sometimes creeped out, by the communication existing between people from all over the world, and by the feedback i receive.
13. i finish reading a novel every month or two and give my books to people i think might enjoy them. book recommendations always welcome.
14. i think video conferences are both wonderful and horrible. creating and maintaining worldwide astronomical collaborations is now easier, and i love seeing my family while i live so far away! but the moment i end a conversation with my niece and nephew is the moment i miss them the absolute most, because i cant give them hugs.
15. i'm a big fan of the original star wars movies, bananas, art parties, orgasms, honesty, singing around campfires, family dinners, explorative discussions, skinny dipping, seeing the milky way in the sky, reading to kids, and baking bread. (yes, i'm counting this as one item in the whole list!)
16. i feel like i really experience a culture when i stay long enough to watch how the people change with the seasons. i'm thrilled to have experienced this in ohio, austin, germany, chile, and england... so far.
17. my great-grandmother's name was ida dora doll.
18. i like learning other languages. how else can you haggle when you travel? also, there are beautiful phrases in each language that do not translate properly, yet reveal interesting cultural details about the people that speak the language.
19. the sight of blood makes me queazy, and probably explains why i dont like horror films.
22. i'm a cat lover without a cat to love.... i travel too much to have a pet right now :( when i was very young, i had a kitten named sock. sock died and i was sad, so i named my next kitten two socks.
21. few things please me more than being so absorbed in playing the piano that i lose awareness of everything else.
22. i think we are all ultimately trying to figure out how to deal with our undeniably finite existences. to me, the idea of a god provides no confidence, although i recognize that the possibility consoles many. i derive comfort from contemplating how the universe works, appreciating my unexplainable human consciousness, and knowing that my being will eventually be recycled back into the cycle of star dust that i so much admire.
23. i'm happy for my health, and make an effort to maintain it.
24. i'm looking forward to turning 30. only 4 months left! i wonder what shade of gray my hair will eventually turn.
25. i'm proud of what i've accomplished in my life and have absolutely no idea where i'll be, or what i'll be doing in a few years. for now i am happy anticipating the unknown adventures, but maybe i won't always feel comfortable with such uncertainty.
ps. i'm thru with through.
1. i have 55 (plus or minus 2) *first* cousins. all of them currently live within a few hour drive of cincinnati, ohio, USA.
2. at the start of each year in elementary school, i looked around the class to see who i would have a crush on. who knew i'd be facebook friends with some of my crushes 20 years later?!
3. i first left my country at the age of 15 to visit my aunt in south korea. the experience changed me completely... the world beyond suburban america became an attainable reality. thank you, amy! i hope i can share such an awakening adventure with my niece and nephew when they are old enough.
4. i went thru a strong christian phase when i was a teenager. the judgmental attitudes of some of my christian friends instigated my questioning of religion.
5. during my first year in college, i fell in love, smoked cigarettes, discovered the grateful dead, got a tattoo, tried some drugs, learned how to knit, and changed my major to physics - not necessarily in that order.
6. i was in a rock band called perelandra for a couple years in college. i often asked myself "should i be a rock star or a physicist?" then the band decided for me by breaking up one summer while i was in chicagoland working at fermilab, being an astrophysicist.
7. i once met jeff tweedy (of the band wilco) and told him that his austin city limits festival set was really great, but not quite as rockin' as the pixies.
8. i started school at the age of 4 and finally finished, after taking no breaks, at 28. i began to question my sanity near the end; they gave me a Ph.D.
9. i've spent about 90 nights awake on mountain tops around the world playing with big huge telescopes and admiring the sky!
10. one of my proudest moments was when the chilenos i played with soccer with in chile started calling me "ronaldinha!"
11. i've kept personal journals since i was 8 years old. maybe thats why i took to blogging so naturally.
12. i enjoy writing a blog. i started about ten years ago in order to learn html and update my family while i traveled (see #6). then i decided to use the venue as a way to practice writing about science to a popular audience. i'm constantly entertained by the personal online community astropixie has developed. i'm constantly intrigued, and sometimes creeped out, by the communication existing between people from all over the world, and by the feedback i receive.
13. i finish reading a novel every month or two and give my books to people i think might enjoy them. book recommendations always welcome.
14. i think video conferences are both wonderful and horrible. creating and maintaining worldwide astronomical collaborations is now easier, and i love seeing my family while i live so far away! but the moment i end a conversation with my niece and nephew is the moment i miss them the absolute most, because i cant give them hugs.
15. i'm a big fan of the original star wars movies, bananas, art parties, orgasms, honesty, singing around campfires, family dinners, explorative discussions, skinny dipping, seeing the milky way in the sky, reading to kids, and baking bread. (yes, i'm counting this as one item in the whole list!)
16. i feel like i really experience a culture when i stay long enough to watch how the people change with the seasons. i'm thrilled to have experienced this in ohio, austin, germany, chile, and england... so far.
17. my great-grandmother's name was ida dora doll.
18. i like learning other languages. how else can you haggle when you travel? also, there are beautiful phrases in each language that do not translate properly, yet reveal interesting cultural details about the people that speak the language.
19. the sight of blood makes me queazy, and probably explains why i dont like horror films.
22. i'm a cat lover without a cat to love.... i travel too much to have a pet right now :( when i was very young, i had a kitten named sock. sock died and i was sad, so i named my next kitten two socks.
21. few things please me more than being so absorbed in playing the piano that i lose awareness of everything else.
22. i think we are all ultimately trying to figure out how to deal with our undeniably finite existences. to me, the idea of a god provides no confidence, although i recognize that the possibility consoles many. i derive comfort from contemplating how the universe works, appreciating my unexplainable human consciousness, and knowing that my being will eventually be recycled back into the cycle of star dust that i so much admire.
23. i'm happy for my health, and make an effort to maintain it.
24. i'm looking forward to turning 30. only 4 months left! i wonder what shade of gray my hair will eventually turn.
25. i'm proud of what i've accomplished in my life and have absolutely no idea where i'll be, or what i'll be doing in a few years. for now i am happy anticipating the unknown adventures, but maybe i won't always feel comfortable with such uncertainty.
ps. i'm thru with through.
Friday, January 30, 2009
star trails
here's a nice demonstration of how stars move around the sky to form star trailsby using timelapse photography!
South Celestial Pole from Martin Whipp on Vimeo.
South Celestial Pole from Martin Whipp on Vimeo.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
venus during the day
today (thursday) and tomorrow (friday) provide excellent opportunities to see the bright planet venus during the day - which is one of my favorite astronomical phenomena! the very thin crescent moon sits right next to venus during these two days, making it easier to adjust your eyes to venus's position.
from both hemispheres, the crescent of the moon opens toward venus today, then tomorrow, venus sits on the convex side of the moon.
happy planet hunting!
from both hemispheres, the crescent of the moon opens toward venus today, then tomorrow, venus sits on the convex side of the moon.
happy planet hunting!
motivating manager
the quality of this video isnt that great, but without a doubt, it'll warm your heart.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
what should hubble look at?
as part of the international year of astronomy festivities, the hubble site has launched a project where we get to choose an astronomical object for the hubble space telescope to observe!
already existing images and descriptions of the possible targets are available at youdecide.hubblesite.org, where you can also vote by March 1st! the choices:
i'm biased in opinion as i study galaxies and think interacting galaxies are incredibly exciting, but i would be happy to see hubble's view of any of the objects listed above.
i will leave you with a great compilation of cosmic collisions previously captured by the hubble space telescope, which now sits as my desktop background:
thanks to the astronomy blog for the tip.
already existing images and descriptions of the possible targets are available at youdecide.hubblesite.org, where you can also vote by March 1st! the choices:
NGC 6634 - star forming region
NGC 6072 - planetary nebula
NGC 5172 - spiral galaxy
NGC 4289 - edge-on spiral galaxy
Arp 274 - interacting galaxies
NGC 40 - planetary nebula
NGC 4289 - edge-on spiral galaxy
Arp 274 - interacting galaxies
NGC 40 - planetary nebula
i'm biased in opinion as i study galaxies and think interacting galaxies are incredibly exciting, but i would be happy to see hubble's view of any of the objects listed above.
i will leave you with a great compilation of cosmic collisions previously captured by the hubble space telescope, which now sits as my desktop background:
thanks to the astronomy blog for the tip.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
long exposure photographs
we use long exposures to capture the photons flying thru space from very distant objects. its not uncommon to expose for eight hours on a faint galaxy 11 billion light years away just to catch a faint signal!
images created by opening the shutter for a couple minutes reveal amazing phenomena on earth as well! here are a couple examples from an online digital photography school.
20 second exposure by sara heinrichs
114 second exposure by MumbleyJoe
i dont actually know if aigar truhin used a longer exposure to capture these strange light pillars over latvia, but its a cool image anyway!
i love this unforgettable image of picasso...
i cant find the link now, but i read somewhere on the internets that photographer gjon mili visited picasso in 1949 and told him about a technique of creating drawings from light using long exposures. picasso was instantly inspired and used a "light pen" to sketch this bull. brilliant!
images created by opening the shutter for a couple minutes reveal amazing phenomena on earth as well! here are a couple examples from an online digital photography school.
20 second exposure by sara heinrichs
114 second exposure by MumbleyJoe
i dont actually know if aigar truhin used a longer exposure to capture these strange light pillars over latvia, but its a cool image anyway!
i love this unforgettable image of picasso...
i cant find the link now, but i read somewhere on the internets that photographer gjon mili visited picasso in 1949 and told him about a technique of creating drawings from light using long exposures. picasso was instantly inspired and used a "light pen" to sketch this bull. brilliant!
flying bananas!
never thought bananas could be scary, but daniela edburg certainly achieved the effect in this photo!
thanks to bernd missal for the link!
thanks to bernd missal for the link!
Monday, January 26, 2009
tycho crater: 3D!
on the moon, theres a large crater named tycho. it's the big one toward the southwest, with ejecta shooting out in every direction.
here's an amazing three dimensional video of its structure... here. 3D glasses: use 'em if you gottem! (the video is much much better in the high-res version).
the crater's shape is created from the impact of an object falling to the ground and splashing up material all around. you can sort of visualize the process from this excellent video of a water droplet falling into sand.
of course the structure of the sand after the impact quickly fades away, but you can still see the ring of material shot out in every direction and then one lingering mound of stuff right in the middle at the impact location.
here's an amazing three dimensional video of its structure... here. 3D glasses: use 'em if you gottem! (the video is much much better in the high-res version).
the crater's shape is created from the impact of an object falling to the ground and splashing up material all around. you can sort of visualize the process from this excellent video of a water droplet falling into sand.
of course the structure of the sand after the impact quickly fades away, but you can still see the ring of material shot out in every direction and then one lingering mound of stuff right in the middle at the impact location.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
butt hole road
glad to see the NY times also finds humor in some of the signs of england!
see also:
signs of nottingham
signs of cambridge
see also:
signs of nottingham
signs of cambridge
Thursday, January 22, 2009
signs of cambridge
here are some photos from a quick weekend trip to cambridge, england.
so much pristine grass around the colleges (this one is king's college), but dont dare take a step on it!
this sign outside of trinity college made me laugh. a noticeably large amount of people in this country smoke, so it's not surprising that they state "permission applied for."
apparently people love this stuff!
a typically polite, and very official sign!
worst name. ever.
this is the foundation stone of the cambridge corn exchange, set in 1874 by the then mayor, john death. i've been informed that death as a name is pronounced "dee-ath," but seriously. worst. name. ever.
so much pristine grass around the colleges (this one is king's college), but dont dare take a step on it!
this sign outside of trinity college made me laugh. a noticeably large amount of people in this country smoke, so it's not surprising that they state "permission applied for."
apparently people love this stuff!
a typically polite, and very official sign!
worst name. ever.
this is the foundation stone of the cambridge corn exchange, set in 1874 by the then mayor, john death. i've been informed that death as a name is pronounced "dee-ath," but seriously. worst. name. ever.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
to read or not to read
many more books exist than could possibly be read by any single human being during a lifetime. i wish that every book i chose to spend time reading turned out to be interesting and beneficial to my being, but that's, unfortunately, not the case. i choose books mostly based on recommendations from family and friends, book reviews, and sifting thru the "classics" that i feel i *should* try to read at some point.
the guardian is currently featuring a series called 1000 novels everyone must read. i went thru the first installment, the love category, in last weekend's paper. of the novels i had read, i mostly agreed with their inclusion in the list, but not all. i also excitedly added quite a few books to my to-read list!
anyway, even if i dont ever get around to reading all the novels listed, i really enjoyed reading the brief plot descriptions the guardian included in the list. there were many authors i'd heard of and titles i recognized, but i had no idea what the books were about or in what style the authors wrote! an enlightening experience reading that list. enjoy!
the guardian is currently featuring a series called 1000 novels everyone must read. i went thru the first installment, the love category, in last weekend's paper. of the novels i had read, i mostly agreed with their inclusion in the list, but not all. i also excitedly added quite a few books to my to-read list! anyway, even if i dont ever get around to reading all the novels listed, i really enjoyed reading the brief plot descriptions the guardian included in the list. there were many authors i'd heard of and titles i recognized, but i had no idea what the books were about or in what style the authors wrote! an enlightening experience reading that list. enjoy!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
a gaza story
suleiman baraka is a palestinian astrophysicist working at virgnia tech with NASA. during an interview a couple days ago with democracy now, he shares a devastating account of his family that currently lives in gaza. his 11-year-old son was killed after a bombing, his extended family is still suffering thru the attacks.
there are over 1,100 such stories.
there are over 1,100 such stories.
finally - a new US president!
this happy day is finally here: bush is out, obama is in. i'm extremely excited!! the world has high expectations for obama, which are nearly as high as what he seems to have set for himself! its unrealistic that he will accomplish all the changes he seeks, but i honor his conviction and determination, even if i dont agree with all of his suggestions. i'm ready to enjoy this inaugural day. i'm looking forward to no longer instantly rolling my eyes in disappointment (to say it lightly) every time my president opens his pie hole.
these nice images show the inauguration preparation (from the big picture):
the US capitol building where the official inauguration is taking place today, january 20, 2009, using abraham lincoln's bible.
nasa will participate in the inaugural parade! astronaut michael gernhardt will drive the new lunar electric rover, pictured above, which is current design for a mission to the moon in about 12 years! also participating are the entire crew that flew on space shuttle endeavour in november 2008 on the STS-126 mission.
up to 120,000 passengers an hour can be carried on washington dc's metro system... using these fancy tickets!
and please, someone explain to me the appeal of wax figures!! i just dont get it! they always seem more creepy than anything.
anyway, enjoy the day!!
these nice images show the inauguration preparation (from the big picture):
the US capitol building where the official inauguration is taking place today, january 20, 2009, using abraham lincoln's bible.
nasa will participate in the inaugural parade! astronaut michael gernhardt will drive the new lunar electric rover, pictured above, which is current design for a mission to the moon in about 12 years! also participating are the entire crew that flew on space shuttle endeavour in november 2008 on the STS-126 mission.
up to 120,000 passengers an hour can be carried on washington dc's metro system... using these fancy tickets!
and please, someone explain to me the appeal of wax figures!! i just dont get it! they always seem more creepy than anything.
anyway, enjoy the day!!
dimensions: visualized.
i'm enamored by the graphical perspective presented in this series of videos: dimensions. i've only watched the first two ~10 minute videos so far, but i'm looking forward to sitting thru the rest.
as the name suggests, this series elegantly guides us to visualize 3+ dimensions in creative ways that i havent seen before. enjoy!
as the name suggests, this series elegantly guides us to visualize 3+ dimensions in creative ways that i havent seen before. enjoy!
Monday, January 19, 2009
friends: small and grand
of all the new friendships i've made in nottingham over the last 5 months, i dont have any new tiny friends!? i suspect that several couples i know are on the brink of committing to parenthood, but still, almost none of my new friends have small children! not having any little kids around feels strange since i've always been surrounded by kid cousins or kids of friends. babies are adorable (more so when you dont have to change their diapers!), toddlers are cute while learning to communicate and interact (and when they get wound up, wild, and whiny, i can go home!), and then kids really start to get fun when they use their blossoming imaginations to create games and explain to you how the world works according to their growing understanding!
i like spending time with people of a wide range of ages; they remind me to maintain my innocent curiosity while seeking happiness and wisdom.
hm. how does one meet cool kids to interact with in a new city? volunteer?
i like spending time with people of a wide range of ages; they remind me to maintain my innocent curiosity while seeking happiness and wisdom.
hm. how does one meet cool kids to interact with in a new city? volunteer?
Friday, January 16, 2009
paper abstract mad libs!
i'm not sure how well-known mad libs are, but i loved them as a kid! the name of the game plays on the term ad lib and consists of a very short story with missing words. the missing words are labeled with their type - noun, adjective, verb, etc... one person asks another for random words that satisfy the grammatical requirements, writes the words into the blank lines, and then reads the silly story with funny, random words out loud for everyone to enjoy.
now that you know the history (did you before? i dont know), you'll understand my enjoyment of today's phd comic:
haha!
now that you know the history (did you before? i dont know), you'll understand my enjoyment of today's phd comic:
haha!
poor baby
the hat leads you to believe that this little one is ready to party, but the expression screams of boredom!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
carnival of (collectible) space
this week's carnival of space collection of astronomy-reads is us at collectSPACE. there are several interesting articles to tackle, but one especially caught my interest.... ian musgrave has inspired me to attempt to spot the super bright planet venus during the day!
venus is that amazingly bright object shining in the southwest evening sky right now. i've been watching it, so i have an idea of where it sits as the sun sets. i'll try to go out a little earlier each evening (well, afternoon really, considering the sun is still setting ridiculously early these days) to see is i can spot it. its easiest to see venus during the day when the moon is somewhere nearby as a beacon. at the end of this month (jan 29th and 30th, 2009), the crescent moon will pass very close to venus so we will be able to see them both together during the day - one of my favorite events! (and maybe, just maybe, it wont be raining here in england so i can actually try to spy the daytime alignment!).
this daytime venus photo was taken by peter heinzen during an eclipse in june 2007.
happy venus hunting!
venus is that amazingly bright object shining in the southwest evening sky right now. i've been watching it, so i have an idea of where it sits as the sun sets. i'll try to go out a little earlier each evening (well, afternoon really, considering the sun is still setting ridiculously early these days) to see is i can spot it. its easiest to see venus during the day when the moon is somewhere nearby as a beacon. at the end of this month (jan 29th and 30th, 2009), the crescent moon will pass very close to venus so we will be able to see them both together during the day - one of my favorite events! (and maybe, just maybe, it wont be raining here in england so i can actually try to spy the daytime alignment!).
this daytime venus photo was taken by peter heinzen during an eclipse in june 2007.
happy venus hunting!
comet lulin
comet lulin (C/2227 N3) says a big hello to the sun today as it clears its closest approach to the fiery center of our solar system - its perihelion. this comet is shooting around the sun and starting its journey towards the outskirts of the solar system, passing by the earth on its way at a closest-distance of only 14.5 times farther than the moon on february 24th, 2009. you can currently view comet lulin thru a modest telescope, and jeremy perez shares a quality sketch of his telescopic view:
i love that he made a sketch! its just so romantic and endearing and reminds me of some of the first washes and engravings of the moon created 400 years ago by galileo galilei (his name demands that you say it out loud)...
lulin will reach a peak magnitude of 5-6 in late feb 2009, allowing for naked-eye viewing in clear, dark areas. caffeinatedastronomy.com has a comprehensive collection of links about comet lulin that you can pay attention to, and hopefully i can find some good images to post as comet lulin approaches!
i love that he made a sketch! its just so romantic and endearing and reminds me of some of the first washes and engravings of the moon created 400 years ago by galileo galilei (his name demands that you say it out loud)...
lulin will reach a peak magnitude of 5-6 in late feb 2009, allowing for naked-eye viewing in clear, dark areas. caffeinatedastronomy.com has a comprehensive collection of links about comet lulin that you can pay attention to, and hopefully i can find some good images to post as comet lulin approaches!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
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