Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider

During one of our recent walks around the neighborhood, a nice old man stopped Ida and I for a chat. When I mentioned her name, he instantly started singing a lovely melody "Ida, sweet as apple cider..." which I had never heard before.  I asked him about it and he claimed it was just one of those old-timey songs he liked, "you know, one that a barbershop quartet would sing!"

So of course I looked it up when we returned home and learned it immediately.  She even dances when I play it for her :) Music time is my favourite part of our days!

natural woman

the one, the only, ARETHA FRANKLIN!   this brought me to tears - so pure, so passionate, so powerful.  a great way to say goodbye to 2015.

sky schemes: a song

My unofficial hack at last week's .Astronomy 7 conference in sydney was to perform a song i wrote recently called Sky Schemes.  Luckily, Becky recorded it for all to hear!



Sky Schemes
By Amanda Bauer (2015)

On winter nights when I was a girl
I’d go to her house after school
We’d play game, make things, discover our dreams
I’d walk home through the dark remembering our schemes

I’d look up at the stars, shining overhead
Make constellations that I saw instead

Of those Greek ones, Islamic ones, they are so old
There are native ones, Indigenous ones, but we’re seldom told
I made one up. It was a bird, wings spread wide
I’d look for it, find it, feel so much pride

So look up at the stars, shining overhead
Make constellations that you see instead

There are new ones, trues ones, you will see first
Share them with us, through us, satisfy your thirst
To know things, understand, how we are here
No true answer you’ll find, but it will become clear

The questions that matter are changing all the time
Rely on your instincts, empower your mind

And then look up at the stars, shining overhead
Make constellations that you see instead

Photo by Andy Green

Photo by Andy Green

also, another quick announcement that you might suspect from the photo below... go to THIS LINK and keep exploring until you uncover the surprise :)  this reveal was also made as a result of .Astronomy hack day.

Photo by Andy Green

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discovering pluto

later today, the new horizons space craft will fly by pluto at a distance of only 12,500 km - its closest approach is about 1 earth away.   that's incredible!

this mission has already given us way better views of the dwarf planet than we've ever achieved (even with hubble).  what will the new data tell us?  what does the surface looks like? (are there craters? ice? cracks? plumes? mountains?)  what is the atmosphere is made of? (methane, nitrogen, and what else?) does its surface ice turn to gas during different seasons and then does it get released to space?

ultimately, we want to understand what the objects way out in the kuiper belt are made of because they can tell us how all the other planets and the entire solar system was formed.

Created by Alex Parker with NEW images of pluto!

new horizons cannot send data back at the same time it is taking images, so it is following an automatic program, written by the engineers and astronomers, to maximize its data collection during the flyby.  we will receive the first message and prelim images tomorrow (july 15th, 2015 - it takes 4.5 hours for the data to reach earth).  cant wait!

then new horizons will start sending data back to us over the next ~16 months as it flies away out into the depths of the kuiper belt at the outskirts of our solar system.

i'm excited.

i talked (enthusiastically) to Patricia Karvelas on radio national's drive program last friday about pluto and what to expect from this flyby. you can LISTEN HERE.

it also seems like the perfect time to break out this old number: pluto, the previous planet :)

Pluto, the previous planet from carolune on Vimeo.

the art of astrophysics

MIT has initiated a contest called the art of astrophysics so you can share your views of just how beautiful the universe can be.   categories are:  data visualization, movies and animation, astrophotography, painting/drawing/print, poetry/music/rap, sculpture, timelapse photography, dancing, fiber arts. 

now for some inspiration and then get submitting!

DATA VISUALIZATION

Worlds: The Kepler Planet Candidates from Alex Parker on Vimeo.

MOVIES & ANIMATION

the original eames Powers of Ten video (1977)

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY

The Big Picture as featured on APOD.

Credit: Dennis di Cicco/Sean Walker

PAINTING, DRAWING, and PRINT

Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

SCULPTURE

The Humble Telescope (link)

TIMELAPSE PHOTOGRAPHY

Earth from Michael König on Vimeo.

POETRY, MUSIC, & RAP

"Pluto, the Previous Planet" hacked together in one day by astropixie and the transneptunian objectors at dotAstronomy 3.

Pluto, the previous planet from carolune on Vimeo.

DANCING

Dance your PhD.

FIBER ARTS

Crochet model of hyperbolic plane by Daina Taimina

dear daily mail

i'm surprised to realize i havent posted this brilliant impromptu song of amanda palmer's here.

the daily mail is an awful gossip rag in the UK and they published a predictable article about palmer that had nothing to do with her music or performance.  in this video, she tells the story of the article before singing the song she wrote as a response, called "dear daily mail."   it's wonderful!  

pluto, the previous planet - live!

a couple weeks ago fred watson and i dusted off our musical collaboration and performed a live version of "pluto, the previous planet!"

the only video recording was from a phone in the back of the room, but enough of you requested to see and listen to the "performance" that i put together this video - i hope you enjoy!



the audience of 400 was in coonabarabran that evening for "science in the pub," where nobel laureate brian schmidt, prof matthew colless and prof ken freeman discussed dark matter, dark energy, and the concept of "reality." ("three astronomers walk into a pub...").

(L to R) Matthew Colless, Ken Freeman, Brian Schmidt, Fred Watson

but they were stuck listening to our song near the end ;)

Fred Watson and I finishing "Pluto, the Previous Planet" (Photo Credit: Helen Sim)

some of you might recall the official video for "pluto, the previous planet" was produced as a hack day project at dotAstronomy 3 a couple years ago. that video can still be seen at youpiter.org and the full story of the song's conception and video's production can be found HERE.  

the symphony of life

we often speak of life as a journey with some distinct destination or goal at the end.  i like the alternative view proposed by alan watts and animated in the video below.

instead of viewed as a "pilgrimage" with something at the end, life is best appreciated as a symphony, with crescendos and retreats, build ups and disappointments, different movements sparking a range of emotions - the total effect changing all the time and built from an ensemble of characters working together along the way.

frequency and vibration visualized

nikola tesla said "if you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration." 

the video below shows the "chladni plate experiment" which beautifully visualizes complex patterns that form as a result of resonant vibration on a solid surface.  this experiment is achieved by connecting a metal plate to a speaker then, sprinkling sand on the plate's surface, change the pitch (frequency measured in Hertz (Hz)) of sound that vibrates the plate, and watch the sand jump into the resonance pattern that results from each different sound wave vibration.  

the patterns are beautiful, and i particularly like the transitions between different frequencies.   5201 Hz is my favorite pattern!

this is what the chladni patterns for a square plate look like:

chladni first performed this experiment by running a violin-type bow along the side of the metal plate to find the resonance, so it shouldnt be as much of a fascinating surprise as i found it to be to see these patterns on a violin's surface!

a similar thing happens to guitars, mandolins, cellos, cymbals, etc. super cool.

space oddity

sadly, commander chris hadfield is leaving the international space station (ISS) and wont be sending down his regular awe-inspiring images for us to enjoy.  see some of his previous posts: space nacho, nuts in space, space rock damage, or towel-wringing in zero-g.

but the guy sure knows how to go out with style.  he made this video, a space station cover of david bowie's space oddity, and i think it's pretty much the most awesome thing in the universe right now:

hokey pokey

hey everyone, i finally figured out what it's all about!!!!

apparently it's all about chocolate.  woohoo!   life is good :)

i first encountered this "hokey pokey" flavour in australia a few weeks ago, but it is apparently a big thing in new zealand.   hokey pokey ice cream is vanilla with some crunchy honeycomb toffee in it.   delicious!

also, people from the UK sing the "hokey cokey" instead of the "hokey pokey!"  i don't know why that always make me laugh, but it does.  the cirtical piece of info here, is that the rest of the world has neglected a hugely fun part of the song for way too long!   world, let's all adopt the mosh-pit-style interlude into the hokey pokey!

he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone

via reverend cohen.

here is leonard cohen singing "hey, thats no way to say goodbye" in 2008.

rockstar or physicist?

back when i was a wee college student and had just started studying physics, i joined a rock band in cincinnati, ohio.  we called ourselves perelandra and played out pretty regularly for a couple years.  i remember getting recognized a few times around town and felt incredibly flattered.   i enjoyed the gig very much and i somewhat facetiously thought to myself, "am i going to be a rock star or an astrophysicist?"  ;) 

just this week, some video footage from a show we did in 1999 surfaced, and i watched with excited trepidation.   wow did i have long hair, and a little hippy shimmy up on stage!  some parts of this 45 minute set were a cringe-worthy to my ears, but overall i'm pleased to share it.   i'm amazed that some songs i had completely forgotten about came flooding back to my head with complete lyrics.  



this set was for a series of shows that required us to feature a cover of a TV show theme song - some of you will certainly appreciate the bit starting at 05:37.  other highlights for me:  a slow song called blue hotel at 13:00  and a song whose name i cant remember but might feature my favorite singing part and starts at 18:00.  (UPDATE: that song is called sparkling eyes.   and now i cant get the song starting at 06:30 out of my head!)

i didnt write songs back then, but i contributed to writing melodies, harmonies and lyrics.  i tried at one point to play the keyboards in the band, but i hadnt yet figured out how to sing and play the piano at the same time.   also, i was a poor college student with no money to buy myself a decent keyboard to use or practice on, so i just stuck to singing.   i think some of the band members wanted me to be more of a flashy lead singer, but it just wasnt my style.    

i remember a lot of rehearsals where i sat working out physics homework problems while they worked on technical details and song arrangements. 

perelandra played live radio shows a couple times and the first one was right after a phish show in town.  i have this uncontrollable arm-bending thing that happens sometimes when i sing and i'm not playing an instrument.  i saw alanis morissette play live around the time i was in this band and noticed she did the same thing on stage.

playing live on the radio, circa 2000

after two years of playing gigs together (and even traveling to the fine state of indiana for a weekend show), the band answered my long-standing question for me....

i lived in chicago for two summers to work for SDSS. when i returned to cincinnati after the second summer, the band was no longer.... one band member stole the girlfriend of another band member and then married her! those silly boys and their drama! sheesh!

even though physics was the answer to my career questions as a 20 year old, i still get to sing songs about the stars and previous planets and i feel very lucky to be able to do so. 

one of these days, i might even get around to recording my neil young cover song to share with y'all since i have finally figured out how to play and sing at the same time!   :) 

NASA johnson style

this gangnam style parody is equal parts embarrassing, entertaining, and awesome. it was made by the student's of NASA's johnson space center, as an educational outreach tool. 

also note that the woman and two men wearing blue body suits are actual astronauts:  Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Mike Massimino and Clay Anderson.   

twinkle, twinkle: the new version

remember the new version of twinkle, twinkle little star that i wrote for science in the pub a couple months ago?

here's a video reminder



i'm showing it again, because several people have asked me to provide the lyrics.  so, here you go!

twinkle, twinkle little star
how i wonder what you are

opaque ball of hot, dense gas
million times our planet's mass
looking small because you're far
you really are a super star

fusing atoms in your core
hydrogen, helium, carbon and more
with such power you shine here
twinkling through our atmosphere

shining like a cosmic czar
i'm finding out just what you are

the largest stars glow hot and blue
supernova when they're through
or form a black hole or neutron star
outcomes that are quite bizarre

the smallest ones burn cool and slow
still too hot to visit though
most have planets zooming 'round
home to life we have not found

our sun's average as stars go
formed 5 billion years ago
half way through its life so far
twinkle on our mother star

twinkle, twinkle little star
now i know just what you are

bjork: mutual core

bjork mixes music, art and science with this interesting new song, mutual core, and official video.

her musical stylings and artistic tastes have always been about 20 years ahead of the current time, in my opinion.

science in the pub

last night i participated in a "science in the pub" event in coonabarabran near siding spring observatory.  the event brings together a couple scientists to debate and discuss a particular topic, answer questions from the crowd, and just generally have an entertaining time!

myself and fred watson

our topic last night was "the end of the world is night.  or is it?"  we spent some time debunking all the current doomsday nonsense (not much of a debate as the three astronomers all agreed on this topic) and then we talked about fun and exciting real potential fates of our little planet earth.  these are much more interesting, i think.   

a standing tradition at this event is for the astronomers to further entertain the crowd by reciting a poem or singing a song.  i decided to use the occasion as an excuse to finish a new astronomy song i've wanted to write for a while now!  luckily (you decide),  allison, from astropodcast, was in the crowd and recorded the performance.  back up guitar is provided by the endlessly talented fred watson.

with fred watson and brad schaefer

hopefully i can provide a better version of the song in the future (this is only the second time i've ever played it to people!), but in the meantime,  here is my updated version of twinkle, twinkle little star :)




at least it was the right audience for the song!

thanks to Pete Poulos from iTelescope for providing the photos! 

UPDATE:  link for the lyrics -  twinkle, twinkle little star: the modern version.

crane lower that rover

this video about curiosity's landing, called "We're NASA and We Know It," is pretty hilarious! 

mister rogers

i resisted watching one of these mister rogers remixes, but i have to admit, this harbours a very nice message.  if you didn't grow up with the tv series, mister rogers' neighborhood was a popular american show that targeted very young audiences.




i still hate the sound of those auto-tuned vocals though.  pop stars, please stop using them!

will you buy a fine dog?

an interesting aspect of language is that some words can change meaning over time.

here is a video of a quaint old song called "will you buy a fine dog?" by thomas morley that demonstrates an amusing case of changing definitions...

enjoy ;)



at one time people referred to a loaf of rye or dill bread as a dildo, although today's common meaning is quite different. tee hee ;)