new years explosions

thought i'd share some photos of my new years eve celebrations around sydney.  after keeping myself pretty isolated between christmas and NYE, i did some party-hopping and caught up with friends and the lovely harbour views of sydney. 

the opera house, and boats lined up on the water where ever they were allowed.

a stunt plane flew over and impressed with tricks as the sun was setting and the anticipation building.

sydney's skyline.

cosmic fireworks: a spiral galaxy, a comet, and a couple globular clusters!  ;) 

the explosions stretched up and down the harbour.  you can really get an idea of the extent from the helicopter shots in this video (click).

 finale buildup.  

sydney is definitely a fun place to celebrate the new year.   i was glad i could get home by foot though, because the traffic reports, both roadway and public transport, seemed unbelievable. 

a visit to mars

i've been asked by a lot of people over the years if i would be want to be an astronaut and whether i'd be willing to go to mars.  my answer is: sure!

buzz aldrin certainly wants to go to mars, as he revealed in this tweet to chris hadfield, an astronaut currently on the international space station! 

in case any of you are interested, the mars one project is a not-for-profit organization that is now looking for VOLUNTEERS TO GO TO MARS!  for more information, you can visit www.thenextgiantleap.com for all the selection details, but here is a snopsis.

Applicants need to be at least 18 years of age, have a deep sense of purpose, willingness to build and maintain healthy relationships, the capacity for self-reflection and ability to trust. They must be resilient, adaptable, curious, creative and resourceful. Mars One is not seeking specific skill sets such as medical doctors, pilots or geologists. Rather, candidates will receive a minimum of eight years extensive training while employed by Mars One. While any formal education or real-world experience can be an asset, all skills required on Mars will be learned while in training.

for those of you interested in staying a little closer to home, but still wanting to explore mars, check out planet four - yet another awesome citizen science project from the zooniverse. 

here is a sampling of images that you could help sift through for that project.  amazing diversity!

Planet Four (credit: david miller)

Planet Four (credit: david miller)

highline moonwalk

this is a moonwalk unlike any you've seen.  watch the full screen version. 

it's calm, peaceful, beautiful, almost surreal.

adventure filmmaker bryan smith captured free climber Dean Potter using a canon 800mm super telephoto lens and sitting nearly a mile away!  they shot this at cathedral peak in yosemite national park. 

Moonwalk from Reel Water Productions on Vimeo.

kepler sonata

astronomer alex parker has created a neat visualization and piece of music based on the orbits of planets around a star called kepler-11.  he's done some other cool visualizations too, like the supernova sonata.   enjoy this one! 

three truths

it's worth checking out the whole graphic short story by mark ulriksen, but i particularly like this page.

everything is nothing

clever clever.

indoor clouds

netherlands-based artist Berndnaut Smilde has conjured clouds indoors!

photos by Cassander Eeftinck Schattenkerk

sydney's northern beaches

during the days between christmas and new years this season i stayed at the apartment of friends who live close to a beach called dee why, and were overseas for the holidays.   from their place, i did many coastal walks, sat on beaches reading books, ate an overabundance of fresh mangos and ripe avocados, and drank too much wine.   it was lovely. 

incidentally, if you've never read the bone graphic novels by jeff smith, you should, immediately.   such a clever, funny, engrossing adventure story on par with the best epics i've ever read or watched.  the series is a good gift for yourself or any reader of any age.   i recommend the color version (9 books), but they're a little more expensive.  you can get the whole thing in black and white in one thick book. 

anyway, on to the beaches!     

this flower, called the frangipani in australia and plumeria everywhere else i've seen it, produces one of my favorite smells.   i have a little plant in my flat, but it hasnt produced flowers in two years :(   whenever i see fallen flowers in good condition, i pick one up and carry it around with me for a while.

the water is still crisp and cool this early in the season, but feels comfortable on the skin very quickly after diving in.  it always surprises me how strong the australian surf is. 

i love the turquoise color of the water, the various shapes of all the boulders, the smooth sand, and the fact that there are so many rocks leading right into the water.

this is a pool right at the edge of the ocean.   the water splashes pleasantly up against the rocks.  depending on the tide, the spray can be incredibly powerful, as you may remember from when i reported on the unfortunate incident at north curl curl beach early last year. 

this is the view from the hill.  australian beaches can be simply stunning.  hard to believe there are so many...    

walking along the coast reveals movement along the edges.  

it was a nice holiday.   i'll post photos of sydney's new years celebration soon.  in the meantime, it's back to work!

what to do with your life

i like john green's short discussion about the ever-present question of "what should i do with my life?"  

there is not a simple answer, because there is no single answer.   listen...





he gives lots of interesting perspective and this general advice, which i wholeheartedly agree with!

study broadly and without fear,
learn a language if you can
(because that will make your life more interesting),
read a little bit everyday,
try to surround yourself with people you like
and make cool stuff with them.

ps.  has anyone read any of john green's books?   i have not, and i'm curious about what you think if you have.  thanks!