When the Martian Winds Blow… : Starts With A Bang "Opportunity is headed towards Endeavour Crater (above), and this power boost may shorten its trip by months. This would be the largest crater ever explored by a rover on Mars, and we may yet get to see it, all because of a gust of wind!"… Continue reading links for 2009-04-12
Author: Chad Orzel
Tobias Buckell Is Outnumbered…
…what with his wife, Emily, giving birth to twins. It sounds like he’s pretty happy with this state of affairs, though. Go leave him a congratulatory comment. Or, better yet, go buy one of his books— they’re great fun for you to read, and will help keep Toby supplied with the vast number of diapers… Continue reading Tobias Buckell Is Outnumbered…
links for 2009-04-11
How hostage negotiations work. – By Christopher Beam – Slate Magazine "What, exactly, does a hostage negotiator do? Wear down the captors. Negotiating strategies vary depending on the demands, the time of day, the hostage-taker’s sanity, and a million other factors. (For example, you might want to send in a SWAT team right away if… Continue reading links for 2009-04-11
Beware of Undead Astronomers
My bedtime reading last night was an old pop-science book by Isaac Asimov, about black holes and astronomy generally. He talks at some length about the size and age of the universe, and just before I stopped and went to sleep last night, I reached his discussion of Cepheid variables, which begins thus: In 1784… Continue reading Beware of Undead Astronomers
How to Make the World Safe for Science
Over at the Intersection’s new digs, Sheril has posted a rather long list of fellowship programs for people interested in science policy. Sponsors include government agencies, private universities, professional societies, and private foundations, and cover pretty much every branch of science. If you’d like to take a look inside the sausage factory and spend some… Continue reading How to Make the World Safe for Science
links for 2009-04-10
Why was Jesus crucified? – By Larry Hurtado – Slate Magazine "A central statement in traditional Christian creeds is that Jesus was crucified "under Pontius Pilate." But the majority of Christians have only the vaguest sense what the phrase represents, and most non-Christians probably can’t imagine why it’s such an integral part of Christian faith.… Continue reading links for 2009-04-10
Positive Job Market Developments
Sabine Hossenfelder from Backreaction has landed a job as an assistant professor at NORDITA. That’s good news any time, but especially in the current climate. And going Sabine one better, Mary at View from the Corner has both defended her thesis and gotten a job at the same company as her husband. Way to solve… Continue reading Positive Job Market Developments
Thursday Baby Blogging 040909
Why is this night different from other nights? Because day care at the Jewish Community Center was closed for Passover, and SteelyKid spent the day at work with Kate, of course. And after a long day of baby lawyering, it’s good to relax with a drink: SteelyKid here shows off that she can hold her… Continue reading Thursday Baby Blogging 040909
Pop Culture Interlude: Left-Field F-Bombs
I spent most of yesterday huddled under a pile of blankets on the couch– being feverish and light-headed is great if you’re in a Pink Floyd song, but not so much if you’re trying to be a functioning adult. It seems to be the Thing That’s Going Around this term, though, and while I’m feeling… Continue reading Pop Culture Interlude: Left-Field F-Bombs
links for 2009-04-09
The physics of why bicyclists hate stop signs – Hard Drive "In their essay "Why Bicyclists Hate Stop Signs," University of California physics professor Joel Fajans and Access transportation journal editor Melanie Curry write that requiring cyclists to follow the same complete-stop rules as motorists defies science. "While car drivers simply sigh at the delay"… Continue reading links for 2009-04-09