by Jon Farrow, Canadian science communicator
This week I downloaded an application called Exoplanets onto my iPhone. Not only does it have a list of confirmed extra-solar planets (some 825 and counting in the database), but it also has the ability to plot the discoveries in terms of mass, density, distance, semi-major axis, and many other variables. My favourite feature, however, …
My favourite author of all time is Isaac Asimov: he crafted the wonderful Foundation series, he penned (or type-writered) countless essays on the importance of science literacy and education, and he’s the mastermind behind I, Robot (remember: the plot of the Will Smith movie had very little to do with the original and amazing book …
I haven't posted in a little while. Last week I got busy and didn't have time to reflect on the things I had learned in the previous week, and a reflection from the week before did not jive well with the blog format. It involved graphs created in MS Word. Wordpress did not like these …
I saw a video today of a NASA supercomputer’s simulation of the collision of two spiral galaxies. It is less than two minutes long but simulates the passage of nearly 2 billion years. I am amazed at how much the behaviour of these truly giant structures resembles the swirling of smoke from an extinguished candle. …
I like to think of myself as a moderately sized human. I’m almost six feet tall and I weigh 80 kg. I can lift heavy objects and reach the cookies on the top shelf. I’m busy with university reading, homework, music, and all manner of other activities. I think I’m pretty important. Until I look …
