So I got curious. Starting browsing random profiles of people on tumblr. All the ones I have clicked on are 15 year old, aesthetic (just so everyone knows which definition of aesthetic I am using: “pertaining to, involving, or concerned with pure emotion and sensation as opposed to pure intellectualism) little children who appear to be overly involved in “trends” and superficiality . What is wrong with the world.
♥Sooo… I got all excited to do the two hits of acid I had saved up for today. Now that I am tripping, I don’t know what to do. Hmm…..
♥It’s a terror knowing what this world is about.
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♥Gorgeous vintage illustration of the structure of solar rays, from an 1854 chemistry textbook by Popular Sciencefounder Edward L. Youmans.
illuminating aspect of science.
Going through awfully difficult things right now. On my list of things I desperately need/want is a trigonometry tutor since I am suspended from school, a certain someone, and happiness. One must learn to dwell in the present rather than clinging on to the past or future. “The folly of human conceit” brings more meaning for me as I progress through the turmoil of life. I understand things could be a lot worse, but they are not. Pain is still pain. I wish no one could go through such an emotion, but can we advance in maturity and experience without it?
♥Right away, everyone wants to know what’s to be cut. Whatever you all settle on cutting, it should not be science. Investment in science is investment in innovation. New ideas are what keep the U.S. economy driving forward.
Bill Nye on Fiscal Cliffhanging, on the Huffington Post. (via biowithdylan) ♥
♥Looking for a space-tastic holiday gift? I’m pretty much drooling over a new book full of stunning solar system photos: Planetfall by Michael Benson.
You may not realize this, but NASA puts spacecraft like Cassini and Voyager into space to do research, not just take pictures. Sure, observing the geography, chemistry, astrophysics and possible biology of the various bodies in our solar system propels our understanding of the cosmos forward. And we, as residents of said cosmos, are able to gain an understanding of our past, our present, our future, and our place in the universe thanks the fine work of these unmanned beacons of exploration.
But let’s be honest … the pictures are an awesome side benefit! Benson’s book collects some of the best space photography ever made in one large-format book. If someone doesn’t fall in love with space after flipping through this one, then you may want to have their head checked out.
While you’re at it, support our own Tumblr science creator Staceythinx and check out the Cassini HD iPad app. Learning is always more fun with your mouth agape.
I just realized that “Planetfall” would make a great Bond movie title.
♥How Big is the Entire Universe?
When you walk outside and look at the horizon, you can’t immediately tell that the Earth is round. That’s because we can’t observe it on a scale that really gives us an honest look at the whole Earth.
Of course when we leave the surface, it becomes clearer. Likewise, if we can take certain measurements from different vantage points, geometry can tell us a lot about the size of our planet. Eratosthenes did this in ancient Egypt, over two millennia ago.
Ethan Siegel, in his typically great fashion, tells you all about if we can use similar methods to measure the shape of our universe at Starts With A Bang.
♥What Shape is a Photon?
A photon doesn’t really have a shape, at least not in the way we are used to thinking of it. That’s because it exhibits properties of both a particle and a wave. But you can take an area and calculate the probability of finding a photon there.
A recent piece of cool work by some Italian physicists measured lots and lots of photon “probabilities” to come up with the shape that represents where you’d most likely find a photon, if you could look inside a beam.
Close enough for me!
(via Physics Buzz, image via National Inst. of Optics)
