Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board when it disappeared from radar shortly after takeoff on March 8, 2014. Radar tracking showed the plane made at least three unexpected turns without the pilots signaling an emergency, and hourly satellite signals suggested the plane headed to the remote Indian Ocean … Read More
Palin Broaches The Subject Of Science And Fails
Oh, honey. Don’t go there: “Bill Nye is as much a scientist as I am,” Palin said at a Capitol Hill event held to roll out a film that aims to discredit climate scientists. “He’s a kids’ show actor; he’s not a scientist. Bill Nye is a kids’ show host AND a scientist. I mean,he’s not a PhD, but he … Read More
Apple And The FBI Order
Interesting little development going on in the tech/privacy world and, depending on who you believe, a possible turning point for the better/worse. After the San Bernardino shootings, the FBI seized the iPhone used by shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. The FBI has a warrant to search the phone’s contents, and because it was Farook’s work phone, the FBI also has permission … Read More
Gravitational Waves Discovered
You never know…. maybe they will be important some day. Anyway, 91 tears ago, Einstein proposed that there was such a thing as gravitational waves, which are basically ripples in space-time. Yeah, sounds like Star Trek. But see, two black holes crashed into each other. One black hole had the mass of 29 suns; the other was the equivalent of … Read More
Aliens Discovered?
Yeah, I’ve been watching in a little X-Files binge-watching (man, Gillian Anderson was hot), but I would be interested in this story anyway. It is a mystery, but a serious mystery reported by serious science journals. Something is going on surrounding a star identified as KIC 8462852: A star, named KIC 8462852, has been found with a highly curious transit signal. In … Read More
The Supermoon Lunar Eclipse Last Night
What actually happened was a confluence of three things. The moon was full and in its closest point in its orbit around the Earth, making it a so-called supermoon. In addition to this, a lunar eclipse occurred. In other words, the Earth lined up directly with the sun and moon, directly between the two. It last happened 33 years ago, and … Read More
Pluto
Amazing hi-resolution pictures of Pluto, specifically the Sputnik Planum, the “heart” area of Pluto. The light-colored plane is probably frozen nitrogen. Check out the photo blown up.
Being Followed By A Moonshadow
Here’s something you don’t see everyday. NASA today released a video shot from deep space, showing the moon passing in front of the Earth. And a rare glimpse at the dark side of the moon.
Are We Under Cyberattack?
Imma just tell this story in Tweets We experienced a network connectivity issue. We are working to resolve and apologize for any inconvenience. — United (@united) 9:43 am – July 8, 2015 Flying United Airlines today? All U.S. flights are currently grounded http://t.co/x849t8AQmH pic.twitter.com/VxxHJ4gtIw — Talking Points Memo (@TPM) 10:39 am – July 8, 2015 (1 of 2) We’re experiencing … Read More
The Future Is Here
A robot has killed a worker in a VW plant in Germany http://t.co/RRdCnNmbsj — Sarah O’Connor (@sarahoconnor_) July 1, 2015 Sarah O’Connor is a real person — a reporter for the Financial Times. The obvious apparent connection to Terminator is coincidental, as is the fact that the new Terminator movie opens today. The robot killing really did happen.
Boston: Up Close
This video may not seem remarkable at first…. Boston, U.S.A. from UrtheCast on Vimeo. It’s Boston… and you can see Fenway Park and cars moving on Storrow Drive as well as I-40. Here’s the astonishing, but creepy, thing about this: it was taken from space. From a satellite. You can see the Prudential Center and the Hancock Building appear to … Read More
RIP Jack King
To those of a certain age and a certain geekdom, his voice was iconic. Jack King was the Chief of Public Information and Public Affairs Officer for NASA. Considered the dean of aerospace journalism, he was the voice of the Apollo missions. He died at 84 yesterday. Enjoy some of his greatest hits…. P.S. Yes, he grew up in … Read More
Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks Tomorrow, April 22
Dust off the lawn chairs and get ready for the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower which will occur on the night of April 22. “The Lyrids are really unpredictable,” Cooke said. “For the 2015 shower, I’m expecting 15 to 20 Lyrid meteors an hour. Peak rates should occur after 10:30 PM on April 22 your local time, for observers in the northern hemisphere. … Read More
Tomorrow’s Total Solar Eclipse
Yeah. It’ll be a big deal in Europe, but don’t plan to see any of it — even a partial observation — here in the states. Look where the shadow will fall: BUT…. since I have your attention, make a note on your calendar for August 21, 2017. That will be a total solar eclipse, first total solar eclipse visible from the … Read More