'the bolshoi simulation is the most accurate cosmological simulation of the evolution of the large-scale structure of the universe yet made (“bolshoi” is the russian word for “great” or “grand”). the first two of a series of research papers describing bolshoi and its implications have been accepted for publication in the astrophysical journal. the first data release of bolshoi outputs, including output from bolshoi and also the bigbolshoi or multidark simulation of a volume 64 times bigger than bolshoi, has just been made publicly available to the world’s astronomers and astrophysicists.'
i'm loving my experience on google+, especially with my photography and atheist circles. if you enjoy social networks and haven't joined, you really ought to try it.
if you're looking for atheists and freethinkers to follow, i've put together a list of profiles here. you can add your own profile and reshare it!
...and, if you want to have a look at my favorite images at the moment, check out my 'some of my faves' album.
btw, i've added a widget to my sidebar so you can add me! how easy is that?
i was in high school when we received an assignment for a debate: nuclear power -- the arguments for and against.
this was the 1970s, mind you, in wilmington, delaware. my memory may be failing me, but i believe we were given the assignment in the wake of the accident at three mile island.
i was against it. i did whatever research i could at this internet-less time and presented my case. i wasn't sure about what i thought about it before the debate, but our work convinced me. nuclear power had too many foreseen and unforeseen consequences to use safely.
i'm very sorry to have had to say, too often, i told you so.
i shot this from the grounds of the penteli station at the national observatory of athens, just before heading in to hear a regular presentation for the public. we first heard a talk about the importance of the scientific method and, briefly, what we know about our cosmos, and then saw a short film depicting the basics on our solar system and the universe. afterwards, we broke up into smaller groups to see the newall refractor. then we headed outside to hear another talk about the positions of stars in the night sky. we were also able to see vega, a star cluster and jupiter through a smaller telescope.
i was very pleased to see the work that the members of the observatory are doing to educate the public. i was also stunned (negatively) by some the questions. for instance, one visitor asked if stars were .... suns? it seemed as if it was the first time she'd heard it. while we waited for jupiter to rise in the night sky, another asked if we were waiting for it to get closer to earth. still another asked if there was color in the universe.
sometimes i underestimate the extent of ignorance in the general public. i wonder, before these people visited, what they thought when they looked up at the night sky. it's clear that we must make science education very high in our priorities, especially for children and young adults. i'm glad that the good people at the NOA are doing their best.
'one of the most frequently misunderstood concepts in science is the reason for earth’s seasons. as we experience the september equinox today—anyone try to balance an egg yet?—we thought we’d offer a space-based view of what’s going on.
around 6 a.m. local time each day, the sun, earth, and any geosynchronous satellite form a right angle, affording a nadir (straight down) view of the terminator, the edge between the shadows of nightfall and the sunlight of dusk and dawn. the shape of this line between night and day varies with the seasons, which means different lengths of days and differing amounts of warming sunshine. (the line is actually a curve because the earth is round, but satellite images only show it in two-dimensions.)'
i actually shot this sunrise in august, but i think it's perfect for today. still, i hope to get out this evening to shoot a sunset -- sadly the lovely fluffy clouds we had over the past couple of days are now gone.
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