catdynamics | November 22, 2006Winter will be here soon, I hear rumours it has already come to parts of the south and west, and it definitely arrived in Iceland.
Iceland in winter requires some effort, but we have come up with some useful things to get through the winter, and I don't mean just the pickled whale blubber, rotten shark and broiled seal flippers.
The traditional winter clothing is "lopi", which is coarse water resistant wool from the Icelandic sheep, renowned for its ability to survive bad weather, and for being stupid enough to be out in such weather in the first place.
handknit lopi - expensive, but…
catdynamics | November 20, 2006State College is a small town, it is also a university town.
Not exactly your high crime area.
So, statistically, the scum who took the Munchkins' slide from our front yard after the game on saturday night were probably a multiplet of cheerfully inebriated male students.
Well, congratulations, you made a two year old very sad.
Interesting thing is: we called it in to the police, mainly so if it were found we would get it returned.
Officer on duty has young kids, as it turns out, very empathetic and intense man.
Also not very busy, with thanksgiving week coming town is half empty.
So he is…
catdynamics | November 20, 2006I'm hearing anecdotal reports of incidents of scarlet fever locally.
Anyone know of cases around US or Europe, some place other than North Korea?
catdynamics | November 20, 2006With last week's announcement on new constraints on dark energy models, the blogosphere chatter on dark energy is inching up, in particular The Babe in the Universe is irate and throwing some harsh comments around
So... let me give a quick perspective on "dark energy" from the astrophysics side:
When analysing cosmological data, on large enough scales, the default model for most scientist is that the dynamics follow General Relativity, and that the universe is well approximated as homogenous and isotropic - that is, it looks the same on average, from any spot and when looking in any…
catdynamics | November 17, 2006That reminds me...
Rob Weir tells us to mind our manners.
I actually blew a conf proceedings deadline, and the extension, for a review paper for the first time this year. I had a good excuse, but still...
Freedom!
Apparently universities in Pennsylvania don't actually in reality discriminate against students based on their political views. Duh.
Personally I would think they would be glad that the students are actually spending time in the library late at night...
Just in case there is anyone who hasn't seen the UCLA taser video.
catdynamics | November 17, 2006
Congratulations Sean!
Best of luck Jennifer!
The Cube of Darkness!
The scary thing is that Cosmic Variance comes up second if you google "Cube of Darkness"!
catdynamics | November 17, 2006Friday again, and we approach the Mighty iPod with a serious astronomical question:
Oh, Mighty iPod - to the extent that the universe is well represented by an FRW like model, homogenous and isotropic and currently dominated by a dark energy component with W = -1 - is it in fact the case
that dW/dz = 0 for all z?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: The Wheels on the Bus - Twin Sisters
The Crossing: Danse de Cygnes - Tchaikovsky
The Crown: 40 - U2
The Root: O Come All Ye Faithful - King's Choir
The Past:Er nauðsynlegt að skjóta þá? - MX-21
The Future: The Donut Song -…
catdynamics | November 15, 2006Dedicated to those doing their NSF proposals today
Helsinki complaints choir
catdynamics | November 15, 2006Cohen of the Washington Post find it refreshing that Stephanopoulos was shocked by Bush's direct lie about Rumsfeld before the election.
It is shocking how rarelyoften, and how selectively, the Washington political establishment and leading media figures casually accept blatant lies as part of business as usual.
If only, a widely read, often influential commentator had picked up this issue back when, and hammered on it repeatedly, highlighting each lie, and been supported, not shushed or mocked, by his or her colleagues.
catdynamics | November 15, 2006Emily Yoffe at Slate worries she is a Math Moron, as she takes a Kumon course to stay ahead of her daughter in primary school (via Thorsett).
This is a good article that highlights some of the issues and problems with math education.
It is also quite well written.
catdynamics | November 14, 2006The following are the competing mission concepts for the JDEM (Joint Dark Energy Mission) launch slot:
SNAP
DESTINY also press info here
ADEPT
All of these make an interesting case, although how much could be done from the ground with modest HST and JWST followup is a key issue.
It'd be interesting to learn whether DoE would accept a NASA-style forced marriage on mission concepts, which has happened in the past when two groups have different strengths for mission concepts, and only one slot is open.
PS: NASA press conference on thursday - reputedly they will have tighter data points on the…
catdynamics | November 14, 2006Making Light incisively dissects the link between homegrown terrorists and bad science fiction
Read it.
For fair and balanced coverage, remember that aQ allegedly can be translated as "foundation"...
catdynamics | November 14, 2006Over the next few months, the future of astrophysics in space for the next decade may be set.
It ought to be a rational process (hah!), and it ought to be based on fully symmetric information...
Most of all, it should lead to a decison that someone will stick to for more than a year or two. That may be most important of all.
After talking to a few people, I learned a few interesting things that some of you should know:
The senior majority party congress critters control the appropriations committees. Duh.
Unless it impacts their districts directly, they rarely care about the details at the…
catdynamics | November 14, 2006Fresh, local grown sweet organic apples from the Farmer's Market: $2.75
Grabbing one this morning for lunch, to find the Munchkin has taken exactly one small bite from every single apple: Priceless
catdynamics | November 14, 2006According to a Grauniad headline, of all papers, al Qaeda is determined to nuke Britain.
They just need a bomb, and a way to get it there, and someone who actually knows how to set it off.
And a pony.
But there is a lot of "chatter" out there. So that's ok. Journamalism (read to the end about amplifying noise).
And inside, Max Hastings, of all peope, has a sensible steady on, chaps sort of opinion column.
Weird shit.
In the mean time, back in the real world.
A 20 car convoy of thugs, in interior ministry police uniforms, in Iraq kidnapped all the male staff and visitors of an entire research…
catdynamics | November 13, 2006Two not unrelated pieces on NASAwatch
1) Implication of Congressional elections for NASA
Short version: more oversight of Vision for Space Exploration; may tighten wall again around science;
I'd expect Glenn Research Center to be saved; Marshall and JSC not so favoured any more; GSFC could be big winner.
2) The Ares launcher being developed to launch the new Crewed Capsule is reputedly in trouble.
Underpowered... Easy fix is to stick a couple of solid rocket boosters on the side.
Ooops. Where have we heard that one before...
PS: Mars Global Surveyor is apparently in trouble. It is old,…