catdynamics | May 21, 2008Four new objects announced, three transiting planets and something peculiar from CoRoT a "compact brown dwarf" - or is it...
Four new planetary objects were announced this week: XO-5b is a normal "hot Jupiter" in a 4 day orbit around a solar like G star, maybe slightly bloated.;
CoRoT announced two hot Jupiters CoRoT-Exo4b and CoRoT-Exo5b 9 and 4 day orbits, respectively, around F stars, and both are undermassive and bloated - which is interesting, something going on there, although it could be selection effect dominated, since the bloated planets have the deepest transits are easiest to find…
catdynamics | May 21, 2008Chad has one of those lazy blog polls which he is so good at, asking for the "creepiest songs" - the comment thread is an interesting read
So here are some youtube videos of some of my candidates - do not click if you are easily disturbed
The Jam - Down in the Tube Station at Midnight
The last verse is particularly disturbing, I don't know how many people have caught all the implications in it
Rhoda Daka and the Specials - The Boiler
This is not the most melodic song ever, but it is the only song that I have been ordered to turn off as a matter of urgency when it came up on a mix tape.
It…
catdynamics | May 19, 2008When I was a graduate student, my ambition was to redo a full sequence of the physics core courses as a TA.
Really. Truly.
I was sick.
I TA'd freshman physics my first year, sophomore quantum my second year, and had planned to request either Ph 106 (Classical) or Ph 125 (intermediate Quantum) for my third year, when I suddenly realised that there were only 168 hours in a week and I also was supposed to be doing research.
So I repeated sophomore quantum. This time I "got to" do some of the lectures.
For some bizarro reason that felt like a reward at the time...
Here you should realise that…
catdynamics | May 19, 2008The times I've lived in the US I have, partly instinctively, tended to as much of a "European lifestyle" as feasible, given the environment and income.
Krugman goes to Berlin and sees the future
I suspect he is right, and I suspect the transition will involve some significant dislocation for many communities - lot of sunk costs will be written off.
My personal immediate ambition is that by autumn the Little Munchkin will have the stamina to walk to pre-school, which will cut our mileage by 30-40%; and that we get off the waiting list for our local co-op farm - since my travel schedule is…
catdynamics | May 17, 2008Senior Review and rankings for the ten missions under evaluation for NASA Astrophysics in 2008 have been published.
Swift
Chandra
GALEX
Suzaku
(Warm) Spitzer
WMAP
XMM
INTEGRAL
RXTE
Gravity Probe-B
Bottom line here is that NASA funds are too tight, so some operating missions are being reviewed for descoping or shut down.
Looks like GP-B will close shop, and expect RXTE to shut down in early 2009 as tentatively scheduled.
Criterion included cost-effectiveness, not just science return.
Under this rank order, at nominal budget requests, the $ runs out at Spitzer.
So there is not enough funding…
catdynamics | May 17, 2008" ...I am going to warn you one last chance I am going to ask I want a better than a B-," the e-mail read. "If I see this [grade] I swear to god I am going to fucking put you in a wheelchair when I see you..."
wrote an undergraduate student to one of my colleagues this week
the student was arrested and arraigned for terroristic threats.
Well, that's different.
I had been worrying that my "curve" was tipping too far, too many As and Bs, but this is not why - in fact student whingeing, if anything, would tip me towards harsher grading.
But, there do seem to be more high grades than I expect…
catdynamics | May 17, 2008Since you asked... GLAST is at the Cape and being readied for launch, I gather.
Tentatively schedule for June 3rd, but if the Discovery launch scheduled the week before slips then GLAST gets pushed back. They're good through June 6th, don't know how their launch window is if they slip into the next week.
catdynamics | May 16, 2008NASA astrophysics mission Senior Review (2008) is apparently out
I hear Swift is #1 with Chandra second.
GP-B bottom.
What everyone wants to know is where Spitzer Warm Mission ended up and what funding level they'll get...
My mad skillz have failed to reveal a pdf copy on nasa.gov, so someone send me a copy.
catdynamics | May 16, 2008The NAS Assessment of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, 2008, is out and available
The National Academy of Sciences did an assessment of the NASA Astrobiology Institute, at the request of NASA, over the last year.
The report is out and available on the web
From the Executive Summary:
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Overall, the committee is unanimous in finding that the NAI has fulfilled its original mandate. The NAI has played a key role in supporting the development of astrobiology and has positively affected NASA's current and future missions. The committee recommends that the NAI should…
catdynamics | May 16, 2008Friday commences, and it rains.
So, Oh Mighty iPod - what is the deal with Oklo's dark cryptic hints?
A planet discovered, and where?
Whoosh goes the randomizer.
Whoosh.
The Covering: Rite of Spring 1 - Stravinsky
The Crossing: Ashes to Ashes - Bowie
The Crown: London Calling - Clash
The Root: One More Time - Clash
The Past: After the Ordeal - Genesis
The Future: Bush War Blues - Johnny Clash
The Questioner: I've Been Working on the Railroad
The House: Levi Stubb's Tears - Billy Bragg
The Inside: Kick Out the Jams (live) - Pearl Jam
The Outcome: Love - Building on Fire - Talking Heads
As…
catdynamics | May 15, 2008Joe Pa not feeling well, reporters overexcited.
Ambulance came to our street this morning, and now there are three reporters staking out the house and ambushing the neighbours.
I know nuthin!
Go away.
catdynamics | May 15, 2008Greg Laughlin at Systemic has put out a teasing hint about a potential major extrasolar planet discovery.
There has been a rumour circling the community that a major extrasolar planet discovery was to be announced imminently.
I do not have any confidential or embargoed information regarding this.
Greg Laughlin in a classical astronomical tradition just posted an anagram allegedly hinting at the discovery - in part to stake turf in case of a scoop, I gather
The anagram is: Huge Applet, Unsearchable Terrestrials!
Go try your luck over at Oklo, report any successes here.
For what is it worth,…
catdynamics | May 15, 2008I missed Keith Olbermann's Countdown last night due to travel.
Youtube comes to the rescue - watch it for the golf.
Here it is, in two parts.
Because linking is an intrinsic public good.
Keith is kinda steamed.
Watch the beginning of the second part if you watch nothing else.
catdynamics | May 13, 2008A pseudonymous commenter proposes a Classic of Rock and Roll for remake as an iPod v-ad
Namely this:
This is like, so krazy k00l.
A fair fraction of my iTunes purchases are random "songs of my youth", not one hit wonders necessarily, but feel-good music from bands where I may not want a whole album, not even a "best of", but I do want a random mix of "classics".
Get the right demographic targeted, or some viral campaigns, and some olde groups could have decent late iTunes sales and resurgent ringtone sales.
I'd personally want to see this remade into iPod ad:
or this:
and definitely this…
catdynamics | May 13, 2008Why wait till tomorrow
You must click this now.
I do not know what brought this to mind,
but I must suffer, so must you.
catdynamics | May 13, 2008A letter from Einstein to Eric Gutkind sent in 1954 is up for auction.
It is rather blunt.
From the Grauniad short news story on this:
"...The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this."
The rest is worth reading.
Not that it will put an end to the claims to appropriate Einstein as a theist, or even a monotheist, but it is interesting.
Full Grauniad story here: "...Despite his…
catdynamics | May 13, 2008Hubble gallery of galaxy crashes, with added bonus simulations
Click here for astonishingly large version
Click here for video selection
This one gives a very nice set of transitions between a numerical simulation and the images, showing how they are representative of different stages of the merger process
After you've done that, trundle over to Hos's place and run your own simulations
PS: Hos hisself has the animation embedded from youtube, with added bonus history and context.
It is, after all, his simulation, and very nice it is too.