Topics: Civics, Civil Rights, Existentialism, Fascism, Human Rights, Politics Though hundreds of C.E.O.s signed on to defending voting rights in principle, many notable omissions did not, like the C.E.O. of Walmart, Warren Buffet signed as citizen, not head of Berkshire Hathaway; Coca-Cola and Delta felt they had said all that needed to be said, andContinue reading “Traitors and Patriots…”
Author Archives: reginaldgoodwin
The Lighthouse…
Topics: History, Science Fiction, Space Exploration, Spaceflight Widely considered to be the “Father of Science Fiction,” the famed French poet, novelist, and playwright known as Jules Verne celebrates what would have been his 193rd birthday this year. Born Feb. 8, 1828, Verne ushered in the grand era of speculative fiction with his classic novels, “20,000Continue reading “The Lighthouse…”
Habitable Epoch…
Topics: Astrobiology, Evolution, Existentialism, Exoplanets About 15 million years after the big bang, the entire universe had cooled to the point where the electromagnetic radiation left over from its hot beginning was at about room temperature. In a 2013 paper, I labeled this phase as the “habitable epoch of the early universe.” If we hadContinue reading “Habitable Epoch…”
40 Years Since STS-1…
Topics: History, NASA, Space Exploration, Spaceflight, Space Shuttle In April 1981, John Young — America’s premier astronaut and one of only 12 people to ever walk on the Moon — was training with co-pilot Bob Crippen for STS-1, the maiden voyage of space shuttle Columbia. Though eager, Young harbored no illusions that he might never returnContinue reading “40 Years Since STS-1…”
Muon g-2…
Topics: Modern Physics, Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics Solving a mystery More than 200 scientists from around the world are collaborating with Fermilab on the Muon g-2 physics experiment which probes fundamental properties of matter and space. Muon g-2 (pronounced gee minus two) allows researchers to peer into the subatomic world to search for undiscovered particlesContinue reading “Muon g-2…”
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics…
Topics: Biology, COVID-19, Dark Humor, Existentialism, Mathematics, Politics Figures often beguile me, particularly when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case the remark attributed to Disraeli would often apply with justice and force: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Mark Twain, also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies,_damned_lies,_and_statistics A follow-up to Tuesday’sContinue reading “Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics…”
Ingenuity…
Topics: Mars, NASA, Space Exploration, Spaceflight NASA is targeting no earlier than Sunday, April 11, for Ingenuity Mars Helicopter’s first attempt at powered, controlled flight on another planet. To mark a month of Ingenuity flights, the agency will host several events to bring people along for the ride. A livestream confirming Ingenuity’s first flight isContinue reading “Ingenuity…”
VOC…
Topics: Biology, COVID-19, DNA, Research Variant Reported cases in US Number of Jurisdictions Reporting B.1.1.7 16,275 52 B.1.351 386 36 P.1 356 25 Source: CDC Download Accessible Data [XLS – 738 B] CDC is closely monitoring these variants of concern (VOC). These variants have mutations in the virus genome that alter the characteristics and cause theContinue reading “VOC…”
Weather Prediction…
Topics: History, Meteorology, Research In August 1861 the London-based newspaper The Times published the world’s first “daily weather forecast.” The term itself was created by the enterprising meteorologist Robert FitzRoy, who wanted to distance his work from astrological “prognostications.” That story has led to a widespread assumption that weather forecasting is an entirely modern phenomenon and thatContinue reading “Weather Prediction…”
Asteroids, Dinosaurs, and Rain Forests…
Topics: Asteroids, Biology, Evolution, Existentialism, Research Note: Working on two reviews, and my research proposal. It’s a very busy writing semester. Dinosaur and fossil aficionados are intimately familiar with the meteorite strike that drove Tyrannosaurus rex and all nonavian dinosaurs to extinction around 66 million years ago. But it is often overlooked that the impact also wipedContinue reading “Asteroids, Dinosaurs, and Rain Forests…”
Physics and Nano 