Topics: Astronautics, Astrophysics, Moonbase, NASA One of the key challenges in building and sustaining a permanent settlement on the moon, as in 2001: A Space Odyssey, is finding a reliable and economical means of transporting essential resources, such as water and energy. The good news is that while the moon may look like a barren wastelandContinue reading “Hitchhikers…”
Category Archives: Astrophysics
Dark or Lumpy…
An artist’s impression of the cosmic web (Volker Springel/Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics/et al) Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Cosmology, Dark Matter, Einstein, Research Q: Why does science seem to always change its mind? A: Because, the enterprise of science is about discovery, and a lot of discoveries happen when you have better instrumentation, apply The ScientificContinue reading “Dark or Lumpy…”
Mars’ Summer Solstice…
The hills in Mars’ Australe Scopuli region, located near the planet’s south pole, are covered in carbon dioxide ice. The darker areas are layers of dust. (Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin) Topics: Astrophysics, Environment, ESA, Mars, NASA, Planetary Science, Space Exploration Snow dots the Martian landscape in these images from ESA’s Mars Express orbiter and NASA’s MarsContinue reading “Mars’ Summer Solstice…”
Wages of the Thermal Budget…
Topics: Applied Physics, Astrobiology, Astrophysics, Civilization, Climate Change, Existentialism, Exoplanets, SETI, Thermodynamics Well, this firmly puts a kink in the “Fermi Paradox.” The Industrial Revolution started in Britain around 1760 – 1840, and there was a colloquial saying that “the sun did not set on the British Empire.” The former colony, America, cranked up itsContinue reading “Wages of the Thermal Budget…”
Who is STEM for…
Mutant Reviews of the 1981 movie “Excalibur,” with the caption to this photo: “Yes, Merlin got struck by lightning a lot.“ Topics: Applied Physics, Astrophysics, Chemistry, Civics, Civilization, Computer Modeling “Who is STEM for?”: a fairy tale. The title of this post is from a question Dr. Fatima Abdurrahman raised on her YouTube channel regardingContinue reading “Who is STEM for…”
Ripples in Spacetime…
Topics: Astrophysics, High Energy Physics, Particle Physics Each week Quanta Magazine explains one of the most important ideas driving modern research. This week, physics staff writer Charlie Wood explains why many researchers are looking to outer space for signs of “new physics.” Fundamental physics has a problem. Some researchers say the field faces a “nightmareContinue reading “Ripples in Spacetime…”
Canceling V.I.P.E.R…
The completed VIPER rover awaits one of two fates: be sent to the Moon by an organization other than NASA or be cannibalized for its parts and instruments. Credit: NASA Topics: Astrobiology, Astronautics, Astrophysics, Chemistry, COVID-19, NASA, Space Exploration, Spectrographic Analysis “Boldly going” has budget constraints, but all is not lost. “Plan B” is atContinue reading “Canceling V.I.P.E.R…”
Black Holes and Dark Matter…
Artist’s impression of a microlensing event caused by a black hole observed from Earth toward the Large Magellanic Cloud. The light of a background star located in the LMC is bent by a putative primordial black hole (lens) in the Galactic halo and magnified when observed from the Earth. Microlensing causes very characteristic variation ofContinue reading “Black Holes and Dark Matter…”
AI and the Great Filter…
Two researchers have revised the Drake equation, a mathematical formula for the probability of finding life or advanced civilizations in the universe. University of Rochester. Are We Alone in the Universe? Revisiting the Drake Equation, NASA Topics: Astrobiology, Astrophysics, Artificial Intelligence, Civilization, SETI See: Britannica.com/The-Fermi-Paradox/Where-Are-All-The-Aliens AbstractThis study examines the hypothesis that the rapid development ofContinue reading “AI and the Great Filter…”
Communal…
Topics: Astronomy, Astrophysics, Carl Sagan, Civilization, Existentialism, Star Wars, Star Trek, STEM Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, and Armstrong became the first person to step onto the Moon’s surface six hours and 39 minutes later, onContinue reading “Communal…”
Physics and Nano 