The other day, I noted that there wasn't much information on what had happened with the SpaceX soft landing. Now there is a bit more, and it sounds promising. In addition to maybe saving 70% of launch costs, the technology could have benefits for future Mars landings. After flying to the edge of space, a … Continue reading SpaceX Successfully Soft-Lands on Earth for First Time. Is Mars Next?
Category: Zeitgeist
What Makes an Alien Intelligent?
An interesting article in The New Yorker on the necessity of keeping an open mind about what form an alien intelligence might take. Yet, even as the Kepler mission gets closer to finding a mirror image of our own planet, many scientists have ceased believing that we should be looking for ourselves in space. There … Continue reading What Makes an Alien Intelligent?
Americans keen on space exploration, less so on paying for it | Pew Research Center
Many Americans are optimistic about the future of space travel, but they don’t necessarily want to pay for it. It’s been that way for some time, actually. A Harris survey taken in 1970 – less than a year after the first moon landing – showed that a majority (56%) thought the landing was not worth the money spent. … Continue reading Americans keen on space exploration, less so on paying for it | Pew Research Center
Reusable rockets: Up and down and up again
A while back I highlighted SpaceX's reusable first stage. Last week, they launched with it with the plan to have it do a controlled descent into the waters off Cape Canaveral. I haven't been able to find detailed reports of how well it worked, other than this snippet from their web site. Data upload from … Continue reading Reusable rockets: Up and down and up again
The Fusion Game
SMBC: The evil mathematical universe
A slightly different point of view on the mathematical universe, as only Zach Weiner can deliver. (Click through to see the full sized version.) via Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal.
Max Tegmark posts his chapter on cosmic inflation online
If you enjoyed my write up on Tegmark's Level II multiverse, you might enjoy this guest post that he makes on Sean Carroll's blog, which includes a link to the chapter on inflation from his book, including those visual aids I referenced! Since the BICEP2 breakthrough is generating such huge interest in inflation, I’ve decided … Continue reading Max Tegmark posts his chapter on cosmic inflation online
Ugh, really Americans? Poll reveals majority of Americans distrust Big Bang theory
In a new national poll on America's scientific acumen, more than half of respondents said they were "not too confident" or "not at all confident" that "the universe began 13.8 billion years ago with a big bang." via Poll reveals majority of Americans distrust Big Bang theory - UPI.com.
Is Philosophy Obsolete? – The Chronicle Review
Rebecca Goldstein appears to be on a campaign to defend philosophy. In this essay, she defends its ability to make progress, and questions whether it should be lumped in with the humanities. (I wonder what the humanities folks will think of that.) Philosophy was the first academic field; the founder of the Academy was Plato. … Continue reading Is Philosophy Obsolete? – The Chronicle Review
Neil deGrasse Tyson in ‘The Inexplicable Universe’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgo1uObQ3Js If you're enjoying the Cosmos series, you might enjoy these lectures by Neil deGrasse Tyson, which I discovered yesterday is now on Netflix. The lectures are fairly far ranging covering things like string theory, dark matter, dark energy, gravitational anomalies, and many other things. If you're well read in science, a lot of this might … Continue reading Neil deGrasse Tyson in ‘The Inexplicable Universe’
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