Hello Lovers, Students, Supporters, and Respecters of Science!
You may have read or heard that Earth has set a new record temperature. Multiple times actually! I’m often amazed by what things look like when compared to how they appear or are depicted. Sometimes what appears to be a simple answer to a question or problem is just not good enough! There are many such examples so I’m only listing a few here… When you consider how you might do something like measure the temperature of the earth, I think it becomes easier to understand How to Respond to Climate Change Skeptics. It might also help to understand more about the Measurement for our Planet
Have you ever thought about how far our local solar system planets are from each other and the sun? Like many things there are nuances to how to think about it. For instance does Jupiter really orbit around the sun or is there a better way to describe it? So if we’re 1 AU from the Sun, what’s the closest planet to all of the other ones? What is our closest neighbor? What is the closest planet?… “Mars is always closer to Earth, and the rest of the inner planets, than it is to Jupiter.”
You may have noticed more chatter about physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer recently. In part I think is due to the time of year. The Trinity test was done on July 16, 1945 and Little Boy and Fat Man were dropped within the first 9 days of August 1945 killing somewhere between 154,000 and 219,000 people. This year though also has a couple of film options that I think warrant your attention. Tonight (7.9.23) MSNBC is broadcasting “TO END ALL WAR: OPPENHEIMER & THE ATOMIC BOMB” and “Oppenheimer” will be released on 7.21.23. I’ll be watching both!
Here are some opportunities you might want to take advantage of…
–Chasing Arrows: The Truth About Recycling – Virtual Watch Party & Panel Discussion – Livestream Wed @ 6
–Bioblitz at Coyote Creek Visitor Center with Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful and Bioblitz.club Sat @ 9
–Potrero Hill STEM Festival 2023 Sat @ 11
–Raptor Encounter in Coyote Valley Sun @ 5:30
After Dark: Biophony this Thursday is going to be a special one… “join us for a conversation about the act of listening. Bernie Krause and David Harrington have each spent over 50 years in careers dedicated to sharing transcendent sound experiences with listeners. Krause’s work has centered on his explorations of soundscape ecology; Harrington’s on his founding and leadership of the world-renowned San Francisco–based Kronos Quartet.” This will be one for the ears!
In case I haven’t lost you yet, check out some of these…
The Biologist Blowing Our Minds
Remember the little helicopter that could? Well, Ingenuity is getting a bit more independent these days.
Smokey the Bear was wrong about wildfires. (His middle name is not “the”!) and 8 Myths About Public Understanding of Science
A 5,000-year-old ‘Ivory Lady’ has added some new context to the discussions of gender and equity!
Neglect of a Museum’s Collection Could Cause Scientific Setbacks
Scientists Warned of a Salton Sea Disaster. No One Listened.
MDMA and the White Supremicist
Visible planets and night sky for the month of July
Have a great week learning new and cool things as well as about older still cool things!!
herb masters
“Science can teach us, and I think our own hearts can teach us, no longer to look around for imaginary supports, no longer to invent allies in the sky, but rather to look to our own efforts here below to make this world a fit place to live in, instead.” Bertrand Russell
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