Hello Rainy Science Fans,
There are two items that really jump to the front of what I have been thinking as I start to write this missive today. (A day early so that I can remind you about the first one!)
Sunday morning 12.11.22 marked the return of Orion (not Noelle and Alex’s son!) to earth completing the Artemis I mission around the Moon. I was sitting with my cup of coffee watching it. After all these years of being a NASA fan and a fan of space exploration and science I am still amazed at what humans and countries have been able to do when they work together and cooperate with each other. This year we saw the James Webb Space Telescope begin it’s work and it was even teamed up with Keck. Now Artemis/Orion seems to have had similar success, beyond what was planned and hoped for. Don’t forget about Ingenuity, tiny but mighty and durable. Many people question why so much money is spent on the moon, mars, and space. I wish I could remember who said “Not one penny was spent on the moon. It was all spent here on earth”.
It is great to see all of the rain we have received recently. If anybody doesn’t think we have been experiencing drought please logout! Note:…a single precipitation event is not enough to break a drought. Why doesn’t a drought end when it rains? Here’s your weekly drought update and if you are wondering about your garden.
One of the larger challenges to science and everyday knowledge is Disinformation. Another way of looking at this is “Scientists are failing the public.” Teaching critical thinking isn’t just for the classroom, it’s for life, though it is done in classrooms. Here’s a great video about how to teach in both in and out of the classrooms. “They just don’t make rockets like they use [sic] to.”
It’s kind of quiet on the informal science and reason side these days but there are still many ways to gain insight in to how our universe works, but there are some great opportunities. For instance…
Lost Landscapes 02022 Bay and Gateway: Past Glimpses and Possible Futures – Tue 7:00 PM is also going to be happening on Wed!
Geminids Meteor Shower – Tue 11:45 PM goes on until early Wednesday
Traumatic Brain Injury, Art, and Nature – Livestream – Wed 12:00 PM
Third Thursday @ CuriOdyssey 6:00 PM
After Dark: Bioluminescence – Thu 6:00 PM
Science of Light – Sat 12:00 PM
Fort Point Candlelight Tour – Sat 06:30 PM
Of course there are many cool things that I have come across recently as well. I hope you find a few (at least one) of them interesting!
About all those dates and From the fringe to the grocery aisles
Tales From the Periodic Table is a great way to learn what we are, and are not made of! It’s part of one of our great local science educator’s personal projects now. Check out Full-Spectrum Science too. Ron has even more at Ron Hipschman This makes Ron cringe!=}
Through an Artist’s Eye, Scientific Tools Help Tell Vital Stories
How I learned to stop worrying and love my tsundoku
Have a great week learning cool new stuff,
herb masters
“It sounded interesting, at least while I kept out of the rain. But if it’s a sermon, I’d sooner listen to the rain.” Rashomon
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