Saturday, March 7, 2015

Coming Up: Pi Day, Einstein’s Birthday, and Dawn at Ceres


Saturday, March 14, 2015 is “pi day” – the only day this century that includes the first five digits of pi or 3.1415…   This year, several groups are suggesting that this might be a good day for celebrating math and science in general – and raising our voices in favor of evidence-based, well-reasoned decisions in our public life.  It’s a time we can share with others our conviction that evolution is well-established fact, that climate change is being accelerated by human activities, and that NASA did indeed land people on the Moon – all ideas being denied on the web, in the media, and in our political discourse.

March 14th is also Albert Einstein’s birthday (he was born in 1879 on that day.)  This year, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s first paper on the General Theory of Relativity, the brilliant insight that connects gravity, light, space and time.  This anniversary is part of a larger physics commemoration – celebrating 2015 as the International Year of Light.  At Foothill College, I will be offering my evening Physics 12 class (Physics for Poets), all about Einstein’s life and work, explained without math.  It ends with recent contributions to our understanding of the universe by Stephen Hawking (whom I was pleased to see getting the Academy Award for best actor :-)) 


We can also celebrate the big development in the solar system: The Dawn Spacecraft just went into orbit around the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt, Ceres, which, by virtue of its size and round-ness, also qualifies as the first dwarf planet to have been discovered (in 1801).  Dawn is the first spacecraft ever to orbit two worlds on the same mission, thanks to its advanced ion-propulsion technology.  (It orbited the second largest asteroid Vesta, from 2011 to 2012 and then made its way across 900 million miles of space to Ceres.)  We are expecting remarkable close-up images of and data from Ceres as the year goes on and Dawn achieves closer and closer orbit. Stay tuned.

For the latest on the Dawn mission, see the blog by Mission Director Marc Rayman: http://dawnblog.jpl.nasa.gov/ 

For a syllabus of my Physics 12 (Einstein) class, see: www.foothill.edu/physics/Physics.12.Web.pdf

For a guide to resources for answering conspiracy-theory "true believers", go to: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/astronomy-resource-guides/astronomical-pseudo-science-a-skeptics-resource-list/ 


Painting of the Dawn Spacecraft Near Ceres (NASA)

2 comments:

  1. Want to know how to get over a broken heart? A break up can feel like the end of the world, but if you really do want to move on, here’s a complete guide on how to deal with a broken heart.My name is Mimi Bieber, i live in Tx,USA. since 6 months I have witness what is called heart broke. my boyfriend that promised me marriage failed me and impregnate me and leave,he dump me,he stop calling" he stop picking my calls,and he no longer respond to me. I have be looking for solution,I fall into the hands of fake spell caster,they rough me off and took my money without help.I have cried,I have weep"and tears runs out of eyes. The silentness in my heart brought me to the deepest path of failure that I lost my job. Crying all day,because of my life was lonely. So thanks to Dr Brave that came into my life and brought me the greatest joy that was lost. I saw his mail while browsing and I contact and tell him what I am passing through with no doubt because what saw about him,was enough to believe. And I was given words of solution on what to do. I can't really help thinking about it I have tried to see what I can do, I manage to provide him some materials and he help me with the rest,after casting the spell, 12hrs later he came with rose on his hand and I was even about going out,i saw him in front of my door when he sees me he knee and said he is dying I should forgive him and accept him back he was crying,I can't wait to let him finish I quickly crab him and kiss him, just then" he said he is restless without me, just as the prophet has said he will be. He brought out a ring and put it on my hand. Our wedding day was scheduled,1week after we got married. today makes it 2weeks and we are living happily I don't know how to praise him enough, he has done me a thing I can never forget. And I can't really share to myself alone, I want y'all to help me praise him because if it is wasn't for him I already plan of committing suicide. But right now I am now so happy more than I was before. And you out there crying for help you've already got one,Dr Brave is the man that you need in all rampart. contact his address if you need his service, bravespellcaster@gmail.com also contact him on his web site:http://lovespelldrbrave.weebly.com/Thanks you Dr Brave, i will always be testifying about your good work.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I’m very excited sharing this amazing testimony about a powerful and genuine spell caster that helped me to bring back my husband back from the hands of another woman, My husband and i have been divorced now for two years. He remarried one year ago. Last year him and I were still talking, he was engaged at the time and I didn't know. We were meeting eachother at the park, talking, emailing, and went out to dinner one time. The entire time he told me I was the love of his life and that he didn't love this woman he is now married to. Of course my response to him was that he was also the love of my life as well. I was the one that asked for the divorce, and it was the biggest mistake of my life. This man is the only man I've ever truly loved and I am unable to love another man. When his fiance found out we were talking she broke all communication..Changed his phone number, deleted his email account etc. I've had no way of contacting him and I also have changed my number so he doesn't have anyway of contacting me either. I feel desperate, I feel like a crazy person because I can't stop these racing thoughts that control my life every single day. I just need to know how he feels. The very last time we talked he told me he could never love another woman again, and now he's married. What do I do? I cry myself to sleep every night. I can't listen to music, I'm afraid to go places for fear I'll see him with her. And when I do go to various places I think of him...Everything reminds me of us. I just want him back, he's my everything!! I love him so much!!!, i never wanted to check the internet for spell casters because i believed that they are all scam, but a child hood friend of mine told me to give it a try and contact a spell caster which i did, i contacted Chief Nwaluta and was doubting his powers, because he assured me not to worry about anything that all will be well, he did the spell for me and now my ex husband is back in my life and our marriage is saved with the help of chief nwaluta, here is his email if you are going through cases like this { Nwalutaspelltemple@gmail.com } you can also contact him on his website http://lovespellmallam.yolasite.com/ . Thank you chief, i really appreciate i will always be testifying about your good work.

    ReplyDelete