General | Observations in Astronomy

How can NASA Defend Itself?

NASA has done a lot for human civilization over the past 50 years or so. It has introduced us to a wide variety of materials, and taught our scientists some incredible things about the world we live, and the vast expanses beyond this world. However, they do face some difficulty in defending themselves, due to the anonymity and sometimes obscurity of the discoveries they make, along with their unpredictability. This is why they have recently found their funding reduced.

Needless to say, NASA conducts a lot of research in collaboration with scientists all over the world. We know more about our sky and the universe surrounding us than we ever have before. However, much of this knowledge is esoteric and known only to a few people. NASA has never been especially good at tooting its own horn over the discoveries it makes. Without much press coverage, it can be very challenging to launch an effective sales pitch, which in turn leads to lessened funding for their endeavors.

Simply put, NASA lacks a sales person who can put drama, heroism and immediacy into the work the organization does. If they had such an individual, it might be easier to keep their funding increasing and the public clamoring for more missions and more knowledge. Unfortunately, most people are so stuck on Earth, the notion of being able to learn anything of any use from space travel seems absurd. For a lot of people, teflon and its ilk just are not that important. However, the very nature of discovery means that through denying NASA, we could all be denying ourselves some really wonderful things.

Filed Under: General, Science Tagged With: Earth, NASA, Needless, Space

NASA’s Constellation Program: On The Way to Citizen Space Travel

NASA’s Constellation Program is on the verge of human travel to space. Whereas previously only astronauts were allowed to experience space travel, NASA is now partnering with various companies in preparation for citizen travel.
This is exciting news for citizens able to afford the hefty vacation price tags, but before NASA can issue the final approval, citizen safety must be ensured. For that reason, NASA has been working on one of the known concerns: thrust oscillation.
Thrust Oscillation
As a health and performance concern, thrust oscillation can impact the crew and citizens at first stage burnout. When the shuttle launches, there is often a smooth liftoff and ride for almost two minutes. Then, at burnout, the shuttle’s pressure creates a vibration that impairs the crew’s performance, impacting their ability to see and think clearly for a few seconds.
Ares 1
Because of the inherent risks that thrust oscillation can have on crew responsiveness, NASA is working on a new shuttle, Ares 1, that will address this concern. The new Ares 1 motor design will be 2.7 Hz smaller than the traditional shuttles, which allows the motor to dampen the thrust oscillation effects.
Designs
As NASA moves forward with design ideas, they are considering C-spring isolator, mass absorber and LOX damper designs. All of the designs are still being considered, but the C-spring isolator looks most promising.
The dual plane C-spring isolator design is not outperforming the other ideas in tests, but this was not always the case: The isolator had been too heavy at first production, so engineers recently developed a lighter titanium isolator, which put the C-spring isolator idea back in the running.
As NASA continues to move us closer to the space travel experience, we are left with only two concerns: How can a simple citizen find the $200,000-plus projected vacation fee and where can we sign up?

Filed Under: Astronomy, General Tagged With: Ares I, Constellation Program, NASA

NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) 14: The Underwater Experiment

The NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) projects use extreme environments to test new materials, technologies and human reactions to extreme environments. NEEMO 14, in particular, is aptly named because it is located deep in the ocean — just like the clownish. However, unlike Nemo, NEEMO 14 uses its environmental extremes as bases for research, training and education.
Introduction to NEEMO 14
The 14th NEEMO is located 3.5 miles from Key Largo, FL, and 62 feet below the water’s surface. At this depth, the ocean is not adapted for human survival: Even with traditional diving equipment, humans become subject to the bends — nitrogen build up in the blood — which can be fatal.
NEEMO 14, however, has found a way for humans to survive and explore this extreme environment for up to three weeks at a time. The underwater research center is equipped with oxygen, a laboratory and beds, but the timing of descent, ascent and exploration is one of the more important factors in this extreme environment survival.
Because of decompression sickness (the bends), divers must slowly descend to the research center, 62 feet below the surface. Once there, divers can stay in the research center on the ocean floor for up to three weeks, as long as saturation diving protocols are followed correctly.
While researching, as long as the divers stay at 62 feet, they can use traditional scuba gear to explore the environment. However, when divers leave the experiment to return to the surface, they must slowly reacclimatize themselves to shallower depths.
The Science of NEEMO
This extreme experiment is integral to NASA because the low gravity environment provides an excellent training and research facility. By accounting for buoyancy with weighted vests, the astronauts (called aquanauts) can walk on the ocean floor just as free from gravity as they would experience in space.
The research facility also allows aquanauts to experience the isolation and close quarters of space shuttles, which trains them in the space experience and tests them for psychological and physical breaking points.

Filed Under: Astronomy, General Tagged With: NASA, Seabed, Space Shuttle

Shop for Great Online Deals This Holiday Season

This shopping season is all about saving money without compromising on quality. For my family, that means searching the Internet for great deals on the gifts that we’d usually spend a lot more money on at retail stores. Luckily, many websites will give you easy access to reasonably priced gifts. You just have to know where to look.

I’ve often found that I get great deals by searching a website’s discount and clearance sections. Even most well known clothing companies have clearance pages where they sell their designs at prices far below retail. Just check out the websites of J Crew, Banana Republic, Dereon, and Gap. They all have clearance sections. Rather than going to the store and picking through a single rack of clearance items, you get to choose from a wider range from all over the country.

This season you should also look for shipping deals. Many retailers have eliminated delivery fees for the holiday season. This entices consumers to purchase items through the website rather than crowding the store. When it comes down to it, retailers don’t care where the point of purchase takes place. They just want to make sure that you choose them. Eliminating shipping and handling fees is a real boon for the stores and consumers.

Finally, be sure to check coupon websites for instant savings. Search engines such as Google and Yahoo! make it really easy to find coupons that can save you as much as 40 percent off certain purchases. That can add up quickly when you’re buying gifts for the whole family.

You don’t have to feel like a scrooge this holiday season just because you have tightened your belt a little bit. Spend a little extra time searching for those deals online and you’ll be able to have a great holiday without suffering from a case of buyer’s remorse in the new year.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Christmas and holiday season, Google, Retail

A Female Dalai Lama?

: Image by Yves. via Flickr

At a recent visit to Toronto, the Dalai Lama helped celebrate the opening of a new Tibetan cultural centre. More than 15,000 individuals joined him in the celebration. During his stay, the Dalia Lama answered questions from reports, and one answer in particular has set the world a buzz.

When asked whether the next Dalai Lama could be a female, the current one responded that he didn’t see why not. From his point of view, a female Dalai Lama could offer two benefits. The first one would be a woman’s ability to be sensitive. Many believe that a woman is biologically engineered to be more tender than a man, which could be a good asset. The second benefit brought a round of laughter from everyone at the meeting: a female Dalai Lama would be more attractive than him.

All kidding aside, the spiritual leader for the Tibetan faith reminded the crowd that the point of reincarnation is to serve Buddha, regardless of the sex of the servant. He also pointed out that he won’t live forever and is looking forward to retirement. At the age of 75, the Dalai Lama certainly has a right to retirement in human terms.

During the press conference, the spiritual leader also compared himself to the other 14 men who have held the title. He claims to be the most popular one and believes he falls somewhere between the best and worst Dalai Lamas.

Another topic broached was the human approach to peace. In his lifetime, the Dalai Lama lost his freedom and his country before finding the power of conversation. As everyone should know, peace will not fall from the sky, so people must take steps to create a better world. Conversation allows for dialogue, which can bring a measure of peace to two fighting groups.

At the end of the conference, the Dalai Lama showed just how far a sense of humor and the power of words can go.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: China, dalailama, Female, Gautama Buddha, News conference, Spiritual leader, Tibetan Buddhism, Toronto

Fun Facts About Comets

: Image by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center via Flickr

If you’ve ever seen a shooting star, it’s most likely actually a comet or even an asteroid. Not many people understand what comets are, or even know much about them at all. There are some interesting facts about comets. Because of how a comet looks, the word comet actually comes originally from the word for hair in Greek. Comets are composed of rocky debris, ice, and dust. It’s believed that most comets come from some of the farthest areas of our solar system. In fact, they are so far out that even the orbit of Pluto doesn’t reach them. They are still in our solar system, though.

There is a chance that at some point in our futures a comet could hit earth and cause major destruction, but you are much more likely to win at your favorite sports betting sites than die from a comet crashing into the planet.

It was once believed that comets were a show of power from the gods. They were also seen by many as a curse, or a warning that something bad was about to happen. Others believe that a comet is the device which angels are carried through heaven.

You may see Halley’s comet again in your life, depending on your current age. It only comes around every 76 years. The next time it is estimated to come near our planet again is in the year 2061. There is at least a few meteor showers every year. In fact, the Perseid shower happens in August of each year.

Comets have been seen throughout recorded history. Some people have revered them, while others were terrified. We know today what comets are, and can track them through the skies. The orbits of comets are similar to earth’s orbit; an egg shape. Usually, these flying bits of rock and ice have a much, much larger orbit than earth.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Comets and Asteroids, General, Observatory Tagged With: Astronomy, Comet, Halley's Comet, Meteor shower, Meteoroid, NASA, Pluto, Solar System

The Joy Of Online Poker

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

If you have been to a casino recently, you may have noticed that there are no poker tables with a minimum lower than $5. I have not seen any in Atlantic City, New Jersey and there were very few that I noticed on my trip to Las Vegas. In this economy, very few people have the money to sit at a poker table inside a casino and play the high amounts. For those who enjoy the various poker games, online casino poker games can be a better solution.

Though online gambling is not legal in many states, you don’t always have to play on the US sites. Even if you do, you can play the free poker games and gain practice for the next time you are at a casino. You don’t have to worry about whether other players can tell what cards you have, and there is no need to hide your emotions. It’s a fun and exciting thing to do in your off time, to relax and get away from your everyday life. The best part for regular players on a budget is that you can still find one and two penny tables.

Just don’t keep your online playing mates hanging, and you should follow proper rules when playing online. Stay away from any kind of insulting or abusive gestures in the chat room, and be sure to only take the amount of time you need. Often, other players are just as experienced and if you keep bluffing, they will catch on to you and you will be left without a penny before you know it. As with any other gambling, play smart and do not bet over your head. Be sure to follow all the rules set, and you too will have a joyful and relaxing game.

Filed Under: Astronomy, Comets and Asteroids, General, Observatory Tagged With: Casino, Gambling, Games, Guides, Online casino, onlinepoker, Poker, United States

What Role Does Science Fiction Play In Today’s Culture?

: Image via Wikipedia

Above all other schools of thought, science has sparked the minds of humans throughout the ages. The big questions in life are still relatively unanswered, and science plays its part in unraveling the greater mysteries of life. One aspect of science that has captured the imagination of people for decades is science fiction – the possibilities and potential feats we could achieve in the future through the evolution of today’s scientific knowledge. It’s easy to see science fiction’s influence on society.

One of the areas where science fiction is at its most prevalent is books. There have been many great authors of science fiction whose work has progressed both the genre and the art of science itself. Isaac Asimov is one of the greats whose novels such as I, Robot discussed the role of robots in our society and how the intelligence we program them with may one day classify them as free individuals. Philip K Dick. whose title Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? again explored the notion of artificially created automatons growing their own personalities and becoming human. Of course, these works could not come into being without the original books from great scientists such as Isaac Newton and most famously Albert Einstein.

Nowadays you can even get a free ringtone for your mobile phone based on science fiction. Literally thousands of science fiction films are produced each year and the most popular ones often have a ringtone available for their theme music. Hits like Twilight and Harry Potter have proved popular downloads in recent years, although iconic science fiction films such as Star Wars, which surely has one of the most recognizable themes ever created, are still big draws in the download market.

With the variety of films, music and books that are created each year, it is easy to see how science fiction still plays an important role in our society.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Harry Potter, Isaac Asimov, Star Wars

Considerations on Pet Purchasing

Image by krazydad / jbum via Flickr

There is something so endearing about having a pet. You love the companionship and the love a pet can show you. They can keep your apartment or house from feeling lonely. So what is stopping you from bringing one into your life? There is a lot to consider before making such a big commitment. But if you take your time to figure some things before you get a pet, it can make having one an absolute joy.

The first, and biggest concern, should be cost. Having a pet is not a cheap endeavor. There is everything from leashes to daily dog food to bowls that can add up in cost very quickly. Not to mention there is the prospect of pet medicine such as routine meds like Frontline Plus to expensive prescription meds like valium and augmentin. Paying for the cost of a pet isn’t cheap so make sure you have a long look at your budget and find out if you have the money necessary to care for a pet. What you might find is that your budget isn’t ready to include a pet or that you may have to cut back on other indulgences in order to pay for your pet.

The other thing to keep in mind is the time commitment. Pets take time. If you have a dog then you need to walk them every day. Even if you have a big backyard, the dog needs to be let outside to go to the bathroom at least every 8 hours. This means you can’t be gone forever, or you have to find a friend or family member to come over and let the dog out. Pets can be time consuming from the very start so if your life is too busy you may have to consider waiting. This shouldn’t deter you from purchasing a pet, just helps to make you aware.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Animal, Dog food, Health, Pet