I continue to find interesting things in the area of astronomy, math, physics and more. Here are some of the best of them. I hope you like them! (Yes, there will be stoned earthworms, and something about Uranus. :))
Space missions and exploration: I am excited to see so many different countries sending space missions to a wide range of areas and planning more. Europe has sent the mission Juice to go explore Jupiter. And yes, NASA wants to explore Uranus. (Although here’s why that won’t happen until the 2040s. Hey, it’s far.) Japan is trying to get in the game, though their rocket had some recent failure.
Venus is a tough place to explore, though not impossible. Here’s a good piece on how it could be explored using balloons. In the meantime, NASA is using data from Magellan to reveal volcanic activity on that hot planet. The more knowledge, the more likely a future visit will be successful.
As for other countries, I am glad that Russia will continue to use the international space station for some time. Let’s hope that doesn’t stop. As for my home country, Canada is working on it’s first ever canadian lunar rover! (see below)
Elsewhere in space: while we humans go out into space, space also comes to us. For example: Asteroid 2023 BU is a space rock that passes closer to us than some satellites. Yikes.
And it’s not the only rock. Above is a photo of another large asteroid passing by.
As for other space objects, here’s two good pieces on black holes: scientists discover ultramassive black hole 30bn times the mass of the sun plus this typing black holes and dark matter.
This is cool: you can be an amateur astronomer and help the pros. Check it out. Also cool is this piece on how John Glenns basic camera forced NASA to rethink space missions. Plus, here’s a good piece on using AI in astronomy.
Mind blowing physics: If you are interested in quantum physics, read this: four common misconceptions about quantum physics. This is a good reminder that everything in physics is made up, and that’s ok. Oh, and physicists are starting to think space and time are illusions.
Math: What do you get when you cross math with the AI? Some excellent illustrations, like the one at the top of this post! More here! This is also excellent: Ideas of Calculus in Islam and India. I enjoyed finding out that you can use the lagrangian function in managerial economics. Neat! If you want to learn more math, I highly recommend these No bullshit guides.
Can non-mathematicians learn and appreciate math? This piece looks at some books on math education that try to do that. The jury is out, though I think it’s possible.
Finally: this is a good reminder that I don’t think we really understand the nervous system, if you can have memories without brains. Speaking of lower lifeforms: Roundworms on weed get the muchines.
I hope more people read this on Chien-Shiung Wu and the little known origin story behind the 2022 nobel prize in physics.
And what’s this?
Just an introduction to the TV show, The National. Back then letters like that indicated The Future. I had to find a place to show them on my blog! 🙂
Last week was a big one for math, with the Fields Medals being announced. As
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