Super Massive Black Holes Explained (so anyone can understand)

 Most of you know how much I love all things space. Combine that with the brilliant cartoon artwork of Jorge Cham, several astrophysicists talking about their work, and my day is made! 

When it comes to astrophysics and phenomenon like black holes, most of us think we have the topic covered. After all, the television and film industry has devoted a huge amount of reel space to presenting dangerous scenarios concerning black holes and their ilk.

It turns out there is a lot of straight forward science that is not well understood like black holes don't actually suck material in. (The word "hole" probably threw the scriptwriters off.)

Anyway, check out the video or read the explanation at PhD Comics. Both make it easy to explain to friends at a bar, baseball game, or during speed dating. Go science!

Exoplanets: The Next Frontier?

Last night I watched the new science program Cosmos (a reboot of the popular show with Carl Sagan from 20 years ago). Now hosted by Neil Degrasse Tyson, Ph.D., this Cosmos episode centered around planetary paths and how early scientists figured out the effects of gravity on planetary motion including Haley's Comet.

The mathematics and conclusions involved were amazing given the medieval times in scientific history and the squabbling astronomers involved.

Fast forward to today and we have a fantastic resource available for studying exoplanets and their details. The Exoplanet Data Explorer is an interactive table and plotter for exploring and displaying data from the Exoplanet Orbit Database. The Exoplanet Orbit Database is a compilation of quality, spectroscopic orbital parameters of exoplanets orbiting normal stars from the peer-reviewed literature, and updates the Catalog of nearby exoplanets. Right now there are 5,195 planets recorded in the data base. Check it out and let me know your favorite planets! Go science!

Gravity

As you can imagine, I like science movies, science fiction, and other assorted real and imagined technology (even Steampunk).

So when I heard from more than one person that the new movie, Gravity, with George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, got a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, (has it ever happened before?) I made plans to see it this weekend.

Mark Uhran, a 28-year NASA veteran with the International Space Station, said it was extremely realistic. I worked at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX for thirteen years and the movie trailer made my stomach lurch. I can hardly wait to see the movie. To avoid spoliers, let's comment next week when a lot of us have seen it. Go Science!

The Physics of Surfing

Have you ever thought about the physics of ocean movement? Lots of variables play into a wave's size and speed. Imagine studying physics at the University of Hawaii and doing homework on a surfboard. Some people have all the fun! 

Watch this video where Assaf Azouri, a graduate student in physical oceanography at the Univ. of Hawaii Manoa teaches Jorge Cham, PhD, physicist and creator of PhD Comics, about the physics of surfing.

Time Faster on Earth than in Space?

You know you have a strong science bent when you get excited about Bill Nye the Science Guy making new Consider the Following videos. Well I am and he did. Check out Bill's simple explanation on how fast time passes on Earth compared to outer space. You might be surprise at the answer! http://www.billnye.com/media/consider-the-following-videos/