CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-20 18:57:48 (12 comments, 3 reshares, 27 +1s)

Yesterday I posted a clip of a science experiment gone horribly right. Currently the post ( https://plus.google.com/u/0/107935490847186075336/posts/cdwiAzcy76r ) has over 3000 +1's, and almost 1500 reshares. You could say the post is blowing up on Google+  YEAAAAAAH!

I'm very pleased to see such great responses to science content. Thank you for adding me to your circles. 

#scienceisawesome   #scienceeveryday   #mondaymotivation  

2013-05-20 17:16:24 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Science Fans: 

Want to learn more about our Sun, and the lifecycle of Stars? 

Sign up for my +CosmoQuest online course: "The Sun and Stellar Evolution"!  Classes start May 29th.  Lectures are held via Google+ hangouts.  Come learn with us! 

#onlineeducation   #scienceeveryday   #hangoutsonair   #hangouts  

2013-05-20 16:54:21 (500 comments, 1715 reshares, 3586 +1s)

Apparently this is what happens when you mix toothpaste potassium iodide, dish soap, and hydrogen peroxide? Can any chemistry folks confirm/deny?  

Update: This is known as "Elephant Toothpaste" in chemistry circles.  http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistrydemonstrations/a/elephanttooth.htm
 
#sciencesunday   #scienceisawesome   #scienceeveryday   #donttrythisathome   #donttrythisatschool  

2013-05-17 18:42:39 (2 comments, 13 reshares, 47 +1s)

I posted about Kiera Wilmot earlier this week, but +Maggie Koerth-Baker provided updated information in a recent article.  *TL;DR:* The felony charges against Kiera have been dropped!

I'm very happy to see that things are working out for Kiera, and with any luck, her love for science won't be diminished by this experience. 

#scienceeveryday   #scienceisnotcrime  

2013-05-17 15:19:15 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

Watch it live at 10:30 a.m. EDT on NASA TV http://www.nasa.gov/ntv 

2013-05-16 06:14:38 (17 comments, 14 reshares, 74 +1s)

Just a friendly request.   #startrek   #trekthursday   #intodarkness  

2013-05-15 23:12:58 (28 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

So far, I like the new look of Google+ but my fonts seem, well... off. 

Anyone else having font issues? 

#googleplus   #io2013  

2013-05-15 21:49:46 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

A lunar lander designed by Northrop Grumman has passed a key review stage. One small step for +Golden Spike Company, one giant leap for private space exploration! 

2013-05-15 17:11:30 (5 comments, 2 reshares, 9 +1s)

Apparently Neil deGrasse Tyson isn't much of a Star Wars fan, but is a HUGE trekkie trekker.   In this video clip, Dr. Tyson also answers the age-old question: "Kirk or Picard".  Enjoy!

2013-05-14 22:34:06 (9 comments, 10 reshares, 16 +1s)

Faith In Humanity = Restored 

A while back, my friends and fellow science folks, +Pamela Gay , +Nicole Gugliucci (and a ton of others) wrote about Kiera Wilmot - a high school student who performed an "unsanctioned" science experiment, and was expelled from school and arrested on FELONY charges. 

Someone who is familiar with making things go "pop" and getting arrested in high school for "science" is Homer Hickam, author of "Rocket Boys" and you know, real-life rocket scientist. 

Homer has come to the aid of Kiera, and has also started a scholarship fundraiser for her twin sister. 

#beremarkable   #rocketboys   #scienceisnotcrime   #scienceeveryday  

2013-05-14 19:39:43 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 10 +1s)

"Don't let life randomly kick you into the adult you don't want to become" :+Chris Hadfield 

#beremarkable   #motivation   #humanity  

2013-05-14 18:01:03 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

The director, a writer and some actors in the film "Star Trek Into Darkness" will join NASA astronauts as we host a Google+ Hangout On Air from noon to 12:45 p.m. EDT, May 16, about how work aboard the International Space Station is turning science fiction into reality.

Participating in the hangout will be NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, who currently is living and working aboard the space station; astronauts Michael Fincke and Kjell Lindgren at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston; director J.J. Abrams, screenwriter and producer Damon Lindelof; and stars of the film, Chris Pine, Alice Eve and John Cho. The participants will ask questions of each other and take questions from the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City (home of the space shuttle Enterprise), the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, and social media followers. 

Ask aque... more »

2013-05-14 17:20:22 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Hangout Producers:

I'm having a hell of a time eliminating static/hum from my audio feeds in recorded hangouts.   Been trying to get my Sennheiser wireless mic working, but it seems that using the 1/8 output into a computer produces a VERY noisy connection. 

The base station on my sennheiser wireless mic has XLR output, which is supposed to be less noisy.  

Here's the catch. I seriously have no budget.  I can't buy a fancy mixer board, or some $1,000 digital audio recorder.  Ideas? 

2013-05-14 17:20:31 (16 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Hangout producers: 

I'm having a hell of a time eliminating static/hum from my audio feeds in recorded hangouts.   Been trying to get my Sennheiser wireless mic working, but it seems that using the 1/8 output into a computer produces a VERY noisy connection. 

The base station on my sennheiser wireless mic has XLR output, which is supposed to be less noisy.  

Here's the catch. I seriously have no budget.  I can't buy a fancy mixer board, or some $1,000 digital audio recorder.  Ideas? 

2013-05-14 15:18:58 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Join us on May 28th, at 8:00 PM Pacific for the next episode of our show!

To celebrate our 10th episode, we’re returning to our hour-long format with a blockbuster show

Our guests for Episode 10 are the “Bad Astronomer”, +Philip Plait and the host of Discovery’s “Meteorite Men”, +Geoff Notkin. We'll also have a musical performance by +James Olmos! James will be performing "I Fall Into You", from his latest album.

Learn more about Phil at: http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy.html
Learn more about Geoff at: http://www.meteoritemen.com/
You can check out music by James Olmos at: http://www.jamesolmos.com/

We’ll also have a new “This Month in Space History” segment with Amy Shira Teitel! Be sure to email any questions you have for Phil or Geoff to info@cosmicray.tv, or post them to the event page! 

Thevideo shown is for ou... more »

2013-05-13 20:41:53 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Join us on May 28th, at 8:00 PM Pacific for the next episode of our show!

To celebrate our 10th episode, we’re returning to our hour-long format with a blockbuster show

Our guests for Episode 10 are the “Bad Astronomer”, +Philip Plait and the host of Discovery’s “Meteorite Men”, +Geoff Notkin. We'll also have a musical performance by +James Olmos! James will be performing "I Fall Into You", from his latest album.

Learn more about Phil at: http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy.html
Learn more about Geoff at: http://www.meteoritemen.com/
You can check out music by James Olmos at: http://www.jamesolmos.com/

We’ll also have a new “This Month in Space History” segment with Amy Shira Teitel! Be sure to email any questions you have for Phil or Geoff to info@cosmicray.tv, or post them to the event page! 

Thevideo shown is for ou... more »

2013-05-13 17:09:41 (4 comments, 6 reshares, 32 +1s)

Hey folks!  

Have you seen this video of +Chris Hadfield performing "Space Oddity" aboard the #internationalspacestation ?  

Chris is doing AMAZING things, and inspiring people, which makes me very happy.  Take a few minutes and check the video out to get your #musicmonday started right!

#beremarkable   #scienceeveryday   #musiceveryday  

2013-05-09 22:48:34 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Mission control monitoring space station coolant leak

"NASA officials said the crew was not in any danger.

The leak is in the system used to cool electronics associated with solar array power channel 2B, one of eight fed by the station's huge solar panels. Ammonia flowing through a large radiator is used to carry away heat generated by the array's batteries and electrical systems."

2013-05-09 22:43:22 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 6 +1s)

How does the sun REALLY shine? They Might Be Giants can summarize it in a short song, but +Ray Sanders can teach you all about how stars work over a 4-week course. Enrollment is now open for "CQX002 - The Sun and Stellar Evolution" - http://cqx002.eventbrite.com

Obligatory links to TMBG videos: They Might Be Giants - Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas) and They Might Be Giants - Why Does the Sun Really Shine? (The Sun is a Miasma of Incandescent Plasma) 

2013-05-09 20:46:25 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 16 +1s)

I have some happy news.
http://theoatmeal.com/blog/tesla_museum_saved

2013-05-09 17:38:07 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 15 +1s)

How Long Does it Take to Get to Mars? 

Check out this kick-ass video by my pal, +Fraser Cain to learn how long it takes to get to Mars.  

If you want to feed your hunger for great space and science news, Fraser is the publisher of +Universe Today which has a ton of great articles every day.  Add Universe Today to your circles to get all the great science and space news in your feed! 

And yes, Fraser is right, video is hard.  I can certainly attest to that. 

Enjoy! 

2013-05-08 20:35:33 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

*Sigh*

Got a new memo regarding NASA Education and Outreach activities. It lists over 250 events, workshops, products, etc. that needed special waivers to continue over a six week period. Here is just a sampling: http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/about/sequestration-NASA-education-guidance.html

Two hundred and fifty education opportunities in six weeks.

This is the kind of work that the President's proposed STEM restructuring will cut forever. Tell his office, tell your Congresscritters, tell your best friend, tell someone that this is a bad idea if you want the amazing work done by NASA's EPO professionals to continue. 

Here is some more of my incredulity at the current situation: http://skepchick.org/2013/05/cross-post-science-education-an-endangered-species/

Here is where you can find your governmentre... more »

2013-05-08 18:03:48 (12 comments, 5 reshares, 39 +1s)

Hey plusketeers!  Anyone out there have experience running sites from Amazon Web Services?  I played around a bit with a micro instance last year, but haven't done any "real world" site hosting with AWS yet. 

Thoughts and/or opinions appreciated. Thanks!  

P.S.  Since we're talking about "The Cloud", here's a nice pic of the Small Magellanic Cloud. Enjoy! 

#wednesday   #webwednesday   #amazonwebservices   #thecloud  

2013-05-07 20:31:24 (4 comments, 16 reshares, 47 +1s)

Since it's #trektuesday  , let's enjoy this double #spock  video clip/ad with Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto.  \\//_

2013-05-07 18:35:52 (1 comments, 6 reshares, 22 +1s)

A BIG WIN for +Linux _and_ +NASA! 

After having various computer-related issues aboard the International Space Station, NASA is moving ahead with migrating the computer systems onboard the ISS to Linux.   As a space fan, and someone who has used Linux daily for over ten years now, this makes me happy. 

Follow the link to learn more about how this was done. 

#spaceexploration   #linux   #techtuesday  

2013-05-06 22:32:56 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Our next episode will be airing on May 7th, at 8PM Pacific. Join us as we interview +Kimberly Arcand  and Megan Watzke – Members of the Chandra x-ray Observatory EPO team, and authors of the new book "Your Ticket To The Universe”.

Kimberly Kowal Arcand is the Multimedia Production Coordinator for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. She is responsible for all multimedia and visualization functions at the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC) located in Cambridge, Mass. Megan Watzke is the public affairs officer for the Chandra X-ray Observatory, a position she has held since 2000. Her responsibilities include the dissemination of Chandra’s science results to the general public through press releases, press conferences, informal education and other activities. Learn more about Your Ticket To The Universe” at: www.yourtickettotheuniverse.com

Be sure to email any questions you haveabout the C... more »

2013-05-06 17:10:33 (1 comments, 3 reshares, 16 +1s)

For today's #musicmonday  post, I give you a video of +Chris Hadfield onboard the International Space Station for Music Monday!

At 12 pm Eastern Standard Time and at the exact same time across Canada (9 a.m. Pacific Time, 10 a.m. Mountain Time, 11 p.m. Central Time, 12 p.m. Eastern Time, 1 p.m. Atlantic Time and 1:30 p.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador) schools and communities from coast to coast to coast will be united by the Music Monday theme song, "ISS -- Is Somebody Singing. The song was co-commissioned by the Coalition and CBC Music, and written by CSA Astronaut Chris Hadfield and Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies. For more info, please visit www.musicmonday.ca

2013-05-03 21:16:46 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 11 +1s)

For today's #funfriday  post, I give you "PBS Meets The Avengers" 

This "spoof" trailer shows what happens when you assemble the likes of Mister Rogers, Bob Ross, Carl Sagan, and Bill Nye.  

#scienceisawesome  

2013-05-03 17:36:11 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Habitable Zone:

You tend to hear the phrase "habitable zone" when researchers discuss Earth-like exoplanets.  There's an important piece of the "Earth-like" puzzle that is often left out.  _Atmosphere!_  

Looking in our own solar system, we see what happens when you have too thick of an atmosphere (Venus) and too little of an atmosphere (Mars).  

Follow the link below to learn more on how the qualities of an exoplanet atmosphere may affect habitability

#scienceeveryday   #tgif  

2013-05-02 21:57:44 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 11 +1s)

"It's Just a Theory..." 

I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I tend to get a tad annoyed when discussing science and someone invariable says "Well, that's just a theory" 

I might end up printing this flowchart (and the article link) onto business cards and hand it to people who do that, but then again, you can't reason with the unreasonable.    

#scienceeveryday  

2013-05-01 20:49:31 (10 comments, 9 reshares, 19 +1s)

A teen in Florida tested mixing some chemicals in a bottle, and the bottle went "boom", well, probably more of a loud "pop" based on what she mixed, but I digress.  No one was hurt, and there was no hostile intent.  

The consequences for Kiera Wilmot’s somewhat misguided science experiment? 

EXPULSION AND FELONY CHARGES 

Seriously? A student with a great academic record and no previous disciplinary issues will likely have her future destroyed thanks to "zero tolerance" regulations.  Read more at the link below. 

Zero tolerance = zero thought.  

Change.org petition is located at: http://www.change.org/petitions/the-bartow-police-and-bartow-high-school-drop-charges-against-kiera-wilmot?utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

#scienceisawesome   #florida   #wtf ... more »

2013-05-01 18:42:37 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Yesterday I posted a short blurb about how pending budget legislation could completely KILL +NASA education and public outreach efforts.  

+Philip Plait has a great article today going into a bit more detail on why the "anti-science" attitude by certain members of the U.S government is a really, really, really bad thing.  Follow the link below to learn more. 

Seriously science fans, CALL or WRITE your congresscritter and explain to them how important science research is. 

#scienceeveryday   #fy2014budget   #scienceisawesome  

2013-04-30 23:28:22 (0 comments, 2 reshares, 4 +1s)

If you weren't up very early this morning, you probably missed out on this +BBC News hangout discussing the #marsoneproject .  Follow the link below to check it out! One person on the panel is friend, and contributor to +The Cosmic Ray Show, +Amy Shira Teitel 

If you haven't added Amy to your circles, you are missing out on a lot of awesome space history posts. From Wernher Von Braun, to SpaceX, she covers it all.  #womeninscience   #hangoutsonair   

2013-04-30 19:37:42 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 3 +1s)

This is a bit of an interesting statement from President Obama regarding science funding.  While I don't want to spark a huge political debate, I do think his statements are 180 degrees away from what is currently being proposed in the #fy2014budget  

If you aren't aware, groups like my friends at +CosmoQuest are facing a potentially disastrous series of funding cuts. These cuts are part of proposed budget plans that will essentially dismantle the awesome education and public outreach efforts agencies like +NASA are engaging in. 

How can you help? Write or call your congresscritter and strongly encourage them to leave science education and outreach as they are, instead of devastating many long-standing programs that help educate and inspire the public. 

#scienceeveryday   #teachtheweb  

2013-04-30 16:19:24 (8 comments, 3 reshares, 5 +1s)

The first web page on the internet has been resurrected!

That's right folks, the folks at +CERN have restored the very first page on the internet.  You can learn more at the link below.  

Note: The page is loading a little slow. Be patient.

#teachtheweb   #internet   #websurfing   #firstwebsite  

2013-04-29 19:36:51 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

With all the talk about  #herschel  completing its mission, am I alone in thinking of this guy? 

#thewalkingdead   #mondayfunny  

2013-04-29 17:37:17 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Science educators: (and fans of science education)  

This proposed change to how education and public outreach are funded has BAD written all over it.  Instead of science missions choosing how to best educate the public, control of the programs will instead be shifted to bureaucrats. 

Additionally, there's some nasty criteria being tacked onto upcoming legislation regarding NSF grants by Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX). 

Learn more at the link below, and if you care at all about science education, call or * write* your congresscritter.  

#scienceeveryday   #fy2014   #congress  

2013-04-27 16:56:52 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 3 +1s)

Super Science Circle - April 2013 Edition

It's time for another sharing of my Super Science Circle. This is a collection of 400+ active people on Google+ who often post about science. If anyone tells you G+ is a ghost town (not that anyone does any more), get them to import this circle. 

PLEASE SHARE THIS CIRCLE... FOR SCIENCE!

I have personally reviewed each and every person on this list, to make sure that they:

1. Are active and engaged on Google+
2. Regularly post science-related stories on Google+

In this list you'll find scientists, journalists, researchers, professors, astronauts and general science enthusiasts. 

Not everyone in this list is going to be to your personal liking. So what you'll want to do is import the list into a temporary circle. Then move people over one by one into more permanentl... more »

2013-04-26 18:56:12 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Join us as our rowdy bunch of space journalists and aficionados round up a week's worth of space and astronomy news.

This week we're covering a pulsar test of general relativity  Mars One astronaut selection, a meteor in Saturn's rings, and more!

Time Zones: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=WSH&iso=20130426T14&p1=605&ah=1

#spacehangout  

2013-04-26 17:28:03 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 8 +1s)

Friday! 

It's Friday, and I'm VERY much looking forward to the weekend.  

Friday just isn't the same without some  #funfriday  posts, so here's some #trololo  to enjoy.  

#happyfriday   #weekend   #lalala  

2013-04-25 23:28:18 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 18 +1s)

Apparently, everyone on the internet turned into an 11 year old upon seeing this image.  The image shows wheel tracks from one of the Mars rovers. 

I haven't seen many articles that show the "source" for this image, so here you go plusketeers: http://www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/projects/MER.cfm?Project=1   Learn all about the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers at that link. 

#mars   #nasa   #marsrover  

2013-04-25 21:29:30 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Our next episode will be airing on May 7th, at 8PM Pacific. Join us as we interview +Kimberly Arcand  and Megan Watzke – Members of the Chandra x-ray Observatory EPO team, and authors of the new book "Your Ticket To The Universe”.

Kimberly Kowal Arcand is the Multimedia Production Coordinator for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. She is responsible for all multimedia and visualization functions at the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC) located in Cambridge, Mass. Megan Watzke is the public affairs officer for the Chandra X-ray Observatory, a position she has held since 2000. Her responsibilities include the dissemination of Chandra’s science results to the general public through press releases, press conferences, informal education and other activities. Learn more about Your Ticket To The Universe” at: www.yourtickettotheuniverse.com

Be sure to email any questions you haveabout the C... more »

2013-04-24 23:41:14 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

Just 8 hours left to help +Golden Spike Company develop the next generation of space suits and lunar landers.  Help Golden Spike get people excited about human space exploration, and get people back onto the Moon by 2020. 

#lunarexploration   #indiegogo   #moon   #goldenspike  

2013-04-24 22:05:21 (3 comments, 3 reshares, 6 +1s)

What are everyone's thoughts on this new BeagleBone?  

I've been considering a Raspberry Pi for a while, but to have a single-board Linux-pc AND Arduino Uno like functionality is very tempting. 

2013-04-24 22:03:43 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Earlier this week, my friend +Amy Shira Teitel had some interesting thoughts on the #marsone  mission.  There are some significant hurdles the team needs to overcome to make a human colony on Mars work. 

What are your thoughts on the Mars One mission? 

2013-04-24 21:07:16 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

Interested in highlights from the past week of space news? 

Check out this week's Carnival of Space, hosted at the "Everyday Spacer" blog. 

2013-04-24 19:01:51 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

It's Sunday, which means it's time to join your favorite co-hosts: +Fraser Cain and +Scott Lewis for the +Virtual Star Party! They'll be gathering up their phenomenal group of citizen astronomers from across the globe in order to share their view of the universe from their telescopes in a Google+ Hangout on Air!

In addition to Fraser, Scott, and the astronomers are PhD astronomers discussing and explaining the amazing space science and astronomy that's being viewed in the telescopes. We'll even take requests and answer questions left in the comments.

To make a suggestion, ask a question or just say "hi" to the team, please leave your comments below in the Google+ event, through any of the shares of the live show, or on Twitter using the hashtag #StarParty    

#VSP20130428   #ScienceSunday   #ScienceEveryday   #Astronomy   #Space  #Telescop... more »

2013-04-24 17:29:25 (1 comments, 3 reshares, 14 +1s)

If you haven't seen this video of +Chris Hadfield wringing out a towel onboard the ISS, you have to check it out.  Things work so much differently in zero-g. 

#scienceeveryday   #internationalspacestation   #NASA  

2013-04-23 21:47:59 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 6 +1s)

Speaking of stars, here's a little taste of some of the things you might learn in my upcoming +CosmoQuest online course! 

Astronomers have found a star that isn't much younger than the Universe itself.  Follow the article link to learn more about how researchers came to this conclusion.

#scienceeveryday   #methuselah  

2013-04-23 19:09:21 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

*Why Does the Sun Shine?*

Find out in +CosmoQuest's course by +Ray Sanders. Starts mid-May; enrollment open now:

---> http://cqx002.eventbrite.com/

(Obligatory TMBG video They Might Be Giants - Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas) for a brief overview)
(Okay and this one, too: They Might Be Giants - Why Does the Sun Really Shine? (The Sun is a Miasma of Incandescent Plasma))

#science   #education   #astronomy   #onlineeducation   #onlineclasses   #sun