Be There or Be Tessellated

This Thursday, there will be a gathering and hootenany of science fans and actual scientists here in Anchorage. Details!

I intend to be there. There may be sketching. I'm just saying this as a warning: there may even be sketching of dinosaurs (or other. In my case, probably other).

Less Than 13 Jupiter Masses

Last night I attended the Exoplanet talk that was held by the Blue Collar Scientist, Jeff Medkeff, at the Campbell Creek Science Center. This was the last talk being held this winter, so anyone not there missed out, at least until November (next winter).

Our hosts prepared well for this event--there were very few leftover seats. With good reason, the discovery of other planets around stars both distant and near is something that generates a full house.

I do have to report that a 60 mm Macro lens does not make a good general-purpose lens--something I aim to rectify for the future, but for now it means my photos turned out pretty blurry. I'm not often good at photographing in conditions where I have no control over lighting, or, even, to be frank, just to cram as many commas in here as possible, if the subject happens to actually move on its own accord.

Anyway, the talk covered a bit of history, a bit of how these planets are discovered, and covered lots of examples, as well as addressing the issue of whether there is life elsewhere in the universe.

(And is there? Oh, my yes. The odds are firmly against it being otherwise. You might even say... astronomical.)

Public Sightings!

An excellent chance to see a Blue Collared Scientist in one of his natural habitats (public speaking) will occur this Thursday 13 March 2007. Mark your calendars (or scribble in your PDAs, push buttons on your Blueberries, mark on your iPhones with a grease marker or whatever)! I intend being there, because the topic is of immediate interest to me (distant planets!).

There will be a great and lovely gathering of fans of science, skepticists, and probably a vast mass imbibing of caffeine.