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Of Science and Psyche
Author: BobR
Date: 07/22/2009 12:36:17
There are times when we as a people become so wrapped up in the drama of our lives, we become myopic. Whether it's personal or political, every little detail is put under the magnifying lens of scrutiny and probed for meaning. We rage and exult over tiny victories or defeats, ballooning them to a level of significance far outweighing their worth. It's at times like these that we should step back and look at the wonder and power of a world outside our own.
With that in mind, let us turn our attention to our changing planet. From way down under comes the news that Australia and New Zealand are a foot closer together now:
There is the old axiom of someone "moving mountains", but in this case it literally happened. It boggles the imagination.
Further north, there was a massive solar eclipse visible in Asia yesterday:
We all take the sun and the moon and the stars for granted so often. We are so engrossed in our daily lives that these celestial objects just become part of the scenery. It's events like this that remind us of how interconnected we are with things not just outside our daily lives, but outside of our planet.
Going even further out into our solar system, it appears that a massive object has struck the planet Jupiter:
Think about that for a moment - a hole in Jupiter's atmosphere the size of our planet was likely caused by an object "only" 50 to 100 miles across. How easy would it be for astronomers to spot something that size in space on a collision course with us? It's a little scary.
One thing we should take from all this is that we can still look on these things with wonder, while at the same time understand them. It is because of science and a desire to learn more about the world around us (and outside us) that we do not cower in fear because of an eclipse, and we understand the movement of our planet's tectonic plates, and why the appearance of a celestial object has changed. We recently celebrated man's first steps on one of those objects 40 years ago. Let's hope that two-score years past was not the zenith of our world's quest for knowledge and understanding.
With that in mind, let us turn our attention to our changing planet. From way down under comes the news that Australia and New Zealand are a foot closer together now:
As countries with strong national identities, it can safely be said that Australia and New Zealand are worlds apart. However, a strong earthquake in the region has brought the fierce rivals closer – 30cm to be precise.
The 7.8-magnitude quake appears to have jolted the South Island and moved it towards Australia, the New Zealand Herald reported.
Global positioning systems showed that Te Anau, a town in the remote Fiordland region, was now 10cm closer to Australia, it said, while the South Island's south-western tip, Puysegur Point, was 30cm (11.8ins) closer.
There is the old axiom of someone "moving mountains", but in this case it literally happened. It boggles the imagination.
Further north, there was a massive solar eclipse visible in Asia yesterday:
Starting off in India just after dawn, the eclipse was visible across a wide swath of Asia before moving over southern Japan and then off into the Pacific Ocean. In some parts of Asia, it lasted as long as 6 minutes and 39 seconds.
The eclipse is the longest since July 11, 1991, when a total eclipse lasting 6 minutes, 53 seconds was visible from Hawaii to South America. There will not be a longer eclipse than Wednesday's until 2132.
We all take the sun and the moon and the stars for granted so often. We are so engrossed in our daily lives that these celestial objects just become part of the scenery. It's events like this that remind us of how interconnected we are with things not just outside our daily lives, but outside of our planet.
Going even further out into our solar system, it appears that a massive object has struck the planet Jupiter:
Jupiter is sporting a new scar after an unseen object hit the gaseous planet this week, NASA scientists say.
An amateur astronomer in Australia noticed the new mark -- seen through telescopes as a dark spot -- on the planet early Monday and tipped off scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, who then confirmed it was the result of a new impact, NASA said.
It's not clear what the object was that crashed into Jupiter's poisonous atmosphere.
Glenn Orton, a JPL scientist, told the magazine New Scientist that it could have been a block of ice from somewhere in Jupiter's neighborhood, or a wandering comet that was too faint for astronomers to have detected before impact.
The object created a mark on Jupiter that has the about same diameter as Earth, though the object itself was probably only 50 to 100 miles across, said Anthony Wesley, the amateur astronomer who first noticed the scar.
Think about that for a moment - a hole in Jupiter's atmosphere the size of our planet was likely caused by an object "only" 50 to 100 miles across. How easy would it be for astronomers to spot something that size in space on a collision course with us? It's a little scary.
One thing we should take from all this is that we can still look on these things with wonder, while at the same time understand them. It is because of science and a desire to learn more about the world around us (and outside us) that we do not cower in fear because of an eclipse, and we understand the movement of our planet's tectonic plates, and why the appearance of a celestial object has changed. We recently celebrated man's first steps on one of those objects 40 years ago. Let's hope that two-score years past was not the zenith of our world's quest for knowledge and understanding.
Comments:
Order comments Newest to Oldest Refresh Comments
Comment by 
TriSec on 07/22/2009 13:08:45
TriSec on 07/22/2009 13:08:45
:coffee:
Comment by 
Scoopster on 07/22/2009 13:20:21
Scoopster on 07/22/2009 13:20:21
Mornin' Tri.. :coffee2:
I tuned into the morning morons today on WEEI hoping to hear Red Sox fans q_q'ing over losing first place, but the hosts were too busy insulting that Harvard professor over the whole home invasion misunderstanding mess by calling him a "typical pompous liberal who refuses to yield to authority".
I tuned into the morning morons today on WEEI hoping to hear Red Sox fans q_q'ing over losing first place, but the hosts were too busy insulting that Harvard professor over the whole home invasion misunderstanding mess by calling him a "typical pompous liberal who refuses to yield to authority".
Comment by 
wickedpam on 07/22/2009 13:20:52
wickedpam on 07/22/2009 13:20:52
Morning :hug:
Don't often wake up to hear a Veroca Salt reference :D
Don't often wake up to hear a Veroca Salt reference :D
Comment by 
velveeta jones on 07/22/2009 13:46:28
velveeta jones on 07/22/2009 13:46:28
Oh! I love it! It's the new wave: "anti-blog". How hardcore industrial of you Bobber. YOU are genius!!
:bow:
:bow:
Comment by Scoopster on 07/22/2009 13:48:17
Scoopster on 07/22/2009 13:48:17
Comment by velveeta jones on 07/22/2009 13:51:49
velveeta jones on 07/22/2009 13:51:49
wow. I need more coffee.
I could not get my seattle stream to work despite the fact I could see it was loading and playing. Speakers worked. What could be the problem? Oh, I have the volume turned down to 0.
I could not get my seattle stream to work despite the fact I could see it was loading and playing. Speakers worked. What could be the problem? Oh, I have the volume turned down to 0.
Comment by Scoopster on 07/22/2009 13:59:15
Scoopster on 07/22/2009 13:59:15
Comment by 
Raine on 07/22/2009 14:47:17
Raine on 07/22/2009 14:47:17
Hello everyone! 
Comment by Raine on 07/22/2009 14:49:46
Bob went minimalistic!
Raine on 07/22/2009 14:49:46
Quote by velveeta jones:
Oh! I love it! It's the new wave: "anti-blog". How hardcore industrial of you Bobber. YOU are genius!!
:bow:
Bob went minimalistic!
Comment by velveeta jones on 07/22/2009 14:54:56
Exactly! It's like FUCK THE ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT BLOG! The Anti-Anti, Anti corporate industrial blog complex....... or something like that.....
velveeta jones on 07/22/2009 14:54:56
Quote by Raine:Quote by velveeta jones:
Oh! I love it! It's the new wave: "anti-blog". How hardcore industrial of you Bobber. YOU are genius!!
:bow:
Bob went minimalistic!
Exactly! It's like FUCK THE ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT BLOG! The Anti-Anti, Anti corporate industrial blog complex....... or something like that.....
Comment by Scoopster on 07/22/2009 14:56:15
:rofl:
Scoopster on 07/22/2009 14:56:15
Quote by velveeta jones:Quote by Raine:Quote by velveeta jones:
Oh! I love it! It's the new wave: "anti-blog". How hardcore industrial of you Bobber. YOU are genius!!
:bow:
Bob went minimalistic!
Exactly! It's like FUCK THE ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT BLOG! The Anti-Anti, Anti corporate industrial blog complex....... or something like that.....
:rofl:
Comment by Raine on 07/22/2009 15:00:25
Raine on 07/22/2009 15:00:25
WTF --Faux News: new Surgeon General nom 'too fat' to serve
Now Seeing that it's Faux Nooz, I almost blew off the stupid talking point, but then I stumbled upon THIS:
Both links are very good reads.
Can you hear the dog whistle? Oh - I can...
Now Seeing that it's Faux Nooz, I almost blew off the stupid talking point, but then I stumbled upon THIS:
Last Thursday, Elle sent me this article at MSNBC in which Arthur Caplan, Ph.D., director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, wondered if Dr. Regina Benjamin, Obama's pick for Surgeon General, is too fat for the job. Caplan decided she was not.
Elle and I were amazed the question was even being asked. To be honest, I sort of thought that would be the end of it.
What the hell was I smoking?
Yesterday, Shaker Kathy sent me this ABC News story about the "debate" over Benjamin's weight. I can't even succinctly summarize the overwhelming amount of fuckery in that article—although I can tell you it is slightly less than that of a segment by Fox's Neil Cavuto on the same subject, in which he (I shit you not) interviewed a former gym owner wearing a "No Chubbies" t-shirt.
Can you hear the dog whistle? Oh - I can...
Comment by 
BobR on 07/22/2009 15:06:59
BobR on 07/22/2009 15:06:59
Now that the blog is up, your snarky comments seem absurd, so nyah!
Comment by Raine on 07/22/2009 15:11:17
Great Blog Bobber...
Raine on 07/22/2009 15:11:17
Quote by BobR:
Now that the blog is up, your snarky comments seem absurd, so nyah!
Great Blog Bobber...
Comment by TriSec on 07/22/2009 15:14:47
TriSec on 07/22/2009 15:14:47
Listening to Rachel musing on the F-22. (An awesome machine, BTW. Just saw one at the airshow last month.)
Clear example of "you get what you pay for".
We've been paying for the military-industrial complex for 50 years, and we're left with an overarching military, bases around the world, and a bullying, imperialistic foreign policy to justify using that military that we've all bought and paid for.
Time to move on and buy something else, methinks.
(and let's give those F-22s to Air National Guard units in the Northeast corridor that are flying 35 year old F-15Bs in defense of the United States...)
Clear example of "you get what you pay for".
We've been paying for the military-industrial complex for 50 years, and we're left with an overarching military, bases around the world, and a bullying, imperialistic foreign policy to justify using that military that we've all bought and paid for.
Time to move on and buy something else, methinks.
(and let's give those F-22s to Air National Guard units in the Northeast corridor that are flying 35 year old F-15Bs in defense of the United States...)
Comment by 
livingonli on 07/22/2009 15:24:09
livingonli on 07/22/2009 15:24:09
Good morning everyone. 
It took me awhile to get out of bed so I missed the anti-blog.
It took me awhile to get out of bed so I missed the anti-blog.
Comment by Raine on 07/22/2009 15:27:31
Raine on 07/22/2009 15:27:31
Bringing *healthy* people into the system is ok?
This from a Doctor? I smell fake doctor....
This from a Doctor? I smell fake doctor....
Comment by Raine on 07/22/2009 15:28:02
Raine on 07/22/2009 15:28:02
That guy was not a doctor...
Comment by velveeta jones on 07/22/2009 15:30:11
velveeta jones on 07/22/2009 15:30:11
Hey blog is up. And......... I have to go to work. I'll read it tonight! :lol:
Comment by Raine on 07/22/2009 15:30:58
Raine on 07/22/2009 15:30:58
HAve a nice day at the office dear! :cheese:
Comment by livingonli on 07/22/2009 15:35:19
livingonli on 07/22/2009 15:35:19
I'm off today and tomorrow so this is my weekend.
Comment by BobR on 07/22/2009 15:38:47
you didn't miss anything except a temporary stub.
BobR on 07/22/2009 15:38:47
Quote by livingonli:
Good morning everyone.
It took me awhile to get out of bed so I missed the anti-blog.
you didn't miss anything except a temporary stub.
Comment by TriSec on 07/22/2009 15:56:41
TriSec on 07/22/2009 15:56:41
Science! Bah.
Is the eclipse over? I get so tired of banging on drums and burning incense to scare off the dragon that ate the sun.
Is the eclipse over? I get so tired of banging on drums and burning incense to scare off the dragon that ate the sun.
Comment by wickedpam on 07/22/2009 16:27:56
wickedpam on 07/22/2009 16:27:56
off to do housey stuff and get milk from the grocery store 
- later gaters! :hug:
- later gaters! :hug:
Comment by livingonli on 07/22/2009 16:40:29
livingonli on 07/22/2009 16:40:29
Have fun, Mala. Party on, wild one. 
Comment by 
m-hadley on 07/22/2009 16:43:19
m-hadley on 07/22/2009 16:43:19
A great post BobR - definitely worth the brief wait. How true it is that we as individuals and as nations get caught up in the minutiae of daily life or daily political debates, so that we often fail to remember the bigger picture or the reason why we do all that we do each and every day :D
Cheers,
mfaye
& :peace:
Cheers,
mfaye
& :peace:
Comment by AuntAzalea on 07/22/2009 16:58:19
Great blog BobR-
Great blog BobR-
Comment by 
Mondobubba on 07/22/2009 17:19:30
Yeah like the F-35! In dash espresso maker, iPod compatible sound system that will show your play lists in the heads up display with Dolby 5.1 surround sound, and the three moons & moon mural air brushed on the airframe! That baby is totally pimped!
Mondobubba on 07/22/2009 17:19:30
Quote by TriSec:
Listening to Rachel musing on the F-22. (An awesome machine, BTW. Just saw one at the airshow last month.)
Clear example of "you get what you pay for".
We've been paying for the military-industrial complex for 50 years, and we're left with an overarching military, bases around the world, and a bullying, imperialistic foreign policy to justify using that military that we've all bought and paid for.
Time to move on and buy something else, methinks.
(and let's give those F-22s to Air National Guard units in the Northeast corridor that are flying 35 year old F-15Bs in defense of the United States...)
Yeah like the F-35! In dash espresso maker, iPod compatible sound system that will show your play lists in the heads up display with Dolby 5.1 surround sound, and the three moons & moon mural air brushed on the airframe!
That baby is totally pimped!
Comment by Raine on 07/22/2009 18:09:14
And for all those crying about jobs lost (like Saxby Chambliss) And Martin Marietta etc... they will most likely be getting those contracts to build them... 
More faux outrage methinks.
Georgia will be just fine in the defense department regarding jobs.
Raine on 07/22/2009 18:09:14
Quote by Mondobubba:
Yeah like the F-35! In dash espresso maker, iPod compatible sound system that will show your play lists in the heads up display with Dolby 5.1 surround sound, and the three moons & moon mural air brushed on the airframe!
More faux outrage methinks. Georgia will be just fine in the defense department regarding jobs.
Comment by TriSec on 07/22/2009 18:17:53
TriSec on 07/22/2009 18:17:53
Heh.
Raytheon is the single largest employer in Massachusetts.
Every single piece of military hardware from an aircraft carrier down to a Humvee has a piece of electronics on it built here.
The Commonwealth is not worried. The fat cats at Raytheon probably are. What does this mean, a .02% drop in profits for the week?
Raytheon is the single largest employer in Massachusetts.
Every single piece of military hardware from an aircraft carrier down to a Humvee has a piece of electronics on it built here.
The Commonwealth is not worried. The fat cats at Raytheon probably are. What does this mean, a .02% drop in profits for the week?
Comment by TriSec on 07/22/2009 18:19:38
:metal:
And go check out the stuff on You Tube, especially when it switches to VTOL mode. It's a transformer, too!
TriSec on 07/22/2009 18:19:38
:metal:
And go check out the stuff on You Tube, especially when it switches to VTOL mode. It's a transformer, too!
Comment by Scoopster on 07/22/2009 18:27:37
Get it right - it's a Veritech fighter!
Scoopster on 07/22/2009 18:27:37
Quote by TriSec:
:metal:
And go check out the stuff on You Tube, especially when it switches to VTOL mode. It's a transformer, too!
Get it right - it's a Veritech fighter!
Comment by BobR on 07/22/2009 18:28:55
I've applied for a couple Raytheon jobs...
BobR on 07/22/2009 18:28:55
Quote by TriSec:
Heh.
Raytheon is the single largest employer in Massachusetts.
Every single piece of military hardware from an aircraft carrier down to a Humvee has a piece of electronics on it built here.
The Commonwealth is not worried. The fat cats at Raytheon probably are. What does this mean, a .02% drop in profits for the week?
I've applied for a couple Raytheon jobs...
Comment by Will in Chicago on 07/22/2009 18:54:14
Will in Chicago on 07/22/2009 18:54:14
Excellent blog, BobR!
I think that one thing that astronomy and science in general does for us is force us humans -- too often obsessed with our own affairs -- in a different mindset. Perhaps it is true that the best way to see the universe is through the eyes of the child, for they still have the sense of awe that too many adults lose.
I think that one thing that astronomy and science in general does for us is force us humans -- too often obsessed with our own affairs -- in a different mindset. Perhaps it is true that the best way to see the universe is through the eyes of the child, for they still have the sense of awe that too many adults lose.
Comment by Raine on 07/22/2009 18:57:48
I don't even get what her point is.
Raine on 07/22/2009 18:57:48
Quote by Scoopster:
The most insulting thing I have EVER fucking read.
Comment by Scoopster on 07/22/2009 19:02:12
That liberals are systematically destroying masculinity in American society.
Scoopster on 07/22/2009 19:02:12
Quote by Raine:I don't even get what her point is.Quote by Scoopster:
The most insulting thing I have EVER fucking read.
That liberals are systematically destroying masculinity in American society.
Comment by Raine on 07/22/2009 19:18:45
OOfda! IS that hat she was trying to say? Oh dear lord. Now way in the effing world was she ever a liberal -- I can't believe she is a psychotherapist.
:thud:
I was over looking at the *about Us* portion if the site, there are a lot of reformed folks running that thing.
Raine on 07/22/2009 19:18:45
Quote by Scoopster:Quote by Raine:I don't even get what her point is.Quote by Scoopster:
The most insulting thing I have EVER fucking read.
That liberals are systematically destroying masculinity in American society.
OOfda! IS that hat she was trying to say? Oh dear lord. Now way in the effing world was she ever a liberal -- I can't believe she is a psychotherapist.
:thud:
I was over looking at the *about Us* portion if the site, there are a lot of reformed folks running that thing.
Comment by Mondobubba on 07/22/2009 19:21:27
WTF? Huh? Is this woman trying satire? Is she and her crew of chimps randomly pounding on keyboard?
Mondobubba on 07/22/2009 19:21:27
Quote by Scoopster:
The most insulting thing I have EVER fucking read.
WTF? Huh? Is this woman trying satire? Is she and her crew of chimps randomly pounding on keyboard?
Comment by Scoopster on 07/22/2009 19:22:52
Nope. She basically called us all pussies.
BTW I got this link off Facebook from one of my old friends. He actually thought the article was non-partisan, and I know he's a smart dude so that's how deceptively this shit is written.
Scoopster on 07/22/2009 19:22:52
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Scoopster:
The most insulting thing I have EVER fucking read.
WTF? Huh? Is this woman trying satire? Is she and her crew of chimps randomly pounding on keyboard?
Nope. She basically called us all pussies.
BTW I got this link off Facebook from one of my old friends. He actually thought the article was non-partisan, and I know he's a smart dude so that's how deceptively this shit is written.
Comment by Mondobubba on 07/22/2009 19:24:56
Whatever it is, it is a steaming pile of horseshit.
Mondobubba on 07/22/2009 19:24:56
Quote by Scoopster:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Scoopster:
The most insulting thing I have EVER fucking read.
WTF? Huh? Is this woman trying satire? Is she and her crew of chimps randomly pounding on keyboard?
Nope. She basically called us all pussies.
Whatever it is, it is a steaming pile of horseshit.
Comment by Raine on 07/22/2009 19:36:59
Raine on 07/22/2009 19:36:59
Randi is talking to a birther.
Comment by 
Random on 07/22/2009 19:40:25
Random on 07/22/2009 19:40:25
Random is here...He's alive. Sorry He hasn't been on...New TV day.
Comment by livingonli on 07/22/2009 20:01:34
They are extra crispy crazy. These people need an insane asylum to hang out in. Mondo hd a grood status commment for them he posted last night.
livingonli on 07/22/2009 20:01:34
Quote by Raine:
Randi is talking to a birther.
They are extra crispy crazy. These people need an insane asylum to hang out in. Mondo hd a grood status commment for them he posted last night.
Comment by Scoopster on 07/22/2009 20:21:12
Scoopster on 07/22/2009 20:21:12
Okay I'm outta here. I'm still damn heated by that trash article.. hopefully the commute home will help me calm down a bit.
Comment by TriSec on 07/22/2009 20:24:11
TriSec on 07/22/2009 20:24:11
Alright gang...going to head out soon.
Going to put some pork loin on the fahr tonight....maybe I'll sit out back later with my last cigar and a shot of bourbon and watch the kids play.
Going to put some pork loin on the fahr tonight....maybe I'll sit out back later with my last cigar and a shot of bourbon and watch the kids play.
Comment by Raine on 07/22/2009 20:48:06
It must be a little slice of heaven!
Raine on 07/22/2009 20:48:06
Quote by Random:
Random is here...He's alive. Sorry He hasn't been on...New TV day.
It must be a little slice of heaven!
Comment by Raine on 07/22/2009 20:48:44
:hug:
(I hope my liberal Hug doesn't make you too girly --
)
Raine on 07/22/2009 20:48:44
Quote by Scoopster:
Okay I'm outta here. I'm still damn heated by that trash article.. hopefully the commute home will help me calm down a bit.
:hug:
(I hope my liberal Hug doesn't make you too girly --
)
Comment by livingonli on 07/22/2009 21:54:25
livingonli on 07/22/2009 21:54:25
Laura Flanders will be on the Ed Show at around 6:30 PM.