EGAD

Shop Talk

In a bit of self-promotion by proxy, I'd point those as have an interest at this article, wherein one of my old cosmology profs lays out in reasonably straightforward terms the theory behind the experiment my group is trying to pull off.

Check out this APOD from a couple of days ago. And my students complain that the Moon's hard to find whenever it's partly cloudy or not visible at 9 pm. Now if only we could make them record the phase of Venus as well...

The Centauri crew was sad that the starshade proposal didn't make the cut for this round of Discovery missions. I suspect the idea's awesome but not necessarily as workable as its proponents think. Still, there's a great journal club article in there for someone.

Oh, and I mailed in my absentee ballot today. Which made for an ideal excuse to make sure that everyone in my lab is planning to vote on Tuesday. And you'd better, too. They're talking about a Democratic blowout, but the thing that's driving it is turnout among independents fed up with incompetent (and criminal) Republican rule. That falls apart if you stay home thinking it's in the bag, so I'll be tromping about knocking on doors all weekend to remind them. Never mind love, if you're even vaguely fond of America (or what it could be), vote.