For once, I am not sick with some massive cold, allergic reaction, or, for goodness sake, pneumonia, like I have been on and off for the past several months. Some people would encourage me to boost my immune system using megadoses of Vitamin C or some other “over the counter” remedy. In the new year,…
Obligatory. (Also, I’m running on little sleep… so, beware.) So, as an astronomer, I get all kinds of email with people’s pet theories on how the universe works. And it baffles me as to why anyone would think that the “astronomy elite” would be trying to cover up, “the truth” over something that, at the…
Ironically, I am too wiped out to blog after Science Online 2011! It was all kinds of awesome. So, to further follow-up on the astrology nonsense of the week, here is my boss and all around cool guy at Discovery, Ian O’Neill, debunking the astrology bunk on Fox News, while an astrologer says it has…
I got a question about this from one of my dearest friends, and so I’ll take a bit of time to answer it here. In the infamous words of Charlie Tolbert at UVa, “Astrology is bunk.” That’s it. That’s the bottom line. But we’re good skeptics so we’ll delve a little deeper. (First though, I…
I ranted a little while ago about the cheap, useless dowsing rods being used by Iraqi security forces to detect bombs. These units, being sold for tens of thousands of dollars each, were being manufactured by ATSC in the UK. It now seems that scumbag Jim McCormick, managing director of ATSC, may get what he…
I have updates on some of what I’ve been writing about lately. So listen up! In my H1N1 post, I mentioned the “backwards walking cheerleader.” Via Skepchick, please read this entire post by Orac summing up the aftermath. In summary, Desiree Jennings was taken in by Generation Rescue, the anti-vaxx group that Jenny McCarthy associates…
As promised, Tim is writing his first blog post! So be sure to check the author name from now on before we figure out some easier system of distinguishing. I urged him to write up his reactions to the SyFy channel’s 2012 Secrets after we spent over an hour howling with laughter at it Sunday…
What’s the harm in believing pseudoscience? Iraq Swears by Bomb Detector U.S. Sees as Useless Colonel [Hal] Bidlack said, “When they say they are selling you something that will save your son or daughter on a patrol, they’ve crossed an insupportable line into moral depravity.” Someone in that company, ATSC (UK) Ltd, must know that…
I was taking a break the other day and following some fun Twitter links to a story about Eddie Izzard’s marathon of marathons, which is a really cool and inspiring story. (Sorry, I don’t remember who tweeted it first!) This is just days after I watched “Circle” again, and nearly spilled my wine laughing at…
Weekly World News, that bastion of scientific credibility, has reported that 53% of people are psychic, based on a study done at the University of Virginia on the townspeople and students of Charlottesville. Say what now? This study was published by the “parapsychology division of the University of Virginia School of Medicine” in the Journal…
On March 22, 2013 we found out that many NASA EPO programs will be suspended as a direct result of US budgetary sequestration. We are proactively working to raise money to make sure that CosmoQuest can continue to support its staff and its programs.
Your donation will support science education that produces science!
Total Raised: $3,385 (as of 2pm CDT, 4/18/2012)
I’m a brand new post-doc in astronomy working as part of the CosmoQuest team. My thesis focused on radio astronomy instrumentation. That means, I got to build cool telescopes that will open up new frontiers in the universe. I also love to teach, both in a classroom setting and informally. I'm happy to talk about the universe with anyone who will listen, and I am skeptically curious about all things.
