Many of the “fringe” theories we see are inspired by the work of those who’ve wandered deep into the woods. The vast majority of these models have little going for them, and we should be clear to point out when models are contradicted by experimental and observational evidence. But it’s worth noting that walking into the woods is a part of our humanity that makes us good scientists. We strive to reach into ignorance and pull out knowledge. Often it works, and little by little we become a wiser species. But sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes even very smart and very skilled scientists get lost.
Pay to Play
There’s new research being touted in the press about a possible solution to the dark energy mystery. The results, published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE argues that a radical modification of relativity can account for dark energy. The work is so abysmally awful that it makes you wonder just how such a paper got accepted for publication.
Model Dependents
One of the interesting aspects of science is the fact that what we observe is often not what we measure. The data gathered from a particular experiment is just one aspect of scientific study. To really make progress you need to put that data within the context of scientific models. As a result, most of what we study in astronomy and other sciences is deeply dependent upon the models we use to understand the universe.
Self Centered
Everything you experience is experienced from your personal perspective. That seems like a rather obvious statement, but it also applies to humanity as a whole. Everything we experience in the universe is from our point of view. Cosmologically that view is a very narrow window. Humanity has only been around for a moment of cosmic time. We see the heavens …
Ambition
The European Space Agency has released a short film titled “Ambition.” A mix of science fiction and science, it is visually stunning and captures much of the awe and wonder of space exploration. It’s also part of a growing intersection of science and visual storytelling.
Missed Connections
Typically in astronomy we award credit of discovery to whomever identifies an object and recognizes what it is (or at least recognizes it’s something strange). But once the dust has settled, we can sometimes look back on earlier observations and find that someone else saw it first, but didn’t recognize its importance. If we gave credit to the first observer, some astronomical history would be very different.
Orbital Dynamics
If you ever happen to meet someone who does this kind of orbital logistics, shake their hand and say thanks. Without their work our spacecraft wouldn’t arrive at their destination, and we wouldn’t have the opportunity to do some awesome science.
…Therefore Aliens
There is no real evidence to support the idea that a natural fission reactor occurred on Mars. None.
By Our Powers Combined
If you have a smartphone, you are carrying around a supercomputing sensor array. Modern phones don’t just make calls, they are also constantly aware of their environment. They know where they are using GPS and mobile telemetry. They know their orientation and motion using gyroscopes and accelerometers. Many measure barometric pressure. They can record images and sound, and can communicate with the global internet. And there are about 1.5 billion of them.