Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
by Grania
From the European Space Agency’s Youtube channel comes this video showing timelapses of sunrises, auroras, docking sequences and city flyovers.
The notes say: Often while conducting scientific experiments or docking spacecraft Alexander would set cameras to automatically take pictures at regular intervals. Combining these images gives the timelapse effect seen in this video.
You can find out more about Gerst’s Blue Dot mission here.
by Greg Mayer
For Christmas, Peyton got a laser tower– a device that shines a randomly moving laser off a mirror. Peyton has long enjoyed playing with a laser mouse (hand held device, in the shape of a mouse). In fact, she seeks us out to play with it at about 8 PM each day, which is our regular time to play with the mouse. She let’s us know it’s time to play by assuming a crouched, hunting, stance in the living room, waiting like that till we get the laser mouse. Here’s her first reaction to the new laser tower.
She seems to be interested not just in the light, but in the device itself. She also notices that the device produces more than a single reflection, and she pays attention to the fainter reflection as well.
Here she is playing laser mouse.
Peyton’s holiday message to the world: “Meow.”
This is the ghost of Professor Ceiling Cat, summoned forth by his minions to create a forum for discussion. In the thread below you can talk about whatever you want.
Some of us are with family today, some of us not, some of us are at work. Welcome to those of you who drop by today. Pull up a chair and share a story with the rest of us, tales from the past, or present or future. True tales, or merely good tales.
Don’t forget that Coyneza reaches its zenith on Tuesday next week, so do drop him a note to mark the day of celebration.
by Grania
Just in from CICLOPS, there is an update on the Saturn Cassini mission from the team and a “Captain’s Log” from mission leader, Carolyn Porco.
And an artist’s impression of what it would look like:
These sorts of pictures remind me very much of the Time-Life coffee table books in my father’s library when I was a little girl, the ones on Space and the Planets were my favorites, and I must have read them over and over again. They sparked my life-long love of science and science fiction.
There is more info on the rings here. You can always sign up for their newsletter if you would like to keep up with the Cassini Mission.
Merry Xmas from the absent Professor Ceiling Cat, who left these pictures in lieu of a card. I’ll see you in two days or so.
Cute ornatmental Christmas cats
And cats who think that the nativity scene can be improved upon with the addition of something warm and furry.
h/t: jsp, Karl
Good morning, and a merry solstice to you!
In Poland, Cyrus is being adorable but Hili is remaining skeptical. Oh, Hili, how are you going to explain all the presents?
Gosia: Hili, look, Santa Claus is here.
Hili: You are not going to fool me, there are no black reindeer.
In Polish:
Gosia: Hili, popatrz, święty Mikołaj przyjechał.
Hili: Nie nabierzesz mnie, nie ma czarnych reniferów.
by Grania
This just in on Tw*tter:
New Zealand done. One kid in Wellington woke up, saw me and asked if I was Gandalf. Fuck sake.
— Depressed Santa (@DepressedSanta) December 24, 2014
As the festivities get underway in earnest, I wish all the readers and contributors to this website a peaceful and joyful time. May there be good food and good company, and WEIT will of course also be here in the morning.
by Grania
And now, dear reader, let us move from the critical analysis of one type of fiction to another.
I picked up two books last week when I was in the bookshop up the road, as one does. One I would recommend to anyone, the other is more for those of a particular taste.
Solar by Ian McEwan, is like everything else of his, beautifully written and a pleasure to read. This novel follows an aging physicist whose career’s respectable peak has been reached and whose 5th marriage is in trouble as he tries to recover his former glory. It’s dark and comic and bitingly satirical.
Girl Genius by Phil & Kaja Foglio is a series chronicling the life of an orphaned girl with Mad Scientist proclivities. It’s sort of Pratchett-esque in tone, although the world is a Steampunk version of earth rather than a fantasy. If Steampunk isn’t already something you like, then this probably isn’t the book to get you into it. You can actually read it in comic book form online which I think I prefer to the novels, although obviously in a much shorter form.
What have you read lately?