The one, the only…Dark Matter!
Direct evidence of dark matter has been found. At least according to the press release by NASA. I do not pretend to fully understand this topic, but I think it is the height of coolness that there’s all this stuff out there that we can’t detect except by inference.
Of course, Dark Energy is even weirder, and cooler.
Well! As posted here, and here, I’ve been talking about this whole “Planet” thing. Now there’s more development.
Apparently the IAU is revising their revised revision again, and might eliminate Pluto from the planet list, dropping back to the 8 “classical” planets, and number all other bodies that would have previously been called “planet” into the “dwarf planet” category. This would include Charon and Ceres and 2003 UB313.
Further and further we go. It’s all arbitrary people!
It’s official!
The voting membership of the IAU has accepted the draft definition of “Planet.”
This means that we’ve got three new planets, with many many more to come. Ceres, the planet formerly known as an asteroid, takes the coveted fifth planet position away from Jupiter. Charon, the planet formerly known as Pluto’s satellite, is a part of the Pluto-Charon double planet system. 2003 UB313 a.k.a. Xena, is the first of the new Plutons, other than Pluto itself. (Will “pluton” be capitalized or not? Hmmm…)
What do I think this means. Diddly! I think a lot of people will talk about the 8 “classical” planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) plus the 9th “discovered” planet of Pluto, and then lump all the rest into “those other things.”
I think Ceres is going to get the small end of the stick here. Not big enough to be considered a planet for 120 years, it’s not even going to be classified as a Pluton. Red-headed step-child syndrome if there ever was one.
Of course, whether we have 9 planets or 8 or 12 or (soon) a gazillion, it’s all very arbritraryarbitrary. See my last post.
The International Astronomical Union has posted a draft definition of “planet” that will serve to define our solar system and all others for all time!
Well, not exactly, as Phil Plait over at badastronomy.com points out quite well. The rules boil down thus:
1) It’s got to be big enough to be spherical due to it’s own gravity.
2) It’s got to orbit a star, not another planet or satellite.
Go to the Phil Plait link above for a full debrief on why this is rather arbitrary and stupid.
I have an opinion, though.
My opinion is that if they’re going to be arbitrary about the definition of a planet, why not be wholly arbitrary and not worry about the science. Here’s my take on the whole thing:
1) The Solar System has 9 Planets
2) Pluto keeps planet status just because it’s been a planet for 70 years.
That’s it. Nothing further. Entirely arbitrary. Make it so, number one…
Doing my morning read of the NY Times headlines email, I noticed the following article, “A Warning on Hazards of Secondhand Smoke.” Inside this article is found,
“I am here to say the debate is over: the science is clear,” Dr. Carmona said at a televised news conference…
Whoah! Whoah! Science? Since when does science have anything to do with public policy.
Better yet, where are the Intelligent Design nutjobs coming out of the woodwork to assist Big Tobacco in teaching the controversy. This seems like a perfect opportunity for them to show that cancer caused by smoking is “only a theory.”
Tomorrow is the summer solstice, known as the first day of summer to Americans. Why do we call this the first day of summer? Weather-wise, it’s more like the end of the first third of summer. Oh well…
I trolled for some Solstice Superstitions. Most of them hark to druidish type things, and were too boring for this blog. Here’s one I like: (from http://www.geocities.com/traditions_uk/midsummer.html)
If on Midsummer’s Eve, you approach a fern leaf backwards, without looking, and – without touching the leaf – collect the seed (spores), they have to power to make you invisible.
So, I’ll be gathering myself some fern spores tomorrow. Right after I balance eggs on end.
For note, tomorrow we enter the blissful days of summer at 1223 Universal Time, which is 0723 EST which is 8:23 Eastern Daylight Time for us American east coasters. What will you be doing? I’ll be getting my teeth cleaned.
If you want to know The Truth as Mr. Socky, a.k.a. The Gummit, speaks it, please follow this link to Pharyngula. I promise that you’ll be amused.
(Or insulted. I was amused.)
I ate a McDonald’s Happy Meal last weekend. On the bag the meal came in were various fun and exciting things to do! Some involved dinosaurs (always a good item) and some involved space and rockets! Woo hoo! Go McDonalds!
However, there was a quote that said, “You can jump 6 times higher in space!” Well, you can jump 6 times higher on the Moon, but not exactly space.
Don’t make me nitpick you to death, evil corporate McDonalds! You have to do your part to educate budding scientists!
Apparently, God does not exist. Here is the empirical proof.
I’ve seen this before, but it still makes me laugh. Especially:
This relation between temperature and resistivity can be shown to be exponential in certain temperature regimes by waving your hands and chanting “to first order”.