As I write this, the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. is feeling more than a bit of what Earth’s dynamic systems can evince: Hurricane Irene—while weakening from its higher-powered status—is causing major disruptions to various ecological systems and those wrought by humanity, as well. Whole areas of Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware are being evacuated, and the mayor of New …
A Failure to Think Critically
Several weeks ago, a friend asked me what I thought about the advent of Comet Elenin, a long-period comet discovered in late 2010. What he found noteworthy was that the comet would be closest to Earth (perigee) during the Jewish High Holy Days this year, which occur over a 10-day span, late September into early October. He expressed some concern …
Selling the Sizzle?
I’ve always been fascinated by spaceships–first, the science-fiction variety, with the then-requisite pointy nosecones, swept-back wings, and cockpit canopies, all of which made them look like super, super-fast fighter jets. As I got older (I’m not sure I can say “matured”) and began to work as a contractor in and around the NASA environment, I learned that such constructs were …
Connectivity Withdrawal
Our Internet connection went down last night, as a result of a huge lightning strike to our ISP’s central distribution site. We found this out upon returning to the office after a much-needed one-hour respite from professional activities. I can’t speak for the rest of the group, but my immediate reaction—other than a technological “I-wonder-what-happened?”—was a huge yawn. At the …
Leadership and the End of the Shuttle Era
The era of the Space Shuttle is over. Atlantis landed today, after a perfect trip to the International Space Station (ISS). Note that I referred to this voyage as a trip, despite NASA’s insistence on referring to such things as “missions”, or “expeditions”. I mean no disrespect–to the contrary! I’ve been a space cadet since before NASA existed. I cut …
Poor Decisions and Awful Consequences
The fact of and the effects from the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011 horrify everyone. The impotence of humans in the face of such forces should provide ample evidence that we humans are not as powerful as we like to think we are. The hubris that we tend to bring to our technological endeavors particularly was …
The Kick-off Pep Talk
This is a new entry into the blogosphere. I’ve had a lot to say for a long time, but no forum in which to say it. Owing to my having added a new suite of activities to my professional repertoire, I now find it not just desirable, but necessary to create my own forum; hence, this blog. In it, I …