Category Archives: Space

Water on Mars

Posted on October 5, 2015 by

Not since Schiaparelli published his drawings of Martian “canals” has the popular press been so excited about water on Mars. Giovanni Schiaparelli, an Italian astronomer, science historian, and senator, had a good clear view of Mars through his scope back … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Exploration, Geology, Space | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Finished Science

Posted on June 30, 2015 by

I have been reading Jerry Coyne’s new book, Faith vs Fact, and the evolutionary biologist makes a clear point that scientific understanding evolves as much as biological entities. In his book (which is a solid testimony of what science is … Continue reading →

Posted in Exploration, Geology, Space | Tagged , | 8 Comments

The Man on the Moon

Posted on April 28, 2015 by

Eugene Shoemaker is the only man on the moon. It’s his birthday, he would be 87 today, but he won’t know it. Shoemaker has been dead for almost twenty years. His ashes have been on the moon since 1997. Unless … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Exploration, Geology, History, People, Space | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Life Well-Lived

Posted on April 19, 2015 by

Two years ago this week, one of our greatest scientists quietly passed away. Although among the world’s unheralded heroes, the life of Lawrence Morley deserves our attention. He helped prove plate tectonics, but in a fluke too common in science … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Geology, History, Plate Tectonics, Space, The Book | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ted Cruz, The Science Guy!

Posted on March 15, 2015 by

Ted Cruz, the science guy! Those are five words that tickle your tongue when spoken together. But it’s true, the senator is now America’s science guy. Senator Ted Cruz (R–TX) is the new chair of the science and space panel, … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Exploration, Religion, Space | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Canada’s Deceptive Arm

Posted on November 23, 2014 by

Well, this is embarrassing. A friend in the States sent me a link to a Washington Post story. Along with the link, he sent a short note: “So much for your Canada Arm.” You see, I had bragged about Canada’s … Continue reading →

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We Love Comets… but it wasn’t always that way

Posted on November 12, 2014 by

So, today we kissed a comet. Many of us shared the excitement of the European Space Agency’s successful landing. Something built on the Earth is now sitting on a comet, traveling at 135,000 kilometres an hour, heading towards an even … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Engineering, Exploration, History, Religion, Science Education, Space | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Light on the Dark Side of the Moon

Posted on October 8, 2014 by

Did you see the blood red lunar eclipse? Wish I had, but here in Calgary we mostly had the undersides of clouds at 5 a.m. Pity. Poor us. But there are other eclipti coming. April and September 2015 should look … Continue reading →

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The Bright Side of Solar Flares

Posted on September 14, 2014 by

Electronics destroyed. Skin radiated. Mutations. Cancer. And if the GPS is down, how will anyone find their way home? But there is a bright side to solar flares. And that would be last night’s light show. For those of us … Continue reading →

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What’s that Smell?

Posted on September 12, 2014 by

Yesterday’s odoriferous eruption of Iceland’s Bárðarbunga volcano got me thinking about the nasty stuff just below our feet. The volcano has begun gassing smelly poisons and the scent of Iceland’s rotten eggs has been whiffed as far away as Finland. Why … Continue reading →

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