Who's Ian? Where's Disco Dave?

May 18, 2009

As Dave mentioned in a previous Space Disco article, he's left Discovery Space and taken up an opportunity he couldn't refuse, so I've now stepped into the role of "Disco Ian"... Actually, I might have to work on another name, I can't compete with the awesomeness of Disco Dave.

So, who am I? Using the power of YouTube, I've uploaded a short, yet hopelessly geeky intro video for you to get to know me a little better. But to be honest, it's going to take a lot more than this to know the real Ian, but it's a start.

For those of you who don't know me, I've actually been a space writer for a long time on the Universe Today website. Plus, I run my own space news and opinion website called Astroengine.com; so that's probably the best place to start if you want to gauge my opinions about the current state of spaceflight, the LHC, the insanity surrounding the 2012 hype or some good old fashioned physics behind black holes.

Otherwise, I'll be blogging my heart out on Space Disco and working with the excellent Discovery Space team to bring you the best the Internet has to offer in the way of space news reporting.

Mars 500, Hubble's Winning Image, Yuri's Night Craziness (Video)

April 06, 2009

In this week's Discovery Space Wrap Up:
Mars500 trial run begins (aka 6 guys stuck in a tube for 105 days), Hubble Space Telescope's winning image of Arp 274 taken, and last but not least some crazy fun Yuri's Night parties:

Collaborative Art For Space Nerds

January 09, 2009

Today was a glorious Friday -- I'll keep the words to a minimum:

Can Atom Smashers Really Vaporize Stuff?

January 06, 2009

What happens when you put stuff in the path of a particle beam?

In case you missed it, Emily Lakdawalla at the Planetary Society blog wrote a most excellent post about just that. Namely, what happens when you point one at a camera.

Check out this video of a guy aiming a particle beam at a webcam:

Nothing lighting on fire or anything, I know. But that's just a low-power particle beam...

What would happen to that camera if we stuck it in the path of something bigger -- say, the thing at right: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory's (Fermilab's) Tevatron particle accelerator?

Read on!

(By the way: What you actually see is the Collider Detector at Fermilab, or CDF, being opened up for maintenance and/or upgrades. This device is where particle beams collide into a spray of more exotic particles.)

Mars Storms, Spirit's Anniversary, Private Spaceflight Milestones

December 29, 2008

Behold! This week's video wrap-up of the biggest news in space, plus a short preview of what to expect on Discovery Space:

UPDATE:

• Correction - I say that SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft is 50 percent larger, which isn't correct. I meant to say it can carry 50 percent more cargo (by weight) than Orbital Science Corporation's Cygnus spacecraft.
• Addition - SpaceX and Orbital Sciences are each contracted to carry up 20 tons of cargo to the space station.
• Correction - Elon Musk was driving to Disneyland, not Disneyworld.

If you're reading/watching from the main page of Space Disco, don't miss all of the goodies after the jump.

Chained to a Desk for 72 Hours in the Name of Dark Energy

December 16, 2008

Here's the deal. I haven't left my apartment for close to 72 hours, and it's about the size of a walk-in closet. Maybe.

Not even kidding -- I feel like I'm just about ready for a long-duration mission to Mars, though my experience is surely no match for John Bohannon's recent "gonzonaut" feat of glory.

Why, you ask, would I do such a thing? And what does it have to do with space?

Here's your answer: The Wide Angle: Dark Energy. We take the news, stick a few pieces of dynamite into it, and blow it up for your reading, watching and listening pleasure...

Take a look at this package we've put together for you, which centers around this fascinating little story over at Discovery News:

• Top 10: Things You Didn't Know About Dark Energy
  If you thought you knew everything about dark energy, think again. Cosmologist Michael Turner shares 10 things you didn't know.
• Video: Study Sheds Light On Dark Energy
  New findings bolster the argument that dark energy is the reason our universe is expanding. James Williams explores the evidence.
• IM Interview: How To Hunt For Dark Energy
  Ever wonder how we know dark energy exists if we can't even see the stuff? We interview an X-ray astronomer.
• My Take: Exciting Times Ahead for Dark Energy Search
  Where is dark energy research headed in the future? An astronomer gives her take.
• Blog: The Dark Energy Doubters
  Some armchair astronomers simply don't believe all of this dark "stuff" exists. Find out why.
• Blog: Far Future Forecast: Deep Darkness
  How is dark energy going to shape the universe in the (really) far future?
• Blog: The Big Yawn
  What it's like to live with a cosmologist who's crazy about the biggest mysteries in the cosmos.
• HowStuffWorks: How The Fate Of The Universe Works

I'd like to especially point out the blog posts about dark energy above -- there's some really excellent stuff to be found in there.

Of all the work done on this little project, which we'll do for other big upcoming stories, I have to say chatting with Michael Turner was my favorite. Not because he's one of the best-known cosmologists these days, but because his excitement to chat with me about dark energy was palpable.

Here's a rough paraphrase of our chat to give you an idea:

Me: Hi Michael, I'd like to ask for your help in coming up with a list the top 10 things you didn't know about dark energy.

Michael Turner: Oh! That's so much fun. I have two other phone calls lined up -- the next any minute -- but they can wait.

Me: Are you sure? You can call me back if needed...

*phone rings on his end*

MT: Hold on one moment.

*muzak*

MT: Ok, Iet's do this thing.

Me: Was that the phone call you're expecting?

MT: Yes, but this one is going to be a lot more fun.

This is the same man who will do phone interviews while he's driving down the highway in a complete downpour. He hearts science. A lot.

At any rate, do me a big favor: Tell your grandmas and grandpas, moms and dads, brothers and sisters, kids, grandkids, great grandkids, great great grandkids, and cats/dogs/gerbils/zebras to check out what we put together for you!

Pourin' One Out for My Space Shuttle Homies

November 14, 2008

Props to NASA for sending up yet another space shuttle -- a strange breed that will go extinct in 2010!

Now that Endeavour and its crew are safely zooming around the Earth, I admit the following:
I feel spoiled. I'm sitting at home in a big comfy chair, sipping a mixed drink with my shoes off while I watch NASA TV replays of the launch. (Yes, I lead an exciting life on the weekend.)

Wait... what could not be cooler than watching a space shuttle rumble into orbit around the Earth?

Truthfully, not a lot. But if you're a space journalist, you're nothing more than a glorified astronaut babysitter. Let me explain.

While I was a staff writer with SPACE.com, my bosses quickly recruited the "fresh meat" (aka me) to cover NASA space shuttle missions. I was stoked by the opportunity to witness millions of pounds of fuel rocket people into space, ham it up with astronauts and see history in the making.

The reality of it all, however, soon made itself apparent: Shuttle missions are nerve-wracking, exhausting and often demoralizing affairs.

During 20-hour workdays, you constantly watch NASA TV, listen to radio chatter, monitor the Internet and bug press relations to make sure the astronauts and their multi-billion dollar mobile home are a-OK. As a space reporter, I followed missions in my sleep. Not even close to kidding.

If everything is fine, you write a news story.
If anything is wrong, you write a bunch of news stories (and scrap the ones you pre-wrote).
Then you update your news stories.
As soon as you finish updating, you get a head-start on the next day's round of stories.
Mind you, to write anything substantial you have to navigate the weird, dark, dense forest that is NASA bureaucracy.

Multiply that experience by about 10 days, and that's if you're lucky enough to have someone replace you half-way through the mission. Otherwise, coverage can go as long as 20 days.

High fives if NASA decides to conduct their mission during normal waking hours... those "overnight" missions are painful. Before you know it, you're a zombie with a journalism degree who drinks a pot of coffee at 2:00 a.m.

As they say, misery loves company. Thankfully, very good people -- your reporter colleagues -- are there to endure this grueling journalistic marathon with you.

You form strong bonds with fellow space reporters, and for me they were a big reason I never minded covering another shuttle mission. They were my crew. My homies. My posse.

So as I sit here sippin' and relaxin', I feel for my reporter pals -- Tariq Malik, Irene Klotz, Robert Pearlman, Gina Sunseri, Mark Carreau, Frank Morring (Jr.), Todd Halverson, Bill Harwood and Patrick Peterson, to name a few.

You guys, as you waste away in a fluorescent NASA newsroom, I'm pouring this one out for you.

<3 Dave

Photos, top to bottom: Getty; Dave Mosher

Spacey Halloween Costumes to the Rescue!

October 30, 2008

I have no business writing up this post, but the amazing power of the universe compels me.

So, it's Thursday -- the day before Halloween -- and if you're like me, you still have no freakin' idea what to be for that super-exclusive party you're headed to in less than 24 hours. Or maybe you're just walking your kids/grand kids/youthful blood relatives around the block so they can get all of the supplies they need to rot some teeth out.

Whatever your situation of need, I am here to save you. Not from the economic recession, of course, but from your last-minute Halloween dilemma .

Below are three spacey, cheap costumes to get you looking absolutely stellar (bad pun, I know) for the big night in no time at all.

1) Phoenix Mars Lander - You'll be the star of the party as the most famous spacecraft ever to visit Mars. You're a robot, but you even Twitter (or Twittered?).

You will need:

• 2 cardboard boxes
• tin foil
• suspenders
• 11carboard tubes
• white paper
• string
• green laser (optional)

How to make it:

1. Cut out two decagons from a cardboard box, and color in some awesome solar panel cells.
2. Use the other box to make a squarish spacecraft platform and attach the solar panels to it.
3. Cover the platform in tin foil, and be sure to cut a hole in the center (for your midsection).  Feel free to craft your own TEGA or MECA experiment, etc. for the platform.
4. Secure the suspenders to the platform so that the'll go over your shoulders (and you can wear it).
5. Cover the cardboard tubes in foil and, using nine of them, make three tripod landing legs.
6. Use the other two tubes to make a robotic arm, plus some cardboard scrap for the scoop/shovel.
7. Cut out a rectangular mask for the SSI camera, cover it in white paper, and use string to tie it around your head.
8. For bonus points, add a green laser to the platform that points straight up.

2) The Milky Way - My god, you're full of stars.

You will need:

• 1 cardboard box
• black paper (or paint)
• suspenders
• cotton balls (or any white fluffy stuff)
• black clothes, shoes, etc.

How to make it:

1. Cut out a big, beautiful spiral galaxy shape from your cardboard and cut a hole in the center for your person.
2. Cover it in black paper or cover in black, fast-drying paint (try ethanol-based acrylic).
3. Attach suspenders to the cardboard so you can wear it.
4. Glue your white fluffy stuff to the cardboard conservatively on the bars, and liberally near the galactic center (aka you).

3) Dark Matter - You can careen across the cosmos, but you can't hide for long.

NOTE: Two variations to this costume:

a) dark energy - Push away every one you meet at the party. Good for someone in a relationship.

b) black hole - Pull every one you meet at the party toward you. Great for single people.

You will need:

• 1 large black blanket
• black clothes, shoes, etc.

How to make it:

1. Put on your black clothes, shoes, socks, and such.
2. Cut two holes in the blanket for your peepers to see out.
3. If you don't want to confuse non-space nerds, feel free to write "dark matter" in white lettering on your blankie.

I need to start getting my own costume together, but I would LOVE to see pictures if you actually make one of these costumes.

Post a link in the comments here, or shoot them over to DiscoverySpace@Discovery.com with a credit/link, and I'll throw them up in a new post.

Heck, you might even make it to the front page of Discovery Space if it's good enough...

Photos: NASA

More Online Space Gadgetry

September 24, 2008

Yesterday I showcased a fantabulous asteroid impact calculator by using it to construct the destruction of New York City, and pretty much everything within a 20-mile radius.

Now wouldn't you know it, today someone points me to more great Flash tools to explore your inner astronomy nerd. (Or outer nerd, if you're like me.)

These are all found on the Faulkes Telescope Project's site, specifically here. A few I really liked:

• Real-Time Interface Demo - How do you operate a telescope from, say, halfway around the world? Run through this demo to get the hang of it. Tres cool.
• How a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) Works - This not only shows you how telescopes gather light and turn it into a fine digital image, but also how your point-n-shoot camera works. Nice!
• Artificial Color Imaging - If you're European, of course, it's "colour" imaging. But hey, I need to draw the grammatical line somewhere (sorry Europe). Check out this tool to see how astronomers artificially color their images -- then do one yourself.

The Faulkes project, by the way, offers *free* use of robotic telescopes in both Hawaii and Australia for teachers and students. Which is awesome. So if you are one of either, definitely sign up on this page for some telescope time.

Photos: faulkes-telescope.com

Beyond the LHC: What's the Next Colossal Collider?

September 11, 2008

Science geeks, dorks and nerds (I count myself as one) are really excited about the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Just look anywhere in the news for evidence, or my last gazillion posts.

I mean, come on: the LHC is the biggest, priciest, most ambitious and awesomest science experiment ever attempted by humans. It's the (very large) key to understanding what the crap the universe is made of, how we came to exist and where we're headed.

Believe it or not, though, plans for the planet's next colossal cosmic-mystery-investigating machine are already underway.

It's called the International Linear Collider (ILC), and rather than bore you to death describing how amazing it could be, here's the gist of why we need it:
The LHC will only be able to "see" particles in so much detail (hadron collisions are somewhat messy/inefficient affairs).

So, the ILC's clean collisions should give us very clear, clean and detailed looks at the stuff the LHC finds.

I put together this fun table of ILC vs. LHC figures for you:

International Linear Collider vs. Large Hadron Collider

ILC	LHC
~31 miles long (linear)	16.6 miles around (circular)
1 TeV max collision energy	14 TeV max collision energy
collides electrons/positrons	collides hadrons
7 years to build (projected)	14 years to build
17,600 huge magnets	9,300 huge magnets
$6.65 billion US (projected)	$9-10 billion US (current)

If only huge science experiments were that easy to squeeze out like... smaller, less complex experiments.

Here are the big issues facing the ILC:

1. The world has yet to set aside enough cold-hard cash to build it.
2. Even we did, we haven't decided where it's going to be built.
3. When we decide where to stick it, we need to convince people to let us put it there.
4. Digging a 50-mile tunnel 500 feet underground is not easy.
5. Nor is cramming that tunnel with 50 miles worth of advanced technology.
6. And the ILC isn't really the final word: it has competition.

But let's assume the scientists agree the ILC is the best way to go, manage to convince their governments to fork over the money to explore the unseen universe, and figure out where to put the damn thing.

Now, as with any huge government project, let's assume they go WAY outside of that $6.65 billion US budget. How about by $3 billion? Even approaching $10 billion, I think that's chump change.

Ok, it's a lot of money. And if fact, the country ultimately hosting the ILC will need to fork over only something like $1.8 billion. Let's compare what some find to be an outrageous sum to this:

For the price of one B-2 bombers -- yep, only ONE -- the U.S. could have enough money to host the ILC. Two more B-2 bombers and the nation could host it entirely by itself without any outside funding. Take the remainder from the ever-increasing amount above, and there's plenty left over to provide health care for uninsured Americans. And maybe enough to figure out how to save ourselves from a rogue asteroid or comet before it's too late. And then some.

Hopefully one day our leaders will be able to think critically and logically, and realize that killing people because we are afraid of them is far less productive and useful than, say... seeking to understand the universe we're lucky enough to live in in the first place.

P.S. If you're craving more info about the ILC, just sit on your hands for awhile -- I'm whipping up something special for you all on Discovery Space!