At the time of the first Christmas, the magi looked to the heavens for signs about their life on Earth. And they were not disappointed; the journey they undertook because of what they saw in those heavens enabled them to participate in one of the most significant events in human history. To us, their intracontinental, purely terrestrial trip might seem trivial, but they likely felt they were traversing a sizable portion of the world. So I wonder if those magi could have conceived of the heavens themselves as a … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Star Signs in the Space Age
The Martian
Science Reader Question: My Martian Neighbor
It's hard to imagine being more lost than Mark Watney. He was literally the only human being on an entire planet, nearly 250 million miles from home. That's the premise of The Martian, which details the astronomical lengths NASA and others go to rescue Watney, and his efforts to stay alive until they get there. It's a gripping story, but I could never fully ignore the fact that a lot of time and money (albeit fictional) was being spent to rescue one person. Mr. Spock would not approve; it's the antithesis of "the needs … [Read more...] about Science Reader Question: My Martian Neighbor