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Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

?Brewster Rockit? on the Van Allen Belts
2008-02-11 01:07:00
Given the timeliness of this (in light of the Explorer 1 anniversary last week), and how much I love the comic strip "Brewster Rockit : Space Guy," I thought (hoped?) you might enjoy this Sunday's strip... SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "“Brewster Rockit” on the Van Allen Belts ", url: "http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/02/11/ brewster_rockit_on_the_van_allen_belts/" });

Whew ? that was a close one!
2008-02-09 00:34:00
Anybody who spends much time with computers or web sites can attest to the fact that they can be a bit... testy... at times. If you've tried to look at the SOS web site over the past few days, you might have an inkling of how this applies to you and me right now...
More About: Site News , Close

Casual Friday ? make your own vacuum tubes
2008-02-08 14:25:00
This week's video is a surprisingly engrossing 17 minute video of a French amateur radio enthusiast making his own vacuum tubes
More About: Vacuum , Friday , Make , Casual

Carnivalia
2008-02-06 14:51:00
The past week's science-related blog carnival goodness awaits your reading... SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Carnivalia", url: "http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/02/06/ carnivalia-19/" });
More About: Space , Astronomy

The scientific tourist #6 ? nothing but rim!
2008-02-06 00:40:00
This week's "sciencey" tourism picture comes from Nördlingen, Bavaria, Germany... SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "The scientific tourist #6 — nothing but rim!", url: "http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/02/05/ the_scientific_tourist_6_--_nothing_but_r im/" });
More About: History , Geology , Tourist

Happy first birthday ? to us!
2008-02-05 13:09:00
It's a bit hard to believe, and I almost missed the date myself, but as of the 5th of February, it's been exactly one year since I started up this blog... SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Happy first birthday — to us!", url: "http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/02/05/ happy_first_birthday_--_to_us/" });
More About: Birthday

Episode 17 ? A Tale of Two Craters, and a Shoemaker
2008-02-03 00:38:00
While sorting through pictures for some "Scientific tourist" blog posts, it occurred to me that two of them together told an interesting tale. Listen in on this episode, and find out how two craters -- one in Arizona and one in Bavaria -- helped a man named Eugene Shoemaker reshape how geology is conducted, and invent the field of planetary geology as a scientific discipline... SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Episode 17 — A Tale of Two Craters, and a Shoemaker", url: "http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/02/02/ episode_17_--_a_tale_of_two_craters_and_a _shoemaker/" });
More About: History , Astronomy , Geology

Casual Friday — Werner von Braun designs a rocket
2008-02-01 14:09:00
Back in 1955, Disney produced a number of episodes of the "Disneyland" TV show speculating on how humanity would get into space. In this clip (# 6 of 8 on YouTube), Werner von Braun describes the design of a rocket for near-Earth travel...
More About: Friday , Rocket , Casual , Designs

Explorer 1 at 50
2008-01-31 13:24:00
50 years ago today, at 10:48 pm Eastern Standard Time on January 31, 1958, the U.S.' first satellite was launched. Some items seem to escape mention in many discussions of the event, so let's talk a bit about the "forgotten history" of Explorer 1...SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Explorer 1 at 50", url: "http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/01/31/ explorer_1_at_50/" });
More About: Technology , Space , History

Carnivalia
2008-01-30 15:19:00
The past week's selection of "sciencey" blog carnivals, for your reading pleasure... SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Carnivalia", url: "http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/01/30/ carnivalia-18/" });
More About: Biology , Math

The scientific tourist #5 ? our first Explorer
2008-01-29 15:20:00
This week's "sciencey" tourism picture is of a model of Explorer I, at the New Mexico Museum of Space History , in Alamagordo... SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "The scientific tourist #5 — our first Explorer", url: "http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/01/29/ the_scientific_tourist_5_--_our_first_exp lorer/" });
More About: Tourist

Heads up!
2008-01-28 15:06:00
I'm coming to the conclusion that there must be a law somewhere stating the following (or similar) thought: some form of "the sky is falling" must be in play in the media at all times... SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Heads up!", url: "http://sortingoutscience.net/2008/01/28/ heads_up/" });
More About: Technology , Space , Critical thinking

Excellent article on Neatorama
2008-01-26 17:03:00
If you're at all interested in the history of computing and / or computers, you owe it to yourself to go check out an excellent article on Neatorama titled "The Wonderful World of Early Computing"...
More About: Technology , History , Article , Excellent

Casual Friday ? Ares V launches a telescope
2008-01-25 15:09:00
NASA seems to be having its share of problems developing the Ares I launch vehicle, but with any luck it's big brother the Ares V should still be marching forward. Here's an animation of what an Ares V mission would look like for the launch of an 8 meter telescope...
More About: Technology , Space , Telescope , Astronomy , Friday

Carnival of Space, Week 38 ? The Adventures of Shorty Barlow, Private Eye
2008-01-24 14:38:00
An "SOS Playhouse" production...
More About: Space , Carnival , Astronomy , Week , Private

Carnivalia
2008-01-23 15:19:00
The past week's crop of blog carnival goodness...
More About: Space , Astronomy , Biology , Critical thinking

The scientific tourist #4 ? what you *can* tell from a hole in the ground
2008-01-22 14:00:00
Quite a bit, actually, if you pick the right hole. This week's "sciencey" tourism picture is from Barringer Crater (a.k.a., Meteor Crater) in Arizona, about 35 miles east of Flagstaff...
More About: History , Astronomy , Ground , Geology , Hole

The Future of Ideas ? it?s free, presently!
2008-01-21 14:08:00
If you've never read Lawrence Lessig's great book "The Future of Ideas ," you now have a cheap way to do it -- as a free download!...
More About: Free , The Future , Critical thinking

Carnival of Space ? call for submissions
2008-01-20 00:28:00
The 38th Carnival of Space will be hosted right here this coming Thursday, the 24th. If you should run across any well-written space-related blog posts in the next few days, please send a link my way...
More About: Call , Missi

The next best thing to a time machine
2008-01-19 14:43:00
If you like history, you owe it to yourself to check out a new set of images on Flickr. The Library of Congress has started a pilot program to put old images on the site for public use...
More About: History , Machine , Time , The Next Best Thing , Thing

Casual Friday ? Levitating Light Bulb
2008-01-18 14:14:00
An impressive piece of performance art -- a glowing light bulb, suspended in mid air. No wires or solid support of any kind. Can you figure out how it's done before the video explains it all?
More About: Technology , Friday , Light , Casual , Light Bulb

Rodents Of Unusual Size
2008-01-17 15:28:00
They do exist! Or, at least, they did a few million years ago...
More About: Size , Rodents

Carnivalia
2008-01-16 14:12:00
Plenty of good reading material awaits in the past week's crop of (mostly) science-related blog carnival goodness...
More About: Space , Astronomy , Biology , Climate , Humanity

The scientific tourist #3 ? Kepler?s early solar system
2008-01-15 14:00:00
This week's "sciencey" tourism picture is of an early attempt at a model of the solar system by Johannes Kepler, on display at the Technisches Museum, Vienna (Wien)...
More About: History , System , Astronomy , Solar , Early

Episode 16 ? Electric Lighting
2008-01-14 15:33:00
Between discussions of global climate change, and the ever-rising cost of energy, people are starting to take a long, hard look at the costs of lighting -- both financial, and ecological. Listen in to this episode, and I'll attempt to (ahem...) enlighten you on the history and potential future of this technology...
More About: History , Episode , Lighting , Electric

Casual Friday ? the Falkirk Wheel
2008-01-11 13:27:00
Courtesy of TechEBlog comes this flash video of the Falkirk Wheel -- the world's first and only rotating boat wheel...
More About: Technology , Friday , Tubing , Casual

Can you lend a hand?
2008-01-10 14:24:00
By way of Thoughts from Kansas comes a worthy plea for help. I've already pitched in, now can you?...
More About: Hand , Lend

Carnivalia
2008-01-09 13:52:00
There's another bountiful crop of science-related blog carnivals available for your perusal this week...
More About: Space , Astronomy , Biology , Humanity , Vali

Armchair Tourist ? #2, a quick tour of the Roswell UFO Museum
2008-01-08 14:02:00
I like to think of myself as an open-minded guy, so when the opportunity presented itself, I dropped in at the "International UFO Museum and Research Library" in Roswell , New Mexico...
More About: Tour , Quick , Critical thinking

Solar Cycle 24 ? the wait?s over
2008-01-06 14:27:00
If you were curious after the last podcast episode, it's finally official -- solar cycle 24 has begun...
More About: Astronomy , Solar , Cycle , Wait