If a picture paints a thousand words, this pictogram (Fig 1) tells a lot about one budding astronomer’s journey since first studying the skies from different locations many years ago. But the chart, spanning two decades of viewing sessions, tells just part of the story: behind it are the friendships and assistance from Astronomical Society of …
Category: Science
Neglect syndrome – ignoring half the world
Right Hand Left Hand by Chris McManus is a fascinating book about handedness, from its history to what might be the reason why about 90% of us are right-handed. His book comes highly recommended by The Naked Scientist, aka Chris Smith, who has a weekly talk show radio slot on 702, answering questions related to …
Poor Charts & Data to Blame for Shuttle Disasters?
On January 28, 1986, tragedy struck. I remember that day clearly. On board the Space Shuttle Challenger was the first school teacher destined to go into space. Seventy six seconds after liftoff, speeding at over 2,000 km/h, the shuttle disintegrated, killing all seven crew members. During the accident investigation, it became apparent that poorly presented …
Visiting SALT: A Once in a Lifetime Opportunity
Visiting SALT – short for South African Large Telescope – must be on your ‘bucket list’. Not only is it one of the largest optical telescopes in the southern hemisphere, but it’s also probably one of the most expensive and hi-tech refrigerators too. Sitting atop a hill just a short drive from the Karoo town …