Quote of the Month

"The day we stop exploring

is the day we commit ourselves to live in a stagnant world,

devoid of curiosity, empty of dreams."

- Neil deGrasse Tyson

Carl Sagan Died 17 Years Ago

Exactly seventeen years ago today, the world has lost one its most cherished science educators, a role model for many scientists today, dr. Carl Sagan. If you do not know him, please research it and discover the life work of a truly remarkable man!

In remembering him, allow me to include here the video version of one his most famous speeches, the Pale Blue Dot. It is an excerpt from his book of the same name, inspired by the image of Earth taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft (currently in interstellar space) from about 6 billion kilometers (3,8 billion miles).

Also, do not forget to watch the re-imaging of his iconic television series "Cosmos," starring Neil deGrasse Tyson as host. The new Cosmos will air on March 9, 2014 on Fox.

"Somewhere, something incredible

is waiting to be known."

- Carl Sagan

New Round for the CAT started!

A few months ago, the CAT Thruster--a very promising water-propelled micro satellite--failed to achieve its Kickstarter goal (despite the incredible support I might add). The project then went on a hiatus, a period of re-thinking what went wrong with the campaign (on Kickstarter, of course, as the actual development in the engineering department at the University of Michigan never actually stopped.) Now, however, the hiatus is over, and the team has returned with a much more thought-out (and realistic) Kickstarter page! For more information on the project and why you should support it click here! And, if I managed to convince you, click on the link below to pledge your support:

CAT Thruster Kickstarter Campaign

Quote of the Month

"The most exciting phrase to hear in science,

the one that heralds new discoveries,

is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny ...'"

- Isaac Asimov

Leonid Meteor Shower Will Peak Soon!

The 2013 Leonid meteor shower will peak on the morning of November 18th. It will be visible around the world, with 15 to 20 meteors per hour streaking across the night sky in average. Unfortunately, this shower will occur just one day after a full moon, so it may be difficult to observe the fainter Leonids. As in previous years, I recommend visiting Spacedex for tips, tricks, and to find out about optimum viewing conditions in your area.

Image courtesy of Spacedex.com

Quote of the Month

"I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined,

and that we can do nothing to change it,

look before they cross the road."

- Stephen Hawking

Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend

This weekend, the Orionid Meteor Shower will peak. Although it is not the most spectacular of the annual meteor showers, the Orionids can still produce around 15 to 20 "falling stars" per hour. Appear to be radiating from the constellation Orion, this meteor shower occurs annually when the Earth moves into the debris left behind by Halley's Comet. It is a wonderful show that is visible from both hemispheres; so, I urge anyone to look up at the night sky weekend. As in previous years, I recommend visiting Spacedex for tips, tricks, and to find out about optimum viewing conditions in your area.

Image courtesy of Spacedex.com

Hearthstone Beta Key Winner!

All right people, the Hearthstone beta key giveaway has come to an end, and it is time to announce the winner. I numbered all entries on Facebook and put them through a random number generator. So, without further ado, here is the winner:

Douglas Toms

Congratulations Douglas! I sent you the code via private message on Facebook (check your inbox)! I'd also like to thank everyone who played; it was fun to see so many people professing interest in the game. Unfortunately, there could have been only one winner, but for all those who did not win: the open beta is just around the corner. Keep your chin up!

Hearthstone Beta Key Giveaway!

After waiting for months to get into the beta of Blizzard newest game, Hearthstone, I recently received not one but two beta keys. Since I only need one, I decided to give away the other. To win it, all you need to do is like this website on Facebook and leave a comment on this post, but please make sure you include your real name (or whatever name you use on Facebook) somewhere in the comment, so I can identify you among the Facebook likes.

I will select a winner between the eligible commenters via a random number generator tomorrow at 2:00 PM Eastern Time and send the code on Facebook via private message. The key is for the North American region, so please do not play if you know you won't be able to use it.

Please don't leave your e-mail addresses in the comments! I do the giveaway via Facebook because I don't want anyone to fall pray to spammers!

Quote of the Month

"Somewhere, something incredible

is waiting to be known."

- Carl Sagan