Stay Curious » Science & Math

Fractal Tree Generator

Karyn — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:53:07 +0000

Clearly there is something mesmerizing and delightful about anything that has to do with fractals (at least, that’s what I think). This fractal tree generator is a wonderful way to explore fractal designs.
Original link. Thanks to @GabrielleNYC for sharing with me!

Ice, Rockets, and Steam

Karyn — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:45:56 +0000

Check out this photo from Chase Clark. He’s got a series of photos from the initial 1.6 seconds of the Atlas V rocket launch (Nov 26, 2011) that is propelling the Mars Curiosity rover to Mars.

Notice the ice on the rocket. Why is there ice? Why does it break off like that? What happens after it breaks off? Be curious and find out!

Why this NASA photo of Atlas V rocket should make you Curious

Karyn — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:07:25 +0000

I am always trying to encourage people to Stay Curious. Sure, I can give you information (and will be happy to), but often it is better for people to be curious about something and discover answers for themselves. However, many folks are out of the habit of being curious, so I will help prod you a bit. I ask you, why should this NASA photo of the Atlas V rocket which launched on Sat., 11/26, make you curious?

Curiosity Rover Lifts Off for Mars (Image Credit: NASA)

What are those billowy clouds coming out from the rocket? It’s not smoke!
Why are the booster rockets on the side asymetrical? There are four. Why aren’t they evenly placed around the main rocket?
What are those towers around the rocket? Why are they taller than the rocket?
What is that “train” track in the foreground?
Do you know what is inside the rocket? Where is the payload? How does it get out?

Hints to help you:
This rocket launched off SLC 41 (that may help you get information about the launchpad configurations)
The group responsible for the rocket was the United Launch Alliance

Here’s a link to the Astronomy Picture of the Day, where the photo was highlighted on Wed, Nov 30th. Read the caption there and you will find links to several aspects of the launch and mission.

Now, go get curious. And stay that way!

First posts from Mars Curiosity NASATweetup

Karyn — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:08:07 +0000

We’re still in Cocoa Beach, FL after spending several days with folks from around the world who participated in the Mars Curiosity NASATweetup. Here’s a quick taste of the events. More to come!

Video of the Pre-Tweetup dinner at Dixie Crossroads restaurant in Titusville, FL.

Mars Curiosity Tweetup dinner from Braga on Vimeo.

Video of Bill Nye, The Science Guy, speaking to the NASATweetup tweeps in the twent on Saturday right before the launch.

Video of Bill Nye, The Science Guy, and Astronaut Doug Wheelock handling Q & A.

Video of will.i.am (!) speaking to the tweeps about making science cool and communicating enthusiasm to kids so they will reach for the stars (literally).

I am a Scientific American (Guest Blogger)!

Karyn — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:22:08 +0000

I am very excited to have been asked to do a post on the Scientific American Guest Blog about my recent participation in the #GRAIL #NASATweetup. It went live yesterday (9/21/2011). Click on the screen capture below to go to the original location to read the entire post!

Videos explaining the GRAIL moon mission

Karyn — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 01:32:00 +0000

This sets of videos explains the GRAIL mission which is the focus of the NASATweetup that I will be attending Sept 7 & 8.

Two Arthropods Meet – a teeny commission challenge

Karyn — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 03:17:09 +0000

I first “met” Glendon Mellow online (I think via Twitter, where he is@flyingtrilobite) as I was working on projects for ScienceOnline2011. He graciously sent me a few of his new Moo business cards which had images of his artwork and a QR code on them (something we were including in many aspects of ScienceOnline2011). He also donated some prints of his work for some prizes during our event. After meeting Glendon at ScienceOnline2011 I knew I wanted to have an original piece of his artwork. If you know me, you know I love small, tiny things. So, I ~~challenged~~ commissioned him to make me a miniature oil painting on a piece of slate no bigger than 1.5-2″. That was the only criteria I gave him. I was excited to see what he would come up with. He did not disappoint.

One fine afternoon, a padded envelope winged its way into my mailbox from Toronto. I was so excited. But the fun was just beginning! The following pictures re-create the steps of my “unveiling” of the piece. I loved every detail of the presentation!

This is the small box that contained the commissioned piece. Glendon sketched his trademark Flying Trilobite on the top of the box (a treasure in itself!)

After I removed the lid, I saw the canvas roll with the instructions "Unroll Gently." I could hardly contain my excitement.

I carefully unrolled the canvas. Anticipation growing.

The piece revealed! What a delight to behold. I quickly picked it up to look at all the details and colours.

Here is a close-up. The photo doesn't really do justice to the beauty, texture, and colour. This is why you need to own real artwork!

This is a photo of the whole presentation (with a US quarter for scale). You can read the title of the piece written in the bottom of the little box. Perfect.

I haven’t decided how I am going to display the piece yet, but I have some ideas (if you have ideas, leave them in the comments).

Glendon has blogged about this commissioned piece on his own blog. Read his thoughts here.

This is my kind of wine

Karyn — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 23:57:39 +0000

Love this.

Seen at Whole Foods, Chapel Hill, NC. Should be in my wine rack.

What I’ve been up to…

Karyn — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:11:26 +0000

This is a Wordle image generated from the Tweets compiled from the ScienceOnline2011 hashtag #scio11

I’ve been busy working on various projects for this amazing gathering of science communicators, bloggers, editors, journalists, scientists–in general, four days full of amazing geekery.

The Snowflake (Redux)

Karyn — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 20:16:25 +0000

This is a re-posting. I am adding two photos of snowflakes I took yesterday (Dec 4, 2010) in Durham, NC. I could not believe we had snow! I ran outside and shot these macros hand-held. Not great, but I was so excited. Will get out more this winter and work on some new techniques.

Snowflake I captured in our yard, Durham, NC, December 4, 2010.

Snowflake melting. Durham, NC, December 4, 2010. Camera: Panasonic GF1 (Micro-four thirds).

It’s no secret that I love snow. One of the best books that I’ve seen about snowflakes is The Snowflake: Winter’s Secret Beauty by Kenneth Libbrecht (photography by Patricia Rasmussen). If you’ve ever been mesmerized by the shape of a snowflake that has fallen onto your gloved hand, then this book will delight you. The stunning photography of individual snowflakes is complemented perfectly by excellent explanations of the science behind the beauty.

Chapters:

The Creative Genius
Snowflake Watching
Snow-Crystal Symmetry
Hieroglyphs from the Sky
Morphogenesis on Ice
Snowflake Weather
A Field Guide to Falling Snow
In Search of Identical Snowflakes

I particularly like the chapter on all the different types of crystals: stellar dendrites, sectored plates, columns and needles, bullets, split stars, twinned crystals, twelve-sided (!) snowflakes, chandelier crystals, and triangular crystals. The photos of the rimed snowflakes and hoarfrost are exquisite. Share this book with a special young person in your life (of any age). You will eagerly anticipate the next snow shower (or storm) so that you can begin to find some of these treasures yourself!