You know you did it: went around intoning in a grave and deep manner Carl Sagan's unlikely catch phrase "billions and billions." Although he never officially said it, he did use the word "billions" when talking about the simple mathematical possibility of the number of planets in our galaxy.
Now, scientists have come up with an estimate based on the number of planet-like objects that have been discovered by a telescope named Kepler. And that estimate is pretty much what Sagan thought all along: billions. In fact, about 50 of those billions -- of which about 1 percent (about 500 million) fit into the not-too-hot not-too-cold segment that could conceivably harbor life in some form.
The numbers start getting really massive when you consider that ours is only one galaxy, and scientists estimate there are 100 billion galaxies. How many habitable worlds would that indicate? You do the math.
You can read more about the new estimate here.
20 February 2011
17 February 2011
The Changing Meaning of Words
Yesterday I went to the cinema to see the film "The King's Speech" (which was really well done). During the course of the film, it kept striking me as odd to hear people constantly talking about the "wireless" which, when used in the early years of the twentieth century, referred to radio. This was to differentiate radio communication from telegraphy -- which was communication sent along actual wires strung up from one place to another.
Once radio stopped being a new thing, people just started calling it "radio" and stopped using "wireless."
Now, of course, the word "wireless" is back in vogue -- this time, referring to computing devices that are connected to their service providers or each other without the use of wires.
Interesting how a word can go out of fashion only to come back decades later meaning something entirely different.
Once radio stopped being a new thing, people just started calling it "radio" and stopped using "wireless."
Now, of course, the word "wireless" is back in vogue -- this time, referring to computing devices that are connected to their service providers or each other without the use of wires.
Interesting how a word can go out of fashion only to come back decades later meaning something entirely different.
16 February 2011
13 February 2011
12 February 2011
Overheard
Overheard while walking to the coliseum today to the huge annual VNSA book sale: "If I'm going to spend all that money on a wedding, why shouldn't I make it my dream wedding?"
10 February 2011
More Lost Films Found
Being the huge fan that I am of early Hollywood, I am always so happy when I hear that more previously-thought-lost films have been found. Well, here's another story about 10 more films found -- this time in Russia -- that are being restored and will (one hopes) be made available for viewing by new audiences. You can read more about this cool find here.
06 February 2011
05 February 2011
04 February 2011
25 January 2011
This Guy Can't Get a Break!
This year's Oscar nominations came out today and Christopher Nolan was (again) not nominated for best director. Who did he piss off? Not only was Inception a fantastic movie (deservedly nominated for best picture) but Nolan's Memento (2000) remains one of my top-ten fave films of all time. Those two films (and his 2008 effort The Dark Knight) all received nominations from the Director's Guild, but not the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscar folks). What's up with that?
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