Tag Archives: Earth science
The Possibilities and Pitfalls of Big History
I would welcome comments on this proposed roundtable session that we are undertaking for the American Historical Association annual meeting in Washington, D.C., in January 2018. “The Possibilities and Pitfalls of Big History” Abstract: “Big History” has emerged in the … Continue reading
Chronology of Key Space Anniversaries for 2017
1942—75 Years Ago 3 October—Germany launched its V-2 rocket and is the first spacecraft to cross the Kármán line (100 km). 1947—70 Years Ago 20 February—The United States sent fruit flies into space. 1952—65 Years Ago 1 April—The U.S. Army … Continue reading
Wednesday’s Book Review: “Red Moon Rising: Sputnik and the Hidden Rivalries that Ignited the Space Age”
Red Moon Rising: Sputnik and the Hidden Rivalries that Ignited the Space Age. By Matthew Brzezinski. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2007. The fiftieth anniversary of the launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, sparked the publication of … Continue reading
Wednesday’s Book Review: “Atmospheric Science at NASA”
Atmospheric Science at NASA: A History. By Erik M. Conway. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008. Acknowledgments, list of abbreviations, illustrations, notes, index. ISBN: 9780801889844. Hardcover with dustjacket. 416 pp. $57.00 USD. During the first decade of the Space … Continue reading
The Earth as Art
This is so cool! You may view in this stunning video the Earth through the eyes of the Landsat-7 satellite. At a sublime level these images are art, showing the beauty of the Earth from space. If we got nothing … Continue reading
Perceptions of Belief in a Flat Earth
It’s a wonderful thing, the imagination of humankind. It has brought us the wonders of science and technology, the ideals of freedom and democracy, the inspiration to question, and the desire to help others, to name only a few positive … Continue reading
Announcing My New Study: “Historical Analogs for the Stimulation of Space Commerce”
I have just published as a part of the NASA History Series Historical Analogs for the Stimulation of Space Commerce. The write-up for it reads: “With the rise of a range of private-sector entrepreneurial firms interested in pursuing space commerce, … Continue reading
Proposed Syllabus for “Spaceflight and Society” Course, Fall 2013
I am the instructor for a course at Johns Hopkins University in the Fall 2013 semester with the title, “Spaceflight and Society.” I taught this class in the fall of 2011 as well and had a great time doing it, … Continue reading
A Clear View of Alaska, and the Problem it Presents
This is really interesting. NASA released this rare photograph of Alaska from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on June 17, 2013. Most of the time the state is covered with clouds, but not on that … Continue reading
Announcement of Opportunity to Submit Input to Study on Human Spaceflight
Now is your chance to tell everyone what you think about the direction the United States should take in human spaceflight. The U.S. National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies is currently conducting a congressionally‐requested study to examine the … Continue reading
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