Happy Perihelion Day (1/4)…

Today the Earth is its closest to the Sun in its yearly orbit. It is .983273 AU (91420479 miles or 147095551 km). And aphelion will be July 4, 2009.

Happy Winter Solstice Day (12/22)…

Today is the first full day of winter solstice, although it officially began yesterday 12/21 according to GMT, but it was nighttime our time, so this is the first full day that we can welcome in old man Winter.

10 Dirtiest Jobs in Science…

Man, I am glad I am a high school science teacher. They couldn’t pay me enough to do these jobs. I know that they need to be done (and I am glad that people do them), but not by me.

From CNN.com:

Sometimes a job calls for a little dirty work, but when your job is in science, the dirty part can become increasingly literal.

Since 2003, Popular Science magazine has released an annual report detailing the “Worst Jobs in Science.” Among the psychologically demanding and dangerous elements of some of these jobs, these scientists must also be willing to get to the nitty gritty, even if it means going where no man or woman has gone before (or would want to).

Look at the list of jobs. Tell me that any of these are in the least appealing to you. (Although, the volcanologist sounds cool. And look at job number six. Gross! ewwww!)

Manure Inspector

Orangutan-Pee Collector

Hot-zone Superintendent

Extremophile Excavator

Dysentery Stool Sample Analyzer

Semen Washer

What they do: Take semen samples under microscopic observation to study their sperm count, then spin, separate, add preservatives and freeze the samples for in vitro fertilization.

Volcanologist

Carcass Cleaner

Fistula Feeder

Corpse-Flower Grower

Holy Cow….8.1 Earthquake!

A magnitude 8.1 earthquake has struck near the Japan Islands in the Pacific Ocean. A tsunami warning has been issued for the islands and people are being told to head to higher ground. They [the Japanese meteorological society] expect waves of 6 1/2 feet high.

8.1 magnitude earthquakes are very rare and very deadly. A 9.1 magnitude quake in Indonesia in 2004 is what caused that massive tsunami that killed so many people. The waves for that one were 30+ feet high.

According to the story in Yahoo:

Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries because it sits atop four tectonic plates.

Man, that has got to suck. Here in California we are on two plates and they don’t move much. And our plates are very different than the Japanese plates.

Man, I thought I was a nerd…

Scientists have created a Wearable Instrument Shirt…

Now we can all play air guitar like out favorite ax-slinger. (My favorite is Yngwie Malmsteen; how many of you know about him?) They even have created an air tambourine and air guiro.

Using built-in sensors it allows you to pick and strum at the same time (does that sound as nasty to you as it does to me?), and the data is delivered to a computer program which then produces an audio sample.

That is just too nerdy. Someone took the time to think about this and then develop it. Wow. The wonders of science will never end.

First hurricane outside of Earth spotted.

Yahoo:

A colossal, swirling storm with a well-developed eye is churning at Saturn’s south pole, the first time a truly hurricane-like storm has been detected on a planet other than Earth, NASA images showed on Thursday. The storm on the giant, ringed planet is about 5,000 miles wide, measuring roughly two thirds the diameter of Earth, with winds howling clockwise at 350 mph (550 kph). Jupiter’s Great Red Spot (ed: and we all know about the Great Red Spot, right?), which swirls counterclockwise, is far bigger, but is less like a hurricane because it lacks the typical eye and eye wall.

Happy Birthday, Earth!

Today in 4004 BC, the earth was created. Yeah, happy birthday Earth. You don’t look a day over 4000 BC. (Of course, this is all based on a biblical interpretation by a monk or pope, or something, in 1650.)

So all of those scientists that have come up with a MUCH older age over the last 300 years must be wrong. And all of that data about fossils, dinosaurs, etc isn’t wrong too. Well, we are all going to burn in hell anyway, so might as well make it fun.

Finally broke down and got my own blog…

Hi all. Welcome to my first post on my science/politics/education/whatever blog.

So, about me: I am a high school science teacher (Chemistry/Physics/AP Chemistry/AVID) here in California. Diehard Red Sox fan (and, no, I haven’t seen “Fever Pitch“; but have been to Fenway Park and sat in the Green Monster seats). Even more diehard Macintosh fan (currently have a G5 17″ (iSight) iMac computer; Mac Nerds will know the model I am talking about).

Hopefully, I will be able to consistently update my blog and muse about anything and everything Red Sox, science, education. Stay tuned.