When Space is Privatized and Commercialized

On December 25, 2021, NASA successfully launched the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the most powerful space telescope ever created, which promises to completely transform the way we study the cosmos. Looking up at the stars last night, I couldn't help but think about what we might learn from JWST's ability to look back toward the beginning of time. Continue Reading →

Bringing back the woolly mammoth

Jurassic Park lovers have been told that the idea of bringing dinosaurs back from extinction is science fiction. Serial entrepreneur Ben Lamm is undeterred. With $15 million in funding and famed geneticist George Church on board, Colossal begins its quest to bring back the woolly mammoth. Continue Reading →

Something just happened. Something wonderful.

On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright grabbed the controls of the Wright Brothers' DIY flying machine project and flew 120 feet in 12 seconds. This morning, just 117 years, 4 months, 2 days later, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter just did basically the same thing... on the surface of Mars. This solar-powered helicopter flew to an altitude of about 10 feet and hovered for just under 30 seconds. The red planet is currently 179 million miles from Earth. Continue Reading →

One Giant Leap For Mankind

Neil Armstrong steps on the moon
On July 21, 1969, at 02:56 UTC, Neil Armstrong became the first person to step onto the lunar surface. I remember the exact moment. I remember the grainy television picture. I remember the words. Most of all, I remember feeling that moment was the beginning of the future. Continue Reading →

I Believe in Science

In the lab
Recently, I have been very vocal about why I believe in science over political rhetoric. Some of you have questioned what I mean by “science.” When I say, “I believe in science,” I mean the scientific method, which, if you remember from middle school science class, is a statistically-controlled process (question, research, hypothesize, experiment, analyze, conclude, report) used to explore observations and answer questions. Continue Reading →

A Great Day to Learn Something New

Space
As out of control as everything feels today, we do have control over one thing: how we spend our time. Time is a currency. So much so that we call the use of it “spending” time. Today, while some are forced to put themselves in harm’s way to do what needs to be done, many of us will have the shared experience of being alone. How will you “invest” your alone time? Here are a few ideas. Continue Reading →

Happy Pi Day!

Pi day
Considering all that is going on in the world, this is probably the least important thing you could think about, which is exactly why I'm posting this. Continue Reading →