TO BOLDLY GO: All too often I write about neat-o live things only after they happen, giving readers a review of them. For once (or maybe twice), I'm actually remembering to tell you something ahead of time.
On May 16, NASA will broadcast a special program called "Star Trek's Continuing Relevance" from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Pacific time. The event will be held at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. To watch the Webast, go to this link: http://airandspace.si.edu/events/lectures/webcast/
The program is about how Star Trek has drawn upon real history for its narratives, and how the show influenced space history. The educational panel will include Nancy Reagin, editor of Star Trek and History; Mike Gold, chief counsel for Bigelow Aerospace; Margaret Weitekamp of the museum's space history department, and Dan Hendrickson, director for Space Systems, Aerospace Industries Association. Hendrickson will be talking about why he spearheaded a crowd-sourced campaign, partnered with the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, to pay for ads promoting human spaceflight to show before the new Star Trek film in theaters right now!
WACKY AXES: Have I mentioned lately that we're taking an Eisensteinian physics class and that it's hard? We are now just barely into week six of eight, having survived week five, barely. So much material was covered last week, and though we each managed to ace the weekly test, the homework assignment was long and difficult. But every week we learn, and so we're hanging in there.
In fact, the Einstein quotes the professor shared with us this week made us feel a bit better. One was, "The mainspring of scientific thought is not an external goal toward which one must strive, but the pleasure of thinking." The kids and I talked about how sometimes we've struggled to understand concepts in the class, but really an important part of this class for us is not about the finish line, it's about the journey.
Another quote the professor shared was what Einstein said, in broken English, when he needed more time to ponder a problem: "I vill a little t'ink." And boy oh boy, we've had to take pause a do a little t'inking, too.
It never hurts to "t'ink" - especially if it results in a new question. All really important scientific answers create more questions than they answer. Maybe that's why our knowledge is always expanding???
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