Posts
May 19, 2013
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5:00 PM | Cool Stuff Sunday 7
Everyone's favorite Sunday smashup of cool and informative news and videos around the web is finally back for week 7! I tried to cover all pertinent topics: space, science, mathematics, travel, as well as a very inspirational video from a fab Woman in Science, Mayim Bialik.I haven't forgotten about the HI-SEAS mission. It's well underway!Col. Christ Hadfield is currently back on Earth following Command of Expedition 35 aboard the International Space Station. This was his last video before
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May 17, 2013
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9:01 PM | How to Minimize Their Worries
Tell friends and family you're planning on traveling around Europe for three months and you will likely elicit several "are you insane"s, a handful of "please don't die"s, and hopefully a few "oh wow, may I come along"s. People are going to worry. It's unavoidable, and while there's nothing you can do to stop it entirely (hey, people care about you, deal with it) you can minimize their concerns by being a conscientious and prepared traveler. Share Your Travel ItineraryWhether you prefer to […]
July 27, 2012
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4:19 AM | Elk, Deer, and Sheepsies, oh my!
Day TenRocky Mountain National ParkTotal Miles Hiked: 10.24 (58.3 overall)Who Pooped in the Park? Who?!The ranger who helped us (this time I didn't remember to peep his name tag) could tell right away that we were bonafide nature nerds. You start dropping science slang like 'ecosystems' and 'habitat' and you'll see the smile on the rangers face. You're one of them now. He suggested a long hike up Flattop Mountain for the next day. We'd have to wake up early to make it to the trail head before
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July 25, 2012
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10:26 PM | Hello, Goodbye
Day NineArches to Rocky NPTotal Miles Hiked: 0 (48.06 overall)We knew leaving Arches NP and Moab that our destination would be vastly different than our origin. I was more than happy to finally be trading the sand, sun, and rock formations in for the soul refreshing mountains, trees, and streams. Such an eventful day of driving deserves to have its own road trip mix. We've jammed to all of these songs on our drives. Nat Park Road Trip Mix 1 from dr.awesome.bartley on 8tracks.Rachel's
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July 23, 2012
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10:27 PM | Love in the Desert?
Day EightArches National ParkMoab, UTFounded: 1971Total Miles Hiked: 10.5 (48.06 overall)We'd arrived too late to secure a camp spot in the park, however the nearby city of Moab had a plethora of private campgrounds to choose from. After consulting our handy Fodor's guide, we soon were on our way to the recommended Slick(Shady)rock campground. It had all of the typical amenities: small grill, shade, restrooms, office wi-fi, pool, hot tubs, showers. We may not be in the park, […]
July 22, 2012
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11:23 PM | Lead the Way
Day SevenZion to ArchesTotal Miles Hiked: 2.86 (37.56 overall)Another day on the road and once more the scenery is gorgeous. It's also really enjoyable to take in while going the posted speed limit: 80 mph! We had a lot of state to cover. Of the five different National Parks that Utah has to offer, Zion and Arches are the furthest two apart. Going from Z to A is a fresh change of pace. We were really beginning to appreciate Utah, maybe it has a bit of a bad rap due to the wimpy beers and excess […]
July 20, 2012
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4:04 AM | A Healthy Dose of Fear
Day SixZion National ParkTotal Miles Hiked: 9 (34.7 overall)A long rest was needed after the ups and downs of the previous day. The weather had cleared up enough for us to feel comfortable braving the Narrows. Even though we would be without the recommended walking stick. We took our sweet time puttering around South Campground in the morning. We realized we underpaid for the first two nights (access passes get 50% discount on campsite fees, not annual passes). We paid for one more night and
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July 19, 2012
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4:42 PM | Everything the Light Touches is Yours
Day FiveZion National ParkEstablished: 1909Total Miles Hiked: 11.1 (25.7 overall)Arriving at Zion NP the afternoon before had been a breathtaking event. Chelsea had warned us of its beauty, but the canyon is truly a sight you need to behold with your own eyes to appreciate. We wound down the mountain from the Southeast entrance, taking in as many views as possible without driving straight off the road. We passed through a tunnel and held our breath like good adventurers are supposed to do. We
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July 17, 2012
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Las Cruces to Carlsbad - Desert Rainstorm. Photo by RachelLas Cruces to Carlsbad - Guadaupe Mnts.Photo by RachelDay FourAlbuquerque to Zion NPTotal Miles Hiked: 0 (14.6 overall)Albuquerque to Zion - Entering Navajo NationPhoto by RachelABQ to Zion - Crooked View of Wahweap Bay, UTPhoto by RachelDuring the winter of 2010 (20Dime for those in the know), I finally got around to reading a book my father had lent to me about a year previous. It was a daunting, historical tome, my dad’s
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July 16, 2012
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11:00 PM | Love Letters and Salutations
Day ThreeDrive to AlbuquerqueTotal Miles Hiked: 3.1 (14.6 Overall)Driving days can be a nice reprieve from the long hiking days in the sun, but there's a limited amount of adventure you can have when in a car for six hours. Rachel and I both have thesis related work to make progress on and that takes up a fair deal of time. However, we also absolutely love to write postcards. We try and buy a few at each park gift shop we stop at, as well as some pit stops along the road. Roswell, NM was a […]
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Day TwoCarlsbad Caverns National ParkTotal Miles Hiked: 10 (11.5 overall)Birds wake up much too early in the desert. We'd set our alarms for a respectable7:45, but since neither of us could locate Nature's snooze button, it was even earlier when we emerged from our own tent cave. Was just as well, it was helpful to get an early start while the last cloud stragglers remained to hide us from the sun. We packed up our inaugural camp site (not before snapping a photo or two and scarfed down a
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July 14, 2012
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1:29 AM | It's (Not) In My Hair!
Day One and a HalfCarlsbad Caverns National ParkWhite, NMNational Park Since: 1930Total Miles Hiked: 1.5Rainy days are a special treat when you live in the desert. Summer has assaulted you from all sides since March/April and this year our freedom from the desert dry conditions came with a bang on the Fourth of July. The rains have continued and followed along thus far on our journey. However, as hard as it has tried, it can't rain in the caves. They can however close down several
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July 13, 2012
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3:15 AM | Back On the Road
Epic Besties National Park Road TripDay One - July 10, 2012The tribal trio has become a duo, but for the first time since summer 2008 (South African adventures) we are heading out into the wild to explore, adventure, and investigate. Over a year from conception to inception, but now Rachel (of Long Beach Lab fame) and I are in
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April 27, 2012
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It's 2:30 on a gorgeous Friday afternoon and the sunshine is calling your name. The mountain trails are begging to feel your feet. The cold beers are a-singin' your tune.And you are still on campus at your desk trying to ignore the Call of the Weekend.It's late-April. Graduation is fast approaching and you have papers, finals, homework, and if you are like me, a thesis to finish writing. It's hard to stay focused at times like these. Everyone else has left the building and you have committed to [...]
April 26, 2012
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Yet another example of how I am constantly amazed by people's ability to distill down difficult topics and concepts and present them in an understandable and entertaining manner. Jorge Cham of Piled Higher and Deeper intersperses comics inspired by life as a grad stud with interviews at various universities and research institutions. This week he traveled to CERN to interview Particle Physicist Daniel Whiteson about the Higgs Boson and how the LHC is attempting to find it.The [...]
April 24, 2012
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12:39 AM | Thinking About the Future of This Blog
It took me a few days of those unavoidable 'woe-is-me-I'm-not-qualified-for-space-travel-research' blues, but I'm back in the pilot's seat and already engrossed with finding my next potential 2013 adventure. Something has to distract me from writing my thesis, right?I'd like to first extend a hearty 'Best of Luck' to the 30 finalists in the HI-SEAS program. I will be following along from wherever I end up and possibly providing updates to my readers from my position on the outside. I am also [...]
April 20, 2012
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2:52 PM | Not This Time
I got the most disappointing news today.Dear HI-SEAS Applicant,Thank you again for your interest in the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation. I am sorry to inform you that you have not been selected for the interview stage of the application process. We had a very large number of highly qualified applicants, and it was extremely difficult to narrow the pool down.I believe I've put a lot of hard work into this application process and to be cut now is really saddening. I will hopefully [...]
April 18, 2012
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7:43 PM | Guaranteed to Lift You Up
No long post today. My thesis needs some undivided attention.However, in an effort to not leave you empty handed, please enjoy this video as much as I did.If I'm ever lucky enough to have such an experience I hope it's caught on tape so I can share it.Question of The Day:What are some of your more memorable experiences to date?What are some you hope to have?
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5:17 AM | Future of Discovery
Today marked the end of an era for manned spaceflight, as the first of the operational shuttles has been retired by the NASA Space Shuttle Program. Discovery landed at Dulles International Airport today after a memorable flight over Washington, D.C.. The Smithsonian Institutes' National Air and Space Museum will welcome the well-used shuttle into their exhibit. Eyes were on the sky in Washington as the flight granted spectators a final view of the shuttle in flight, piggybacked
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April 15, 2012
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8:40 PM | Cool Stuff Sunday 6
This past week has provided a plethora of Cool Stuff to share! I've enjoyed shifting through stories and videos to select my favorites. Thanks to everyone who shared a link to something extra Cool with me this week!Be sure to keep you eyes on the night sky again this week/weekend. The Lyrid Meteor Shower should peak April 22.We've seen that the planets have inspired lots of things: research, space travel, videos, etc; here is a movement from an orchestral suite written in the early 1900s that [...]
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6:54 AM | Scale Matters: Applying the Concepts
If you haven't checked out Monday's, Tuesday's, Wednesday's and Thursday's blog posts, it'd be best to start there! This week we're having a series of posts discussing scale and size. I'm hoping you all still have your imagination hats handy. The concepts we've learned about during this week's series, space and time, hold a very important role within scientific research, more specifically, within experimental design. We may also refer to these aspects as spatial
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April 13, 2012
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7:20 AM | Scale Matters: But, What about Time?
If you haven't checked out Monday's, Tuesday's, and Wednesday's blog posts, it'd be best to start there! This week we're having a series of posts discussing scale and size. I'm hoping you all still have your imagination hats handy. Size, both great and small, and the ability to perceive it through a series of magnificent inventions are already wondrous enough to contemplate. However, by adding one more aspect to this thought process, we can really understand the importance
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April 12, 2012
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6:16 AM | Size Matters: Beyond Our Eyes
If you haven't checked out Monday's and Tuesday's blog post, it'd be best to start there! This week we're having a series of posts discussing scale and size. I'm hoping you all still have your imagination hats handy. We've discussed and pondered the very tiny, and the unimaginably ginormous this week. I know it's asking a lot to try and comprehend the size of every single component of the universe, in addition to the vastness of the universe itself. No one can be expected to explore
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6:16 AM | Scale Matters: Beyond Our Eyes
If you haven't checked out Monday's and Tuesday's blog post, it'd be best to start there! This week we're having a series of posts discussing scale and size. I'm hoping you all still have your imagination hats handy. We've discussed and pondered the very tiny, and the unimaginably ginormous this week. I know it's asking a lot to try and comprehend the size of every single component of the universe, in addition to the vastness of the universe itself. No one can be expected to explore
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April 11, 2012
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1:52 AM | Scale Matters: What is Big?
If you haven't checked out yesterday's blog post, it'd be best to start there! This week we're having a series of posts discussing scale and size. I'm hoping you all have your imagination hats handy. I never leave home without mine.Earthrise - by William AndersAfter discussing the tiny, microscopic aspects of our world yesterday it's easy to see ourselves as these giants towering over these minuscule particles. In fact, when consider our role and impact on this planet, it's hard not to feel [...]
April 10, 2012
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4:22 AM | Scale Matters: What is Small?
What is the smallest thing you've ever seen?Now, what's the smallest thing you can imagine?Imagine something even smaller.Even smaller.How about even smaller?How small is it? How would you measure it? With what units?This video, narrated by Stephen Fry, has inspired this weeks look at size and scale. Check it out and then come back for more! Woah! A nanometer is pretty tiny! If you recall, my research looks at a specific species of micro-algae, Nannocloropsis salina. These guys are
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April 08, 2012
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10:01 PM | Cool Stuff Sunday 5
Another beautiful New Mexican Sunday has come and is spoiling me with its warmth and sunshine. These are the types of days that I need to appreciate and remember if I end up participating in the Mars Analog Food Study. I'll just have memories of the sun's warmth and the fresh air's breeze. So enjoy the post and the content I've compiled, but then get off of the internet and go outside! And not just because there might be candy hidden.Before you check out the videos and links, perhaps you can [...]
April 07, 2012
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10:18 PM | One Small Step Closer
Got the email this morning! Early this morning. A bit too early. I'm grateful for my attentive mother who saw the post on the Hi-SEAS Facebook page and called me repeatedly until my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle ringtone awakened me. Dear HI-SEAS Applicant,Thank you for your interest in the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation. As you may know, we received almost 700 applications for this mission, for only six crew positions.... At this point, you are one of the candidates for a
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12:17 AM | No News is Good News?
Announcements are set for this week, but still no word from those in charge. I'm assuming that since today is Good Friday, and campuses are closed, then it's very unlikely that they'd be contacting people. Perhaps the weekend? Monday? Another whole week??! All I know is that every time my devices make an email/tweet/ringer/random bleep or blip I tense up in excitement and anticipation.Fellow applicant, Timothy Judd, has not been especially helpful.Since I had hoped to use today's blog to share [...]
April 05, 2012
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11:44 PM | Top 20 Things I'll Miss When I'm on Mars
I was going to wait to write this post until after the applicant advancement announcement, but I'm just so excited that just maybe news will arrive today instead of tomorrow (or worse, Saturday).Four months spent 'on Mars' is a quick trip compared to the complete 2-year journey that would be required of astronauts heading to the Red Planet. However, I'm sure that the 6 selected participants will feel the strain of such a lifestyle every so often. Before deciding to apply, I asked myself if [...]
