Author Archives: astroteacher

The Immediacy of Data

Posted on May 16, 2021 by astroteacher

Scientific discoveries rarely take the fast track. The 2020 election cycle can teach us an important lesson about the nature of the scientific endeavor.  Namely, how researchers rarely have the instantaneous “aha” moment when everything becomes clear and a scientific … Continue reading →

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Infecting Students with Enthusiasm For Astrobiology

Posted on December 12, 2020 by astroteacher

The virus that causes COVID-19 offers a teachable moment for thinking beyond our earthly limits In Kim Stanley Robinson’s novel Aurora (2015, Orbit Books), a starship undertakes a multi-generation voyage to the star Tau Ceti to colonize the moon of … Continue reading →

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Looking Behind Abstractions

Posted on August 3, 2020 by astroteacher

Very large and very small numbers are abstractions.  Frequently they are useful in illuminating some natural phenomena, however many people have a difficult time comprehending such numbers.  We don’t usually deal with these sorts of numbers in our everyday lives.  … Continue reading →

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Perspective

Posted on July 24, 2020 by astroteacher

Cultural perspective governs our approach to nature As a tool for artists, perspective made its appearance consistently sometime in the early 1400s.  It was not long before both linear and aerial perspective were utilized, giving depth and dimension to the … Continue reading →

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