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Whats Got You Excited?


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Well, for me I have always been intrigued by the space program. Grew up watching the Gemini and Apollo flights. When Apollo 11 landed on the moon it was the first time I got to stay up past 9 pm (and that was when we were out of school!). I remember my father wanted to see the moon landing in color, so he went and bought a color TV set. Much to his chagrin the first moon landing was in black and white! I grew up making model rockets and airplanes. Always felt a connection to things that fly. Even when I went into EMS as a career, still kept an eye on the space age and what NASA was doing. Still kept making model rockets and planes.

 

The past few years have been difficult as it seems we really weren't doing anything in space. We had some probes sending back magnificent pictures and tons of data, but they had been sent on their way years earlier. Nothing seemed to be going right, and NASA had turned into a huge bureaucracy, politics seemed to be infecting every aspect of the agency.

 

Now there is SpaceX and the work those folks are doing. The spirit and excitement I once felt back in the 60s and 70s seems to be alive in these folks. The recent launch of the Falcon Heavy, with the two boosters landing side-by-side is something you only use to read about in SciFi novels. But these folks are making it happen.

 

I still feel disheartened when I look over at NASA today. Politics has really seemed to suck the life out of the agency. Perhaps their best days are behind them - but I hope not. But I am excited to see SpaceX and New Horizons working on the cutting edge. And that may be a very good thing.

 

That's my take...

Next! sm-ufo

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Well, for me I have always been intrigued by the space program. Grew up watching the Gemini and Apollo flights. When Apollo 11 landed on the moon it was the first time I got to stay up past 9 pm (and that was when we were out of school!). I remember my father wanted to see the moon landing in color, so he went and bought a color TV set. Much to his chagrin the first moon landing was in black and white! I grew up making model rockets and airplanes. Always felt a connection to things that fly. Even when I went into EMS as a career, still kept an eye on the space age and what NASA was doing. Still kept making model rockets and planes.

 

The past few years have been difficult as it seems we really weren't doing anything in space. We had some probes sending back magnificent pictures and tons of data, but they had been sent on their way years earlier. Nothing seemed to be going right, and NASA had turned into a huge bureaucracy, politics seemed to be infecting every aspect of the agency.

 

Now there is SpaceX and the work those folks are doing. The spirit and excitement I once felt back in the 60s and 70s seems to be alive in these folks. The recent launch of the Falcon Heavy, with the two boosters landing side-by-side is something you only use to read about in SciFi novels. But these folks are making it happen.

 

I still feel disheartened when I look over at NASA today. Politics has really seemed to suck the life out of the agency. Perhaps their best days are behind them - but I hope not. But I am excited to see SpaceX and New Horizons working on the cutting edge. And that may be a very good thing.

 

That's my take...

Next! sm-ufo

 

I'm with you about space exploration. And progress in other areas of science are terrifically exciting. Of course, a lot of popular science writing is rather shallow and trendy, but there are all sorts of fields in which amazing things are afoot. I'm a big fan of the podcasts Science Friday and Radiolab.

 

Government seems to have rather lost it's way as a guiding force for progress to a great extent. Private initiatives are great, but almost always are subsumed eventually to the profit motive. Maybe some new way of funding and supporting science and exploration will emerge that can enable the freedom of the human mind to discover and explore without being so bogged down in political and business concerns. I'm pretty happy being an eternal optimist and impractical idealist :)

 

nat

 

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I'm with you about space exploration. And progress in other areas of science are terrifically exciting. Of course, a lot of popular science writing is rather shallow and trendy, but there are all sorts of fields in which amazing things are afoot. I'm a big fan of the podcasts Science Friday and Radiolab.

 

There is some good SciFi still being produced out there. I still read Analog SciFi and Sci Fact mag (had to get a subscription as the only book store in town selling magazines shut down). Good stuff in there most every issue.

 

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I don't know if excited is the right word, but this had me pretty intrigued today:

 

 

 

It's about the relationship of consciousness to quantum field theory.

There is a definite link: Some things in quantum physics only occur if observed.

I considered it an hour very well spent.

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Umm, how can I put this in a family forum....

 

Music is the most excitement I can have with my clothes on but ... ... ... ... ... ... is even better ;) (now that's excitement)

 

Travel to places I've never been before and wildlife photography pale in comparison to the two above, but I still like them very, very, very much.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

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Music is such a huge part of my life, but following the OP's instructions / wishes and leaving that aside... :)

 

 

Astronomy. I spend as many clear and moonless evenings as I can observing the heavens with my telescopes. I get to see stuff like this...

 

 

Messier 17 - The Swan / Lobster / Omega nebula in Sagittarius

 

[ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32188232}[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

 

Messier 22 - an elliptical globular cluster in Sagittarius

 

[ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32188234}[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

Messier 27 - also known as the Dumbbell nebula - a planetary nebula in Vulpecula

 

[ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","data-attachmentid":32188236}[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

 

Barnard 33 - also known as the Horsehead nebula - a dark nebula in Orion

 

[ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","title":"Horsehead Nebula Stack_50frames_44s copy.jpg","data-attachmentid":32188237}[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

 

All of those are screen shots from EAA (electronically assisted astronomy) observations that were done in near real time using my telescopes, a CMOS camera and a laptop, and were taken from my suburban back yard.

 

 

 

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Wow, Phil, now that is exciting stuff.

 

I get excited about finding new visual artists to peruse and contemplate. My latest find is a photographer named Gregory Crewdson who creates these incredible staged tableau-like photos that are just soaked in atmosphere, suggestiveness (not the sexual kind), beauty, and ambiguity.

 

I find visual art to be very inspiring to my musical sense. The connection is not direct - I don't make soundtracks for pictures - it's just something that soaks in and stays down deep, having an incalculable but very real effect.

 

 

 

 

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Excited about arriving at Ramey Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico @ Midnight next month.

Getting my rental car, driving 25 minutes to my place in Rincón.

 

Hearing the gravel crunch of my driveway under the wheels.

Open the door and smell the tropical mustiness..flick the light switch and hopefully see nothing on the floor running for cover.

Immediately open the louvered windows and feel the fresh tropical breeze blow out the mustiness.

Open the slider to the Lanai and hear the waves lap or crash on the shoreline and the Coqui frogs with their repetitive singing.

There is guaranteed to be at least one dead Gecko on the Lanai being devoured by a swarm of Cane Ants.

I'll do a 'walk through' of the rooms to see if everything is kopecetic.

Maybe catch a few Zs until the sun comes up, then mosey out the the bakery and grab a stick of freshly made bread...gotta get there early, the locals get up real early to beat the heat.

 

Then grab a dozen fresh eggs, milk, a papaya, a six pack of Medallia beer, and a bag of Pico coffee at the small grocery store.

Make the coffee, 1/2 black coffee 1/2 scalded milk.

 

I sit on the lanai, drink the coffee, eat my egg sandwich, feeling the warm yolk run down my hand, stick my spoon into the halved papaya, and savor the sweet and perfumy pulp in my boca as the sun warms my back...

 

The perfect beginning of a perfect day on 'the corner' ( Rincón means Corner)

 

Puerto Rico me Encanta.

 

 

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I'm excited by my rapidly developing plan to stowaway in Luke's baggage... ;)

 

Phil, after I assess the huracán damage quotient ( my Father -in Law who retired to PR says it it not particularly bad, he lives in Ponce and checks on the place) and get things in order, you wouldn't have to stowaway in my luggage...

 

I will give you a heads up as to when I am there in the future...just buy a ticket, I will pick you and a guest up at Ramey or SJU airport...

Bring a hat to cover up that bald cabeza of yours, or I can hook you hook with a Jíbaro Pava ..https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pava_(Puerto_Rico)

I think you might want to hang out a bit after you get here...the food, the music, the lovely women...¡ay bendito! 😎

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I don't know if excited is the right word, but this had me pretty intrigued today:

 

 

It's about the relationship of consciousness to quantum field theory.

There is a definite link: Some things in quantum physics only occur if observed.

I considered it an hour very well spent.

 

Check out "The Divine Matrix" by Gregg Braden.

 

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