Comments on: Carolyn Porco talks TED http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:45:12 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Carolyn Porco http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/comment-page-1/#comment-50999 Carolyn Porco Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:45:26 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/#comment-50999 No chance that Saturn could become a star (which means, of course, become so dense and hot in its interior that it turns hydrogen into helium.) Not even Jupiter -- denser, somewhat bigger than Saturn -- could become a star. So, don't worry about this one! Now, whether or not a small asteroid could hit the Earth and ruin the day of a few hundreds of millions of people and maybe more...well, that's another question. No chance that Saturn could become a star (which means, of course, become so dense and hot in its interior that it turns hydrogen into helium.) Not even Jupiter — denser, somewhat bigger than Saturn — could become a star. So, don’t worry about this one! Now, whether or not a small asteroid could hit the Earth and ruin the day of a few hundreds of millions of people and maybe more…well, that’s another question.

]]> By: Jason Ryan http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/comment-page-1/#comment-50998 Jason Ryan Sun, 13 Jan 2008 21:23:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/#comment-50998 Dr. Porco you are a very good public speaker and I enjoyed your TED presentation. I have what may seem like a silly question, but, I was wondering if there is any possibility of saturn becoming a star? I have heard a number of theories on this topic and it is quite a prominent topic in science fiction. Would such an occurence, if it were even a remote possibility, cause any harm to our planet? Would it alter the atmosphere of it's moons or simply destroy them? Good luck to you and your team mates in the future. Dr. Porco you are a very good public speaker and I enjoyed your TED presentation. I have what may seem like a silly question, but, I was wondering if there is any possibility of saturn becoming a star? I have heard a number of theories on this topic and it is quite a prominent topic in science fiction. Would such an occurence, if it were even a remote possibility, cause any harm to our planet? Would it alter the atmosphere of it’s moons or simply destroy them? Good luck to you and your team mates in the future.

]]> By: Stephen van Vuuren http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/comment-page-1/#comment-50997 Stephen van Vuuren Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:46:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/#comment-50997 I'm the IMAX filmmaker in question and was directed to this post. I find unfortunate the Dr. Porco (who is a compelling and passionate speaker about Cassini) does not see the value of working together (even if it's just an endorsement) with everyone working to try to bring Cassini-Huygens to the public. We are not competing with each other, we are competing with all the junk and fluff in the media that stacks the deck against any Saturn news making more than a ripple. I have addressed the issues raised here in my blog and proposed a solution - a Saturn Cassini-Huygens conference bringing together the scientists and engineers in the same room with the writers, artists, filmmakers, imagers, amateur astronomers and others passionate about this amazing mission. Surely, face to face, we can work this all out since we all want the same thing. stephen v2 http://outsideinthemovie.com/blog/?p=67 I’m the IMAX filmmaker in question and was directed to this post. I find unfortunate the Dr. Porco (who is a compelling and passionate speaker about Cassini) does not see the value of working together (even if it’s just an endorsement) with everyone working to try to bring Cassini-Huygens to the public. We are not competing with each other, we are competing with all the junk and fluff in the media that stacks the deck against any Saturn news making more than a ripple.

I have addressed the issues raised here in my blog and proposed a solution – a Saturn Cassini-Huygens conference bringing together the scientists and engineers in the same room with the writers, artists, filmmakers, imagers, amateur astronomers and others passionate about this amazing mission. Surely, face to face, we can work this all out since we all want the same thing.

stephen v2

http://outsideinthemovie.com/blog/?p=67

]]> By: IMAX in a Basement » The Ugly Side of Everything (and proposal for a Saturn conference) http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/comment-page-1/#comment-50996 IMAX in a Basement » The Ugly Side of Everything (and proposal for a Saturn conference) Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:37:20 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/#comment-50996 [...] over at the Bad Astronomy blog, the issue has been discussed and “Outside In” named. Dr. Porco responds to the criticisms and there are links there [...] [...] over at the Bad Astronomy blog, the issue has been discussed and “Outside In” named. Dr. Porco responds to the criticisms and there are links there [...]

]]> By: Robert Madewell http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/comment-page-1/#comment-50995 Robert Madewell Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:07:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/#comment-50995 www.ted.com is great. The other talks are great too. There is a guy who explores deep caverns who proposed sending a probe to Europa and to sending miners to the moon. Great talk too! http://www.ted.com is great. The other talks are great too. There is a guy who explores deep caverns who proposed sending a probe to Europa and to sending miners to the moon. Great talk too!

]]> By: Carolyn Porco http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/comment-page-1/#comment-50994 Carolyn Porco Sun, 07 Oct 2007 18:17:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/#comment-50994 Thanks, Cope. While I may not be able to speak to your students, Why don't you do the next best thing, and have them make a habit of visiting the CICLOPS website, where we post new images every day from Cassini? There -- http://ciclops.org -- they can find a new image every day, and also sign up for my announcements of our latest results or even sign up to be members of the CICLOPS Alliance (both on the right hand side of the home page). Speaking of announcements, we have three releases coming out in the next week and a half. So, have them sign up soon, and visit our site sometime tomorrow when the show begins! Thanks, Cope. While I may not be able to speak to your students, Why don’t you do the next best thing, and have them make a habit of visiting the CICLOPS website, where we post new images every day from Cassini? There — http://ciclops.org — they can find a new image every day, and also sign up for my announcements of our latest results or even sign up to be members of the CICLOPS Alliance (both on the right hand side of the home page).

Speaking of announcements, we have three releases coming out in the next week and a half. So, have them sign up soon, and visit our site sometime tomorrow when the show begins!

]]> By: cope http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/comment-page-1/#comment-50993 cope Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:46:50 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2007/10/04/carolyn-porco-talks-ted/#comment-50993 Thanks for the post, Phil. Carolyn Porco is one of my favorite "science geek talking heads". She is absolutely radiant when she speaks about scientific discovery. I teach high school science and am constantly trying to instill the sense of wonder and joy about scientific discovery that she projects so effortlessly. This has always been my main message to my students: it isn't the "stuff" I am trying to teach, it is the joy of the process of finding out. Whatever the other issues might be, I just don't care. What she does put forth publicly is enormously positive in terms of the advancement of science knowledge in general and the ability of women to make (and be recognized for) enormous contributions in particular. I would love for her to come speak to my earth/space science students. Keep it up. Thanks for the post, Phil. Carolyn Porco is one of my favorite “science geek talking heads”. She is absolutely radiant when she speaks about scientific discovery.

I teach high school science and am constantly trying to instill the sense of wonder and joy about scientific discovery that she projects so effortlessly. This has always been my main message to my students: it isn’t the “stuff” I am trying to teach, it is the joy of the process of finding out.

Whatever the other issues might be, I just don’t care. What she does put forth publicly is enormously positive in terms of the advancement of science knowledge in general and the ability of women to make (and be recognized for) enormous contributions in particular. I would love for her to come speak to my earth/space science students.

Keep it up.

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