Comments on: Carolyn Porco’s lecture http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/ 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, 13 Feb 2012 22:23:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Scott http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85177 Scott Thu, 01 May 2008 03:19:52 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85177 Another great moment was how the audience "whoooed" at the image of the eclipse of the sun by saturn and earth being the "pale blue dot" at WNW (in the pic).....we MUST continue to expand our boundaries in this solar system and beyond. Another great moment was how the audience “whoooed” at the image of the eclipse of the sun by saturn and earth being the “pale blue dot” at
WNW (in the pic)…..we MUST continue to expand our boundaries in this solar system and beyond.

]]> By: Scott http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85176 Scott Thu, 01 May 2008 03:03:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85176 Way Late, I've been working ....My bride, Lori who endures my ventures out to see the stars better yet, endures me talking about the stars; really enjoyed the presentation by Dr Porco. This is education !! Way Late, I’ve been working ….My bride, Lori who endures my ventures out to see the stars better yet, endures me talking about the stars; really enjoyed the presentation by Dr Porco. This is education !!

]]> By: Nigel Depledge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85175 Nigel Depledge Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:37:03 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85175 She named her coat?!?! I wonder how you'd get that into a casual conversation... Hi, I'm Carolyn Porco, how are you, have you met my coat? !!!! :-) She named her coat?!?!

I wonder how you’d get that into a casual conversation…

Hi, I’m Carolyn Porco, how are you, have you met my coat? !!!!
:-)

]]> By: StevoR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85174 StevoR Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:51:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85174 Wrote # Heliopogenus on 29 Apr 2008 at 2:47 pm : "Crap, here I was, ready to say Iapetus, but as usual, someone beat me to it. It’s the burdon we carry living in Hawaii. By the time our day begins, yours is at least well on the way. ... " Think that's bad? Try being from Australia .. ;-) & said # Jorge on 29 Apr 2008 at 6:44 pm : "LOL! I didn’t answer this right away because the first time I read, I misread “cat” instead of “coat”. ... " Oddly enough, that was exactly what I first thought too .. Then when I checked and found coat again itmade me wonder : Who the blazes names their coats? Naming cats OTOH make sense... I so agree with you on the need for a 'preview' or better yet editing ability here too. :-) Wrote # Heliopogenus on 29 Apr 2008 at 2:47 pm :

“Crap, here I was, ready to say Iapetus, but as usual, someone beat me to it. It’s the burdon we carry living in Hawaii. By the time our day begins, yours is at least well on the way. … ”

Think that’s bad? Try being from Australia .. ;-)

& said # Jorge on 29 Apr 2008 at 6:44 pm :

“LOL! I didn’t answer this right away because the first time I read, I misread “cat” instead of “coat”. … ”

Oddly enough, that was exactly what I first thought too .. Then when I checked and found coat again itmade me wonder : Who the blazes names their coats? Naming cats OTOH make sense…

I so agree with you on the need for a ‘preview’ or better yet editing ability here too. :-)

]]> By: Jorge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85149 Jorge Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:48:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85149 This blog's comment system really, <i>really</i>, REALLY needs a "preview" button! :/ That was supposed to be "thought" up there. This blog’s comment system really, really, REALLY needs a “preview” button! :/

That was supposed to be “thought” up there.

]]> By: Jorge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85148 Jorge Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:44:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85148 LOL! I didn't answer this right away because the first time I read, I misread "cat" instead of "coat". Why is this dude asking us about the lady's cat?, I though, vaguely annoyed. There must be a pareido-something word to designate this one... :D LOL! I didn’t answer this right away because the first time I read, I misread “cat” instead of “coat”. Why is this dude asking us about the lady’s cat?, I though, vaguely annoyed.

There must be a pareido-something word to designate this one… :D

]]> By: Jack Hagerty http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85150 Jack Hagerty Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:49:13 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85150 The Bad Astronomer says: "Yup, it’s Iapetus." And just how do you pronounce that again? - Jack The Bad Astronomer says: “Yup, it’s Iapetus.”

And just how do you pronounce that again?

- Jack

]]> By: Jack Hagerty http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85151 Jack Hagerty Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:48:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85151 Bean Counter says: "It is a perfectly cromulent word." Hey, I grok. - Jack Bean Counter says: “It is a perfectly cromulent word.”

Hey, I grok.

- Jack

]]> By: Heliopogenus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85173 Heliopogenus Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:47:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85173 Crap, here I was, ready to say Iapetus, but as usual, someone beat me to it. It's the burdon we carry living in Hawaii. By the time our day begins, yours is at least well on the way. Enjoy the freakin gold star. In all seriousness though, I had a jacket like that as well, but it involved some bleach and inept laundering on my part. Crap, here I was, ready to say Iapetus, but as usual, someone beat me to it. It’s the burdon we carry living in Hawaii. By the time our day begins, yours is at least well on the way. Enjoy the freakin gold star. In all seriousness though, I had a jacket like that as well, but it involved some bleach and inept laundering on my part.

]]> By: Kol http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85172 Kol Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:11:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85172 My sin here is Envy. What's cool is that I have Pride. I'm proud of Carolyn and her accomplishments. It's no small feat to be an ambassador for one of Earth's most proficient robots! Our eyes have opened wider in every sense of the term. My sin here is Envy.

What’s cool is that I have Pride.

I’m proud of Carolyn and her accomplishments. It’s no small feat to be an ambassador for one of Earth’s most proficient robots!

Our eyes have opened wider in every sense of the term.

]]> By: João http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85171 João Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:23:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85171 hale_bopp, May I say that I hate you? Thanks! João (not true. It's just pure envy...) hale_bopp,

May I say that I hate you?
Thanks!
João

(not true. It’s just pure envy…)

]]> By: Ed_CO http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85170 Ed_CO Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:05:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85170 That was a fantastic talk. The images are fantastic. Having Carolyn explain it all, not only the science behind it, but the emotions behind it, just made Saturn and space exploration more personal. I could hear the emotion in her voice when she talked about the Huygens probe landing on Titan, and the hydrocarbons discovered in the plumes of Enceladeus. Liquid methane seas, and liquid water geysers! The ingredients for life! This is why we should be exploring space. This is why the NASA budget shouldn't be cut, but should in fact be doubled. Don't people want to put a Spirit or Opportunity on Titan, and Enceladeus and Europa and Iapetus, and all the other interesting bodies out there to find out how we came to be here? This should be on the TV screens of all americans, not just those interested in science. Take off the images of the stars like Paris and Lindsay and put on the real stars. This talk should be given to every single high school in Boulder, and then up in my neck of the woods, every single high school in Fort Collins! That was a fantastic talk. The images are fantastic. Having Carolyn explain it all, not only the science behind it, but the emotions behind it, just made Saturn and space exploration more personal. I could hear the emotion in her voice when she talked about the Huygens probe landing on Titan, and the hydrocarbons discovered in the plumes of Enceladeus. Liquid methane seas, and liquid water geysers! The ingredients for life! This is why we should be exploring space. This is why the NASA budget shouldn’t be cut, but should in fact be doubled. Don’t people want to put a Spirit or Opportunity on Titan, and Enceladeus and Europa and Iapetus, and all the other interesting bodies out there to find out how we came to be here?

This should be on the TV screens of all americans, not just those interested in science. Take off the images of the stars like Paris and Lindsay and put on the real stars.

This talk should be given to every single high school in Boulder, and then up in my neck of the woods, every single high school in Fort Collins!

]]> By: hale_bopp http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85169 hale_bopp Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:55:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85169 I saw her talk last year at Spacefest. The eclipse picture got an audible gasp from the audience when it was shown and a round of applause...you don't hear that for pictures very often! I also got a picture of myself, Phil, Carolyn, and Andy Chaiken that evening (with Phil caught in a rare moment of wearing a tie!) I saw her talk last year at Spacefest. The eclipse picture got an audible gasp from the audience when it was shown and a round of applause…you don’t hear that for pictures very often!

I also got a picture of myself, Phil, Carolyn, and Andy Chaiken that evening (with Phil caught in a rare moment of wearing a tie!)

]]> By: Kyle http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85168 Kyle Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:41:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85168 SO what did Canis Major and Canis Minor think about the talk;-) You did say the "whole" family after all. SO what did Canis Major and Canis Minor think about the talk;-)

You did say the “whole” family after all.

]]> By: Bean Counter http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85167 Bean Counter Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:16:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85167 Ken B, It is a perfectly cromulent word. Ken B,

It is a perfectly cromulent word.

]]> By: Ken B http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85166 Ken B Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:41:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85166 So, now it's "enlargify"? I guess too many people called you out on "embiggen" not being a "real word"? :-) So, now it’s “enlargify”? I guess too many people called you out on “embiggen” not being a “real word”? :-)

]]> By: João http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85165 João Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:03:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85165 Carolyn Porco is a wonderful and inspiring speaker. Check out her last year talk at TED: <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/178" rel="nofollow"> Carolyn at TED</a> This is the summary of her talk at TED: "Planetary scientist Carolyn Porco says, "I'm going to take you on a journey." And does she ever. Showing breathtaking images from the Cassini voyage to Saturn, she focuses on Saturn's intriguing largest moon, Titan,with deserts, mudflats and puzzling lakes, and on frozen Enceladus, which seems to shoot jets of ice." Carolyn Porco is a wonderful and inspiring speaker. Check out her last year talk at TED:
Carolyn at TED

This is the summary of her talk at TED:
“Planetary scientist Carolyn Porco says, “I’m going to take you on a journey.” And does she ever. Showing breathtaking images from the Cassini voyage to Saturn, she focuses on Saturn’s intriguing largest moon, Titan,with deserts, mudflats and puzzling lakes, and on frozen Enceladus, which seems to shoot jets of ice.”

]]> By: VesperDEM http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85164 VesperDEM Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:39:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85164 It's kind of funny, I have been watching the series "The Universe" these days, and now, I feel folks like Carolyn Porco are celebrities, like movie stars. The show has been portraying these scientists has very personable people. You know what I mean. I have always thought of scientists like astronomers as being unapproachable. I don't really know why. But with "The Universe", I get the feeling that if I were to see one on the streets and I walked up to one and asked a question, I wouldn't get snubbed. Of course, I'm saying this on a blog of one of these such scientists. :) It’s kind of funny, I have been watching the series “The Universe” these days, and now, I feel folks like Carolyn Porco are celebrities, like movie stars.

The show has been portraying these scientists has very personable people. You know what I mean. I have always thought of scientists like astronomers as being unapproachable. I don’t really know why. But with “The Universe”, I get the feeling that if I were to see one on the streets and I walked up to one and asked a question, I wouldn’t get snubbed.

Of course, I’m saying this on a blog of one of these such scientists. :)

]]> By: StevoR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85163 StevoR Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:54:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85163 The BA confirmed : "Yup, it’s Iapetus. It has weird dalmation-like spotting on it:" Hmmm ... I'd have guessed Hyperion, for texture (soft coat -soft highly porous moon) & for irregular shape & the dark-floored craters = dark spots theory... ;-) & can Isay again : She named her *Coat*??? What the ... ! The BA confirmed :

“Yup, it’s Iapetus. It has weird dalmation-like spotting on it:”

Hmmm … I’d have guessed Hyperion, for texture (soft coat -soft highly porous moon) & for irregular shape & the dark-floored craters = dark spots theory… ;-)

& can Isay again : She named her *Coat*??? What the … !

]]> By: StevoR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85162 StevoR Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:49:55 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85162 She names her *COAT* !!!? O-ooo-kkk-aa-aaay ... (But feel sure it was a great talk anyway! ;-) ) Incidentally, that's my all-time fave astronomy image - Saturn back-lit by our Sun with its superluminous* rings in their full glory and Earth as apinpointof light. 8) ------------ * Superluminous ie. beyond the merely 'brilliant' as a superlative. She names her *COAT* !!!?

O-ooo-kkk-aa-aaay …

(But feel sure it was a great talk anyway! ;-) )

Incidentally, that’s my all-time fave astronomy image – Saturn back-lit by our Sun with its superluminous* rings in their full glory and Earth as apinpointof light. 8)
————
* Superluminous ie. beyond the merely ‘brilliant’ as a superlative.

]]> By: Nails67 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85161 Nails67 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:33:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85161 That should be "It" was a truly inspiring speech. :) That should be “It” was a truly inspiring speech. :)

]]> By: Nails67 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85160 Nails67 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:32:34 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85160 Grrrr. I've been wanting to get you to sign my copy of Bad Astronomy. If I'd know you were going to be there, I would have been an annoying fan found you (though I should have guessed). I was a truly inspiring speech, and my whole family loved it, too. It was also neat that Saturn is so prominent in the sky right now, so that we could walk out of UMC and look up, and see the tiny dot that is the source of all of the wonder we had just seen. Grrrr. I’ve been wanting to get you to sign my copy of Bad Astronomy. If I’d know you were going to be there, I would have been an annoying fan found you (though I should have guessed). I was a truly inspiring speech, and my whole family loved it, too. It was also neat that Saturn is so prominent in the sky right now, so that we could walk out of UMC and look up, and see the tiny dot that is the source of all of the wonder we had just seen.

]]> By: JB of Brisbane http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85159 JB of Brisbane Tue, 29 Apr 2008 05:21:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85159 What about that ghost in the foreground of the second shot? ;-) What about that ghost in the foreground of the second shot? ;-)

]]> By: baryogenesis http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85158 baryogenesis Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:36:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85158 I saw her a few years ago and it was certainly inspiring. Checking in on the Cassini photo sites occasionally for an update is often jaw-dropping. There's a clip of her speaking at Beyond Belief 2006: http://thesciencenetwork.org/BeyondBelief/ I saw her a few years ago and it was certainly inspiring. Checking in on the Cassini photo sites occasionally for an update is often jaw-dropping. There’s a clip of her speaking at Beyond Belief 2006: http://thesciencenetwork.org/BeyondBelief/

]]> By: The Bad Astronomer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/comment-page-1/#comment-85157 The Bad Astronomer Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:35:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/04/28/carolyn-porcos-lecture/#comment-85157 Yup, it's Iapetus. It has weird dalmation-like spotting on it: http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/I/Iapetus.html Yup, it’s Iapetus. It has weird dalmation-like spotting on it: http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/I/Iapetus.html

]]>