Comments on: A computer’s spot in the Sun

By: AJ in CA

AJ in CA — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 19:46:02 +0000

@#17 Evan: (Re compiz background) Hah! I was just thinking that myself It’s so hard to find a good skydome panorama…

By: Interesting Stuff: Early July 2009 « The Outer Hoard

Interesting Stuff: Early July 2009 « The Outer Hoard — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:56:35 +0000

[...] Simulating sunspots. [...]

By: Al

Al — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 12:28:11 +0000

Phil, Did you know you got printed in New Scientist 27th June

By: Michael Kingsford Gray

Michael Kingsford Gray — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:12:05 +0000

This post got a mention in the 27 June edition of New Scientist magazine.
(Page 10, “SOUNDBITES”):

“It’s gorgeous! And it’s not even real!”
Blogger Phil Plait gets excited about the first 3D computer-generated image of a sunspot’s magnetic field.

By: Damon

Damon — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:55:24 +0000

You were doing fine until you blew it at the end of the article with your arrogant “UFOs and 9/11″ comment. Way to show your true colors. Completely disavowed everything preceding it as questionable and dubious.

Your elitism towards people with imagination and ideas is staggering. UFO and 9/11 Conspiracy Theorists (which have nothing in common) are actually skeptics themselves– skeptics of the status quo.

Learn to write objectively next time.

By: Sean

Sean — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:32:23 +0000

It’s as if the sun has a giant blackhead on its face

By: Phil Plait

Phil Plait — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:10:35 +0000

coolstar (#45) if I may be so bold: what’s your problem? I talk at length about the modeling of this spot, yet you seem to think my main point is how pretty it is. You come here and dog me, insult me in several posts, and every time it’s not only uncalled for, but blatantly wrong.

So again: what’s your problem?

By: Big Al

Big Al — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:23:21 +0000

csrster, thank you.

By: Old Muley

Old Muley — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:45:47 +0000

And just as amazing is the computer itself that did this work: NCAR’s Bluefire, which can perform 76 trillion calculations per second.
I’m glad they didn’t name it Skynet.

And I’m glad they didn’t call it NASCAR either…

By: Stone Age Scientist

Stone Age Scientist — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:54:08 +0000

Cindy @ #26, you are a mind-saver.

By: Mancha solar gerada por computador | Espaçonauta - O espaço visto de perto

Mancha solar gerada por computador | Espaçonauta - O espaço visto de perto — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:41:12 +0000

[...] Fonte: Discover Magazine [...]

By: Utakata

Utakata — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:10:57 +0000

Same here, GAry 7…it was the 90′s in big wharehouses full of speakers, pounding 4 for the floor from dusk till noon. Acid didn’t want me to stop dancing. Neither did the visuals…

…odd that I became a full fledge otaku a decade later though. It’s where I got my handle.

But back to the topic though…the images above remind me, just as with religion, that science is always 1000 ly’s ahead or more of anything that any “trip” can produce.

By: Petrolonfire

Petrolonfire — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:43:54 +0000

You might want to look into a new line of work, like UFOs, or 9/11 theories.

Those are job options? HotDurnit! Where do I apply?

“Iron Sun” theory – wouldn’t an iron sun be a pulsar?

Suppose it’d have a very flat surface from being all ironed out?

But would it end up rusting if too many comets hit it?

And did you hear about the “wooden Sun” theory?

…..

……..

It ‘woulden’ work!

By: The Fine Art of Eccentricity · World record skinny dip coming up in July

The Fine Art of Eccentricity · World record skinny dip coming up in July — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:38:50 +0000

[...] computer’s spot in the Sun. <- cool, nerdy [...]

By: csrster

csrster — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:39:26 +0000

Al, I answered your question in another thread:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/01/14/the-sun-kick-starts-its-cycle-once-again/

By: Nik

Nik — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:33:38 +0000

Re Skynet, of course we in Britain have had one for years. Ironically Skynet is the name of one of our military satcoms networks. Despite our substantial history of failed attempts at world domination I can assure you it has nothing to do with genocidal robots and plans to destroy humanity

By: Gavin Flower

Gavin Flower — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 04:17:43 +0000

Davidlpf

I was 10 years old in November 1960 – of course I remember the sixties…

By: Big Al

Big Al — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:59:14 +0000

How do scientists determine the magnetic polarization af a given sunspot? I keep reading about the sunspots of each cycle being reversed from the previous cycle, but nowhere have I seen an explanation of how it’s observed or measured. Could someone provide a short answer or a link to an explanation? Thanks.

By: Gary Ansorge

Gary Ansorge — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:38:20 +0000

Davidlpf:

It’s not the ’60s I have trouble recalling, it’s the ’90s,,,Which is when/where/how I got my nick name.

GAry 7

By: coolstar

coolstar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:12:14 +0000

The point here, which Phil EVENTUALLY gets to, is not that the image is beautiful (real sunspot images are often more so, and any good fractal artist can produce an image as cool), it is that the image is the RESULT of physically realistic, fiendishly difficult (Phil got that right) simulations.

By: Mig

Mig — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:41:38 +0000

Wow! @Utakata, I have got to start taking drugs. If that animation can fascinate me so, can pull me in so deeply, straight– how much more so, twisted? Just beautiful. Thanks, Phil!

(Ah, screw the drugs. Back to the pretty pictures!)

By: Davidlpf

Davidlpf — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:25:49 +0000

If you can remember the sixties, you weren’t there.

By: Gary Ansorge

Gary Ansorge — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:40:04 +0000

40. Utakata

,,,flash back to the,,,what was that decade again???

Gary 7

By: SteveG

SteveG — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:50:58 +0000

I downloaded the mpg file (save target as) and played on Media Player using Slow speed and Repeat (looping it).

(I may have zoned out for a while watching it…)

Very cool.

By: Utakata

Utakata — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:45:46 +0000

Sorry, I know this isn’t the most scientific observation, but…

…anyone else reliving their acid trips by looking at those?

O.o