The trinity of science - Feynman, Sagan and Dawkins (or, CJ tries magnet links)

There are many good books out there, and generally prefer the non-fiction ones. When it comes to cool science books, many of you will have enjoyed Hawking, Bryson, Sacks and Hofstadter, but a while back I discovered these old heroes of science, like Richard Feynman, Carl Sagan and still alive, but relevant anyway, Richard Dawkins.

Amazing, amusing, fascinating, you mustn't miss these books, and they're all available as audio books for your lazy leisure!:

• "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" (magnet) by Richard Feynman
• "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark" (magnet) by Carl Sagan
• "The God Delusion" (magnet) by Richard Dawkins

This may be a realization only for me, but my heroes are actually mortal... and Oliver Sacks is dreadfully old...

(image via I love charts)

See my other nerdy posts or posts regarding Carl Sagan

Symphony of Science: auto-tuned science awesomeness

Recently a silly project called Symphony of Science (youtube playlist) opened my eyes to somewhat of a lost treature. I knew my hippie friends admired Carl Sagan, but it took until now to fall in love myself.

Just check out these profound quotes. They may not mean anything to you, but to some of us it is deeply touching:

Carl Sagan:

I find it elevating and exhilarating
To discover that we live in a universe
Which permits the evolution of molecular machines
As intricate and subtle as we

Neil deGrasse Tyson:

I know that the molecules in my body are traceable
To phenomena in the cosmos
That makes me want to grab people in the street
And say, have you heard this??

"My own musical tribute to two great men of science. Carl Sagan and his cosmologist companion Stephen Hawking present: A Glorious Dawn - Cosmos remixed. Almost all samples and footage taken from Carl Sagan's Cosmos and Stephen Hawking's Universe series" :

"'We Are All Connected' was made from sampling Carl Sagan's Cosmos, The History Channel's Universe series, Richard Feynman's 1983 interviews, Neil deGrasse Tyson's cosmic sermon, and Bill Nye's Eyes of Nye Series, plus added visuals from The Elegant Universe (NOVA), Stephen Hawking's Universe, Cosmos, the Powers of 10, and more. It is a tribute to great minds of science, intended to spread scientific knowledge and philosophy through the medium of music" :

"'Our Place in the Cosmos', the third video from the Symphony of Science, was crafted using samples from Carl Sagan's Cosmos, Richard Dawkins' Genius of Charles Darwin series, Dawkins' TED Talk, Stephen Hawking's Universe series, Michio Kaku's interview on Physics and aliens, plus added visuals from Baraka, Koyaanisqatsi, History Channel's Universe series, and IMAX Cosmic Voyage. The themes present in this song are intended to explore our understanding of our origins within the universe, and to challenge the commonplace notion that humans have a superior or privleged position, both on our home planet and in the universe itself" :

"'The Unbroken Thread' is the fourth video in the Symphony of Science series, and it features David Attenborough, Jane Goodall, and Carl Sagan. The clips used in this installment come from Carl Sagan's Cosmos, David Attenborough's Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life, The Life of Mammals, The Living Planet, BBC Life, XVIVO Scientific Animations, IMAX Cosmic Voyage, Jane Goodall's TED Talk, and a clever Guiness Commercial. The themes present in The Unbroken Thread attempt to explore the wild diversity of life on our planet, the intricacy and origin of its mechanisms, and its close relation to all other life forms" :

Also, I've taken up a habit which I encourage to everyone - when you see something cool, google it a bit to follow up on it! Like I've found these awesome books and videos:

• Richard Feynman's "Fun to imagine" interviews
  
• Richard Phillips Feynman - The Last Journey Of A Genius
  
• Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (torrent download)
  
• Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" (torrent download)
  
• Carl Sagan's "Pale blue dot" (torrent download)
  
• Carl Sagan's "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark" (torrent download)
  
• Carl Sagan's "Contact" (torrent download)
  
• Bill Nye's "Eyes of Nye" (torrent download)

Solar eclipse on Friday Aug. 1st, visible from both Estonia and Sweden

On this Friday, the 1st of August 2008 (NASA page here, DN article here) there will be another total solar eclipse. This time the maximum will travel roughly over the north polar cap from Canada through Russia and down in China (narrow blue path in the illustration). The partial eclipse (start and end position marked in pink in the illustration) will sweep over large parts of Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

In Sweden the partial eclipse will start at 10:39, be at maximum 11:42 and end at 12:45 CEST (local time). Estonia is some six to ten minutes later and will be reached at 11:45, maximum at 12:50 and end two hours after the first contact at 13:45 EEST (local time).

Remember, never look straight into the sun without protection, but do enjoy this marvel of the universe!

Pink Floyd - Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun:

Little by little the night turns around
Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn
Lotuses lean on each other in yearning
Under the eaves the swallow is resting
Set the controls for the heart of the sun

Over the mountain watching the watcher
Breaking the darkness
Waking the grapevine
knowledge of love is knowledge of shadow
Love is the shadow that ripens the wine
Set the controls for the heart of the sun

Witness the man who raves at the wall
Making the shape of his question to Heaven
Whether the sun will fall in the evening
Will he remember the lesson of giving
Set the controls for the heart of the sun

(Update: We've decided to host an eclipse-watching brunch at Liisa's parents' place outside of Tartu - all friends in the area who don't have to go to work are very welcome. We're not yet sure of how to view the eclipse or if to be ambitious about the brunch, but get in touch and we're open to ideas! Also the regular road is closed, we can give you directions)

(Update 2: Sorry, I got the DST wrong, it should actually be CEST and EEST, not CET and EET, so now that's fixed)

(Update 3: Did you see the eclipse? We did at least, even if we missed the opportunity to project it or take good pictures of it. My brother took this picture through a blank compact disk:


See, we were not kidding, there really was an eclipse!)