Milky J is back

In the next installment, Milky J, the Hubble-obsessed rapper from the Jimmy Fallon show, learns about the James Webb Space Telescope and what it can do that Hubble can't, by visiting the cleanrooms at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.  NASA was tickled to have him.  Two behind the scenes rundowns, the former with links to Milky J's other Hubble episodes.

I like the Milky J saga in part because it wasn't NASA's idea.  G(enerally anything with "NASA" and "rap" in the title will be a cringe-worthy attempt by a mission's PR department.)  But this emerged organically, and NASA is embracing it after the fact by letting them film on location.

Also, I was pleased to see two women among the NASA engineers whom Milky J meets.  It's not commented on in the piece -- they're just astrogeeks doing their job, trying to convince Milky J that JWST beats HST by spouting sensitivity limits and science cases.  But I noticed it for the following reason.

Last month, two of my colleagues visited an inner-city summer program for African-American elementary school kids.  As you would expect, the kids drowned these "real live astronomers" in questions about black holes, planets, aliens, the works.  Several of the kids were truly incredulous that women can be scientists, and blown away to meet a real-life woman scientist.  So for the sequel (they have so many more questions!) we're sending two women astronomers, one of them me. I can't wait -- I love that kind of spontaneous Q&A with kids.  (Last week at friends' house, their older kid asked me, "So, what is space inside of?"  I mean, that's GR right there.)

I would have thought that pathologists-in-labcoats TV shows would have gotten kids used to women as scientists.  But then I go to classrooms, and one of the many things that the kids are blown away by is that I'm a woman.  There's a standard classroom activity for young kids, where you ask them to draw a scientist.  Without any prompting they draw a bearded white man in a labcoat.  Which is a jumping-off point to talk about what scientists do, what clothing they wear to do science, famous women and minority scientists, etc.

High Tech Gays v. DISCO

While reading closing arguments in the federal case regarding Prop. 8, I came across a discussion by the defendents' attorney of "the High Tech Gays case".  Say what?

Google... The full case name is "High Tech Gays v. Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office".  You heard me right: "High Tech Gays v. DISCO." The case went to US District Court in 1987, which ruled homosexuals should have the same security clearance process as others. It was overturned in 1990 by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in 1990, and thankfully made irrelevant in 1995 by Executive Order of President Clinton, who barred the Federal government from denying security clearances on the basis of sexual orientation.

(Of course this is serious shit -- the gay bans on federal employees, and then on security clearances, ruined many people's lives.)

That said, "High Tech Gays v. DISCO" is the best-named court case ever, overtaking my previous favorite, Loving v. Virginia.

Life's not been the same

Comic: what we send the universe

From Astruse Goose.

DOMA

Nerdity

From "Art for nerds and nurseries" by Tiffany Ard, via BoingBoing.

For your slacking pleasure

Pay a friendly visit to President Palin's office.

Hubble Kaleidoscope finds Evidence of Space Looking All Crazy

BALTIMORE—Astronomers analyzing the first images captured by the new Hubble Space Kaleidoscope, which went online Tuesday, announced that they've acquired the first concrete evidence that the universe is in a constant state of total weirdness. [full article here.]

Thank you, The Onion, and Andy for the link.

What white people like: graduate school

Check out the entry "Graduate School", on the pseudo-anthropological
blog "Stuff White People Like". Something of a Hitchhiker's Guide style, it seems.

Excerpt: "It is important to understand that a graduate degree does not make someone smart, so do not feel intimidated.... The best thing you can do is to act impressed when a white person talks about critical theorists. This helps them reaffirm that what they learned in graduate school was important and that they are smarter than you. This makes white people easier to deal with when you get promoted ahead of them."

Thank you, icanhascheezburger

Q: Which Dyke are you?

A: The AstroDyke, of course! But also:

Which Dyke to Watch Out For Are You? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Mo You are Mo, a guilt-ridden, kindhearted liberal who doesn't relax enough. You are ordered to buy a pint of non-organic, dairy ice cream and watch Comedy Central for a week. PBS will still be there when you get back. Mo 80% Lois 60% Toni 60% Clarice 60% Stuart 55% Sydney 55% Sparrow 30%

Troll-spotting

A Field Guide, to Trolls on the Internet: part 1, and part 2. Handy! And useful outside the interwebs, too. You may meet a few in person, from time to time.

Perhaps this won't be a good day, after all

If Steinn can use an Ipod to predict the future, I can use spam. Today bodes ill:


From: massonwsvym@sabofoods.com

Good day astrodyke
get rid of that self-esteem once and for all.

Yarrr, matey

Yarr. This day, I be lashing me astrometry to the Naval standard. Yarr.

LOL Astro needs your help

The LOL meme is getting out of control, I know.

But still, maybe you should contribute an image over at LOL Astronomy.

The internet needs you.

Robot Chicken Star Wars

Bored at the telescope? Stuck at an airport with free wireless? Or just slacking at work?

Check out Robot Chicken: Star Wars.


Props to Bad Astronomy for the link.

Can Has Quik Reference?

The LOL-speak craze has gotten a bit out of hand, but this parody is still BRILLIANT.

Wifi versus Self Magazine

Does med school teach doctors to select insipid waiting room magazines? Or do they pick it up naturally? Is there a special course to help OB/Gyns select that lethal combination of Self, People, Parenting, and Real Estate Woman?

Memo to doctors: If you stock The Advocate, Lesbian News, or any other magazine that acknowledges gay people exist (and you're on my health plan), I will switch to you double-fast. If you stock Poz (a magazine about HIV+ people) or magazines featuring women of color who aren't Oprah, you win double inclusion points.

At least now, doctors offices have WiFi, so I can read the NY Times in the waiting room.

"World Ends. Merge Left."

Sunday we stumbled upon a truck lumbering along the slow lane, flags flapping, advertising the Ten Commandments. Apparently there has been far too much stealing, adultery, and graven idol-making on the freeway.

It being Sunday, the driver was violating #4 at the time.

Here's a crummy photo.

Cuz physics gals need to laugh, too

An Oldie but Goodie: "Electron Band Structure in Germanium, My Ass."

It's an exquisitely bitter lab report I find myself quoting, in the course of my scientific investigations, on a semi-weekly basis. My favorite line is "Figure 1: check this shit out."