D is for Drake Equation

The Drake Equation is well known to most who wonder about the possibility of intelligent life existing elsewhere in the universe.  Personally, I have no doubt intelligent life exists somewhere in the universe.  The only question is, how common is it? 

The Drake Equation is meant to estimate how many intelligent civilizations may exist in our galaxy that have the technological capability to communicate with us.

Background Image courtesy of tungphoto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This video gives a good background of the equation and looks at a couple of the estimates that have been made using the equation.

C is for Constellations

Throughout human history, we've looked up at the night sky in awe.  Before we had science to explain the things we saw, each culture made up it's own stories about the pictures it saw in the sky.  These stories say a lot about the groups that made them.  Though we know now that the constellations are not actual groupings of stars, but rather appear that way from our perspective, they are still a part of who we are.  We grow up looking at them.  For many, they are our first exposure to the wonders of the cosmos.

Sometimes I find myself wondering about a hypothetical alien race and what they see in the unique images they would see in their own night sky.

B is for Big Bang

First of all, I thought I'd share a little fun.  Here's a link to the full theme song from the show The Big Bang Theory.  I highly recommend you take the time to listen to the whole thing if you haven't heard it.

Most people know that the Big Bang is the most popular scientific theory regarding the beginnings of our universe.  Here's a brief summary of how we made it from the moments immediately following the Big Bang to today.  Science is learning more every day, so no summary will ever offer a full picture, but this is still a good overview.

Once you posit that the universe started with the Big Bang, the question naturally becomes "What caused the Big Bang?"  This next video looks at why we ask that question and how we try to answer it.

For anyone who wants to know even more and has a little more than an hour to dedicate to it, here's a link to a lecture given by Andrew Lange at UC Berkeley.  There's a lot more detail here and is, in my opinion, relatively accessible for those who don't have a much of a background in science.

A is for the Andromeda Galaxy

First of all, since the first letter of the alphabet is A, I'd like to give a shout out to Arlee Bird, the creator of the A-Z Challenge.  If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be here for this.  Thank you!

The Andromeda Galaxy, or M31, is our cosmic neighbor.  As such, it intrigues us with its beauty. We study it in our quest to deepen our understanding of the cosmos.  One day, it will collide with our own Milky Way Galaxy and create something new.  For me, this only adds to its allure.

Photo: Chris Lasley
Flickr

Here's a fun video tour of the stunning Andromeda Galaxy.

A Star Wars Conspiracy

This video contains some thought provoking evidence that might make you think differently about Star Wars!  It's great fun!

An Interview With Neil deGrasse Tyson

I love interviews with Neil deGrasse Tyson.  His enthusiasm is infectious.  That's why I wanted to share this interview with all of you.  There is a total of three parts, but it's worth the time to watch.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Oreo Separator Machine

Personally, I love the whole Oreo, but I still thought this was pretty neat.  David Neevel definitely demonstrated determination and ingenuity when he built this.