Setting aside the gas giants, there are only four bodies in our solar system that have any significant atmosphere. The planets Venus, Earth, and Mars, and the large moon Titan, of Saturn.

Setting aside the gas giants, there are only four bodies in our solar system that have any significant atmosphere. The planets Venus, Earth, and Mars, and the large moon Titan, of Saturn.

Notes: 9 5/25/12 — 8:47pm
In 1897, in a vain attempt to “square the circle” (an impossible task), the lower house of the Indiana State Legislature moved to supplant scientific truth by majority rule, passing a bill announcing that, hence forth, “the ratio of the diameter and circumference [of a circle] is as five-fourths to four” - in other words, pi is equal to exactly 3.2. Though the bill passed general assembly, it was tabled once it reached a slightly more scrupulous Senate committee.

In 1897, in a vain attempt to “square the circle” (an impossible task), the lower house of the Indiana State Legislature moved to supplant scientific truth by majority rule, passing a bill announcing that, hence forth, “the ratio of the diameter and circumference [of a circle] is as five-fourths to four” - in other words, pi is equal to exactly 3.2. Though the bill passed general assembly, it was tabled once it reached a slightly more scrupulous Senate committee.

Notes: 9 5/23/12 — 12:57am
The importance of spectral analysis in astronomy is demonstrated by the fact that the first basic forms of color photography were invented by the English astronomer and chemist John Herschel in the mid 1800s.

The importance of spectral analysis in astronomy is demonstrated by the fact that the first basic forms of color photography were invented by the English astronomer and chemist John Herschel in the mid 1800s.

Notes: 5 5/21/12 — 9:29pm
Saturn is the only planet in our solar system with an average density less than that of water. It is roughly 68.7% as dense, about the same as an apple. This means that if the entire planet were placed in a giant ocean, it would easily float to the top. The next runner up, Uranus, possesses nearly twice the density.

Saturn is the only planet in our solar system with an average density less than that of water. It is roughly 68.7% as dense, about the same as an apple. This means that if the entire planet were placed in a giant ocean, it would easily float to the top. The next runner up, Uranus, possesses nearly twice the density.

Notes: 58 5/21/12 — 12:44am
Lewis Carroll was born in Cheshire, England, an area known for many years for its great abundance of dairy farms. No one knows for sure why the Cheshire cat proverbially grins, but the feline fondness for milk might give us a hint.

Lewis Carroll was born in Cheshire, England, an area known for many years for its great abundance of dairy farms. No one knows for sure why the Cheshire cat proverbially grins, but the feline fondness for milk might give us a hint.

Notes: 10 5/19/12 — 8:16pm
Though plasma is extremely rare on Earth, it makes up more than 99.99% of the visible matter in the Universe.

Though plasma is extremely rare on Earth, it makes up more than 99.99% of the visible matter in the Universe.

Notes: 17 5/19/12 — 6:09pm
If you were to jump into a hole dug straight through the Earth, ignoring air resistance and the difficult issue of being vaporized half way through, the time it would take to make one complete oscillation (through to the other side and back again) would be about the same time it takes to make one complete low Earth orbit, about 90 minutes. The reason for this is simple - a low Earth orbit is exactly what you’d have just undergone.

If you were to jump into a hole dug straight through the Earth, ignoring air resistance and the difficult issue of being vaporized half way through, the time it would take to make one complete oscillation (through to the other side and back again) would be about the same time it takes to make one complete low Earth orbit, about 90 minutes. The reason for this is simple - a low Earth orbit is exactly what you’d have just undergone.

Notes: 9 5/18/12 — 8:44pm
Contrary to popular belief, digging straight down through anywhere in the continental United States does not result in an emergence in China. Far from it. The other end of the hole would be at the bottom of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Australia. However, if you were to begin digging in the small town of Shelby, Montana, perfectly straight, you would emerge through the isolated Kerguelen Islands, about 2000 miles southeast of Madagascar, 1300 miles north of Antarctica. If excavation took place at a speedy rate of 10 meters per day, you’d be there in about 3500 years.

Contrary to popular belief, digging straight down through anywhere in the continental United States does not result in an emergence in China. Far from it. The other end of the hole would be at the bottom of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Australia. However, if you were to begin digging in the small town of Shelby, Montana, perfectly straight, you would emerge through the isolated Kerguelen Islands, about 2000 miles southeast of Madagascar, 1300 miles north of Antarctica. If excavation took place at a speedy rate of 10 meters per day, you’d be there in about 3500 years.

Notes: 6 5/17/12 — 4:53pm
Uranus was almost named George. When Sir William Herschel was asked to come up with a name for his newly discovered planet in 1781, he decided to call it Georgium Sidus (George’s Star) in honor of his new patron, King George III. Unsurprisingly, this idea was not popular with the international astronomical community. The German astronomer Johann Bode proposed a new name, Uranus, the Latinized version of the Greek god of the sky, Ouranos. Just as Saturn was the father of Jupiter, Bode argued, the new planet should be named after the father of Saturn. Bode’s suggestion became widely used, and King George’s Star was officially usurped in 1850.

Uranus was almost named George. When Sir William Herschel was asked to come up with a name for his newly discovered planet in 1781, he decided to call it Georgium Sidus (George’s Star) in honor of his new patron, King George III. Unsurprisingly, this idea was not popular with the international astronomical community. The German astronomer Johann Bode proposed a new name, Uranus, the Latinized version of the Greek god of the sky, Ouranos. Just as Saturn was the father of Jupiter, Bode argued, the new planet should be named after the father of Saturn. Bode’s suggestion became widely used, and King George’s Star was officially usurped in 1850.

Notes: 73 5/16/12 — 10:19pm
Orangutan means “man of the forest” in the Malay language.

Orangutan means “man of the forest” in the Malay language.

Notes: 7 5/16/12 — 7:00pm
The electromagnetic attraction between electrons and protons is so powerful, if you were able to extract every electron from a cubic millimeter of carbon and affix them to the launchpad beneath the space shuttle, the attractive force would be enough to completely inhibit liftoff. If you were to gather the electrons from a thimbleful of sand, the force of attraction would exceed the gravitational pull between the Earth and the Moon.

The electromagnetic attraction between electrons and protons is so powerful, if you were able to extract every electron from a cubic millimeter of carbon and affix them to the launchpad beneath the space shuttle, the attractive force would be enough to completely inhibit liftoff. If you were to gather the electrons from a thimbleful of sand, the force of attraction would exceed the gravitational pull between the Earth and the Moon.

Notes: 12 5/15/12 — 7:47pm
Osmium is the heaviest natural element on Earth, with a density of 22.59 grams per square centimeter, twice that of lead. This means a piece of pure osmium the size of a gallon jug would weigh about 189 pounds (86 kg). It is also the least abundant element in Earth’s crust. You’re most likely to find it mixed with iridium or platinum (the second and third most dense natural metals) in the tip of your fountain pen.

Osmium is the heaviest natural element on Earth, with a density of 22.59 grams per square centimeter, twice that of lead. This means a piece of pure osmium the size of a gallon jug would weigh about 189 pounds (86 kg). It is also the least abundant element in Earth’s crust. You’re most likely to find it mixed with iridium or platinum (the second and third most dense natural metals) in the tip of your fountain pen.

Notes: 19 5/15/12 — 5:39pm
Though thermodynamics dictates that nothing can ever reach absolute zero, laboratory scientists have achieved temperatures below 100 picokelvin - less than 100 trillionths of a degree above absolute zero. These experiments mark the coldest temperatures ever recorded, man-made or otherwise. Recently, experiments have been proposed that would achieve femto-kelvin temperatures, just quadrillionths of a degree above absolute zero.

Though thermodynamics dictates that nothing can ever reach absolute zero, laboratory scientists have achieved temperatures below 100 picokelvin - less than 100 trillionths of a degree above absolute zero. These experiments mark the coldest temperatures ever recorded, man-made or otherwise. Recently, experiments have been proposed that would achieve femto-kelvin temperatures, just quadrillionths of a degree above absolute zero.

Notes: 103 5/14/12 — 10:41pm
At its core, our Sun has a density about 20 times that of iron, but as a whole, the Sun is about a quarter the density of Earth, and only about 1.4 times as dense as water. That means an average chunk of Sun would sink in your bathtub, but it wouldn’t sink very fast. 

At its core, our Sun has a density about 20 times that of iron, but as a whole, the Sun is about a quarter the density of Earth, and only about 1.4 times as dense as water. That means an average chunk of Sun would sink in your bathtub, but it wouldn’t sink very fast. 

Notes: 5 5/13/12 — 8:40pm
Richard Feynman was born 94 years ago today, May 11, 1918.

Richard Feynman was born 94 years ago today, May 11, 1918.

Notes: 9 5/11/12 — 7:01pm