To-do list for 2010: - Compute likelihood gravitational quantum tunneling from Earth to Jupiter- Check whether I am safe, or need to gain weight. Cartoon by xkcd. Happy new year!

Photo: Bente Lilja ByeChristmas at Fishermans Wharf, San Francisco. The American Geophysical Union is said to be the world's largest gathering of geoscientists. Remember that planet Earth is exactly…

"Physicists who want to protect traditional Christmas realize that the only way to keep from changing Christmas is not to observe it."

Tuesday began as a day like any other.   Rolled out of bed at 10AM, read some awesome science  blogging (here, where else?) over coffee, then went to the office where I was looking forward…

Who is the president of physics? Hawking, maybe? "I mean, what's more likely -- that I have uncovered fundamental flaws in this field that no one in it has ever thought about, or that I need to read…

One of the beauties of spiral galaxies is bursts of blue-and-red hydrogen light from newly-born clusters of stars.  In the 19th century a poetically similar outburst of creativity occurred in…

In honor of the 150th anniversary of the publication of the Origin of Species, The Star has decided to trash Darwin. No, they're not going creationist on us, but Stephen Marche argues that Genesis…

I know Thanksgiving is tomorrow but I'm getting a head start, in anticipation of the food coma I assume I will be in tomorrow. In no particular order, I am thankful for: 1. Jessica Hagy, at Indexed…

Hat tip to Apokalips.

To non coders, a computer program seems almost like a work of magic: somehow, a collection of simple words - like DO WHEN CASE FOR UNTIL CONTINUE - in a computer file can be "run" and will do stuff.…