March 2006 - UVAA - mailman.xmission.com

Frontiers of Science Lecture - University of Utah Wednesday, April 12
by Lowell Lyon 28 Mar '06

28 Mar '06

FOS--Weds, April 12Hello Everyone: Please take note of this exciting lecture on Wednesday, April 12th. Just two days later will be the lecture by Robert K. Wilson of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory cosponsored by SLAS. >From book jacket of recent book, DISCOVERING OUR EXTRAORDINARY PLACE IN THE COSMOSS "For thousands of years, humans thought of themselves as central to the universe and created symbols and myths to make sense of the world and their special place in it. When Copernicus and Galileo shattered the view of Earth as the center of the universe, we turned away from the intuitive symbols that had sustained our ancestors, and for the past four hundred years we have seen ourselves as adrift, living on an inconsequential rock in an endless expanse of space. But recent discoveries in astronomy, physics, and cosmology have uncovered an astonishing truth: Humans actually are central to the universe in profound and important ways that derive directly from science -ways that Copernicus and Galileo could never have imagined! In their strikingly original book, Joel R. Primack and Nancy Ellen Abrams argue that, for the first time in human history, a scientific theory of the universe as a whole is emerging - a theory that explains how the universe operates, what it's made of, where it came from, and how it's evolving. Drawing from the latest discoveries and ideas in astrophysics and cosmology, Primack and Abrams will show how we are indeed central to the universe and what this might mean for our culture and our personal lives. The result is revolutionary: a science-based cosmology that allows us to understand the universe as a whole and our extraordinary place in it. We are the first generation, the authors explain, capable of grasping what the nature of the universe may imply about Earth - and how this knowledge can be used to protect the long-term future of our planet. Primack is one of the world's leading cosmologists and an originator and developer of the theory of Cold Dark Matter, now accepted as the standard theory of the structure and evolution of the universe, while Abrams is a gifted writer who expresses the life-changing significance of these cosmic discoveries." This special event in Salt Lake City is part of a national book tour, and has already received critical acclaim from audiences. See http://www.viewfromthecenter.com/ for more info. Books will be sold and signed by Primack and Abrams at this event! Don't miss it! Thanks, Lowell Lyon

1 0

SLAS General Meeting Tuesday night
by Lowell Lyon 28 Mar '06

28 Mar '06

Hello everyone: Please leave yourselves plenty of time to find the Kennecott Building parking and arrive at the James C. Fletcher Building for "Physics Family Fun Night". I would like to actually start the meeting 10 minutes early at 7:20pm to allow "Mr. Wizard" alias Zigmund Peacock to have plenty of time for his science fun. Thank you and we'll see you Tuesday evening!! Lowell Lyon

1 0

SLAS Blast - Special Lecture Friday April 14th
by Lowell Lyon 21 Mar '06

21 Mar '06

Hello Everyone: Here's a little bit of extra information about the upcoming Special Lecture on Friday April 14th at 7:00PM. The presentation will be at the Aline Wilmot Skaggs Biology Building Auditorium on the University of Utah campus. This room is also used for the Frontiers of Science Lecture Series. The Aline Wilmot Skaggs Biology Building is just west of the U of U bookstore. For a map, click on http://www.map.utah.edu, click on "Buildings" and then scroll down to "Aline Wilmot Skaggs Biology......". Robert K. Wilson, Project Manager for NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena California will be the guest speaker. This event is cosponsored by the Salt Lake Astronomical Society and the University of Utah Physics Department. Talk Title: The Spitzer Space Telescope: Exploring the Infrared Universe Mr Wilson will present an overview of the Spitzer Space Telescope and its Infrared view into the Universe. Spitzer, the last of the Great Observatories and the Infrared sibling to Hubble, Chandra, and Compton was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida on 25 August, 2003. During its mission Spitzer has and will continue to explore the Infrared Universe. Spitzer has used its infrared detectors to pierce the dusty darkness enshrouding many of the universe's most fascinating objects, including brown dwarfs, planet forming debris discs around stars and distant galaxies billions of light years away. Spitzer has done this by measuring the heat from these faraway objects, giving scientists a view of the birth of distant solar systems by penetrating the dust which has obscured these objects since man began to study the skies, the direct measurement of light from planets outside our solar system, discoveries of solar systems swirling around "puny failed stars" known as brown dwarfs and the discovery of some of the ingredients for DNA and proteins in the terrestrial planet zone of nearby stars. Spitzer has secured its place in planetary science history and continues to provide new views into the Cosmos not previously available to man. Mr Wilson will provide an overview of "this fantastic little observatory that could" and the science that it has and continues to flow from it.

1 0

Fwd: [Utah-astronomy] http://stardustathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
by Richard Tenney 14 Mar '06

14 Mar '06

--- Wade Starks <StarksWC(a)ldschurch.org> wrote: > Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 08:53:39 -0700 > From: "Wade Starks" <StarksWC(a)ldschurch.org> > To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com > Subject: [Utah-astronomy] > http://stardustathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/ > > Anyone interested in participating in find stardust > particles may preregister at > this site. They are hosting a stardust at home site > which will allow volunteers > from the general public to view individual aerogel > cells for evidence of the > particles, using a web based "microscope". Go to > this site to find out more > about the program. > > Wade > http://stardustathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

1 0

SLAS Blast - March 28th General Meeting of SLAS
by Lowell Lyon 09 Mar '06

09 Mar '06

Hello everyone: Please note the Microsoft Word attachment regarding the March 28th general meeting of the Salt Lake Astronomical Society. Please use this flyer as you wish to distribute to family and friends who may want to attend our "Physics Family Fun Night" at the University of Utah. There is handicap parking immediately adjacent to the James C. Fletcher Building. This event is also on the SLAS website at http://www.slas.us. Look under the "Events" link and see the details of our March meeting . A preview of the April meeting is also on the website. Please also check out the SLAS website for the three national park public star parties in May at Great Basin National Park, June at Bryce Canyon National Park and in August at Capitol Reef National Park. Lot's of VERY dark skies!!! Thank you, Lowell Lyon

1 0

Reminder, tomorrow night (8 March), 7:30 pm, U of U, Frontiers of Science Lecture
by Richard Tenney 07 Mar '06

07 Mar '06

--- James DeGooyer <jdegooyer(a)biology.utah.edu> wrote: > Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2006 09:13:06 -0700 > To: office(a)science.utah.edu > From: James DeGooyer <jdegooyer(a)biology.utah.edu> > Subject: Frontiers of Science March 8 > CC: mortensen(a)science.utah.edu > > Dear Frontiers of Science patron: > > You are cordially invited to attend the upcoming > Frontiers of Science > lecture on Weds, March 8, 7:30 PM, featuring John W. > Valley, > professor of geology at Wisconsin-Madison. > See the official U. of U. press release at > http://www.utah.edu/unews/releases/06/feb/hades_earth.html > > Professor Valley will give a live radio interview on > KCPW 88.3 and > 105.3 FM on Weds, March 8, at 9:10 A.M. Tune-in! > > Frontiers of Science lectures are always free and > open to the public! > Mark your calendar and we'll see you there! > > -- > James R. DeGooyer > Public Relations Specialist > College of Science > 1430 E. Presidents Cir. Rm. 220 > Salt Lake City, UT 84112 > Ph. (801) 581-3124 > Fax (801) 585-3169 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

1 0

Special Guest Lecture
by Lowell Lyon 02 Mar '06

02 Mar '06

Hello everyone: I just wanted to give everyone a brief heads up about an exciting special guest speaker lined up for Friday evening, April 14th. Please check out the SLAS website for this date at http://www.slas.us. Thank you. Lowell Lyon

1 0