Building a Quantum Computer
Quantum computing has a great allure, but last year the physics Nobel Laureate Alain Aspect issued a caution. “It may be that quantum computers are as fantastic as we think…
TALKING TREE in Austin
One of the treats that UK House at SXSW offered to Austin was a ‘talking tree.” Anyone passing along the hike & bike trail at the foot of Guadalupe Street…
Lunar Mascot Contest
Image: astronaut Reid Wiseman and his mascot Despite all the high tech in space, the astronaut’s most reliable friend is a mascot. In a session on the opening day of…
Deep Time and Poems of the Highest Antiquity
What is deep time? Author Noah Heringman (Prof of English at the Univ. of Missouri) describes it in setting out the main argument of his book: “the history of deep…
Emily Dickinson & Charles Darwin
The famed literary critic Harold Bloom infamously said that he did not understand the poetry of Emily Dickinson. It is unfortunate he did not live long enough to read this…
Astronomers try to catch up on AI
“There is no position for an astronomy/AI person already formed.” Quite an admission from Kari Haworth, chief technology operator at the Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. As the first engineer in an…
Exoplanets and the Future of Humanity
Dr. Chris Impey was at SXSW to let us see what the future of humanity might be. Unfettered by being on Earth, he envisions worlds without end that will keep…
Space Probe to Europa set for October Launch
In March, Austin has been treated to two very special talks on a space mission set to launch in October. The Europa Clipper mission will visit Jupiter’s moon Europa in…
Finding ET
An astronomer whose job it is to search for extraterrestrial intelligence made a bold proposal at SXSW in Austin. In an interview after his panel discussion, Dr. Franck Marchis explained…
“I Come from Old Stars”: U.S. Poet Laureate
Opening SXSW in Austin yesterday was the Poet Laureate of the United States. It was a perfect example of style, grace, artistry and science: the best SXSW opening one could…