Micrographia

Today, I flipped through a copy of the Micrographia, written by Robert Hooke and published in London in 1665. In this book, Hooke introduces the word "cell" to refer to the small bodies that make up living organisms. And, he explains the advantages of experimentation and "mechanistic philosophy." Additionally, the book contains some amazing engravings, including images of a fly, a louse, a flea, mold, and some crystals. Amazing stuff.

Janet Iwasa and Molecular Visualization

My friend Janet Iwasa was just mentioned in a New York Times article about molecular visualization. Stunning stuff!

Pop Culture Curator at the National Air and Space Museum

The Washington Post has reported that the National Air and Space Museum employs a pop culture curator, who managers a vast collection of space-related objects -- including pins, buttons, games, and toys -- that show how space exploration has affected the public consciousness. Well done, Air and Space Museum!

Read the article here.

Image courtesy of the National Air and Space Museum.

Earth Observatory

While perusing Refdesk (one of my favorite websites), I happened across Earth Observatory, and especially loved its image of the day site. Browsers can look at satellite images of all sorts of geographical features, and can even sort the offerings by categories like "heat," "atmosphere," and "life." Well done, NASA.

Kassel Museum

Here are some amazing photos of historic astrolabes, clocks, globes, and telescopes, all from the museum in Kassel, Germany.

The Amazing Solar System

The Boston Globe's website has one of the best photography sections I have found on the internet. In September, the site featured photos taken by both NASA and ESA spacecraft. Enjoy.

2010 Ig Nobel Awards

Huzzah for the 2010 Ig Nobel Awards! I am happy to report that this year's Economics Prize "was awarded jointly to the executives and directors of Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, AIG and Magnetar for 'creating and promoting new ways to invest money – ways that maximize financial gain and minimize financial risk for the world economy, or for a portion thereof.'" Well deserved.