Comments on: Out of the Office http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/ Science, Environment, and Nature in the SF Bay Area Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:39:48 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: QUEST Community Science Blog - KQED » Seeing the Trees through the Forest http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-34816 QUEST Community Science Blog - KQED » Seeing the Trees through the Forest Mon, 19 Nov 2007 23:11:10 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/#comment-34816 [...] Landing. Credit: Soviet Planetary Exploration ProgramIt’s time to get back to some of the reader’s questions. Over the last couple of months I’ve focused on the easy ones like “how big is the [...] [...] Landing. Credit: Soviet Planetary Exploration ProgramIt's time to get back to some of the reader’s questions. Over the last couple of months I've focused on the easy ones like "how big is the [...]

]]> By: QUEST Community Science Blog - KQED » Testing the Limits of Optical Telescopes http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-19962 QUEST Community Science Blog - KQED » Testing the Limits of Optical Telescopes Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:45:57 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/#comment-19962 [...] I continue to answer questions from my earlier solicitation, I am going to skip ahead to the [...] [...] I continue to answer questions from my earlier solicitation, I am going to skip ahead to the [...]

]]> By: QUEST Community Science Blog - KQED » The Expanding Universe http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-16742 QUEST Community Science Blog - KQED » The Expanding Universe Mon, 10 Sep 2007 23:25:32 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/#comment-16742 [...] to the next question: “Yes, I have many burning universal questions. This one is a two-parter. Is there evidence [...] [...] to the next question: "Yes, I have many burning universal questions. This one is a two-parter. Is there evidence [...]

]]> By: QUEST Community Science Blog - KQED » To Infinity and Beyond http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-12757 QUEST Community Science Blog - KQED » To Infinity and Beyond Mon, 27 Aug 2007 22:23:29 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/#comment-12757 [...] am going to spend the next couple of months addressing the questions asked by readers at the end of my late-July post. I’ll start with the question that prompted the solicitation to begin with. Two months ago, [...] [...] am going to spend the next couple of months addressing the questions asked by readers at the end of my late-July post. I'll start with the question that prompted the solicitation to begin with. Two months ago, [...]

]]> By: Jim Gunshinan http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-8476 Jim Gunshinan Thu, 09 Aug 2007 19:45:14 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/#comment-8476 I'm with Taron. If the universe is finite, what exists outside it? In other words, if I rowed a boat to the end of the universe, would I fall off the edge and be eaten by space monstors? This question doesn't keep me up at night, but sometimes it makes an afternoon nap impossible! I'm with Taron. If the universe is finite, what exists outside it? In other words, if I rowed a boat to the end of the universe, would I fall off the edge and be eaten by space monstors?

This question doesn't keep me up at night, but sometimes it makes an afternoon nap impossible!

]]> By: Krista http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-8465 Krista Thu, 09 Aug 2007 15:45:11 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/#comment-8465 What is going on with this new exoplanet TrES-4? What is the difference between an exoplanet and a planet? How do they know that it is the biggest planet in the universe? How do they know it is 20 times Earth's size? Thanks and hope the flies didn't torture you too much on the canoe trip. What is going on with this new exoplanet TrES-4? What is the difference between an exoplanet and a planet? How do they know that it is the biggest planet in the universe? How do they know it is 20 times Earth's size?

Thanks and hope the flies didn't torture you too much on the canoe trip.

]]> By: Michael http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-7538 Michael Wed, 01 Aug 2007 23:05:39 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/#comment-7538 I have a two-part question about adaptive optics. If one were observing the Moon at perigee through the 40" refractor at Yerkes, how large would a cherry clafouti near the Moon's equator have to be to be easily identifiable as a cherry clafouti, assuming clear conditions of observation. And, how large would the clafouti have to be if observed through Yerkes' 41" reflector? If the smallest clafouti sizes to be identifiable would be different for the two telescopes, can you explain why? Thanks very much. I have a two-part question about adaptive optics.

If one were observing the Moon at perigee through the 40″ refractor at Yerkes, how large would a cherry clafouti near the Moon's equator have to be to be easily identifiable as a cherry clafouti, assuming clear conditions of observation.

And, how large would the clafouti have to be if observed through Yerkes' 41″ reflector?

If the smallest clafouti sizes to be identifiable would be different for the two telescopes, can you explain why?

Thanks very much.

]]> By: Kirke http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-7536 Kirke Wed, 01 Aug 2007 22:49:08 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/#comment-7536 Why is water clear? Where did all this water on our planet come from? Do you ascribe to the notion that it arrives on meteorites? Why is water clear? Where did all this water on our planet come from? Do you ascribe to the notion that it arrives on meteorites?

]]> By: Taron http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-7473 Taron Wed, 01 Aug 2007 08:43:53 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/#comment-7473 Being the person who asked "how big is the universe?", I will add a couple of related questions, just to give you enough to chew on. Is there anything else out there besides the universe? If the universe is finite, then what exists where it ends? I find all this very hard to conceptualize in general. I'm still struggling with trying to understand the big bang. Maybe you could elaborate on what we all learned in high school on that one too. Being the person who asked "how big is the universe?", I will add a couple of related questions, just to give you enough to chew on.

Is there anything else out there besides the universe? If the universe is finite, then what exists where it ends? I find all this very hard to conceptualize in general. I'm still struggling with trying to understand the big bang. Maybe you could elaborate on what we all learned in high school on that one too.

]]> By: Mike http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/comment-page-1/#comment-7429 Mike Tue, 31 Jul 2007 23:19:57 +0000 http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2007/07/30/out-of-the-office/#comment-7429 There's been a recent debate in our local papers regarding Venus' high planetary temperature being related to the dearth of carbon dioxide on the planet. Apparently Venus is much, much hotter than Mercury, even though Venus is twice as far from the sun. Could you explain a bit about our system's planets and how they differ compositionally? What is it about the Earth's composition of elements that makes it just right for 99% of the life on the planet? I say 99% because it seems 1% of the life is strange enough to exist in all sorts of harsh conditions. There's been a recent debate in our local papers regarding Venus' high planetary temperature being related to the dearth of carbon dioxide on the planet. Apparently Venus is much, much hotter than Mercury, even though Venus is twice as far from the sun. Could you explain a bit about our system's planets and how they differ compositionally? What is it about the Earth's composition of elements that makes it just right for 99% of the life on the planet? I say 99% because it seems 1% of the life is strange enough to exist in all sorts of harsh conditions.

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