Between Zero and Infinity: How We Reason About Life in the Universe
The search for alien life is not just an engineering problem; it is also a lesson in reasoning under deep uncertainty.
Telescopes
12 posts
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Assembly Complete and Eyes on the Sky
Roman’s completed assembly brings NASA closer to a telescope built to widen our view of planets, galaxies, and dark energy.
Mars Probes Ghosting NASA: A Tale of Fading Signals and Future Fixes
Aging Mars orbiters reveal the quiet fragility of the communication network that keeps robotic exploration alive.
Why Do Reflecting Telescopes on Earth Use Lasers?
Those lasers above observatories are not for show; they are tools for correcting the atmosphere’s restless distortion.
The Universe in Silico: Euclid’s Flagship 2 Simulation and the Philosophy of Cosmic Models
Euclid’s massive simulation shows how cosmology increasingly depends on models that are both mathematical instruments and philosophical claims.
Comet 3I/ATLAS: Interstellar Visitor, Not Alien Invader
Comet 3I/ATLAS is exotic enough without aliens, offering a rare glimpse of material from another star system.
Rubin Observatory’s Eye on the Sky: Halos, Spikes, and Asteroid Trails in a Cosmic Light Show
Rubin Observatory’s first views show a sky full of beauty, artifacts, and moving objects waiting to be discovered.
The Sunk Cost Fallacy in Science: When Gigantic Budgets Meet Reluctant Goodbyes
Big science projects can become hard to stop, even when evidence says it is time to rethink the mission.
The Ultimate Guide to Star Naming: From Scientific Catalogs to Space Romance
Star naming sits between romance and reality, where official catalogs and sentimental certificates tell very different stories.
The Critical Fight to Save Hubble and Chandra: Why NASA's Great Observatories Matter More Than Ever
Hubble and Chandra still matter because some observatories become irreplaceable long after their launch dates fade.
The Future of Space Telescopes: Embracing Soft and Liquid Structures
Soft and liquid telescope structures may sound strange, but they could solve problems rigid hardware cannot.
Determining Distances in Space: A Comprehensive Analysis
Measuring cosmic distances requires a ladder of clever methods, each extending our reach beyond direct intuition.