Mars…. the exploration continues

February 16, 2021February 12, 2021 / mobius faith

Okay. I need to geek out again. I am so pumped about this coming Thursday 18/2/2021. I’ve been waiting for this day ever since Perseverance was launched 30/7/2020. In fact I’m so excited about this day that I took a vacation day from work to follow online the entry, descent and landing of NASA’s latest rover, Perseverance. This is not science fiction! This is REAL science. Here’s a video and animation of what we might expect on the 18th as humanity adds another vehicle to the Martian Used Vehicle lot. I wonder if Martians will someday gather up all these rovers and scavenge them for spare parts or set up a lot to sell them? LOL

One thing that makes Perseverance different is that landing technology and also a first – on the belly of perseverance is a helicopter that will be able to fly advance recognizance for the rover as well as perform it’s own science activities (imaging the planet).

Feel free to join me viewing the 7 minutes of terror online at https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/timeline/landing/watch-online/

And a little more than a month after the anniversary of David Bowies death – his music is more relevant than ever….. because we are looking to see if there is evidence of past life on Mars. 🙂

NASA Spacecast

January 22, 2021January 22, 2021 / mobius faith

In one of my earlier posts I gave links for some of my favorite websites. This video I’m posting today is from NASA. It’s the most recent edition of their regular series SPACECAST WEEKLY. This video I found extremely fascinating because it talked about how astronauts train for space walks and the space suits they wear on these space walks. Also I loved the interview with a Canadian astronaut that spent time on the ISS. They also talk about the commercialization of space which is something I am personally concerned with. Because there is a big issue with space trash orbiting the Earth that is making it difficult to navigate launches into space etc. There is so much debris. It may not seem like much but it is getting worse. And with the commercialization of space I’m worried it will become exponentially worse because of all the satellites they are launching into space, especially all the so-called cube-sats or small satellites. For example SpaceX will soon set a record for most satellites launched on a single mission (143 total satellites – how is this not polluting space?)

So without further adieu here is SPACECAST WEEKLY. Enjoy.

and to pick up on my earlier comments about space debris. Will we eventually have so much debris that we will no longer be able to safely go into space? And will there eventually be so much debris that people in space may not be able to safely return to earth? Here’s an interesting documentary (fyi only the first half is about space junk – but the whole video is interesting).

you may wonder….

January 8, 2021January 9, 2021 / mobius faith / 2 Comments

So you may wonder given the nature of my posts; what are my favorite YouTube channels?

Well hang on to your britches because I’m about to tell you. And some may surprise you. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all channels I follow – but just favorites that regularly and consistently post new content. For examples there are many music channels that I follow but the vast majority have sporadic postings or inconsistent in featuring work that interests me. These are not in any particular rank. Just a list.

https://www.youtube.com/user/usgs is the site for the United States Geological Survey. It features viddy’s and information on volcano’s, earthquakes and tectonics and other geological interests. More than some other sites it reveals my geeky interests in scientific study.
keeping with a theme, https://www.youtube.com/c/veritasium : Veritasium is a hybrid word that combines the latin word for “truth” (Veritas) and the suffix of most elements on the periodic chart (ium) therefore creating Veritasium (i.e. an “an element of truth”). These videos explore various scientific topics both in physics, biology, geology, as well as some more philosophic subjects. I find them informative, entertaining and just plain interesting. The creator of this chanel, Derek Muller, also has children so there are several videos that are science subjects geared for children as well as learning resources. I highly recommend it.
I also love Bonsai. https://www.youtube.com/c/Eiseie nBonsai is a great channel to learn about and understand Bonsai craft in great detail. While I personally do not have Bonsai, I have always wanted to start but have been a little intimidated. Maybe this is the year I will finally Start.
Another channel for Bonsai that I follow is https://www.youtube.com/c/HeronsBo nsaiUK this UK based nursery has great videos that I would describe as Bonsai for the Common Person or for the beginner. The presenter is very down-to-earth and very relatable.
Next up is https://www.youtube.com/c/bbcearth This channel really has some remarkable nature videos. While I am not a fan of having “pets” I absolutely do love wild animals in their natural habitat. And this channel fills that “cup of interest” to the brim.
Along similar lines is the National Geographic website https://www.youtube.com/c/NatGeo with it’s own unique perspective on the world we live on and the people, flora and fauna that we share it with.
Now something may not be much of a surprise because I’ve posted videos from this channel here on the blog. https://www.youtube.com/user/TheLouisianaChannel The Louisiana Channel is an arts channel with in-depth interviews discussion and analysis with artists, musicians and writers. For me it is an endless source of inspiration and exposure to some things I might not normally find.
https://www.youtube.com/user/Nerdwriter1 Nerdwriter is another channel I absolutely adore. Posts are less frequent that most other channels featured here – but when there is a post it blows my mind. It has taught me so much about art, writing, philosophy etc.
htt ps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_43mQmHwHPTBBqImFrWU3Q Sean Tucker is a professional photographer who has some amazing insights into not only photography but photography in the age of the internet. His videos are informative, instructional and at time philosophical. What an amazing personality.
And lastly to go back to the beginning of the list https://www.youtube.com/user/NASAgovVideo the official NASA channel is amazing and wonderful for all things NASA related. I especially like their “Spacecast Weekly” which is a weekly digest of news and information direct from NASA for all you space geeks.

And that’s it my friend. Of the 56 channels I follow on YouTube these are my absolute favorites that bring me an endless source of enjoyment, inspiration and information. And to re-iterate – these are not ranked in any particular order. I hope you enjoy them. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend everyone.

because we all need some good news right now.

August 21, 2020 / mobius faith

Congratulations to the International Space Station as it celebrates 20 years of continuous habitation. The things that are possible when we dream and work together.