Monthly Archives: January 2009

Silabenzene

Posted on January 31, 2009 by

Silabenzene is one of those chemical curiosities. With little use except to theoretical organic chemists, it’s a benzene molecule with one carbon atom replaced by a silicon “pendant” atom. A heterocyclic aromatic. For a long time it was believed to … Continue reading →

Posted in chemistry, Imported from Livejournal | Tagged , | 13 Comments

Things I’ve learned over the past 24 hours

Posted on January 29, 2009 by

I used to think sweat bands were silly, but if you spend all day typing on a laptop, they’re really comfortable! Eating ramen noodles with two plastic spoons is a pursuit best avoided (though it was nice of the girl … Continue reading →

Posted in Imported from Livejournal | Tagged | 7 Comments

An artificial galaxy

Posted on January 25, 2009 by

It might look a bit like an elliptical galaxy, but this picture is actually of London! It was taken at night time from the ISS, using a digital camera (though I can’t find the name of the astronaut who took … Continue reading →

Posted in Imported from Livejournal | 4 Comments
Posted on January 25, 2009 by

“Science is what we understand well enough to explain to a computer. Art is everything else we do.” — Donald E. Knuth

Posted in Imported from Livejournal | Tagged

I ♥ Friday…

Posted on January 23, 2009 by

I feel so un-cool being literally surrounded by work on a Friday night. But that’s just how I roll. (And I have a deadline). Still, all is not lost, because between bouts of incessant note scribbling and typing, Carnival of … Continue reading →

Posted in academia, Imported from Livejournal | Tagged , | 10 Comments

A matter of mistaken mass?

Posted on January 23, 2009 by

Seemingly, everyone’s a bit uncertain about a star named MOA-2007-BLG-192L. It’s known to have a planet in tow, and everyone agrees that it’s a small planet, but exactly how small seems to be a contentious issue. The planet was originally … Continue reading →

Posted in astronomy, Imported from Livejournal | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Heh heh heh…

Posted on January 23, 2009 by

Discovered thanks to His Badness, Phil Plait.

Posted in Imported from Livejournal | Tagged

Breakfast

Posted on January 21, 2009 by

Ah… There’s no better way to start the day. A hot ciabatta, a smooth black coffee, a blueberry muffin and a slightly intimidating stack of papers to read! Sitting in a sunbeam helps…

Posted in Imported from Livejournal | 8 Comments

Toys for Geeks

Posted on January 19, 2009 by

Ok, so I’m not normally much a tech nerd, but I have to say — OMG iPod Touch ultimate geek toy!!! This little beauty was my Christmas/birthday present (I don’t mind a joint present between the two when it’s this … Continue reading →

Posted in Imported from Livejournal | Tagged | 4 Comments

How chemists can help astrobiologists…

Posted on January 18, 2009 by

Quite a puzzler in astrochemistry and astrobiology is where exactly prebiotic amino acids form. We know they can form in interstellar space. We’ve found them inside chondritic meteorites. All the ingredients exist in the interstellar medium. There have even been … Continue reading →

Posted in astrobiology, chemistry, Imported from Livejournal | Tagged ,