Movie Review: Hidden Figures

My older daughter  and I went to see HIDDEN FIGURES. We could have waited and seen it on Netflix (or whatever) but wanted to contribute to its financial success, albeit belatedly.

Be still, my geeky heart. I wish I could go back and re-take every science and math course I've ever had (well, college and beyond, let's not wax eloquent over high school algebra) from a perspective of loving science and tech-stuff and understanding what it's FOR. Understanding the universe and our planet and ourselves. Building incredibly nifty things like Hubble Space Telescope and the laptop I'm typing on and the Prius I drive. Fine-tuning my mind, pushing myself to not only comprehend but creatively and fearlessly master whatever I set myself to. Anyway, the movie...

We fell in love with the film within the first minute. Maybe the first 30 seconds after the opening credits. Even though it's been some time since it opened, there was a good-sized, highly responsive audience. We all laughed and cheered (and teared up) together. Afterward (in the ladies' loo, of course) a bunch of us chatted about it -- one was a young woman about to enter college. We were all jumping up and down, cheering science, and somberly reflecting on racism then and now.

Definitely my cup of tea. Definitely worth seeking it out in a theater. As we headed for the parking lot, an elderly lady with a walker asked if we'd just seen it and told us she'd see it twice. "Is a third time too much?" she inquired. "NO!" we chorused.

Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop needs your help!

As many of you know, I was privileged to attend Launch  Pad Astronomy Workshop in 2011. This extraordinary workshop, a college course in astronomy offered over the course of a week, was one of the most intense, exhilarating, and inspiring adventures in bringing excellent science to larger audiences through fiction. Now Launch Pad needs your help to make this experience available to more writers, editors, journalists, artists and more.

Launch Pad is an education/public outreach effort, aimed primarily at writers, filmmakers, and other creative professionals.

At its best, science fiction can inspire and teach a wide audience about our universe. At its worst, poorly written fiction can mislead the public. At Launch Pad, we aim to provide our attendees with a weeklong Astronomy 101-level course, including a visit and observations through the University of Wyoming's 2.3-meter telescope.

In previous years, funding for Launch Pad was made possible through grants from NASA and the NSF. Due to funding cutbacks, we are asking for your help to cover our costs and reduce the out of pocket expenses for our attendees.

Private Ideas: A Few Thoughts on Misconceptions in Science

At Launch Pad 2011, Professor Jim Verley talked about common misconceptions and how they persist. An example of a widespread and persistent error is the apparent larger size of Moon when seen on the horizon (this is actually an optical illusion, not due to any lensing effect of the atmosphere). The authority of print perpetuates and gives power to written misconceptions.

Where do these notions come from? As children, we quite naturally try to make sense out of the world around use. We form "private ideas" very early. They often present novel and inaccurate explanations for the seasons, phases of moon, the weight of air, or the idea that oxygen is the only component of air. These concepts are very resistant to alteration, even by subsequent education.