Philip Klass, 85, Dies

Philip Klass, dead at age 85. (Also at the NY Times.) Electrical engineer, aviation editor, and renowned UFO debunker, as well as CSICOP founder/fellow. Checking Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy blog, he left an interesting last message.

GasBuddy.com

"GasBuddy.com can help you find cheap gas prices in your city. It
is comprised of 170 gas price information web sites that help
consumers find low gasoline prices." Search for prices by ZIP
code. Information is member-supplied. Registration (free) required
to post gas prices on most of the gas sites or to create a fuel
log for tracking your expenses. Includes tips for conserving gas,
links to news stories, and other resources.

FBI demands library records

The FBI has issued the first demand for library records under the Patriot Act. The library in question is somewhere in Bridgeport, CT. The ACLU is seeking an emergency court order to lift the FBI gag order, but they've been instructed by the gag to keep the person whose library records being sought (i.e., their client) a secret. What the ACLU has revealed is that the client is a member of the American Library Association (clearly, a front for terrorism). If any MeFites are interested in digging up additional details on this and start making calls, here's a good place to start. What indeed would the FBI consider so threatening?

The Road Less Traveled: Non-traditional Ways of Communicating Astronomy with the Public

In an age of media saturation, how can astronomers succeed in grabbing the public's attention to increase awareness and understanding of astronomy? Here I discuss some creative alternatives to press releases, public lectures, television programs, books, magazine articles, and other traditional ways of bringing astronomy to a wide audience. By thinking outside the box and employing novel tools - from truly terrible sci-fi movies, to modern Stonehenges, to music from the stars - astronomers are finding effective new ways of communicating the wonders of the universe to people of all ages.

COPYRIGHT OWNERSHIP IN BLOGS

Blogs are one of the major new online trends of the past years. But what about copyright? How do bloggers protect their work or enable it to be freely distributed? And who owns a blog if it is written as part of an employee’s work? Lesley Ellen Harris discusses these and other questions in an article on the Ball State University Web site.

library humour - a photoset on Flickr

Cold Dark Matter by Alex Brett

Posted with permission.
Review of book by Astronomer Stephane Courteau:

Vera Rubin had informed me of the existence of your book only days
before my trip. She knew that I would soon be "observing" on Mauna
Kea and recommended the book whole-heartedly. I am very familiar with
CFHT, having observed there many times. As the Canadian astronomer
who has mapped out more rotation curves and (cold dark matter) galaxy
halo profiles than any others before, it made natural sense that I
should read this book! Never did I think that I would relate to
the story, its people and locations, so much!

SpeechExpert 1.03

From Scout Report:
It is sometimes much more convenient to listen to text rather than merely
reading it off a monitor. Stepping in to provide such a service is
SpeechExpert 1.03, which can read emails and other documents directly from
various Web browsers. Additionally, visitors can convert the various
documents into audio files for their own convenience. For those interested
in having documents read in various languages, SpeechExpert 1.03 functions
in ten separate languages. This version is compatible with Windows 98 or
newer.

Artists on science: scientists on art

From Nature supplement, Vol. 434, No. 7031 pp293-324

Fiction informed by science- Free access
Science in literature
A tale of two loves
The artist as a neuroscientist
From science in art to the art of science
Experimental physics, experimental art
Music, the food of neuroscience?
The evolution of sensibility
Poetry and science

Who has the fish?

Einstein logic puzzle.

2005 Mars Opposition Hoax

A number of recent emails have been circulating, announcing that Mars will reach opposition on August 27 (this was the date in 2003, but in 2005 opposition is on November 7), and even that from Earth, Mars will appear as large as the full moon (ridiculous). For more information, including the truth about this year’s opposition, see http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/07jul_marshoax.htm?list199710 and
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/planets/article_1556_1.asp