OT: Brian May (Queen) Astrophysicist

[bigbonzo]

I had known for a while that Brian May had studied astrophysics, but was unaware that he had co-written four books on the subject, one is children's book.
He also has a PhD in astrophysics.
(see wikipedia)

Having an interest in astronomy I started reading them. They are well written and illustrated.

Anyone else have an interest in astronomy?


Also, here is a list of entertainers with PhD's.
Who knew?

List of artists and entertainers with advanced degrees - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[Squirrel Man]

Bill Cosby...

I casually follow physics/astronomy. Lately I've been perusing this YT channel. https://www.youtube.com/@SabineHossenfelder I'm trying to understand the whole time/space theory but I'm convincing myself that they're just making it up with a lot of complex components that nobody's going to understand anyway.

Personally I believe the universe isn't infinite but circular/cyclical and it will eventually collapse on itself then into another big bang then collapse and over and over again.

 

[Frank Godiva]

He is a very eclectic guy

“For nearly 30 years, May has attempted to collect all 182 cards. He nearly made it in 2013, publishing a lavish book with his fellow obsessives Denis Pellerin and Paula Fleming that featured 180 of the cards. This week the book will be republished with a crucial update: the missing two cards.
“We are overjoyed,” said May. “I don’t think we ever thought we’d get to this point, we thought it was a goner. I didn’t imagine we’d find the missing cards because we had already been looking for 30 years.”

Brian May completes stereoscopic 'devil cards' collection | Photography | The Guardian

Queen guitarist finds last two of 19th-century set of French ‘Diableries’ after 30 years

amp.theguardian.com

Queen's Brian May reveals plans to open museum for unique Diableries collection

Brian May has opened up about his plans to open up a museum for his one-off stereoscopic collection

www.hellomagazine.com

Stonehenge's oldest family photo discovered in Queen legend's collection

STONEHENGE’S oldest family photograph has been discovered in the collection of Queen legend Dr Brian May.

www.salisburyjournal.co.uk

 

[komodobob]

Shaquille O'Neal

O'Neal left LSU for the NBA after three years. However, he promised his mother he would eventually return to his studies and complete his bachelor's degree. He fulfilled that promise in 2000, earning his B.A. degree in general studies from LSU,[187] with a minor in political science.[188] Coach Phil Jackson let O'Neal miss a home game so he could attend graduation. At the ceremony, he told the crowd "now I can go and get a real job". Subsequently, O'Neal earned an online MBA degree through the University of Phoenix in 2005. In reference to his completion of his MBA degree, he stated: "It's just something to have on my resume for when I go back into reality. Someday I might have to put down a basketball and have a regular 9-to-5 like everybody else."[189]

Toward the end of his playing career, he began work on an educational doctorate at Barry University.[190][191] His doctoral capstone[192][193] topic was "The Duality of Humor and Aggression in Leadership Styles".[190][194] O'Neal received his Ed.D. degree in Human Resource Development from Barry in 2012.[195] O'Neal told a reporter for ABC News that he plans to further his education by attending law school.[196]

In 2009, O'Neal attended the Sportscaster U. training camp at S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, saying "You have to know what you’re doing... I needed to learn the secrets".[197][198]

O'Neal has also studied directing and cinematography with the New York Film Academy's Filmmaking Conservatory.

Looks like he made his Mother VERY happy.

 

[bigbonzo]

Really? No one else interested in astronomy?

 

[Matched Gripper]

Really? No one else interested in astronomy?

I’m fascinated by the incomprehensible size of the known universe. Think about this: The Milky Way galaxy is 100,000 light years across. The Sun has only circled the Milky Way approximately 20 times in its entire existence. Astronomers calculate that there are approximately 2 billion galaxies in the visible universe (galaxies whose light has reached us). That’s 2 thousand million galaxies. Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light except for the speed of the expansion of the universe. The galaxies we cannot see, we will probably never see because the universe is expanding faster than the speed of light and accelerating. It seems that the notion of humans ever making contact with sentient life from other planets is impossible, unless such other life had lifespans of thousands or perhaps millions of years.

 

[mfry2112]

I think there are other earths out there. It’s silly to not think so. It’s also silly that we are trying to go to mars. We can’t even fix our problems here. The people on the other earths have the same problems we do. And they keep setting themselves up to fail, over and over and over again.

 

[mfry2112]

We are literally flying through space on a rock and we waste our time by going to work everyday, let that sink in

 

[bigbonzo]

I’m fascinated by the incomprehensible size of the known universe. Think about this: The Milky Way galaxy is 100,000 light years across. The Sun has only circled the Milky Way approximately 20 times in its entire existence. Astronomers calculate that there are approximately 2 billion galaxies in the visible universe (galaxies whose light has reached us). That’s 2 thousand million galaxies. Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light except for the speed of the expansion of the universe. The galaxies we cannot see, we will probably never see because the universe is expanding faster than the speed of light and accelerating. It seems that the notion of humans ever making contact with sentient life from other planets is impossible, unless such other life had lifespans of thousands or perhaps millions of years.

You are quite correct sir:

"Think of the universe as the surface of a balloon blowing up. Stars and galaxies dot its surface. The farther apart two galaxies are; the faster they recede from one another. The expansion is so rapid points far enough away from one another are expanding apart faster than the speed of light. As you travel away from your home galaxy at near the speed of light, space in front of you that is far enough away is actually receding from you faster than you can reach it. That means that you will never reach galaxies beyond a certain distance from you."

 

[frankmott]

We recently re-watched Contact, with Jodie Foster. Great Movie. That inspired me to read the book by Carl Sagan. I'm about half way through. Not surprisingly, it's even better than the movie, with much more astronomical detail -- and a little less Hollywood glitz in the plot.
It's Sagan's only novel, and he originally wrote it as a screen-play, but couldn't get it produced, so he converted it into a novel. Then he died. Then they made the movie...

I really, really admire Dr. Brian May!

 

[bigbonzo]

We recently re-watched Contact, with Jodie Foster. Great Movie. That inspired me to read the book by Carl Sagan. I'm about half way through. Not surprisingly, it's even better than the movie, with much more astronomical detail -- and a little less Hollywood glitz in the plot.
It's Sagan's only novel, and he originally wrote it as a screen-play, but couldn't get it produced, so he converted it into a novel. Then he died. Then they made the movie...

I really, really admire Dr. Brian May!

I had forgotten about the movie, and have never read the book.
Thanks.

 

[Matched Gripper]

I had forgotten about the movie, and have never read the book.
Thanks.

Jodie Foster was great in that movie!

 

[Squirrel Man]

I think there are other earths out there. It’s silly to not think so. It’s also silly that we are trying to go to mars. We can’t even fix our problems here. The people on the other earths have the same problems we do. And they keep setting themselves up to fail, over and over and over again.

Life doesn't have to be carbon/water/organic based also and exclusively require an earth-like atmosphere.

There's a "dark forest" theory that suggests that life is really nearby but is sitting quietly trying not to be noticed as to not be "infected" with alien influence.

 

[Dave HCV]

I just finished reading this:

Very well written for the lay audience, not experts in the field. Tyson goes through very early understandings (or misunderstandings) of the universe up through today's theories. The last chapter gets a bit out there as he discusses current ideas about multiple universes and the like. A very good read, though, for those interested in cosmology, particle physics, etc.

 

[Frank Godiva]

Really? No one else interested in astronomy?

Always found this interesting

“Lie if you have to, just lie,” the first lady told her astrologer Joan Quigley, according to the film, The Reagans which premieres on Showtime on Sunday. “You can’t say anything.”

Ms Reagan, who died in 2016, reportedly secretly consulted Ms Quigley on everything from Cold War negotiations to the timing of announcements, making sure it was done in proper alignment with the planets.

“Nancy Reagan relied on Joan Quigley, she would call her sometimes eight times a day for almost everything down to unbelievable details including the takeoff and landing times for Air Force One,” Nancy Reagan biographer Kitty Kelley reportedly says in the film.

“That was astrology that charted their way. Nobody knew at the time."

Nancy Reagan tried to hide White House’s use of clairvoyant, new doc claims

“Life if you have to, just lie,” she reportedly told her spiritual adviser, after the public learned about their conversations

www.independent.co.uk

 

[bigbonzo]

Always found this interesting

“Lie if you have to, just lie,” the first lady told her astrologer Joan Quigley, according to the film, The Reagans which premieres on Showtime on Sunday. “You can’t say anything.”

Ms Reagan, who died in 2016, reportedly secretly consulted Ms Quigley on everything from Cold War negotiations to the timing of announcements, making sure it was done in proper alignment with the planets.

“Nancy Reagan relied on Joan Quigley, she would call her sometimes eight times a day for almost everything down to unbelievable details including the takeoff and landing times for Air Force One,” Nancy Reagan biographer Kitty Kelley reportedly says in the film.

“That was astrology that charted their way. Nobody knew at the time."

Nancy Reagan tried to hide White House’s use of clairvoyant, new doc claims

“Life if you have to, just lie,” she reportedly told her spiritual adviser, after the public learned about their conversations

www.independent.co.uk

I don't think astrology has anything to do with astronomy.

 

[Frank Godiva]

I don't think astrology has anything to do with astronomy.

That went right over my head. High and inside. How right your are.

That’s about how I go over at parties too.

 

[Sequimite]

I loved astronomy as a kid, so a few years back I got back into it. I'm in the country with fairly dark skies and would get out of the car at night and stand staring at the Milky Way. I started with a Tele Vue Ranger and a few TV Plossls. I wanted a TV 102 (4" F8.6) but, after several fruitless months jumped on a Burgess 1278 (5" F7.8) that I bought from Clyde Tombaugh's nephew. Immediately after, of course, I found a TV 102 at a good price and bought it. I have slowly built a collection of TV Plossls and Naglers. Main tripod is a Losmandy AZ8. Looking for a finder scope I chanced upon a TV Pronto for cheap and so I set up with the Pronto on the left side of the Losmandy and either the 4 inch or the 5 inch on the right.

The ideal spot to observe is a atop Hurricane Ridge, a mile high and surrounded by Olympic National Park. It takes less than an hour to drive there from home.

 

[bchamp]

I love astronomy. This is my rig that is sadly collecting dust these days. I’ll get back into it again as my kids are getting old enough to appreciate the night sky.

 

[poot]

Anyone else have an interest in astronomy?

Me, too. I got back into astronomy after seeing the 2017 total solar eclipse in Nebraska. I now have more telescopes than drum kits. And more binoculars than kits. And more microscopes than kits. All of my gear is used, purchased locally via CL and FB Marketplace. I'm at the place now where it's time to upgrade my eyepieces.