helenczerski

helenczerski, 9 months ago to random

I just had a video call with a colleague who is on a ship at the North Pole. A VIDEO CALL. It was smooth and bug-free and he could have been just down the road.

And this is the end of an era, in a gigantic way. One of the most special things about these expeditions is that you’re isolated - recently you might get text-only e-mails once a day, but that was it. You had to actually be present all the time, because the people on board were all you had.

And that is now the past. I’m truly gutted.

helenczerski, 10 months ago to random

Well. "Open sesame" is actually a thing.

Just googled where sesame seeds come from (it never occurred to me to ask before) and found that they grow in pods that are hung upside down to ripen until they burst open and release their seeds. The treasure is revealed.

https://awkwardbotany.com/2022/03/30/dispersal-by-open-sesame/

#seeds #science #OpenSesame

helenczerski, 10 months ago to random

Today’s reminder that we are still very far from knowing everything: I have just found an odd gap in the scientific literature: the specific mechanisms of generating root pressure in trees and how this relates to the force that tree roots can exert on their surroundings (eg pavements/sidewalks), and what those forces actually are. As far as I can see, having done an extensive literature search, nothing has been done on this since the 1970s. Zilch. Not a sausage. Frustrating! #science #trees

helenczerski, 11 months ago to random

And here's another book I’ve just finished, for anyone who has studied (or is studying) maths. It’s a lovely gallop through the parts of mathematical history that we don’t hear about, steering away from the stories that focus on the “Great Men” of the white western world, and digging around in a far more global and diverse view of how mathematics was developed. Especially highly recommended for anyone teaching maths at any level. It’s out in a couple of weeks. #maths #books #history

helenczerski, 11 months ago to random

Tidying my office the other day and I found my favourite ever certificate, from ten years ago. We had helped with the release of a stratospheric balloon in Texas and then tracked it to recover the data once it was back on the ground. Steely-eyed ballooner! #science #stratosphere

helenczerski, 1 year ago to random

Ooh, this year’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist has been released by Royal Museums Greenwich. And they’re (obviously, and as always) stunning: https://www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/astronomy-photographer-year/galleries/2023-shortlist #science #photography #astronomy