AliceTheOwl Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word Drat. I hafta spread it around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word Anyway, C -- do you have a speciality as an astronomer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliceTheOwl Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word It's further specialized? Well, come to think of it, my own astronomy course had a heavy emphasis on the possibility of life on other planets, and less of an emphasis on physics. So there must be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word Well, there's some options open to astronomy students, as I understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliceTheOwl Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word Most sciences do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word I'm a stellar spectroscopist. (It took my wife years to learn how to pronounce that without stumbling.) As in, someone who performs spectroscopic analysis of stars. In my case, this is for determining chemical compositions. Depending on what elements/isotopes are under consideration, or what sort of star you're looking at, this can be of interest in interpreting what has gone in within the star over its lifetime, or convey information about the prior generation(s) of stars that died and contributed heavy elements to the gas from which analyzed stars formed. Other pieces of information are possible also, but I mostly was in the composition racket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted November 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word Have a good trip. And please tell us how you managed to squeese four days into one. I'd tell but then Cancer would want to know my secret, and then teach it to the class. Have fun' date=' Bazza.[/quote'] Have fun! Thanks. Leave tonight, well tomorrow 00:40. You know what I mean (if you can read 24-hour time ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliceTheOwl Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word I'm a stellar spectroscopist. Well, no modesty HERE, apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word Well' date=' no modesty HERE, apparently. [/quote'] "Stellar" as opposed to "planetary" or "interstellar matter" or "galactic" or "lab". And yes, I attended at least one "Cool Stars Workshop". The puns there are so rife that I don't notice most of them any more. My wife gets the giggles and I have to ask why. EDIT: There isn't much in the solar spectrum at 4426A. A weak blend of neutral titanium and neutral vanadium. ("Neutral" as opposed to "ionized" in this context.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliceTheOwl Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word "Stellar" as opposed to "planetary" or "interstellar matter" or "galactic" or "lab". And yes, I attended at least one "Cool Stars Workshop". The puns there are so rife that I don't notice most of them any more. My wife gets the giggles and I have to ask why. EDIT: There isn't much in the solar spectrum at 4426A. A weak blend of neutral titanium and neutral vanadium. ("Neutral" as opposed to "ionized" in this context.) I wouldn't have been surprised to hear you didn't understand things your wife found funny, anyway. I thought that was part and parcel of being a math/physics specialist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word There was a time when I got them, and once I have them pointed out to me I do see them. But I've been desensitized to the incongruities inherent in the use of those common phrases which have been shanghaied into astrophysics jargon. EDIT: in fact, I share credit/blame for several satirical documents we distributed back in grad school leaning heavily on those incongruities. A number of those featured constructs that are, of course, not entirely SFW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliceTheOwl Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word Awww. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word There was the satire of a question for the general exam that began, "Consider a galaxy composed entirely of degenerate dwarfs and a few secretaries." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliceTheOwl Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word Wouldn't make a very interesting game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word "... Estimate the rate of horizontal branch ascensions, and the frequency of two- and three-body encounters. Describe some of the more interesting cases. Include in your answer discussion of the relevant excitation modes and pumping frequencies." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliceTheOwl Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word Okay, yeah. THAT could make some interesting roleplay, at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word I have the feeling I've left a few bits of it out, but it's been years since I looked at that piece of paper. It's tucked away in my crawlspace now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliceTheOwl Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Re: The Last Word Well, so long as the core is intact . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted November 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2007 Re: The Last Word And a bite hasn't been taken out of the apple... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted November 15, 2007 Report Share Posted November 15, 2007 Re: The Last Word neutral vanadium. And the second time I've seen vanadium used in a sentence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazza Posted November 15, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 15, 2007 Re: The Last Word My new favourite song: Here in Silence. Lyrics here What does it for me is the after the second verse is a delicious flute solo that is so uplifting. You want to dance and be joyful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliceTheOwl Posted November 15, 2007 Report Share Posted November 15, 2007 Re: The Last Word That doesn't usually do it for me, in a song. I tend to like the ones that inspire sadness or anger. Weren't you supposed to be gone, Bazza? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 15, 2007 Report Share Posted November 15, 2007 Re: The Last Word Rep Power: 4471 Neutral helium! The wonders of having a large assortment of four-digit numbers etched permanently into one's memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliceTheOwl Posted November 15, 2007 Report Share Posted November 15, 2007 Re: The Last Word Drat. Still need to spread it around. *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted November 15, 2007 Report Share Posted November 15, 2007 Re: The Last Word Just banked another pint of AB-positive. The rest of the day will be taken at half-speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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