Why Do We Have So Much (Cosmic) Stuff?

They say the top three most stressful life events are death, divorce, and … moving. Recent experience tells me why the latter makes the list.

Friends and family stressed their muscles lifting heavy boxes, while I stressed my nerves over the thought of unpacking the seemingly endless piles of stuff. A space heater, several garden gnomes, and a long-forgotten George Foreman Grill flashed back at me like the strobe light from last Halloween. And the message was clear: Do we really need all this stuff?

 

Top 10 Science-Faith Conversation Starters

Eric’s glorious ‘stache

Tens of thousands of people are affected every day by this latest epidemic: the ironic hipster mustache. What may have begun as nothing more than a hairy badge for hipsters has transformed into a movement (fittingly called Movember) to “change the face of men’s health.” And it serves as a fine example of giving purpose to a trivial trend.

 

A Message from a Skeptic

Call me a skeptic. A nonbeliever. Even a hater. But in a perfect world—a world that suits my preferences, I should say—it doesn’t exist.

What is “It,” you ask? The Star Wars prequels, of course.

 

The Take Two Thanksgiving Spectacular 2010

This week Maureen and Sandra offer a double serving of thankfulness—science style. See what makes our list of things to be grateful for. Dig in!

 

The Star of Bethlehem: An astronomer, astrophysicist, and theologian’s perspective

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Where stores are decked out in garlands and bows, aisles of ornaments glisten and glow, and rolls of gift wrap rise like hands to be chosen. Inevitably, tucked somewhere in the sea of snowmen and reindeer, sits the familiar image of three wise men and their guiding star.

This same scene also appears on Christmas cards, window clings, and other holiday décor. So it’s no surprise, then, that people begin to wonder what the bright light was that led the magi to Bethlehem. A supernova? A regular nova? A ’67 Nova?

 

Curiouser and Curiouser

“There is a place like no place on Earth—a land full of wonder, mystery, and danger.”

Last night, a group of us journeyed into the strange and whimsical realm that is Alice in Wonderland.

 

The Hunt for Dark Matter

This topic was suggested via the Take Two Facebook fan page by Dr. Nick Tavani of the RTB Washington DC chapter. If you have ideas for Take Two articles, just contact us via Facebook!

Mysterious and elusive, dark matter is for astronomers and cosmologists what the White Rabbit is for Alice. It’s described as a “hypothetical form of matter…whose presence can be inferred from gravitational effects on visible matter.” In other words, scientists know dark matter exists because they can observe its impact on its celestial surroundings—but they have yet to directly detect it.

 

Nacho Average Discovery

Movie rental. Check

Plate of homemade nachos. Check

Drinks. Oops!

In our haste to settle on the couch with a movie and nacho cheesy feast, my husband and I forgot to serve ourselves a drink. We took advantage of the previews to make a break for the kitchen. What we saw when we walked back into the living room stopped us in our tracks.

 

A Stark Beauty

Two score and, oh, about a week and a half ago, Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon.

Upon taking his first step on the Moon’s surface, he uttered the now famous words “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” But what he said next seems just as profound. “It has a stark beauty all its own.”