Tag Archives: astro2110

Where is Everybody?

The Fermi paradox is a very simple question whose answer could have massive consequences for the future of humanity: where is everybody? With equations like the Drake equation predicting a huge number of extraterrestrial civilizations, it seems odd that we have detected no signs of life outside of Earth. In this blog post, I will […] Continue reading

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Extremophiles: Life Finds a Way in the Most Extreme Places!

Extremophiles are organisms that can survive in extreme environments where other life forms cannot. These harsh environments can have high or low temperatures, extreme pressures, high levels of radiation, and/or extreme acidity or alkalinity. Despite the inhospitable conditions, extremophiles have developed unique adaptations that allow them to survive and thrive. Did you know that three […] Continue reading

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Extremophiles: life finds a way

I remember first learning about extremophiles back in the sixth grade. Back then, I was fascinated by life’s ability to find a way to survive even in the ‘worst’ conditions. Now that I’m older, I am no less fascinated by these amazing organisms, their ability to thrive, and their connection to astronomy. (I only recently […] Continue reading

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Final Thoughts..

Blog 8? That doesn’t sound right. It feels like yesterday I designed my website and wrote my first post. Throughout the course of Astronomy 2110 I have explored the universe in many aspects. What sticks with me most, however, is how exactly we got to our current deep understanding of the universe.  Would Kepler have […] Continue reading

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Call Me Maybe?

Unfortunately, I come to the conclusion at the end of this class that it is extremely unlikely, and mathematically almost impossible, that we will receive any extraterrestrial contact within our lifetime. Reading about SETI makes me happy that humans have thought to reach out and prioritized it in a way (it is a very expensive […] Continue reading

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some final thoughts

When I started this class, I didn’t expect to find so many connections between astronomy and they other subjects I’m interested in! I am majoring in philosophy and political science, subjects that I believed to be totally independent from the physics and history of our universe. Thankfully, I was very wrong! I still am shocked […] Continue reading

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the fermi paradox

Sir Arthur C. Clarke, a British science fiction author, said that “two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying”. And he was exactly right! The more that we learn about and explore the universe, the more we learn about the possibility of life out there, […] Continue reading

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Fast Radio Bursts

Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are a phenomenon in astrophysics that has captivated researchers since their discovery in 2007. These are short-lived but extremely powerful bursts of radio waves that originate from far beyond our own galaxy. The duration of these bursts is typically measured in milliseconds, but during that time, they can emit as […] Continue reading

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“Where is everybody?”

The Fermi Paradox has puzzled scientists and philosophers for over half a century. It is named after Enrico Fermi, the Italian American physicist who, during a lunchtime conversation in 1950, asked, “Where is everybody?” Fermi was referring to the apparent contradiction between the high probability of the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life and the lack […] Continue reading

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Blog 8 – The History of Venus

When asked to picture Venus, many of us picture a hot, volcanic, inhabitable place — and we would be correct. However, science suggests that it may not have always been this way. A study of five different climate simulations of Venus found that in each of these scenarios, the planet could have supported liquid water […] Continue reading

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