Yeah, She Chairs The National Space Council, OMG!

Kamala Harris is the Chairwoman of the National Space Council and her only experience with space is probably when she made a video for NASA with child actors.
pic.twitter.com/CWSi84qE2W https://t.co/7dERQMBBug

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 24, 2024

Italian American Heritage Month: Carolyn C. Porco

Carolyn C. Porco

Carolyn Porco ios one of the world's most renowned planetray scientists.  She is primarily known for her work and breakthroughs in the exploration of the outer solar system, beginning with her imaging work on the Voyager missions to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

She is a distinguished, recognized expert in planetary probes and leader of the imaging science team for the Cassini probe which is presently in orbit around Saturn.

Porco continues to be active in the presentation of science to the public as the leader of the Cassini Imaging Team. She is the creator/editor of the team's CICLOPS website where Cassini images are posted, and she writes the site's homepage ,"Captain's Log," greetings to the public. 

Carolyn Porco is also a popular public lecturer and speaks frequently on the Cassini mission and planetary exploration in general. She has presented at such renowned cross-disciplinary conferences as TED (2009, 2007) and PopTech (2006, 2005). She also appears frequently in the media; as of 2016, she is a StarTalk All Stars host. Porco is also is the CEO and President of Diamond Sky Productions, LLC.

On top of all that, she is the recipient of many awards and honors, including being named as one of the 18 scientific leaders of the 21st century by The Sunday Times of London.

Porco was born into an Italian working-class family in New York City in 1953. She grew up alongside four brothers in the Bronx. Her interest in astronomy came about during an adolescent spiritual quest, which led her to study eastern religions and philosophy.

Quite simply, Carolyn Porco has made the mysteries of the universe understandable to millions of ordinary people.

Italian American Heritage Month: Mike Massimino

Michael James Massimino

Mike Massimino, a former NASA astronaut, is a professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University and the senior advisor for space programs at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. He received a BS from Columbia University, and MS degrees in mechanical engineering and in technology and policy, as well as a PhD in mechanical engineering, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

After working as an engineer at IBM, NASA, and McDonnell Douglas Aerospace, along with academic appointments at Rice University and at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Mike was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1996, and is the veteran of two space flights, the fourth and fifth Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions in 2002 and 2009. Mike has a team record for the number of hours spacewalking in a single space shuttle mission, and he was also the first person to tweet from space. During his NASA career he received two NASA Space Flight Medals, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the American Astronautical Society’s Flight Achievement Award, and the Star of Italian Solidarity.

Mike has made numerous television appearances, including a six-time recurring role as himself on the CBS hit comedy The Big Bang Theory. He has hosted Science Channel’s The Planets and its special Great American Eclipse. He is featured in National Geographic Channel’s series One Strange Rock and is the host for Science Channel’s series The Planets and Beyond. He is a frequent guest on television news and talk show programs, including NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, and CNN. He has also appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and on StarTalk radio and television shows.

Mike’s book, Spaceman: An Astronaut’s Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe, has received rave reviews and is a New York Times best-seller. Mike's new book, Spaceman: The True Story of a Young Boy’s Journey to Becoming an Astronaut, a young adult version of his previously published autobiography, is scheduled for publication on April 7th, 2020. He is a recipient of the 2017 Christopher Award, the 2017 Columbia University Community Impact Outstanding Community Service Award, the 2017 National Space Club Communications Award, and in 2018 was inducted into the Long Island Air and Space Hall of Fame. The street that Mike grew up on in Franklin Square, Long Island has been renamed “Mike Massimino Street.”

Order Sons of Italy in America awarded Mike its 2005 Guglielmo Marconi Award.

Too Often, This Seems To Be The Case!

 

Well, Just Think About It For A Moment , , ,

 

State Senator Works To Preserve Valuable Artifact

New Jersey State Senator Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) expressed his support of local efforts to preserve the historic Horn Antenna in Holmdel. The Horn Antenna, a designated National Historic Landmark, was used by scientists to confirm the Big Bang theory in 1965.

Sen. Declan O’Scanlon expressed his support of local efforts to preserve the historic Horn Antenna in Holmdel, which was used by scientists to confirm the Big Bang theory in 1965. (Wikimedia Commons)

“The Holmdel Horn Antenna was invaluable in helping us to understand how the universe began,” said O’Scanlon. “We cannot allow this important historic landmark to be destroyed by development. It is critical that we pursue every avenue to preserve this piece of our history for posterity. I support the efforts of local government officials to investigate options to save the Horn Antenna, and I am proud to see so many of our residents stand up and make their voices known in this fight.”

Hmmm . . . Well, We Suppose So . . .

 

Pestology: A Litany Of Menacing Parasites . . .

 

Wale Deaths Prompt More Outrage: Halt Windmills!

New Jersey State Senator Ed Durr joined a growing chorus of state and federal lawmakers in calling for a pause in wind farm development activities as more dead whales continue to wash ashore.

A deceased 30-foot humpback whale on the beach in Atlantic City recently. (NJ.com)

“Some people are adamantly denying that the sudden surge in dead whales is linked to wind farm survey work, but the truth is they don’t really know,” said Durr (R-3). “We don’t know if sonar or drilling used to conduct surveys of the ocean floor is disrupting the ability of whales to navigate safely, possibly leading to more deadly groundings and vessel strikes. Unless we want to risk more dead whales on our beaches, we should pause the survey work to investigate.”

State senators Vince Polistina and Michael Testa have called for a pause, as have Congressman Jeff Van Drew and Congressman Chris Smith.

OMG! And He Came ThisClose To Being President!

What. A. Lunatic.
pic.twitter.com/H96AEAYQEd

— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) January 19, 2023

It Seems Simple But Is Quite Amazing!

 

Italian American Heritage Month: Guiliana Tesoro

Giuliana Tesoro

She was a chemist who literally changed the way we live -- an innovative inventor who made groundbreaking discoveries that produced huge advances in everyday life. But, astoundingly, you've probably never heard of her. She's Guiliana Tesoro. 

Yes, organic chemist Giuliana Tesoro put fiber and textile chemistry to use in a way that sealed her place in history as one of the most prolific female inventors of all time. Over the course of her career she was granted more than 120 U.S. patents.

Tesoro was born Guiliana Cavaglieri in Venice, Italy, in 1921. In 1939 she completed her high school education but was denied the opportunity to go to college due to fascist laws that discriminated against her because of her Jewish faith. As a result, she immigrated to the U.S. and earned a PhD in organic chemistry from Yale University, where she met her future husband, Victor Tesoro. She went on to conduct chemical research for a number of large chemical companies including Burlington Industries, American Cyanamid, Chemical Research Company and Onyx Chemical Company, now Millmaster Onyx.

Tesoro made advances in textile processing and organic compounds that have improved clothing performance for everyday consumers as well as for manufacturing systems. Among her many innovations, Tesoro developed flame-resistant fibers, designed ways to prevent static accumulation in synthetic fibers, and improved permanent press properties for textiles.

In 1972, Tesoro became a visiting professor at MIT. She taught there until 1976, but remained on as an adjunct professor and senior research scientist until 1982. In 1982, Tesoro joined Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, New York, as a research professor in polymer chemistry. She brought 40 years of experience in the industry to her teaching position and published numerous papers related to her research.

Tesoro was a founding member of the Fiber Society and served on the editorial board for the Textile Research Journal and on the National Academy of Science’s Committee on Fire Safety of Polymeric Materials. In 1963, Tesoro was awarded the Olney Medal of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. She received the Society of Women Engineers’ Achievement Award in 1978.

Tesoro retired from Polytechnic University in 1996. She died in 2002 at the age of 81 in Dobbs Ferry, New York.

Now you know about one of the greatest woman trailblazers of all time!

H/T: MIT

Lest We All Start Feeling TOO Important . . .

 

Hmmm . . .Now Here's Something To Think About

 

Global Warming: So, You Think It's HOT Now?

Every now and then, the facts get in the way. 

 

A Dazzling Architectural Feat: Breathtaking!

We recently took a quick trip to southwestern Pennsylvania to visit a wondrous place we've always wanted to see. 

It's Frank Lloyd Wright's masterwork, Fallingwater, a residence built into the side of a cliff and over a waterfall. It was created for the Kauffman family who once owned a renowned chain of department stores. 

You may have seen photos of this place (like the ones we took, above) but they simply do not capture the sheer awesomeness of Fallingwater. It is nothing less than a work of genius! 

The Kauffmans lived here for many years but now it is open to the public and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Take note of how the architect brought the outdoors inside, creating an inspiring harmony with nature. And look at all the repeated linear patterns throughout. On top of everything else, this is a miraculous feat of engineering. 

You owe it to yourself to put this place on your bucket list. You won't be disappointed! 

Photos copyright 2022 by Dan Cirucci.

Does THIS Make It Any Easier To Understand?

 

The Sentiment Is Growing Louder And Louder!

 

OMG! Please Free Us from This Cranky Crackpot!

 

Baldy Political AND A Pompous Hypocrite!

The absolute hubris of someone claiming THEY represent science. It’s astounding and alarming that a public health bureaucrat would even think to claim such a thing, especially one who has worked so hard to ignore the science of natural immunity. https://t.co/rcDezphVRR

— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) November 28, 2021

"I'd have to laugh at that. I should be prosecuted? What happened on January 6th, Senator?" - Dr. Anthony Fauci on @TedCruz and GOP. He then says it's "unbelievably bad" to play politics in science. https://t.co/cFb036v8Dv @Mediaite pic.twitter.com/m2y4qjhqGL

— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) November 28, 2021