Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Nova ScienceNOW, my latest discovery

I have sunburn! I know it’s not healthy as I come from a family with a history of skin cancer, but I cannot conceal my excitement at the changing of seasons. Yesterday was wildly sunny and I spent the entire day walking the dogs, riding my bicycle, blowing bubbles, and flying a kite. I even had dinner outside! I am so fortunate to bask.

Today, however, the weather is doing a typical spring thing. It rained all morning and now it’s sunny but too cold to be enjoyable. In addition, my body is exhausted from all the sun. This created a perfect opportunity to explore Netflix instant streaming and I found Nova ScienceNOW. I was pleasantly surprised to have made this discovery, as I had been listening to their podcast for years. Hosted by popular astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, @neiltyson, the show has the campy feel of Bill Nye the Science Guy. It conveys solid science and an array of topics that all fall under the same umbrella. There are six episodes, all of which tackle a big question in under an hour.

Now, a word about Neil deGrasse Tyson (NDT). The first time I heard him he was explaining what would happen if I were being squeezed through a black hole. It was not pleasant but very interesting. NDT is an excellent ambassador for scientists. He speaks normal people AND scientist talk—not many can do this. He’s a man’s man with a deep commanding voice and a great stache. NDT makes regular appearances on the Colbert Report, and he puts science on a level that anyone can understand and appreciate it. I am elated to see that he is host of Nova ScienceNOW and if he asked me to grow a great mustache in the name of science, I would try.

2 comments:

  1. About time for a new Post!

    Did you really fly a kite? I'm jealous. I haven't done that in years!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Speaking of physicists, I have a crush on Brian Cox.

    ReplyDelete