DEREKHEISLER.COM BLOG: Through the Lens: Bill Nye

Derek Heisler shoots Bill Nye, a beautiful set of portraits for one of our greatest educators. Love the Superman one. Very appropriate, no?

derekheisler:

In this Through the Lens I had the opportunity to photograph Bill Nye The Science Guy for the SETI Institute. For most, Bill doesn’t need an introduction. He filled our Saturdays will learning, laughter, and fun. I can definitely say that Bill played a part in my curiosity towards the Sciences.

While chatting on our way to my portrait area, we talked about how technology is affecting the brain. He was exactly how I remember him on TV so many years ago. During the shoot I mentioned that I was also an Engineer and that I had worked with control systems. He immediately perked up and said “I’ve got something for you! Remind me after we’re done”. I was curious like a child again! When we wrapped up the session, he grabbed his laptop and placed it on the table nearby. Without grabbing a chair he kneeled down to get to eye level with his laptop. He then began to explain how he had just been at a conference and someone (I apologize for forgetting his name) had revisited how control loops should be done. It was just a simple change that made increased efficiency of the system. I stepped back and had a fan boyish moment where I realized I was getting a personal Saturday Bill Nye The Science Guy lesson!

Bill is a genuine Educator. He does what he does, because of his passion for Science and sharing knowledge. We can all learn a little from that.

DiscoveryNews: Astronaut Don Pettit is an astronaut, a scientist, and a poet. Here's his poem in honor of poetry month.

discoverynews:

Space is My Mistress

Space is my Mistress,
and she beckons my return.
Since our departure I think of you
and yearn to fly across the heavens arm in arm.
I marvel at your figure,
defined by the edges of continents.
You gaze at me with turquoise eyes,
perhaps mistaken for ocean atolls.
You tease me to fall into your bosom,
sculptured by tectonic rifts,
only to move away as if playing some tantalizing game.
Time and time we turn together,
through day, and night, and day,
repeating encounters every 90 minutes with a freshness,
as if we have never seen our faces before.
We stroll outside together,
enveloped by naked cosmos,
filled with desire to be one.
So close,
you sense my every breath,
which masks your stare through visor haze.
We dance on the swirls of cloud tops,
while skirting the islands of blue.
You know my heart beats fast for you.
Oh, Space is my mistress,
and when our orbits coincide,
we will once again make streaks of aurora across the sky.

Lovely stuff :)

crownedrose:

Jane the tyrannosaur - from a pile of bones to an active predator

Okay, this is a really awesome video for two reasons. One is because it’s AWESOME, and two is because I saw this with a group during the palaeontology event I attended before anyone else out there (other than WitmerLab, of course). It was fantastic to be part of the unveiling of the video to the public. Dr. Lawrence Witmer is a fantastic palaeontologist and great guy to watch lecture. Gotta love the new technology they’re coming up with over in Ohio!

No, seriously guys … it goes from a pile of bones to a bug-eyed chomper in mere seconds. Which, considering that it ends up looking like the most surprised predator in history, is both hilarious and fascinating.

Awesome technology. If anyone knows of any more sims like this with other species, send ‘em my way.

thescienceofrealities: First Photos of 298 Million Year Old Forest Unveiled. “ Scientists have just released the first photos of the incredible 298 million year old buried forest that was recently found below a coal mine in Yuda, China. The extensive array of tree and plant fossils that were photographed were found still arranged in a forest landscape - a first for fossil discovery. The entire forest was covered by fallen ash, which erupted from an ancient volcano, preserving it for eternity. Read more about it here. Speaking of old things, did you hear about the 30,000 year-old seeds found in a permafrosted squirrel den that sprouted into flowers?
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thescienceofrealities: First Photos of 298 Million Year Old Forest Unveiled. “ Scientists have just released the first photos of the incredible 298 million year old buried forest that was recently found below a coal mine in Yuda, China. The extensive array of tree and plant fossils that were photographed were found still arranged in a forest landscape - a first for fossil discovery. The entire forest was covered by fallen ash, which erupted from an ancient volcano, preserving it for eternity. Read more about it here. Speaking of old things, did you hear about the 30,000 year-old seeds found in a permafrosted squirrel den that sprouted into flowers?
Zoom Info
thescienceofrealities: First Photos of 298 Million Year Old Forest Unveiled. “ Scientists have just released the first photos of the incredible 298 million year old buried forest that was recently found below a coal mine in Yuda, China. The extensive array of tree and plant fossils that were photographed were found still arranged in a forest landscape - a first for fossil discovery. The entire forest was covered by fallen ash, which erupted from an ancient volcano, preserving it for eternity. Read more about it here. Speaking of old things, did you hear about the 30,000 year-old seeds found in a permafrosted squirrel den that sprouted into flowers?
Zoom Info
thescienceofrealities: First Photos of 298 Million Year Old Forest Unveiled. “ Scientists have just released the first photos of the incredible 298 million year old buried forest that was recently found below a coal mine in Yuda, China. The extensive array of tree and plant fossils that were photographed were found still arranged in a forest landscape - a first for fossil discovery. The entire forest was covered by fallen ash, which erupted from an ancient volcano, preserving it for eternity. Read more about it here. Speaking of old things, did you hear about the 30,000 year-old seeds found in a permafrosted squirrel den that sprouted into flowers?
Zoom Info
thescienceofrealities: First Photos of 298 Million Year Old Forest Unveiled. “ Scientists have just released the first photos of the incredible 298 million year old buried forest that was recently found below a coal mine in Yuda, China. The extensive array of tree and plant fossils that were photographed were found still arranged in a forest landscape - a first for fossil discovery. The entire forest was covered by fallen ash, which erupted from an ancient volcano, preserving it for eternity. Read more about it here. Speaking of old things, did you hear about the 30,000 year-old seeds found in a permafrosted squirrel den that sprouted into flowers?
Zoom Info
thescienceofrealities: First Photos of 298 Million Year Old Forest Unveiled. “ Scientists have just released the first photos of the incredible 298 million year old buried forest that was recently found below a coal mine in Yuda, China. The extensive array of tree and plant fossils that were photographed were found still arranged in a forest landscape - a first for fossil discovery. The entire forest was covered by fallen ash, which erupted from an ancient volcano, preserving it for eternity. Read more about it here. Speaking of old things, did you hear about the 30,000 year-old seeds found in a permafrosted squirrel den that sprouted into flowers?
Zoom Info
thescienceofrealities: First Photos of 298 Million Year Old Forest Unveiled. “ Scientists have just released the first photos of the incredible 298 million year old buried forest that was recently found below a coal mine in Yuda, China. The extensive array of tree and plant fossils that were photographed were found still arranged in a forest landscape - a first for fossil discovery. The entire forest was covered by fallen ash, which erupted from an ancient volcano, preserving it for eternity. Read more about it here. Speaking of old things, did you hear about the 30,000 year-old seeds found in a permafrosted squirrel den that sprouted into flowers?
Zoom Info
thescienceofrealities: First Photos of 298 Million Year Old Forest Unveiled. “ Scientists have just released the first photos of the incredible 298 million year old buried forest that was recently found below a coal mine in Yuda, China. The extensive array of tree and plant fossils that were photographed were found still arranged in a forest landscape - a first for fossil discovery. The entire forest was covered by fallen ash, which erupted from an ancient volcano, preserving it for eternity. Read more about it here. Speaking of old things, did you hear about the 30,000 year-old seeds found in a permafrosted squirrel den that sprouted into flowers?
Zoom Info
thescienceofrealities: First Photos of 298 Million Year Old Forest Unveiled. “ Scientists have just released the first photos of the incredible 298 million year old buried forest that was recently found below a coal mine in Yuda, China. The extensive array of tree and plant fossils that were photographed were found still arranged in a forest landscape - a first for fossil discovery. The entire forest was covered by fallen ash, which erupted from an ancient volcano, preserving it for eternity. Read more about it here. Speaking of old things, did you hear about the 30,000 year-old seeds found in a permafrosted squirrel den that sprouted into flowers?
Zoom Info
thescienceofrealities: First Photos of 298 Million Year Old Forest Unveiled. “ Scientists have just released the first photos of the incredible 298 million year old buried forest that was recently found below a coal mine in Yuda, China. The extensive array of tree and plant fossils that were photographed were found still arranged in a forest landscape - a first for fossil discovery. The entire forest was covered by fallen ash, which erupted from an ancient volcano, preserving it for eternity. Read more about it here. Speaking of old things, did you hear about the 30,000 year-old seeds found in a permafrosted squirrel den that sprouted into flowers?
Zoom Info

thescienceofrealities:

First Photos of 298 Million Year Old Forest Unveiled.

“ Scientists have just released the first photos of the incredible 298 million year old buried forest that was recently found below a coal mine in Yuda, China. The extensive array of tree and plant fossils that were photographed were found still arranged in a forest landscape - a first for fossil discovery. The entire forest was covered by fallen ash, which erupted from an ancient volcano, preserving it for eternity.

Read more about it here.

Speaking of old things, did you hear about the 30,000 year-old seeds found in a permafrosted squirrel den that sprouted into flowers?

(via thescienceofreality)