Tag: space

The World · You

The Sun is green, but we see what we think we see.

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When we look at the sun, we see yellow or maybe white. But the thing is, we’re not actually looking at the sun, which is technically green.

Apparently we see tis green star as white because our eyes and brains are simply overwhelmed. To me, this misperception is an extreme example of this idea:

👉 The way you perceive something says as much about you as it does about the thing you’re observing.

I think this idea applies to people too. Whether you think someone is a jerk or super cool, it may say as much about your own experiences, aspirations, and assumptions as it does about that person.

On the one hand, this phenomenon can help you make lasting friendships and fall in love, while on the other hand it can feed dumb-ass biases like racism, sexism, and all the others.

This idea kind of reminds me of a Jesse Jackson joke from an old Saturday Night Live skit.

I do not deny the allegation, I deny the allegator.

Jessie Jackson on SNL

When I start to suspect my perceptions may be playing a trick on me, I try to back up, gather more information, and make sure it’s not me. Because sometimes it is. ☀️

The World

The helicopter on Mars

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I’m taking a minute to appreciate that, despite all the challenges we currently face here on Earth, we’re flying a helicopter around on another planet. 🤯 We can still do incredible things.

This image goes with my continued fascination that we’re invading Mars instead of the them invading us. If there were really such as thing as Martians, then they surely would have blown this helicopter to smithereens and sent us an ultimatum by now. 🤷🏻‍♂️

(Also: NASA, can I use this as an album cover? Some stylish text would fit nicely against the pale Martian sky.)

The World

“Skycrane maneuver has started…”

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We Earthlings have a history of fearing Martians invading our planet 👽, so it’s always amusing to watch a video of us invading them. 🧑🏻‍🚀

I used to be obsessed with 7 Minutes of Terror: Curiosity Rover’s Risky Mars Landing, which shows how NASA gets a rover from hurtling 10,000 mph through space to softly kissing the surface of Mars — all within a few short minutes. It’s still an amazing video if you haven’t seen it and are interested in, well… anything cool.

My favorite part is the skycrane maneuver, which is hard to explain but looks insane. And it seems to work quite well.

“If you’re landing a rover on Mars, there’s no doubt this is the right way.”

In fact, this skycrane show-off maneuver works so well that NASA keeps doing it. Check out a video of the latest invasion — I mean landing — in the name of Perseverance.

The World

Apollo 11 Source Code 🚀

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In the coolest news ever, the source code for the freakin’ Apollo 11 space modules was recently revealed on GitHub. 🤩

Specifically, this is the source code for the guidance systems of the Lunar module (the thingy that landed on the surface of the moon) and the Command Module (the can that orbited the moon during the mission).

👉 Apollo-11 on GitHub

A few cool points:

  • The code submission date is March 28, 1969.
  • The programmer is one Margaret H. Hamilton, Colossus Programming Leader Apollo Guidance and Navigation. If anyone is still saying “girls” can’t code, then you can seriously stop now.
  • There are two literal modules in the project: Comanche055 (Colossus 2A, the Command Module), Luminary099 (Luminary 1A, the Lunar Module). So much for thinking of “modules” as just a programming concept. These were two physical components literally flying around the moon.
  • These nerds were funny too. The master ignition routine is called BURN_BABY_BURN. 😂
  • The code seems to be written in some sort of assembler language, as in 1969 basically no modern languages were yet invented.
  • The code comments are currently being translated to other spoken languages as part of this open source project. For all mankind, mothers! 🌎