Eggplant.place

179d

ONLINE EVENT: A search for life beyond Earth – How it works, where it stands, why it matters

7 October @ 9:00 pm - 10:30 pm CEST / Noon - 1:30 pm PDT

Bill Diamond, current President and CEO of the SETI Institute, will drive us inside the search for life beyond Earth, not only the founding concepts, current status, and perspectives of the search, but the organizational aspects too.

Register to attend: https://spacerenaissance.space/event/a-search-for-life-beyond-earth-how-it-works-where-it-stands-why-it-matters-with-bill-diamond/

#seti #science

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1y

#OTD in 1896.

Guglielmo Marconi applies for a patent for his wireless telegraph.

On 13 May 1897, Marconi sent the first ever wireless communication over open sea – a message was transmitted over the Bristol Channel from Flat Holm Island to Lavernock Point near Cardiff, a distance of 6 kilometres. The message read "Are you ready".

His patent is available here (later claimed by Oliver Lodge to contain his own ideas which he failed to patent):
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark:/13960/t0dv1dp4c&view=1up&seq=322

#science #technology

British Post Office engineers inspect Marconi's radio equipment during a demonstration on Flat Holm Island, 13 May 1897. The transmitter is at centre, the coherer receiver below it, and the pole supporting the wire antenna is visible at top.

British Post Office engineers inspect Guglielmo Marconi's wireless telegraphy (radio) equipment, during a demonstration on Flat Holm island, 13 May 1897. This was the world's first demonstration of the transmission of radio signals over open sea, between Lavernock Point and Flat Holm Island, a distance of 3 miles. On top of the two packing cases in front of the two standing engineers is the spark-gap transmitter, which consists of an induction coil (right) that generates high voltage pulses that creates sparks between the balls of the Righi spark gap (left). This excites oscillating currents in a wire antenna, suspended aloft by the striped pole seen in the centre, which radiates the radio waves. Information is transmitted by switching the transmitter on and off rapidly using a switch called a telegraph key (not visible), spelling out text messages in Morse code.

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178d

Leonardo Da Vinci’s To-Do List from 1490: The Plan of a Renaissance Man

https://www.openculture.com/2025/09/leonardo-da-vincis-to-do-list-from-1490.html

#art #science #history

"This portrait attributed to Francesco Melzi, c. 1515–1518, is the only certain contemporary depiction of Leonardo." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci

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1y

"One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done."

~Maria Skłodowska-Curie (7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934)

The first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize, in 1903, for Physics, Marie Curie became the first person to win two with the 1911 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. She founded the Curie Institute.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie

Books by Marie Curie at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/39174

#science #physics

Photo of Marie Curie.

Monochrome image of a woman in a checkered shirt.

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1y

#OTD in 1919.

Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity is tested by Arthur Eddington and Andrew Claude de la Cherois Crommelin.

The Eddington experiment was organised by the astronomers Frank Watson Dyson & Arthur Stanley Eddington in 1919. The observations were of the total solar eclipse of 29 May 1919 and were carried out by two expeditions which aim was to measure the gravitational deflection of starlight passing near the Sun.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddington_experiment

#science #relativity #astronomy

One of Eddington's photographs of the total solar eclipse of 29 May 1919, presented in his 1920 paper announcing its success, confirming Einstein's theory that light "bends".

Frank Watson Dyson / Arthur Eddington / Charles Rundle Davidson - F. W. Dyson, A. S. Eddington, and C. Davidson (1920). "A Determination of the Deflection of Light by the Sun's Gravitational Field, from Observations Made at the Total Eclipse of May 29, 1919". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: 332. ISSN 1364-503X.

From the report of Sir Arthur Eddington on the expedition to verify Albert Einstein's prediction of the bending of light around the sun. In Plate 1 is given a half-tone reproduction of one of the negatives taken with the 4-inch lens at Sobral. This shows the position of the stars, and, as far as possible in a reproduction of this kind, the character of the images, as there has been no retouching. A number of photographic prints have been made and applications for these from astronomers, who wish to assure themselves of the quality of the photographs, will be considered as as far as possible acceded to.

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176d

I am re-reading one of my favorite #books: "The Snow Leopard" by Peter Matthiessen. It is a #travel book set in 1973 in #Nepal as the author accompanies a #science expedition into the #Himalayas. It is a book about #nature and a #Buddhist introspection on grief and change.

The cool thing is that I am #reading the chapters on the day they were set. A really nice experience if you have never read such a book like that before.

#bookstodon #buddhism @bookstodon

An e-reader displaying the cover of "The Snow Leopard" by Peter Matthiessen, part of the Penguin Classics series. The screen shows illustrations of a snow leopard, a goat, and a penguin, along with reading progress indicating 23% read.

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An e-reader displaying a passage titled "OCTOBER 10" from the book "The Snow Leopard." The text on the screen reads -"In the glory of sunrise, spiderwebs glitter and greenfinches in October gold bound from pine to shining pine. Pony bells and joyous whistling; young children and animals jump as if come to life. One beautiful child has a silver necklace and red-green strips of rag braided into crow-black hair; the infant she carries papoose-style is her own.

A day so fine for travel is also fine for harvesting potatoes. The new porters refuse to depart, nor will they give up the pay advanced to them to buy food. "Dhorpatan no-good people," says Phu-Tsering. To find nine men, Jang-bu stays behind, and Gyaltsen stays with him, guarding the loads"

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1y

Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit physicist, inventor and scientific instrument maker was born #OTD in 1686.

He created the temperature scale that bears his name in 1724. He set the zero point of his scale at the temperature of a mixture of ice, water, and ammonium chloride, a freezing brine solution. He established 32°F as the freezing point of water and 212°F as the boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure. He also invented the mercury-in-glass thermometer.

#science #thermometry

Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit.

A man holding a thermometer and checking his temperature.

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177d

SETI Institute In the News 2025: September Roundup

From Martian rocks that may hold traces of past life, to fragile asteroids that explode in Earth’s atmosphere, to bold ideas about AI-driven “astronauts,” SETI Institute scientists are at the forefront of discoveries shaping planetary science and humanity’s future in space.

Read the full stories: https://www.seti.org/news/seti-institute-in-the-news-2025-september-roundup/

#space #science

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177d

Next #SETILive: Birth of Planets: Caught!
TODAY, 9 October, 11:00 am PDT / 2:00 pm PDT

How do planets start? Host Simon Steel (SETI Institute) speaks with Melissa McClure (Leiden University), lead author of a new study that caught the earliest spark of planet formation.

WATCH LIVE: https://youtube.com/live/dtoULXg_nfg

#space #science

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176d

#ICYMI: SETI Institute CEO and President Bill Diamond gave a talk earlier this week called "The Search for Life Beyond Earth - How It Works, Where It Stands and Why It Matters." He explored the science and technology of humanity’s efforts to understand the nature and prevalence of life and intelligence beyond Earth, and to answer the question, “Are we alone in the Universe?”

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw0-Jatj36w

#seti #science #arewealone

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1y

Dutch physician, mathematician, cartographer Gemma Frisius was born #OTD in 1555.

He created important globes, improved the mathematical instruments of his day and applied mathematics in new ways to surveying and navigation. Gemma's rings, an astronomical instrument, are named after him. He observed the total lunar eclipse of 3 Mar 1569 and he also discovered the 1572 supernova in Cassiopeia on 9 Nov, which he observed two days before Tycho Brahe.

#science #cartography #astronomy

Gemma Frisius, (Maarten van Heemskerck, c. 1540–1545).

An artwork depicting a man with a globe in his hand.

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Images of the terrestrial globe of Gemma Frisius 1536 held by the Austrian National Library on behalf of the Rudolf Schmidt collection, Vienna.

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1y

Dutch physicist Pieter Zeeman was born #OTD in 1865.

In 1896, while studying the effect of magnetic fields on the light emitted by a sodium flame, Zeeman observed that the spectral lines of the light split into multiple components in the presence of a magnetic field- the Zeeman effect.

In 1902, Pieter Zeeman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, shared with Hendrik Lorentz, for the discovery of the Zeeman effect and its theoretical explanation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeeman_effect

#science #physics

Portrait of Dr Pieter Zeeman (1865-1943) Professor of Physics. Document type photograph Creator Merkelbach, Atelier J. Collection Collection Atelier J. Merkelbach Portrayed Zeeman, P. (Pieter,1865-1943)
Inventories http://archief.amsterdam/archief/10164/35264 Image file 010164033015

A senior gentleman in spectacles and formal attire reading a book.

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INTERIOR OF THE PHYSICAL LABORATORY AT PASADENA

Showing slit end of vertical spectrograph and magnet used in study of Zeeman effect. Electric arcs, electric furnaces, pressure pumps, and electro-magnets are available for spectroscopic studies.

via @interarchive

https://archive.org/details/reviewofreviewsw42newy/page/202/mode/1up?view=theater

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166d

What is the absolute worst thing human beings have enabled in the modern era?

No, no, forget the usual topics

It is this:

😱 🦟

"#Mosquitoes have arrived in #Iceland

Three #mosquitos were found in Kjós recently. This has been confirmed by the Icelandic Institute of Natural History. This is the first time that the flies have been found on Icelandic soil."

https://www.ruv.is/frettir/innlent/2025-10-20-moskitoflugur-komnar-til-islands-456599

#Mosquito #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChange #Environment #Biology #Science #Ísland

Nature

Mosquitoes have arrived in Iceland
Three mosquitoes were found in Kjós recently. This has been confirmed by the Icelandic Institute of Natural History. This is the first time that the flies have been found on Icelandic soil.

Olof Run Erlendsdottir

October 20, 2025 at 10:06 GMT,updated at 17:49

Image of a mosquito, of the species Culiseta Annulata.
Culiseta annulata is the Latin name for the species found in this country.

Flickr Creative Commons – Alexander Northey

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1y

COMIC VIDEO: Stupid Questions

He’s asking the real questions

#comic #science #alarminglybad

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1y

Scottish botanist and paleobotanist Robert Brown died #OTD in 1858.

In 1827, while observing pollen grains suspended in water under a microscope, Brown discovered the random movement of particles, later known as Brownian motion. He was the first to describe the cell nucleus, which he observed in orchid cells in 1831. He also made significant contributions to the classification of plants, introducing new families and genera.

#books #science #botany

Portrait of a person (Robert Brown), 1820. A captivating depiction of an individual by an unknown artist.

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The miscellaneous botanical works of Robert Brown
by Brown, Robert, 1773-1858; Bennett, John Joseph, 1801-1876.

"The Miscellaneous Botanical Works of Robert Brown" is a collection of Brown's significant contributions to the field of botany, encapsulating his research, observations, and theoretical advancements. These works are foundational to various areas within botany and reflect Brown's meticulous scientific approach.

Brown's meticulous documentation and classification work laid the groundwork for modern botany. His discoveries regarding cell structure and motion influenced subsequent research in both botany and other scientific fields.

Brown introduced several key terms and concepts that are still in use today, such as "gymnosperm" and "angiosperm," aiding in the standardization of botanical nomenclature.

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165d

The New England Journal of Medicine and the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy are to begin publishing a new journal, "Public Health Alerts," with a view to conveying the information that used to be disseminated in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The MMWR has been published since 1952 and is the place where details of new outbreaks and diseases are announced, but practitioners' trust in it has been shaken as a result of various actions by the Trump administration. Here's more from Stat News.

https://flip.it/jeXkF8

#Medicine #Science #Doctors #DiseaseControl #PublicHealth #MMWR #TrumpAdministration #CDC

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164d

Quantum computing 'lie detector' finally proves these machines tap into Einstein's spooky action at a distance rather than just faking it. Via @live_science #Science #Physics #QuantumPhysics #QuantumMechanics 🔭🔬🧪🥼🧑‍🔬 #ComputerSciences #QuantumComputers

Quantum computing 'lie detecto...

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1y

German astronomer Johann Georg Palitzsch was born #OTD in 1723.

On December 25, 1758, Palitzsch became the first person to observe the return of Halley's Comet, confirming Halley's prediction, which was based on his calculations of the comet's orbit and its previous appearances. This was a significant milestone in the field of astronomy, providing strong evidence for the accuracy of Newtonian mechanics and the predictability of cometary orbits.

#science #astronomy

Astronomer Palitzsch

An engraving of a man holding a telescope, depicting a historical scene with intricate details.

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1y

American zoologist Mary Jane Rathbun was born #OTD in 1860.

Rathbun's primary work involved the classification and description of crustaceans, particularly crabs. Over her career, she described over 1,000 new species and genera of crustaceans. She developed new methods and techniques for identifying and classifying crustaceans, including detailed morphological descriptions and illustrations that facilitated the work of other researchers.

#science #zoology #carcinology #womeninscience

Mary Jane Rathbun (1860-1943) worked for the United States Fish Commission and later at the United States National Museum in the Department of Marine Invertebrates. She began her work as an unpaid assistant to her brother, Richard Rathbun, and was later able to secure a museum position. Rathbun's primary zoological interest was the study of crustacea, particularly the crabs, both recent and fossil.

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Goniopsis cruentata, Male.. . Subject: Crabs, Goniopsis Tag: Shellfish

Mary J. Rathbun - Rathbun, Mary J. (1902) Brachyura and Macrura of Porto Rico, Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission, v.20, pt.2, for 1900, Washington, DC: Government Printing Office

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Parapenaeus americanus, Female.. . Subject: Shrimps, Parapenaeus Tag: Shellfish
Mary J. Rathbun - Rathbun, Mary J. (1902) Brachyura and Macrura of Porto Rico, Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission, v.20, pt.2, for 1900, Washington, DC: Government Printing Office

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164d

Astronaut Alan Bean enjoying weightlessness in the open space of the orbital workshop on the Skylab space station in 1973.

#nasa #space #science

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162d

Does a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease already exist? Researchers have recently discovered more about how the disease spreads and a cancer drug that has proven effective on mice. More from @ScienceAlert:

https://flip.it/1prxdS

#Science #Health #Disease #Humans #Parkinsons

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162d

Turns out tomato sex is the reason we have one of life’s greatest foods: the modern potato. They’re hybrids of tomatoes and a non-tuberous potato ancestor called Solanum Etuberosum.

Thank you, horny little tomatoes.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-potato-may-have-evolved-from-a-tomato-ancestor-nine-million-years-ago-genetic-study-suggests-180987091/

Hat tip: @peteorrall

#Botany #Nature #Biology #Science #Tomatoes #Potatoes

Images of two species of potatoes. The first is Solanum Etuberosum, noted as being non-tuber-bearing. The second is Solanum Tuberosum, noted as being tuber-bearing.

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161d

Medieval Inventions We Still Can’t Fully Recreate Today

The Middle Ages were a time of remarkable innovation, when new technologies flourished. Yet the knowledge behind many of these inventions has been lost. Here are several medieval technologies that remain impossible to fully recreate, even with modern science.

https://www.medievalists.net/2025/10/medieval-inventions-we-still-cant-fully-recreate-today/

Medieval science at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subjects/search/?query=medieval+science

#books #science #inventions

Image from an illuminated manuscript, the Madrid Skylitzes, showing Greek fire in use against the fleet of the rebel Thomas the Slav.

"The Roman fleet burn the opposite fleet down" – An Eastern Roman / Byzantine war ship using their "secret weapon" Greek fire against a ship belonging to the rebel Thomas the Slav, AD 821. (12th century illustration from the "Madrid Skylitzes").

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_fire#/media/File:Greekfire-madridskylitzes1.jpg

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95d

Last evening I derived the "quantum correlation" for the two channel optical Bell experiment, right here on my Mastodon account. But I did so WITHOUT quantum mechanics, and I did so in a way that makes it clear there is only classical Newtonian motion.

Go see it for yourself: https://masto.ai/@chemoelectric/115805620208576148

It is not a "quantum" anything. It is the ordinary correlation function for ordinary behavior. Yet "Physics" and "Science" channels will go on announcing MAGIC.

#physics #science #quantumComputing

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160d

Earth has a new friend, it turns out. Astronomers have discovered a peculiar “moon” shadowing our planet as it moves through space. Read more from @sciencefocus:

https://flip.it/2gHCx4

#Science #Space #Earth #Astronomy

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