observation log - animals

From time to time it happens here to meet some animals. Not very often since it is a half-desert, but it happens. Sometime it's cute springbook just behind your window



but sometimes not.

Observations log day #3

Yes, we had a little pause in writing on thins blog, but since I am 'observing' now in Sutherland, South Africa I may try to write something.

So I am here 3 days, here is summary of these 3 days:

- There are shop that sells electricity, I thought about buying a bucket of this, but I didn't have time to go into that shop. Exact sign was "Here we sell electricity"

- They drink decaff coffee in observatory. That's just weird.

- I asked a driver (transport from Cape Town to Sutherland) what should I do with my room key, since I am leaving. He said, very surprised: "WHO are you?!".

- I talked to another astronomer, just usual blablabla, what he's observing, how is the weather, he asked where am I from. I said "I'm from Poland" of course, and he replied "A ja jestem z Poznania". (for english-only speaking readers - it means that he was from Poland too).

- In a pub in Sutherland they know polish people, especially one lady.

- A bartender in Cape Town didn't believe me that it's possible to drink a shot of vodka (and only vodka), he heard of it but couldn't believe me. Then he gave me 3 shots to teach him.

The best bartender in the world! (the left one):




- Now I start to think I am coursed - a year ago, when I was here to observe during two weeks we had maybe 6 'good' nights. It's raining for two days now, and forecast says that it will be raining until Friday...

The picture is made toward the plateau, where is SALT and other domes. Not visible now...

We are the first

at least if you type "boring astronomers" in your browser:D

might not work in boring browsers...*

*FF, SF, OP, CH

year-end summary

As You probably are aware there is an end of the academic year now. Most of the scientific institutes connected with academic life make some summaries. E.g. our institute counted number of publications since 1997. Only publications to refereed journals are taken.
As You can see there is fast growth in last 3 years. Maybe it's improvement in a scientific level of workers, but there are also some voices that it's just when those huge consortiums (CTA, LIGO etc) began to write their publications. The other fact is that in those consortiums publications are made very slowly...

If You have similiar data, please, feel free to submit!

Que telescopio es polaco?

Opción 1.:




Opción 2.:




Opción 3.:

clock and Mr R.

Why Santa Claus is correlated with Aids?

Probably this in one of the most sirius post in this blog!

Ok, so, what "science" is all aboute? Well, partly about finding correlations. The other part is to discover if that correlation is real. For example people that are talking about "global warming" mostly forget about second part.

How dose it work? How can We find correlation betwean Santa Claus and Aids?
It's easy, You have to compare two curves. You can use google trends - it shows how often topics have been searched on Google over time.

ok, just try SANTA (claus) and AIDS



santa is blue, aids - red.
correlation - obvious!!!!!!

Why? Does that mean that people think of Santa Claus as filthy, immoral, obscene old man with aids?
No, so why there is correlation.

Let's start with comparing google trends curves for CHRISTMAS and SANTA:



natural,
next step is CHRISTMAS and SEX



christmas is red, sex blue. Correlation isn't so perfect, but We belive it exist.
Last step is:

SEX vs. AIDS



and that is why we have correlation SANTA (claus) - AIDS




so, do You belive and undarstand now?
YOU SHOULDN'T!!!! It's an illusion. There IS NO real correlation between SEX and AIDS.
The trick is, that 1 December is World AIDS Day.

Show some compassion to astronomers, almost all their work is finding correlations!

Ps.
Find out why there is anticorrelation with VODKA - POLAND !!!!!!!! XD