Cosmic Radiation and the New Frontier

Aside from propulsion, one of the biggest challenges to the exploration of deeper space by humans is dealing with radiation exposure.  At this point in our technical development, a trip to Mars might cause astronauts to receive substantial doses (far exceeding regulatory limits for nuclear workers in the USA) of radiation by the time they return home to earth.  This article found a The New Papyrus website gives a great primer on what mankind is up against concerning radiation protection in space exploration.

An Animated Look at the Size of the Universe

Total Solar Eclipse in North American August 21, 2017

I just watched a historical documentary last night on the challenges endured by Albert Einstein as he awaited confirmation of his General Relativity Theory by astronomers photographing stars near the sun during a total solar eclipse between 1916 and 1919.  I was struck by the emotional description by an astronomer who recently witnessed a total solar eclipse.  She described the sensation of having her breath taken away.  That made me want to experience this amazing phenomenon more than ever.  I had not though about this in a while so I thought I would look up when the next total solar eclipse would come across North America.  To my absolute amazement, it will happen over my home on August 21, 2017 at 1:34 pm.

Radiation Dose Chart

This chart has been around for a few years, but with the recent news articles about increased background levels on the west coast of the USA, we need to keep things in perspective.

Nuclear Power's Future

Here is an article out of UC Berkeley on an assessment of nuclear power by Per Peterson, the chair of Berkeley's Department of Nuclear Engineering. If the global nuclear industry applies new designs, we can have safe, affordable, and abundant energy.