From platypus to parsecs and milliCrab: why do astronomers use such weird units?
You may have heard about an asteroid set to fly near Earth that is the size of 18 platypus, or maybe the one that’s the size of 33 armadillos, or even one the size of 22 tuna fish. These outlandish comparisons are the invention of Jerusalem Post journalist Aaron Reich (who bills himself as “creator of the giraffe metric”), but real …
Dark Side of the Universe
Amazing things happen every day. Despite this, the sum total of our sense impressions is only 5% of the totality of reality. Professor Tamara Davis talks to the pioneers in the search for the unknown parts of the universe. We live in a spectacular world. And yet everything we have ever seen, felt, or touched …
FAST RADIO BURSTS — explained in an elevator ride | Elevator Pitch
Why these flashes of energy happen is a mystery. But by studying them, we’ve solved a big question about our universe. Dr Manisha Caleb explains. The universe is vast and full of mystery and one that has been puzzling astronomers for a while now is fast radio bursts. What are fast radio bursts Fast radio bursts, …