Carrie Nugent is an asteroid hunter, part of a group of scientists working to discover and catalog our oldest and most numerous cosmic neighbors.
Why keep an eye out for asteroids? In this short, fact-filled talk, Nugent explains how their awesome impacts have shaped our planet, and how finding them at the right time could mean nothing less than saving life on Earth.
Carrie Nugent is part of a team that uses NASA's NEOWISE telescope to search the skies for and catalog asteroids.
You can read a full transcript here.
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Space. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta Space. Mostrar todas las entradas
domingo, 9 de abril de 2017
viernes, 10 de marzo de 2017
Astronomers discover 7 Earth-sized planets
Astronomers have discovered seven Earth-sized planets orbiting a single star - a record number.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and say whether the statements below are true or false.
1. These planets orbit around a star much stronger than the Sun.
2. The new planets can perfectly be seen from the Earth.
3. Water has been spotted on these planets.
4. In the last 25 years, more than 3,000 planets have been discovered.
5. The planets are 40 million kilometres away.
6. To reach these planets would take around 70,000 years.
7. Huge new telescopes have started operating recently, which makes it possible to have a closer look at the new planets.
An artist's impression of a startling discovery deep in space: Around a faint and distant star much weaker than our Sun, it’s a collection of planets that are surprisingly similar to Earth. In all, seven of these worlds have been spotted. And astronomers think it may change the way we look at the night sky.
An array of telescopes kept watch on one point in space, and what the scientists were looking for were tiny clues about the light of a particular start becoming dimmer on a regular basis as planets orbitted in front of it. They can't see these new worlds but they know they're there.
We were extremely excited. This is the biggest amount of planets that we’ve found in one go that look like the Earth in composition, size and mass. All seven are close enough to the star and far enough to the star that they could host liquid water and that, that's just incredible.
This is the latest revelation in a wave of discoveries over the past 25 years of new worlds that exist in solar systems beyond our own. The total of these distant planets now stands at well over 3,000. What makes this discovery so unusual is the sheer number of new worlds spotted in one go, seven in all, and crucially at just the right temperature for liquid water to exist at the surface.
Three of them are in what's called the habitable zone, which raises the tantalizing possibility that they could conceivably host life. But we won't be getting there in a hurry. They're 40 light-years away. To reach them, using the rockets we have now, would take something like 700,000 years.
There's so much to find out about these worlds, whether the artist’s impressions are right, whether it's possible that the conditions for life do exist, and astronomers say there'll be a huge effort to try to find out.
The more we look, the more planets we find, and the more Earth-like planets we find. But this is especially exciting because this sort of of ultra-cool star that we've discovered, they're quite populous throughout our galaxy and it's the first time we’ve found planets going around a star like this, and we've found seven of them.
The best hope lies with huge new telescopes that will come into service soon, improving the chances of getting a really close look at these alien worlds to see, for example, if they do have oceans and maybe, just maybe, discover if there are some hints about life.
David Shukman, BBC News.
KEY:
1F 2F 3F 4T 5F 6F 7F
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and say whether the statements below are true or false.
1. These planets orbit around a star much stronger than the Sun.
2. The new planets can perfectly be seen from the Earth.
3. Water has been spotted on these planets.
4. In the last 25 years, more than 3,000 planets have been discovered.
5. The planets are 40 million kilometres away.
6. To reach these planets would take around 70,000 years.
7. Huge new telescopes have started operating recently, which makes it possible to have a closer look at the new planets.
An artist's impression of a startling discovery deep in space: Around a faint and distant star much weaker than our Sun, it’s a collection of planets that are surprisingly similar to Earth. In all, seven of these worlds have been spotted. And astronomers think it may change the way we look at the night sky.
An array of telescopes kept watch on one point in space, and what the scientists were looking for were tiny clues about the light of a particular start becoming dimmer on a regular basis as planets orbitted in front of it. They can't see these new worlds but they know they're there.
We were extremely excited. This is the biggest amount of planets that we’ve found in one go that look like the Earth in composition, size and mass. All seven are close enough to the star and far enough to the star that they could host liquid water and that, that's just incredible.
This is the latest revelation in a wave of discoveries over the past 25 years of new worlds that exist in solar systems beyond our own. The total of these distant planets now stands at well over 3,000. What makes this discovery so unusual is the sheer number of new worlds spotted in one go, seven in all, and crucially at just the right temperature for liquid water to exist at the surface.
Three of them are in what's called the habitable zone, which raises the tantalizing possibility that they could conceivably host life. But we won't be getting there in a hurry. They're 40 light-years away. To reach them, using the rockets we have now, would take something like 700,000 years.
There's so much to find out about these worlds, whether the artist’s impressions are right, whether it's possible that the conditions for life do exist, and astronomers say there'll be a huge effort to try to find out.
The more we look, the more planets we find, and the more Earth-like planets we find. But this is especially exciting because this sort of of ultra-cool star that we've discovered, they're quite populous throughout our galaxy and it's the first time we’ve found planets going around a star like this, and we've found seven of them.
The best hope lies with huge new telescopes that will come into service soon, improving the chances of getting a really close look at these alien worlds to see, for example, if they do have oceans and maybe, just maybe, discover if there are some hints about life.
David Shukman, BBC News.
KEY:
1F 2F 3F 4T 5F 6F 7F
jueves, 12 de enero de 2017
A record breaking space suit
Alan Eustace is a senior Google executive who in 2014 broke the world record for the highest parachute jump.
What goes up must come down, but simply reaching the Earth's stratosphere was the first challenge for Alan Eustace. It took more than two hours to ascend 25 miles and around 15 minutes to parachute back to Earth, at times travelling faster than the speed of sound. Previous explorers used complicated platforms and capsules. Mr Eustace used a balloon and a very special suit.
What was really unique about this was we tried to build a space suit which was equivalent to scuba diving, where the tanks were included, so I didn’t have to disconnect from the capsule, I didn’t have to have a heavy capsule to go up, all I had to do was like scuba diving. I just went up in a suit in an environment that was capable of sustaining me during a period of time.
That suit is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Virginia, home to many other artefacts of space exploration which in the 1960’s inspired Mr Eustace.
Everyone I know dreamed of being an astronaut and everybody I know dreamed of being above the atmosphere to be able to look at curviture of the Earth, the darkness of space, the beautiful thin atmosphere. I guess in my case that dream never really went away, even at 57 years old I’m still dreaming.
Remarkably, the record-breaking suit was made relatively cheaply, using existing technology and materials. Mr Eustace and his team simply discovered new ways to apply it, such as how to heat thermal underwear with a water system.
The hot water circulates around my chest and then on my legs and then goes back to be reheated.
Why did you need to keep warm?
Because it’s cold out there. The higher that you go through the troposphere, the colder it gets, and eventually it will get up to -110, 120°F.
And Mr Eustace, a keen skydiver and pilot, didn’t have to spend years at NASA learning how to be an astronaut.
So can anyone do this? Can I do this?
You can certainly do this. The way we design the system was, you know, if everything went wrong, if I was unconscious, they had to be able to get me from 135,000 feet down to the ground safely if I did nothing. So, if you’re capable of doing nothing, I think you can do it.
With many sights set on the Moon and Mars, the Earth’s stratosphere remains largely unexplored, but this suit or something like it puts it within reach of scientists, and one day it might even be adapted to bring people back from the International Space Station.
How are you doing?
I am tired but healthy.
Jane O’Brien, BBC News, Virginia.
What goes up must come down, but simply reaching the Earth's stratosphere was the first challenge for Alan Eustace. It took more than two hours to ascend 25 miles and around 15 minutes to parachute back to Earth, at times travelling faster than the speed of sound. Previous explorers used complicated platforms and capsules. Mr Eustace used a balloon and a very special suit.
What was really unique about this was we tried to build a space suit which was equivalent to scuba diving, where the tanks were included, so I didn’t have to disconnect from the capsule, I didn’t have to have a heavy capsule to go up, all I had to do was like scuba diving. I just went up in a suit in an environment that was capable of sustaining me during a period of time.
That suit is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Virginia, home to many other artefacts of space exploration which in the 1960’s inspired Mr Eustace.
Everyone I know dreamed of being an astronaut and everybody I know dreamed of being above the atmosphere to be able to look at curviture of the Earth, the darkness of space, the beautiful thin atmosphere. I guess in my case that dream never really went away, even at 57 years old I’m still dreaming.
Remarkably, the record-breaking suit was made relatively cheaply, using existing technology and materials. Mr Eustace and his team simply discovered new ways to apply it, such as how to heat thermal underwear with a water system.
The hot water circulates around my chest and then on my legs and then goes back to be reheated.
Why did you need to keep warm?
Because it’s cold out there. The higher that you go through the troposphere, the colder it gets, and eventually it will get up to -110, 120°F.
And Mr Eustace, a keen skydiver and pilot, didn’t have to spend years at NASA learning how to be an astronaut.
So can anyone do this? Can I do this?
You can certainly do this. The way we design the system was, you know, if everything went wrong, if I was unconscious, they had to be able to get me from 135,000 feet down to the ground safely if I did nothing. So, if you’re capable of doing nothing, I think you can do it.
With many sights set on the Moon and Mars, the Earth’s stratosphere remains largely unexplored, but this suit or something like it puts it within reach of scientists, and one day it might even be adapted to bring people back from the International Space Station.
How are you doing?
I am tired but healthy.
Jane O’Brien, BBC News, Virginia.
martes, 30 de agosto de 2016
Dinner for Six in a Bite-Size Space
What does a night in one of New York's new micro apartments look like?
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.
1 How big is the apartment?
2 How much does the rent cost?
3 How wide is it?
4 How long is it?
5 What does ‘six’ refer to?
6 What does the desk transform into?
7 How do New Yorkers usually get their food when they entertain friends at home?
8 What used to be the legal minimum size for an apartment in New York?
When The Tiny House Movement comes to New York City, you get this: the micro apartment, full living quarters in a modest 300 square feet. That's me, Penelope. I'm a reporter for the "Times," and I'm about 5' 8" tall. This micro apartment is located in the Carmel Place development in Manhattan, where 32 market rate studios rent for about $2,400 to $3,200 a month.
If you think you can make the leap, that is, downsize to 300 square feet, consider this. You'd be occupying a space that's about 1/100 the size of Grand Central Terminal's main concourse and about the size of this bathroom in the Elizabeth Taylor suite at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. At its widest, it measures about half the width of your typical New York commuting platform, and at its longest, about a third of the length of this Metro North car. It's just smaller than the inside of the Metropolitan Museum's Temple of Dendur, which, by the way, has three bedrooms.
But then again, we New Yorkers have evolved to appreciate small spaces. We dine in them regularly. I can walk from one end of this apartment to the other in 6 seconds. But the space, designed by the architecture firm N Architects, is surprisingly functional, with lots of closets and nooks to hide any mess.
The kitchen is outfitted with a refrigerator, electric stove tops, a microwave, and even a dishwasher. Most of the furniture is multi-purpose and made to conveniently stow away when not in use. Take this desk. In a couple of minutes, it'll transform into a fully extended dining table. While the bathroom has a shower stall instead of a bath tub, it manages to feel… well, at least by our studio apartment standards -almost castle-sized.
But there are a compromises like the Murphy bed. If not raised into the wall, you'd find it taking up most of your living space all together. Putting it out of the way every day would get you your daily upper body workout. So it's a space purpose-built for one.
But what if you're the type who likes to entertain? Well, first of all, if you're like many New Yorkers, you'd probably skip cooking and order in. Having six at the dinner table is pushing it, but not if you're close friends. It'll be cozy, and seating arrangements are tricky, and so is stepping over each other to use the facilities. You've probably seen wide angle shots like this used in apartment advertisements to make things look roomier than they are in real life.
So to put this shot into perspective, that's our video producer in the foreground, and she's standing just about here, close to the farthest end of the apartment opposite where we're hanging out. New York City waived regulations requiring that apartments be at least 400 square feet so that the Carmel Place development could be built.
Still, it's yet to be seen whether or not this style of living will catch on. The apartments are about half the size of an average studio in Manhattan and cost considerably more in rent per square foot. But it's a new, modern, and legal nook all of your own, without roommates, and perhaps with all the space one person might need as a haven from the city.
This is Penelope Green for the New York Times.
Key:
1 300 square feet
2 between $2,400 and $3,200
3 half the width of a platform
4 a third of a (train) car
5 the time the reporter takes to walk the apartment from one end to the other.
6 a dining table
7 they order it
8 400 square feet
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below.
1 How big is the apartment?
2 How much does the rent cost?
3 How wide is it?
4 How long is it?
5 What does ‘six’ refer to?
6 What does the desk transform into?
7 How do New Yorkers usually get their food when they entertain friends at home?
8 What used to be the legal minimum size for an apartment in New York?
When The Tiny House Movement comes to New York City, you get this: the micro apartment, full living quarters in a modest 300 square feet. That's me, Penelope. I'm a reporter for the "Times," and I'm about 5' 8" tall. This micro apartment is located in the Carmel Place development in Manhattan, where 32 market rate studios rent for about $2,400 to $3,200 a month.
If you think you can make the leap, that is, downsize to 300 square feet, consider this. You'd be occupying a space that's about 1/100 the size of Grand Central Terminal's main concourse and about the size of this bathroom in the Elizabeth Taylor suite at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. At its widest, it measures about half the width of your typical New York commuting platform, and at its longest, about a third of the length of this Metro North car. It's just smaller than the inside of the Metropolitan Museum's Temple of Dendur, which, by the way, has three bedrooms.
But then again, we New Yorkers have evolved to appreciate small spaces. We dine in them regularly. I can walk from one end of this apartment to the other in 6 seconds. But the space, designed by the architecture firm N Architects, is surprisingly functional, with lots of closets and nooks to hide any mess.
The kitchen is outfitted with a refrigerator, electric stove tops, a microwave, and even a dishwasher. Most of the furniture is multi-purpose and made to conveniently stow away when not in use. Take this desk. In a couple of minutes, it'll transform into a fully extended dining table. While the bathroom has a shower stall instead of a bath tub, it manages to feel… well, at least by our studio apartment standards -almost castle-sized.
But there are a compromises like the Murphy bed. If not raised into the wall, you'd find it taking up most of your living space all together. Putting it out of the way every day would get you your daily upper body workout. So it's a space purpose-built for one.
But what if you're the type who likes to entertain? Well, first of all, if you're like many New Yorkers, you'd probably skip cooking and order in. Having six at the dinner table is pushing it, but not if you're close friends. It'll be cozy, and seating arrangements are tricky, and so is stepping over each other to use the facilities. You've probably seen wide angle shots like this used in apartment advertisements to make things look roomier than they are in real life.
So to put this shot into perspective, that's our video producer in the foreground, and she's standing just about here, close to the farthest end of the apartment opposite where we're hanging out. New York City waived regulations requiring that apartments be at least 400 square feet so that the Carmel Place development could be built.
Still, it's yet to be seen whether or not this style of living will catch on. The apartments are about half the size of an average studio in Manhattan and cost considerably more in rent per square foot. But it's a new, modern, and legal nook all of your own, without roommates, and perhaps with all the space one person might need as a haven from the city.
This is Penelope Green for the New York Times.
Key:
1 300 square feet
2 between $2,400 and $3,200
3 half the width of a platform
4 a third of a (train) car
5 the time the reporter takes to walk the apartment from one end to the other.
6 a dining table
7 they order it
8 400 square feet
martes, 17 de noviembre de 2015
10 Questions for Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History and host of Nova Science Now. Here he talks about the universe for Time Magazine.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below. The activity is suitable for Advanced students.
1 What should be done about the fact that US kids are behind children in other countries in physics and mathematics?
2 How old are Tyson's children?
3 What do most people do when faced with an impending disaster?
4 What does a scientist do in the same situation?
5 Why does he feel big when he looks up at the sky?
6 What kind of question is 'What’s the square root of a pork chop?'
7 How did Newton discover calculus?
8 What does '26' refer to?
We’re here with Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist at Manhattan’s American Museum of Natural History and host of PBS’s Nova Science Now for Time’s 10 Questions. Neil, thanks for being with us today.
I’m ready for you.
What should be done about the fact that our kids lag lowfully far behind children in other countries in the areas of physics and mathematics?
You know, my first reply is, as a parent, (1) get out of the way. When you’re a kid, you’re born a scientist. What does a scientist do? We look up and say, I wonder what that is. Let me go find out.
Right.
Let me poke it. Let me break it. Let me turn it around. This is what kids do. You can’t let a kid alone for a minute without them laying waste to your couch, okay? Because they’re grabbing stuff off the shelters, what do we do? We prevent that. We prevent these depths of curiosity from revealing themselves, even within our own residences. And so, I swore that when I had kids, and I do have kids, (2) I got an 11-year-old and a 7, but when they were young, and still today,… if they see something they wanna experiment with, even if they might break it, I just let it go, let the experiment run its course., because therein are the souls of… is the soul of curiosity that leads to the kind of mind you would want as a scientist.
So you talk about events that can cause the end of the world. Does this knowledge keep you awake at night?
Yes, yes. It might keep me awake in a different way than others. There are many people who, when faced with disaster, impending disaster, they say to themselves, okay, (3) let me buy emergency food, let me find a shelter to go to, let me alert the authorities, let me… Okay, when you’re trained as a scientist or an engineer, that’s not the first thing you think of. (4) First thing you think of is, how can I prevent the disaster? Here comes the asteroid. You’re gonna, right, run away from it or you’re gonna say, how can I figure out how to deflect it? That’s why you want scientists and engineers in your myths. Otherwise, you’re just running away from every possible disaster that could affect life on earth. And what kind of life is that?
What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the universe?
The most astounding fact…
The most astounding fact.
… is the knowledge that the atoms that comprise life on earth, the atoms that make up the human body are traceable to a crucible that cooked light elements into heavy elements in their core under extreme temperatures and pressures. These stars, the high-massed ones among them, when unstable in their later years, they collapsed and then exploded, scattering their enriched guts across the galaxy. Guts made of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and all the fundamental ingredients of life itself. These ingredients become part of gas clouds that condense, collapse, form the next generation of solar systems, stars with orbiting planets. And those planets now have the ingredients for life itself so that when I look up at the night sky, and I know that yes, we are part of this universe, we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts is that the universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up, many people feel small because they’re small and the universe is big. (5) But I feel big because my atoms came from those stars.
If you could meet and talk with any scientist who’s ever lived, who would it be and why?
Isaac Newton. Isaac Newton.
Why.
No question about it. Isaac Newton. The smartest person ever, ever to talk the face of this earth. You read his writings, the man was connected to the universe in spooky ways. The most successful scientists in the history of the world are those who pose the right questions. If I ask you, at what temperature does the number 7 melt? What’s the square root of a pork chop? (6) These are meaningless questions. Maybe philosophers would deal with them, but scientific, they’re scientifically meaningless. Abandon and go on to the next problem. Newton, his questions reached into the soul of the universe. And he pulled out insights and wisdom that transformed our understanding of our place and the cosmos. (7) Somebody said, Ike, why is it that planets orbit in the shape you call ellipsis rather than circles? Why that shape? And he says, you know, I’ll get back to you on that. I’ll get back to you. Goes away for a few months, comes back, here’s the answer, here’s the answer. Here’s why gravity produces ellipsis for orbits. The guy said, well, how did you finally figure it out? Well, I had to invent this new kind of mathematics to do it. (8) He invented calculus. Most of us sweat through it for multiple years in school just to learn it. He invented it practically on a dare. He discovered the laws of motion, the laws of gravity, the laws of optics. Then he turned 26. Okay?
I’m with you.
And I own everything he’s ever written, most of which written in his day. I commune through time as I read Isaac Newton transporting me into a time and a place where people were just figuring out how this universe worked. And for me, that’s thrilling and humbling.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below. The activity is suitable for Advanced students.
1 What should be done about the fact that US kids are behind children in other countries in physics and mathematics?
2 How old are Tyson's children?
3 What do most people do when faced with an impending disaster?
4 What does a scientist do in the same situation?
5 Why does he feel big when he looks up at the sky?
6 What kind of question is 'What’s the square root of a pork chop?'
7 How did Newton discover calculus?
8 What does '26' refer to?
We’re here with Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist at Manhattan’s American Museum of Natural History and host of PBS’s Nova Science Now for Time’s 10 Questions. Neil, thanks for being with us today.
I’m ready for you.
What should be done about the fact that our kids lag lowfully far behind children in other countries in the areas of physics and mathematics?
You know, my first reply is, as a parent, (1) get out of the way. When you’re a kid, you’re born a scientist. What does a scientist do? We look up and say, I wonder what that is. Let me go find out.
Right.
Let me poke it. Let me break it. Let me turn it around. This is what kids do. You can’t let a kid alone for a minute without them laying waste to your couch, okay? Because they’re grabbing stuff off the shelters, what do we do? We prevent that. We prevent these depths of curiosity from revealing themselves, even within our own residences. And so, I swore that when I had kids, and I do have kids, (2) I got an 11-year-old and a 7, but when they were young, and still today,… if they see something they wanna experiment with, even if they might break it, I just let it go, let the experiment run its course., because therein are the souls of… is the soul of curiosity that leads to the kind of mind you would want as a scientist.
So you talk about events that can cause the end of the world. Does this knowledge keep you awake at night?
Yes, yes. It might keep me awake in a different way than others. There are many people who, when faced with disaster, impending disaster, they say to themselves, okay, (3) let me buy emergency food, let me find a shelter to go to, let me alert the authorities, let me… Okay, when you’re trained as a scientist or an engineer, that’s not the first thing you think of. (4) First thing you think of is, how can I prevent the disaster? Here comes the asteroid. You’re gonna, right, run away from it or you’re gonna say, how can I figure out how to deflect it? That’s why you want scientists and engineers in your myths. Otherwise, you’re just running away from every possible disaster that could affect life on earth. And what kind of life is that?
What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the universe?
The most astounding fact…
The most astounding fact.
… is the knowledge that the atoms that comprise life on earth, the atoms that make up the human body are traceable to a crucible that cooked light elements into heavy elements in their core under extreme temperatures and pressures. These stars, the high-massed ones among them, when unstable in their later years, they collapsed and then exploded, scattering their enriched guts across the galaxy. Guts made of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and all the fundamental ingredients of life itself. These ingredients become part of gas clouds that condense, collapse, form the next generation of solar systems, stars with orbiting planets. And those planets now have the ingredients for life itself so that when I look up at the night sky, and I know that yes, we are part of this universe, we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts is that the universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up, many people feel small because they’re small and the universe is big. (5) But I feel big because my atoms came from those stars.
If you could meet and talk with any scientist who’s ever lived, who would it be and why?
Isaac Newton. Isaac Newton.
Why.
No question about it. Isaac Newton. The smartest person ever, ever to talk the face of this earth. You read his writings, the man was connected to the universe in spooky ways. The most successful scientists in the history of the world are those who pose the right questions. If I ask you, at what temperature does the number 7 melt? What’s the square root of a pork chop? (6) These are meaningless questions. Maybe philosophers would deal with them, but scientific, they’re scientifically meaningless. Abandon and go on to the next problem. Newton, his questions reached into the soul of the universe. And he pulled out insights and wisdom that transformed our understanding of our place and the cosmos. (7) Somebody said, Ike, why is it that planets orbit in the shape you call ellipsis rather than circles? Why that shape? And he says, you know, I’ll get back to you on that. I’ll get back to you. Goes away for a few months, comes back, here’s the answer, here’s the answer. Here’s why gravity produces ellipsis for orbits. The guy said, well, how did you finally figure it out? Well, I had to invent this new kind of mathematics to do it. (8) He invented calculus. Most of us sweat through it for multiple years in school just to learn it. He invented it practically on a dare. He discovered the laws of motion, the laws of gravity, the laws of optics. Then he turned 26. Okay?
I’m with you.
And I own everything he’s ever written, most of which written in his day. I commune through time as I read Isaac Newton transporting me into a time and a place where people were just figuring out how this universe worked. And for me, that’s thrilling and humbling.
miércoles, 9 de septiembre de 2015
Talking point: Spaces
This week's talking point is spaces. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below so that ideas flow more easily when you meet up with your friends and you can work out vocabulary problems beforehand.
The 411 on Feng Shui por fengshuiyourway
Leigh Kubin: Welcome to Feng Shui Your Way. I am your host Leigh Kubin and today we learn the basics of Feng Shui. We will shop for items that reflect your personality and activate the energy in your space.
What is Feng Shui? It literally means wind and water but as a Feng Shui practitioner to me, it means setting up your environment in a way that supports your goals. So let us take a look at the Bagua for a minute. The Bagua is the map of how chi energy that flows to your home and in turn, your life. You will align the bottom of the Bagua with your front door meaning either through the wisdom journey or helpful people areas. I am going to show you how to go into a home accessories boutique and create your own Feng Shui adjustments. We are at Simply Irresistible with owner, Dolores and she has invited us in so I can show you how creative you can get with Feng Shui.
Dolores, tell me how do you help people that come in looking for specific items?
Dolores Urquizo: Only when you come into home accessories like mine, I believe that the staff should be ready to assist you with finding a specific element you are looking for.
Leigh Kubin: Well, I am so excited to see what we have got to work with.
We are going to begin in the journey area which is about your life path. Think of unlimited possibilities. The color for this area is black and the element is water. You can activate this area by placing a black mat at your front door or by placing a water feature in this area but if you want to get more creative, find a picture that has water in it or find something that represent water like this urns.
Now, we are in the soft knowledge in wisdom area of the Bagua. This is about setting clear boundaries creating grounding in life. This is an earth sector and the color is blue. You can put pictures of people that you want to gain knowledge from in this area or find earthy pictures such as this one with squares in it that represent earth. You can also find something fiery that replenishes earth.
We are now in the family area, which represents what you think or do not think as possible for you. This sector is about your personal power. The element is wood and the color is green. You can have actual family photos here or get more creative by placing items that have the shape of wood or even a picture with trees in them.
So, that leads us to the wealth area which is about eliminating obstacles. It is if someone is behind the scenes making things workout. This sector represents the fulfillment of your life path, which is directly related to the journey area. The element is wood and the color is purple but any jewel tone will work. These canisters will be a great choice because they are purple and since they hold things, it represents the accumulation of wealth.
The fame and reputation area is the interface between you and the outside world. This does not mean you have to be famous, it just gives the way to say thank you because what you are doing with your life has value to others. Consider what you want to be known for when activating this area. The element is fire and the color is red. You can use the color red or the actual fire element or you can get creative with this triangular shapes concept with wood elements in them since wood fits fire.
The next step is to draw someone into your life, which leads us to the relationship area of the Bagua. You will find value in yourself and find someone to share your journey with. The element is earth and the color is pink but any earthy muddy tone will work here. You will want to focus on things and pairs and create the feel of what you want in your relationship.
Now, we are in the children and creativity area of the Bagua. This is the playground of life. In this energy pattern, we do not take life too seriously. Remember, if we do not have our time to play, we will not have the energy to continue on our journey. The element is metal and the colors for this area are pastels.
We are now in the helpful people in travel area of the Bagua which represents your connection with the entire community. You want to draw in this energy, who do you want to support and who do you want to support you. The element is metal and the colour is white or grey. The scenery is related to health and it should be as open as possible. When this area is balanced, it creates a balance in any other area and space. The element is earth and the colour is yellow.
Dolores, I had so much fun exploring your boutique and finding creative solutions for Feng Shui space. Thank you for having us.
Thank you for coming and I've learned so much about Feng Shui.
- Describe your room in as much detail as possible: Is it airy and roomy? Is it spacious or small? Do you share it? Is there any piece of furniture that takes up too much space?
- How important is it for you to have your own private space?
- Describe a public space that you like or dislike.
- Describe a personal space that you like or dislike.
- Think about your present home and how you would change it to make it more comfortable to live in.
- Are there any derelict areas in your town or city that you think could be redeveloped? Where are they? How could the areas be used to enhance the appearance of the city and offer better public services?
The 411 on Feng Shui por fengshuiyourway
Leigh Kubin: Welcome to Feng Shui Your Way. I am your host Leigh Kubin and today we learn the basics of Feng Shui. We will shop for items that reflect your personality and activate the energy in your space.
What is Feng Shui? It literally means wind and water but as a Feng Shui practitioner to me, it means setting up your environment in a way that supports your goals. So let us take a look at the Bagua for a minute. The Bagua is the map of how chi energy that flows to your home and in turn, your life. You will align the bottom of the Bagua with your front door meaning either through the wisdom journey or helpful people areas. I am going to show you how to go into a home accessories boutique and create your own Feng Shui adjustments. We are at Simply Irresistible with owner, Dolores and she has invited us in so I can show you how creative you can get with Feng Shui.
Dolores, tell me how do you help people that come in looking for specific items?
Dolores Urquizo: Only when you come into home accessories like mine, I believe that the staff should be ready to assist you with finding a specific element you are looking for.
Leigh Kubin: Well, I am so excited to see what we have got to work with.
We are going to begin in the journey area which is about your life path. Think of unlimited possibilities. The color for this area is black and the element is water. You can activate this area by placing a black mat at your front door or by placing a water feature in this area but if you want to get more creative, find a picture that has water in it or find something that represent water like this urns.
Now, we are in the soft knowledge in wisdom area of the Bagua. This is about setting clear boundaries creating grounding in life. This is an earth sector and the color is blue. You can put pictures of people that you want to gain knowledge from in this area or find earthy pictures such as this one with squares in it that represent earth. You can also find something fiery that replenishes earth.
We are now in the family area, which represents what you think or do not think as possible for you. This sector is about your personal power. The element is wood and the color is green. You can have actual family photos here or get more creative by placing items that have the shape of wood or even a picture with trees in them.
So, that leads us to the wealth area which is about eliminating obstacles. It is if someone is behind the scenes making things workout. This sector represents the fulfillment of your life path, which is directly related to the journey area. The element is wood and the color is purple but any jewel tone will work. These canisters will be a great choice because they are purple and since they hold things, it represents the accumulation of wealth.
The fame and reputation area is the interface between you and the outside world. This does not mean you have to be famous, it just gives the way to say thank you because what you are doing with your life has value to others. Consider what you want to be known for when activating this area. The element is fire and the color is red. You can use the color red or the actual fire element or you can get creative with this triangular shapes concept with wood elements in them since wood fits fire.
The next step is to draw someone into your life, which leads us to the relationship area of the Bagua. You will find value in yourself and find someone to share your journey with. The element is earth and the color is pink but any earthy muddy tone will work here. You will want to focus on things and pairs and create the feel of what you want in your relationship.
Now, we are in the children and creativity area of the Bagua. This is the playground of life. In this energy pattern, we do not take life too seriously. Remember, if we do not have our time to play, we will not have the energy to continue on our journey. The element is metal and the colors for this area are pastels.
We are now in the helpful people in travel area of the Bagua which represents your connection with the entire community. You want to draw in this energy, who do you want to support and who do you want to support you. The element is metal and the colour is white or grey. The scenery is related to health and it should be as open as possible. When this area is balanced, it creates a balance in any other area and space. The element is earth and the colour is yellow.
Dolores, I had so much fun exploring your boutique and finding creative solutions for Feng Shui space. Thank you for having us.
Thank you for coming and I've learned so much about Feng Shui.
lunes, 20 de abril de 2015
A view from the other side
A number of people who've seen NASA's annual lunar phase and libration videos have asked what the other side of the Moon looks like, the side that can't be seen from the Earth. This NASA video answers that question.
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and complete the blanks in the transcript with the missing words. The activity is suitable for intermediate students.
We know how the moon looks from here on earth but what does it look like from the other side? Well, for one thing, we can also see the earth. The (1) ... earth looms large in this time-lapse, telescopic view made possible by computer graphics. We're looking along the imaginary line connecting the earth and the moon. From this (2) ... point the moon will be full soon but on earth it's a waning crescent. The far side of the moon has fewer of the (3) ... , dark spots called maria that cover the side that faces earth. Instead, the far side is covered with (4) ... of all sizes.
In the second perspective we're much closer to the moon, using a (5) ... angle lens that makes the distant earth seem smaller. With our view fixed on the moon, the rest of the solar system seems to (6) and whirl around us. Before the space age, no one knew what was on the other side of the moon. Since (7) ... the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been making some of the most (8) ... global maps of the moon's surface, making it much easier for everyone to see what it's like on the other side.
Key:
1 spinning 2 vantage 3 smooth 4 craters 5 wide 6 dance 7 2009 8 detailed
Self-study activity:
Watch the video and complete the blanks in the transcript with the missing words. The activity is suitable for intermediate students.
We know how the moon looks from here on earth but what does it look like from the other side? Well, for one thing, we can also see the earth. The (1) ... earth looms large in this time-lapse, telescopic view made possible by computer graphics. We're looking along the imaginary line connecting the earth and the moon. From this (2) ... point the moon will be full soon but on earth it's a waning crescent. The far side of the moon has fewer of the (3) ... , dark spots called maria that cover the side that faces earth. Instead, the far side is covered with (4) ... of all sizes.
In the second perspective we're much closer to the moon, using a (5) ... angle lens that makes the distant earth seem smaller. With our view fixed on the moon, the rest of the solar system seems to (6) and whirl around us. Before the space age, no one knew what was on the other side of the moon. Since (7) ... the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been making some of the most (8) ... global maps of the moon's surface, making it much easier for everyone to see what it's like on the other side.
Key:
1 spinning 2 vantage 3 smooth 4 craters 5 wide 6 dance 7 2009 8 detailed
viernes, 2 de diciembre de 2011
The Space Place
NASA has created a site for children to learn about Earth, the Solar System, The Universe, The Space Place.
Within each section of The Space Place, there are games, puzzles, quizzes, activities, videos, interactives, and lots of information written so that kids -and the layman- will grasp it.
There’s a section with activities and information to help guide students through the site.
A very interesting aspect of the place is the section Dr Marc answers questions about space, where you can listen to Dr Marc's answers about different space-related aspects, many of which include a transcript.
In short, The Space Place is a great site for those English students with an interest in science and the space.
Within each section of The Space Place, there are games, puzzles, quizzes, activities, videos, interactives, and lots of information written so that kids -and the layman- will grasp it.
There’s a section with activities and information to help guide students through the site.
A very interesting aspect of the place is the section Dr Marc answers questions about space, where you can listen to Dr Marc's answers about different space-related aspects, many of which include a transcript.
In short, The Space Place is a great site for those English students with an interest in science and the space.
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