Launch Pad Diary, July 8

[deborahjross]

Strictly personal: I'm in a dither -- it's been so long since I've spent a whole day in class -- my mind is telling me I ought to have been reviewing my college physics -- and reading every basic astronomy book I can find --and now it's too late -- omg -- I'm going to be such a slow and stupid person. The only thing I can do is laugh. If I've learned anything in my more-than-a-few decades, it's that we all learn at different rates and in different ways. Ask me a certain type of question and my mind is an instant blank, even though I can recite the answer in my sleep (maybe I should try that as a tactic!) Or, when faced with some utterly intimidating situation, exactly the right words fly out of my mouth. I figure, what the heck, if I'm feeling so insecure and I have a fabulous time, maybe someone else might not let that stop them from applying next year!

The schedule arrived today via email and I'm so geekily stoked, all my performance anxiety has disappeared.
Monday: welcome and stuff, Scales of the Universe; A Scale Solar System; Seasons, Lunar Phases, Misconceptions; Amateur Astronomy; Small Telescope Night (omg squee, as my kids would say)

Tuesday: The EM Spectrum, Light, Instruments, Telescopes; Infrared Astronomy and Dust; Kirschoff's Laws and Spectra; Hazards and Healthcare in Space.

Wednesday: Gravity, Newton, Kepler, Orbits; Planets, Solar & Extrasolar; All About Stars; Astronomical Worldbuilding, Biology, Culture; WIRO (Wyoming Infrared Observatory) visit

Thursday: (morning hike, undoubtedly to clear our brains!); Supernovas, White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, Black Holes; Science Education and SF.

Friday: Galaxies & Dark Matter; Sex in Space; How to Move the Earth; Computing in Astronomy.

Saturday: What Not To Do (with Stan Schmidt); Cosmology; Discussion and goodbyes.

I have been advised that my brains will be oozing out my ears by the end of the week. Thank goodness, we get to take home a textbook!

Oh, and thunderstorms are predicted for the first part of the week, so the observatory visits may get shuffled around.

Comments

[desperance.livejournal.com]

I am soooo envious of this. *wants*

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

What class is this? And how do you sign up for it?

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

desperance and klwilliams - it's Launch Pad Astronomy workshop. Website: http://www.launchpadworkshop.org/

Launch Pad is a free, NASA-funded workshop for established writers held in beautiful high-altitude Laramie, Wyoming. Launch Pad aims to provide a “crash course” for the attendees in modern astronomy science through guest lectures, and observation through the University of Wyoming’s professional telescopes.

They say, Our primary goal is to teach writers (and editors!) of all types about modern science, primarily astronomy, and in turn reach their audiences with more and high-quality astronomy. We hope to both educate the public and help inspire the next generation of scientists.

There's no reason both of you should not apply: I put forth the desirability of good science in fantasy stories (and not all this years attendees are "established" writers, some are editors, others near the beginning of their careers.
Mark your calendars for next March, when applications open!