Sunday, 7/20
Met mostly everyone else at the airport upon flying in: Galen,
Donna, Don, Michelle, and all the students. Yay. We rode over to Old
Town (Albuquerque), and had lunch at a Mexican-food place, got
acquainted with everyone. Nice. Afterwards, a nice long drive (yes,
that's sarcasm) to Los Alamos, stopping at Soda Dam halfway, Soda Dam
(when Michelle and Galen were first talking about it, I heard Soda
Dam and wondered a bit), being a natural hot springs popping out of a
rock where mineral deposits (calcium and sulfur) have built up quite
a bit. We also stopped at the Valle Grande, the caldera of a
previously 18,000 ft volcano. Amazing. It's explosion influenced the
entire area's geology. I can barely see across the crater. Wow. After
dinner (Pizza Hut), where we met up with Heather (another grad
student), we had a bit of a late night conversation on everything
from black holes and Hawking Radiation to whether Bill Clinton is
evil. *shrug*. Everyone seems nice. It's rather nice to have some
differing political views around, and to be around people who
actually think. Calling Dr. Gisler Galen will take practice,
though.
Monday, 7/21.
We took a walk today. *applause* Saw a pond named Ashley Pond, but
the fellow it's named for (former headmaster/founder of boys school
at LA pre-MP), was named Ashley Pond. So is it just named for his
first name, or should it really be Ashley Pond Pond? Saw an art
gallery. Lectures from Heather and Michelle on stars and dust/gas.
Lecture at night from Rocky Kolb; Cosmology. ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING.
CCD camera work at night--led by Don. He's a nice guy: very patient
while we ask a billion questions. CCD cameras, and the stuff you can
do with them, are fascinating. I look forward to actually taking
photos of stars instead of pictures of us and still-life photos.
Cloudy tonight--this does not bode well. This is amazing.
Tuesday, 7/22.
Clouds, Clouds, Clouds. A lecture on lighting this morning--we're
all scared half to death of thunder and bright flashes in the sky. It
didn't help that we took a hike in a minor rainstorm (incidentally,
seeing some beautiful views of the mesas and the Sangre De Cristo
Mountains), with thunder in the background. A bit unnerving,
especially after we've been told that if you can hear it, it can hit
you. Later, an ALEXIS pass--since the satellite is in the sun right
now, no information's being downloaded, but it's still neat. It takes
less computers to run the ALEXIS satellite than a nuclear power plant
(4 compared to like 7). We got a nice tour, and the people running it
were very patient with the 9-10 people crowding their room during a
pass. Very nifty. Nighttime observations didn't go so well. The sky
is full of clouds, so we tried to get photos of streetlights with the
CCD camera, attached to this absolutely HUGE telescope Don made.
Unfortunately, the scope is built to see things at thousands of
meters, so it doesn't work so well distinguishing a streetlight at
about a hundred. Blur, Blur, Blur. Plus, the light pollution from
streetlights and the light on the building is horrid. So we tried to
distinguish LEDs at the end of a long, blacked-out corridor with a
smaller lens, and a telephoto lens. And we did it. It only took 3 1/2
hours. *laugh*.
Wednesday, 7/23.
All of us except Rumman and Nicole got up today to see a lecture
by Stirling Colgate at LANL-- Astrophysical Dynamos and the Liquid
Sodium Experiment. Quite fascinating--he has a theory about galactic
formation (or so I gather) and, while I get the gist of what he's
saying, and understand a little bit about how he intends to prove it
(by creating a dynamo in liquid sodium, which is, of course, verrry
explosive, and measuring the magnetic fields resulting), I just might
understand the math he uses and the fundamental theory of what he's
saying in about 5 or 6 years. Ate lunch at the LANL cafeteria.
Government food is government food. Hey, what can you say? Later, a
discussion of exactly what LANL does over at the Bradbury Museum
(Which is a very nice museum--they have a xylophone made out of core
samples), by Gary Franklin. Also, a demo on superconductors. Nifty. A
visit to ROTSE--a pretty cool thing. I'm thinking that while this is
groovy, ATOMIC would be even neater. Costs more, though. *Edward
crosses his fingers for funding*. Clouds again, so we hop over to the
Canyon School again (where we get all of our lectures and such) and I
type this out. More to come, I suppose.
Thursday, 7/24
Today, we got a tour with Carol Mooney of the Jemez Mtns: we
visited Valle Grande, a place with some pumice left over from the
eruption, and soda dam. Unfortunately, though the tour was cool, and
we got to see some absolutely beautiful mountains near soda dam, we
had a tire blowout, and missed visiting Battleship Rock. Oh, well. We
visited (next) MILAGRO, over near Hot Dry Rock at Fenton Hill.
MILAGRO is cool. Fascinating--I had no idea so many universities
collaborated on one scientific project, or that the project could be
so carefully planned over two decades. Wow. We also took readings and
data at the Fenton Hill site: the Meade scope worked nicely, and took
about 5 exposures. Unfortunately, I never got the LDRD telescope
focused *cursing deleted*. I think we'll get it done within a half
hour or so the next time we give it a shot. Oh, well.
Friday, 7/25
We had lunch with Carrie Avery (who Galen keeps calling Cavery)
from the Durfee Foundation, today. We were given a few lectures:
Guthrie on Electromagnetism and Detectors, and Heather on Time. Then
*YAY* we went off to Santa Fe to see "The Winter's Tale" in a
production of Shakespeare in Santa Fe, a group, (predictably enough)
performing Shakespeare, in Santa Fe. The mind boggles. The
performance was wonderful. Galen played conch, crumb horn, and harp
(quite beautifully) and the performance itself was fantastic. I'll
have to read this play--maybe we can do it at McClatchy (the school I
attend).
Saturday, 7/26
Today we hiked it Tsankawi park, and saw a bunch of neat stuff.
Ancient shards of pottery (which we left in place), some inscribed
rocks (petroglyphs), and some absolutely gorgeous views. We had some
other people on the trail take our photos and they asked if we were a
cult =). Overall, a fascinating experience, with a beautiful view. We
were planning to go to the Pajarito Astronomer's Club Dark Night at
White Rock Overlook, but (seeing as it was raining, and the sky was
full of clouds), we decided not to attend. Instead, we went to the
movies (productive use of time) . Everyone but Michelle and I saw
Contact. She'd already seen it, and I'll see it when I get home--so
we saw Air Force One. Nice movie, for an action flick. We had a
laundry party for Tim, and sat up until 2-ish. Then, stupid as I had
been, drinking a large coke, two cups of coffee, and a bunch of
caffeinated tea, I stayed up until 5-ish. Isn't sleep deprivation
fun?
Sunday, 7/27
What a day. We've been rained out, so we haven't gone to Fenton Hill to make an observing run or to Bandelier to hike. This is good, especially because Chi-Ji is acting funny and refusing to acknowledge the existence of the sensys camera. Oy. Michelle's working on it, and I have faith that it'll work eventually. Seems to be a computer problem. We managed to handle the data we've taken, but only through a weird mac program--Guthrie and Michelle are working on converting to FITS format so everything can handle it. We'll see. Went to dinner in SF, made a Wal-Mart run for supplies. On the way back, we (Cathy, Tim, Michelle and I) had a bit of a discussion about Earthwatch and stuff in general.
**WARNING. PHILOSOPHICAL INTROSPECTION AHEAD**
Regarding the merits of this whole program? Well, it's a lot of fun, and I'm having a great time. I'm learning a lot more than I have in a long time, and I find it fascinating. I get to learn awesome stuff, meet cool people, work with nifty equipment, and, I think most importantly, look at the nitty gritty side of science that they've never told us about in classes. Seeing things like MILAGRO, an experiment that's been in planning for a decade, and won't be done for another dozen years, and observing the lurch-and-jolt type of science that seems to occur in the real world, as a opposed to the made-in-a-warehouse-works-every-time science we get in the lab, is probably the most rewarding part of being here. I'm also getting to meet people: my fellow students, students like Michelle, Guthrie, and Heather, and actual practicing scientists like Galen. Another fine thing: I've never really thought about how much computers are used in astronomy: since I like computers as well as stars, this makes astronomy a field that I might want to consider for my minor interest, as I'll probably go into humanities.
Perhaps the only grudge I have is that I'd like to be able to work more. I feel a bit parasitic when there's no data to analyze, or when I didn't manage to focus the telescope, or when there's just nothing to do. I feel that, in return for this opportunity, I should be DOING something. I've been assured that the data we collect is valuable, and that our position as bug-finders is worthwhile, but I have my doubts. More on this later.
**INTROSPECTION ENDS: DRIVEL RESUMES.**
Monday, 7/28.
So. Today, we planned on going to Fenton. Unfortunately, the clouds have a different idea. Gray, Gray, Gray, as far as the eye (well, my eye, anyway), can see. We went up to Fenton, but we see clouds all over. Hoping for a break, we set up camp. Then it starts raining. Hrm. People get restless, the work is abandoned, and the mood of the joint descends into that of the Dark Jungle as in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Madness abounds. At about 11ish, Michelle decides to leave--a few of us go with her. We visited Orion and Zorro (rats), and then washed clothes until 2:30. Sleep descends, and--.
Tuesday, 7/29.
Yayfun. Today, we had planned to go to Pajarito Peak--this expedition is abandoned when we receive news that the Peak has received much rain, and is muy treacherous. Plan B: perhaps fenton Hill, later tonight. We go to Santa Fe, see a planetarium show, eat lunch, and shop. We return, and I write this out. More to follow, unless I fall off a cliff or something.
Wednesday, 7/30
So. Aye, clouds again today. *SCREAMING EDITED OUT* Rain, too. The fellows at Pajarito say the road is mud-in desperation for some activity, we hop off to the Very Large Array in Socorro. A fascinating trip: unfortunately, it took 4 hours to get there. Oy. We received a guided tour of the Array (very nifty), and then hopped back. Return: 12:00. Argh.
**MORE INTROSPECTION: BEWARE, DRIVE CAREFULLY**
Ho hum. Well, in an attempt to avoid saying anything negative, everyone's getting a bit frustrated, and a bit nervous (we're supposed to give a talk about our findings?!? on Friday), and the resulting tension is driving everyone a bit batty. The sanity level of the group is falling at an exponential rate: though things have gotten a bit better, I fear that all of us might not live through the trip.
On a different key, I'm thinking. (An unhealthy thing to do, I know, but a necessity just as much as bathing and eating are.) I had previously decided on a field of study, a culmination of several year's thought and cogitation. Well, that's down the tubes. Exposure to the people here, the VLA, and "science in the real world" in general has slashed and shredded my decision. I want to do everything. Unfortunately, very few universities offer a B.A. in Everything. Hrm. *SHRIEK OF ANGUISH*
**INTROSPECTION ENDS**
Thursday, 7/31
Okay, today we went off to Galen's house for a barbecue. Nice house, nice backyard, nice instruments...musical instruments all over the place: drums, harp, harpsichord, hammer dulcimer, piano, yadda. We sat around, listened to music, spilled iced tea on the floor, and generally wandered and mingled: met Todd's wife and kids (nice kids...they resemble Todd hugely), saw Don, Guthrie, Michelle, Heather, etc. We also encountered Tipper the Dog. Cute, if a bit hyperactive. Had dinner: quite good, even considering that I tried out vegetarian hot dogs for the first time. (Rather decent, if a bit too chewy). We quickly bolted off to Fenton Hill, and made some decent observations with the Eyeball and the Axiom camera. Had some focusing problems at about 1:30-ish...the reason being that dew was collecting on the scope lenses, something we discovered at about 4. Argh. We got home around six, and crashed.
Friday, 8/1.
Aargh. Today, massive headache (sleep deprivation, resulting from a joyous 2 hours of sleep) abounds in my skull. Woke up at 10 and started data analysis. With the help of Leo and Jim, we smash the data from the Axiom at Fenton Hill into something useable, and present it to the Transient Astrophysics Interest Group. Oy, a more scary experience I have not had recently. No problems, I just felt a bit stupid. Oh well. In return, we got a fascinating lecture by Ed (last name unknown) about the worthlessness of the scientific method. Quite interesting--he maintains that scientific discovery at the frontier is not made through a rigorous structure, but rather through knowledge of the field and then Enlightenment. Fascinating. We also got to see a bit of the parry-and-thrust argument of a few scientists who sort-of-disagreed with him. Michelle also started a bit of an argument up with a few others upon the merits of studying stars. Fun day. We pile into rented 4-wheel-drive vehicles, and whomp our way up Pajarito Peak....And experience both the bumpiest ride and most beautiful view I have ever experienced. It gets a bit cloudy--we are not to be refused, and set up camp. We eat, and take a few observations before the clouds hit. At this point, I migrate over to the truck, and sit on a tailgate in the freezing wind for 3 hours with Guthrie and Nicole before, in the middle of a discussion about weasel metabolism, Guthrie proposes we sit in the truck before we freeze to death. The motion is approved, and we move into the truck, and later into a tent. We sleep, fitfully.
Saturday, 8/2.
More headache abounds. Aargh. We whomp our way back to Los Alamos, and collapse into a painful slumber. We wake, and hop off (another car trip! Where's my Dramamine?) to a fun and dandy Jemez Pueblo Feast Day. Quite fun...surrounded by dancers and merrymakers, I munch on some roasted corn (tasty) and watermelon juice. Picked up some jewelry for mom, sister, and Cynthia. Hrm. Marketplace was quite different than Hong Kong, to my surprise: no haggling, and vendors were very quiet; none of the BUY THIS! BUY THIS! atmosphere that I had expected.
Prior to this, we got to see Don's car---a beautifully restored pale off-white 1960 Thunderbird. Wow. What else? We finish at the pueblo, hop back to Los Alamos, and I write this.
Tomorrow I return to Sacramento. Yes, I'll miss all of this--it's been grand, meeting everyone and learning all kinds of neat things...in addition to learning the obvious (i.e. how to use a telescope, how to collect data correctly) we've gained a great deal of insight as to how science really works, and how the real world is. To say nothing against my science teachers, for they've all been fantastic, I think I've learned more being here for 2 weeks, working, talking to under grads and scientists, than I did in the greater part of a semester. And by Jove, if I can find another program like this...Where do I sign?