In Which I Mash Up Astronomy And Nirvana, Because I Can

I'm happy 'cause today I found my sun

Has much less lithium than it quite should

But it's not in my head, the reason, one

That is not in my head; my will is good:

I'll tell you why. Yeah. Planets make it slow,

The star's rotation, and the mineral,

So heavy, deep within the star must go,

Drawn there by mighty force to fuse. Farewell

To it then; it is something else. Thus those

With less of the third element, are more

Than likely candidates for planets. Prose

Ill serves such wonders. Mirrors? I've broken four!

But I must tell you I'm not going to crack.

I love this news; I'm never looking back!

BONUS SONNET: Yay, We're Skeptics, But Must We Be Jerks About It?

While I do think the world is cool enough,

That what we can observe and test is great,

Increasing knowledge carefully, one tough

Test, then another over time, I'd hate

To be like those who once did roundly mock

Copernicus or Galileo, or

Columbus. E pur si mueve. What shock

Occurs when someone does discover more.

Of course I raise an eyebrow at such claims

That visitors from other systems come

To probe or warn us; still I don't play games,

Don't bait believers, will not call them dumb.

It's true there are some cracked pots on that shelf

But I've found some who aren't. How 'bout yourself?

December 22, 2012

I must confess amusement at the fuss
Regarding one partic'lar future date:
December 21st in three years. Thus,
As near as I can follow this debate,
The world may end according to one crowd,
All time itself, according to a friend
In Saratoga (though she has allowed
That measurement of time is what might end,
All notions merging, globbing to just "now" --
Which I oft think is hap'ning anyway.
The internet has made it so). But how,
The skeptics 'mong us ask, is this the day?
The Mayans' reckoning is old and fine
But is a cycle's end such cause to whine?

In Which I Contemplate The Naughtiness Of The Science Of Astronomy, Or At Least (Certain) Astronomers Who Engage In #DirtyScience

When properly construed ev'rything's lewd
So did Tom Lehrer teach, and he is right.
But I am not the type to just conclude
On faith that something's so, and so one night,
With sev'ral chosen friends (well, volunteers)
With all due spirit of free inquiry
And scientific method, and yes, beers,
And a commitment 'gainst casuistry,
We tried to prove the study of the skies
And stars and planets, galaxies and suns
Could be as dirty as we want. Archives
Alas, are incomplete, and so reruns
For future ref'rence may have to take place,
And for posterity, more #dirtyspace.