Grateful Dead

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Thanks Marshun! Always a treat to know there's someone "out there" reading. I knew that diploma from the Unversity of Space I got in Red Rocks, back in '79 would come in handy for something, even if nothing at all.... "All energy flows according to the whims of the Great Magnet. What a fool I was to defy him."

The Scientific Transative Astronomical Research Award is hereby presented to along with a Doctorate in General Space Research to our esteemed colleague here at Dead.net - Dr. Golden Road. He has uncovered and reported on many very cool things from the Bonnaroo Music festival to the following story that has literally blown galaxie's and minds to the outer limits of perception. It also kicked in a pretty cool flashback just reading it!*! (not sure why it was posted under "turn on channel 6 but i guess it doesn't matter anyway.) We have the report here. Thanks "Doc" Golden Road for the devotion and visions. Dilated Pupil? By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer 1 hour, 59 minutes ago WASHINGTON - Astronomers have stumbled upon a tremendous hole in the universe. That's got them scratching their heads about what's just not there. The cosmic blank spot has no stray stars, no galaxies, no sucking black holes, not even mysterious dark matter. It is 1 billion light years across of nothing. That's an expanse of nearly 6 billion trillion miles of emptiness, a University of Minnesota team announced Thursday. Astronomers have known for many years that there are patches in the universe where nobody's home. In fact, one such place is practically a neighbor, a mere 2 million light years away. But what the Minnesota team discovered, using two different types of astronomical observations, is a void that's far bigger than scientists ever imagined. "This is 1,000 times the volume of what we sort of expected to see in terms of a typical void," said Minnesota astronomy professor Lawrence Rudnick, author of the paper that will be published in Astrophysical Journal. "It's not clear that we have the right word yet ... This is too much of a surprise." Rudnick was examining a sky survey from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which essentially takes radio pictures of a broad expanse of the universe. But one area of the universe had radio pictures indicating there was up to 45 percent less matter in that region, Rudnick said. The rest of the matter in the radio pictures can be explained as stars and other cosmic structures between here and the void, which is about 5 to 10 billion light years away. Rudnick then checked observations of cosmic microwave background radiation and found a cold spot. The only explanation, Rudnick said, is it's empty of matter. It could also be a statistical freak of nature, but that's probably less likely than a giant void, said James Condon, an astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. He wasn't part of Rudnick's team but is following up on the research. "It looks like something to be taken seriously," said Brent Tully, a University of Hawaii astronomer who wasn't part of this research but studies the void closer to Earth. Tully said astronomers may eventually find a few cosmic structures in the void, but it would still be nearly empty. Holes in the universe probably occur when the gravity from areas with bigger mass pull matter from less dense areas, Tully said. After 13 billion years "they are losing out in the battle to where there are larger concentrations of matter," he said. Retired NASA astronomer Steve Maran said of the discovery: "This is incredibly important for something where there is nothing to it." "All energy flows according to the whims of the Great Magnet. What a fool I was to defy him." "Everybody's dancing in a ring around the sun"

Have been restraining myself from using that word in the forum, even though is one of my favorites lately.;-) Is it allowed? Can we be crass as long as we aren't insulting anybody directly? Perhaps so, as have seen c.c. joe use it once or twice, I think.

goes to Izzie for elegantly gratuitous uses of the word 'Fuck'

"the sword of righteousness is made of irony"

REALLY! Thank you!

Artichoke award goes to Cosmicbadger, for making at least some of us laugh in a time of crisis.

I would like to nominate grateful34 for exemplary good manners and cool in the churning madness that is the Tapers Section Forum right now ------------------------------------------------- On August 23rd, 2007 grateful34 said: I just want to make a correction and apology for misspelling's David Lemieux's name in my previous post ---------------- An fine example of an unsolicited and thoughtful apology .....need I say more.....eeerm..no!

Thanks alot Hal R. :-)TigerLilly is what my dad called me as a kid, 'cuz Lilly is our last name. Still does sometimes. Am partial to that flower too. While I'm at it, posting here and all, GRTUD definately gets the Hot Tuna award for excellence in culinary journalism. for those who are confused, see the "sat down to my supper" thread.

TigerLilly gets my nomination for "Most Beautiful Name On The Site". The orange flower that grows wild in the midwest. When I see the name I think of the flower in nature and am transported away from computer world. TigerLilly also gets the "Good Vibes Award!" Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) Walt Whitman-Song of Myself