Dr Pamela L. Gay is an astronomer, writer, and podcaster focused on using new media to engage people in science and technology. Explore online, learn, and discover!Lists
Here is where random lists of things go to live.
- A List of (Physics & Astronomy) Citizen Science Projects for anyone. Many require nothing but your eyes and a willingness to share what you see.
- A List of Twitters who use Twitter to communicate Astronomy
- A List of Books for those seeking to be Nerd-Literate
Hi Pamela,
I enjoy your blog and Astronomycast! I noticed that you’ve changed servers, and I was looking for your list of “must read” books. Did it get left behind? I get a very polite error message telling me “Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn’t here.” Story of my life…
Keep up the good work. G.
Hi Georgia,
The list seems to have died in transit. I will try very hard to get it up and online tomorrow. Moving websites always has more foibles than expected.
-P
Pamela,
Just wanted to say I think your amazing at what you do and you and Fraiser make a great due for Asdtronomy Cast. With being said you’ve mentioned before that you “love” donations. I work for a company called CitiGroup and its donation time for my office. We are allowed $1500 and its not a huge amount however im working on getting other offices in my district here in grand rapids,MI to do along with me. $1500 x 5= SWEET!!! I need to know if there is a form that can be submitted and also place were check can be sent. PayPal isnt an option…..
Keep up the good work,
Nathan
Hi Nathan,
I tried emailing you directly about your comment above. If you didn’t get my email last week, please let me know here, or email me at pgay at siue dot edu
Hi Pamela,
i am a fan of the Astronomy Cast. You and Fraiser are doing a great job. I listen to it while working. It helps me keep my mind focus in hours of tedious bugfixing. I know this kind of feedback can’t buy you new microphones, but if you need any kind of C.S. geek-powers just send an email. I think you are doing already very well though.
You two keep it up!
Cheers.
-t
Minor corrections:
Ayn Rand is spelled wrong (you have Any). It looks to my eyes like you have Lucifer’s Hammer as a Larry Niven only book. It was written Niven and Pournelle.
Personally these days I’d add the Harry Potter books. And Eric Flint’s 1632.
Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! fcsqwcdcpxtmh
Hi Dr Pamela,
I love Astronomy Cast, especially the interaction between your and Fraser. If I could make one small suggestion, it would be to try to get Fraser off all the big cataclysm-doomsday topics. There is a wealth of new and fascinating things going on in Astronomy to not be obscessed with how life on Earth will end.
In looking at your book list, Michael Moorcock’s “Elric of Meinibone” is mispelled, I think. Shouldn’t it be “Melnibone”?
I have read many of the big name Science Fiction authors. Robert Heinlein, Arthur C Clarke, Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, and David Niven have left the most lasting impressions with me. One book that I think should be added to the list is David Niven’s “Integral Trees”. Thinking of the possibility of life as we know it, existing in a free spacial anomally where a breathable O2 atmosphere exists, where life evolves in zero gravity, is just mind boggling.
By the way, my oldest sister and I are Michigan State grads too.
Hello Pamela:
I’ve been an Astronomy Cast listener for many months now, and thank you for the time and effort that you put into this valuable service. With regard to books on The List, I think the junction between science and fiction is most elegantly explored by the “Hard SF” authors. Arthur C Clarke is an obvious example, and IMO some others deserve mention. Hal Clement’s Mission of Gravity ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_of_Gravity ) was a landmark examination of the conditons on high gravity planets, and a great read.
WRT the site in general, you might have someone proofread the text for you. I noticed typos like “calculas” and “definately” on my first quick look around. Cheers.
Hello, Dr. Gay. You are wonderfully engaging on your Astronomy Cast casts (is that redundant?) with Fraser. You make the material nicely accessible for those of us who cannot sort difficult physics and math out for ourselves but are nonetheless facinated by the wonders of the universe.
Also, on the off chance that you actually read these yourself, I thought I would relay the fact that your voice is intoxicating. Just a simple compliment to the ‘woman’ part of you.
hi pamela
you and fraser have saved my life, my wife bought me an ipod for my birthday and i said what will i do with this, i dont listen to much music,
scince then i have found podcasts, especialy astronomy cast and i can now listen to so mutch good stuff, at home, in bed, at the gym, at work, its the greatest, thanks
ps dont worry about being to technical in your descriptions and calculations etc, the people who listen to you love that stuff
best wishes wayne from australia
Hi Pamela,
I really enjoy AstronomyCast. Thanks for doing that. May it continue.
Two things:
1. The Island of Dr Moreau is a novel by H.G.Wells, not Jules Verne.
2. I found your page on your faith unsatisfying. I don’t understand how you can use such strong rationality and reason in your scientific thinking and then defend the existence of something for which there is no evidence whatsoever. Indeed, all evidence points to an evolutionary origin of life, an incomprehensible loneliness of our planet’s life on an astronomical scale, and the non-existence of a soul. My question to you is: apart from the comforting factor of religious belief, of which I accept there is some, how can you make religious claims with your scientific mind?
Thank you,
Mark M
I think Any Rand is a third rate writer and a fourth rate thinker.
Some writers to add, since you seem to have left off poets here is a start:
W.C. Williams
E. Dickinson
A. Ginsburg
W. Stevens
BashÅ
Musicians:
Monk
Coltrane
Ellington
David Murray
Hi Pam was reading somecomments and though I would pass this on to you.
For wordpress
http://www.rpath.org/rbuilder/project/wp/
To run it on.
http://fabrice.bellard.free.fr/qemu/
Makes moving very easy.
Cheers.
Keep up the good work. Your my favorite teacher. (but I told frazer the same thing.)
Come on. It’s like asking who’s your favorite child.
Take care. Been busy with this stuff lately. Everyone wants virtualization these days.
micheal says that he thinks “Any Rand is a third rate writer and a fourth rate thinker”. I could not agree more, however, we cannot ignor her influence on the world today. She has a great, great following and I do agree that everyone needs to be exposes to her third rate writer and fourth rate thinking so that you can be prepare when you run into the Rand fans and know what you are facing!
as somebody else has mentioned The Island of Dr Moreau is by HG Wells not Jules Verne?!
as is War of the Worlds and the Time Traveller… All by Mr Wells…
Old Bertie would not be pleased!
If you like the 1984/brave new world dystopian stuff then you should definitely read Yevgeny Zamyatin’s ‘We’ … which is basically what inspired Orwell to write 1984…
as for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.. it is one of my favourite ever books… not sure how it qualifies as science, unless you are referring to his massive consumption of drugs!
didn’t see On the Origin of Species on your list either…. had a massive influence on people like HG Wells and Aldous Huxley… and is probably the most definitive science text ever written
I came by your Astronomy Cast PodCast by accident. I have to say I am out of the loop with iPod shows(there just appear to be so many!). I reached your site through some Space related reference websites and found it very informative. That said, I was very pleased by some of your book selections on your personal website. Some I have read, many I haven’t. I look forward to digging in.
PS-By the way (although it isn’t fiction) one of the best science books I have ever read was Eric Chaisson’s Relatively Speaking.
PSS- Ayn Rand was a first class thinker and a second class writer. It is always scary to try and act as an individual. Shrug.
Dr Gay:
I’m a real fan of AstonomyCast. I eagerly await each new episode. You and Fraser do an amazing job. How do you find the time?
A book I would add to the list is “A Case of Conscience” by James Blish. I think that you would find it very interesting/entertaining. Especially given your belief system as I have read it. I basically share the same views. You should hear the discussions that I have with my best friend, an evagelical Christian!
Regards,
Leo Wood
Dr. Gay,
I’m glad I discovered your astronomy program. As I get older and had a couple of eye surgeries, I don’t read as much as I used to. So it’s great to get to sit back and listen. Thank you!
Tim
Ayn Rand: Yuck.
Fortunately, her feeble-minded ideas are laughed at by all serious philosophers these days. Her current followers are amateurs, anarcho-capitalists and other corporate apologists. I hope your inclusion of her on the list can be attributed to a “youthful indiscretion”?
Plus, she was an atheist and I thought you were a fundamentalist Christian. Oh well, nobody’s perfect, right? (you and her).
(Love your show!)
are you a astronomer?I’m first see astronomer’s blog,exiciting!
Some really good thoughts and perceptions of people on culture. I think some people are just destined to have little understanding of the culture they live in and the surroundings, and they’re not going to understand cultural awareness alltogether.
Some interesting ideas in your writing though, and I’ve bookmarked it to return to read it in more depth later. Thanks.
I just saw the “nerd culture” closely followed by a comment about cocktail parties and I thought it relevant to point out that in a nerd society, people don’t make quips at cocktail parties. The closest contact they have with others is via webcam. If anyone really wanted to immerse themself in the culture, they’d have to stay in doors and study some kind of science or math. Trust me, I know. I go to one of the biggest nerd colleges in Missouri.
I wonder if Rand knew classical economics was based on failed physics?
Where’s Part 2?
I always felt as if The List is expanding at the same rate as the Universe itself.
Cocktail parties? Quips? My memory of a geek party was getting together to play D&D, trade commie 64 titles and smoke a lot of … well you know. I agree with the last post, where are the movies and TV shows?
Movies
-Monty Python: Life of Brian & Holy Grail
-Legend
-Dark Crystal
-2001
-Secret Agent 420
-Black Hole
-Logan’s Run
-Blade Runner
-Star Trek
TV
-Cosmos
-NOVA
-James Burke’s Connections
-The Star Gazer
-Voltron
-Star Trek TOS
-Battlestar Galactica
-Lexx
-Dr. Who (Tom Baker was the best Doctor)
Hi Pam,
I believe I know what your water problem is. I had the same thing happen to mine several years ago. The thermocouple is getting clogged. When I replaced mine the problem went away. Over the years this gets clogged with dust and assorted gunk that is in the natural gas (or propane)pipe.
Hope this helps. BTW, I saw the webcam of the flame on badastronomy.com great site!
Mike A.
Dear Pam, I am intoxicated by this site, subject and info. On your philosophy and reading, don’t let the narrow minded (twits) get you down. A great sage once ascribed, “Its the Glory of God to conceal a matter, and The Honor of Kings (and Queens) to seek it out (discover it)” A vast and exciting quest to be exercised with (or by).
The second law of the consevation of energy flies in the face of “evolution”. No, all evidence does not point to an ever increase in compexity and “order” build up of atoms(evolution) into amazing complexity. What fine order and continuance thereof came from nothing, without an orderer (with greater order and ability).
Dave A.
I wanted to let you know your doing great work with the podcasts. I think you are probably one of the favorite professors at your institution. I really liked the projects your students created. We really need hard working people like you to lead the next generation forward. Keep impressing us and hopefully the podcast productions keep rolling.
I also think music needs to be on the list. Probably first.
An avid listener from California.
Felix.
Pamela, strong work with Astronomy Cast. The ‘Lists” are a great idea. Three thoughts: 1. One Orson Card book is one too many; 2. How about Farmer’s ‘Riverworld’ series; and , 3. Time Traveloid novels, got to have them. ‘Replay’ by Grimwood and ‘Spin’ by RC Wilson are great.
Dr. Gay,
I’m such a geek I got an iPod touch just to listen to Astronomy Today podcasts and to check my local weather for astrophotography sessions! Love you and Fraiser are awesome together, thanks for doing it and doing it so well! You rock girl! Look for a small donation to Astronomy Today coming momentarily, sorry it’s so little I can’t afford much these days.
Hi,
I’ve listened to astronomycast since ep1 as Universetoday pointed me at it of course. LOVE the show. Just donated some small amount but it all counts! Thanks so much for the awesome info, in such an accessible format. Please keep them coming!
What I like best about the way you and Fraser do the Astronomycast podcast is how you avoid descending to the tabloid-level of cheap sensationalism used by far too many of the science casts out there. You don’t talk down to us; you both seem confident that the material itself is fascinating enough in its own right that it doesn’t need sensationalism to hype it. And you know what? You’re right!
Thanks for sharing your sense of wonder and awe of the Universe so that we can appreciate it, too.
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