Saturn and a snow

April has been a rather aberrant month this year. Here in Colorado, we've experienced a second winter of sorts with a pair of significant snowstorms in the past few weeks. April has also brought with it some unnerving events for many people in the United States, as well as around the world. Looking beyond our planet though, April is also host to a few enjoyable astronomical occasions.


[Thanks to Neave's Planetarium!]

Tonight, April 25th, the planet Saturn will rise within 4 degrees of the full moon. It will hug our celestial satellite throughout the night for a wonderful viewing experience. You may want to bring out your telescope or a pair of binoculars to try and catch a glimpse of Saturn's rings.



Don't worry too much, if you're unable to catch a glimpse of Saturn tonight, the planet will be visible in the night sky for some time to come. Most notably on April 28th when it will be in opposition (directly opposite the Sun) and at its closest distance to Earth. Long time readers know how much I enjoy astronomy, so it should be no surprise that I will definitely be finding a great place to hike with my telescope and witness the wonders of the night sky.

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2013-04-26@08:00:00 MDT UPDATE: Added a photo from my viewing of Saturn's rings last night. Taking a photo through a telescope lens does the beauty of the rings no justice.

Water is necessary

What do you need? What is essential to every day of your life? In the world of instant gratification, global communication, and relative safety, you might find yourself thinking that you "need" more than truly necessary: Food, Water, Shelter.

When I wrote the survival series, it was about educating people whose basic needs are met in their daily lives. My hope continues to be that those articles can be a helpful resource and provide the knowledge which could save lives in unexpected situations. However, today is Earth Day and I'd like to take a more globally aware view.


URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:D-P005_Kein_Trinkwasser.svg

There are far more people in this world who live in a state of basic survival need everyday than those whose needs are met. People lacking proper nutrition, basic safety/security, and the most basic life need: water. In my articles about the human population reaching 7 billion, I mentioned some statistics about water and sanitation.

Lack access to safe drinking water (1.1 billion): 17.74%
and/or
Lack access to basic sanitation (2.6 billion): 41.93%

Years ago, I briefly shared a video from charity:water about their projects to bring clean drinking water to people around the world. Two years ago, I saw another video from them that I've been thinking about since.

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCHhwxvQqxg

The necessity of water to life is unmistakable, so too are the detrimental effects on the people and communities lacking clean water. Now and again, some people in the developed world are shocked into a life without basic needs (e.g. New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, New England after Hurricane Sandy, the disastrous Carnival Triumph cruise ship). It's in those situations that basic survival skills become the focus of every moment; imagine living always in that state. As the video notes, the time spent trying to meet our basic needs is time that can't be spent on developing ourselves and our community.

Not everyone has the resources, desire, or freedom to lend to the needs of others, but we all feel stress when our needs are being threatened. By keeping an awareness and empathy about that stress, maybe we can each make an effort to recognize and connect with others, helping to improve the overall human condition with the simplest kindness.

Groundhog Day 2013

Throughout the day today, I thought often of previous Groundhog Days and the experiences and enlightenment that came with them. As Groundhog Day 2013 comes to an end, I find myself thinking about the passage of time. Experience teaches us a great deal about ourselves and, given the right circumstances and encouragement, when can grow and learn everyday.

I continue to value and appreciate the lessons of my own journey -- some of which I have reflected on in recent articles -- and I am hoping and planning an exciting year ahead. However, I am also careful to temper that excitement with the recognition that I would not be able to have such opportunity ahead nor the appreciation of my journey without being mindful of who I am in the present.

By the time this article publishes, I will be watching "Groundhog Day" (again). Like Phil, of the film, repeating the same day countless times while learning to improve himself, I hope to continue to embrace the beauty of each day -- even its familiarity -- and mold myself into the man I want to be in my continued journey. And while I value the significance of this year, for me, I recognize that time continues on and everyday brings with it new growth and opportunity.

More than the summit

Much of our psychology and sociology is dedicated to studying and preserving existence. Throughout history, it appears as if humanity is determined to derive some purpose for life. I, personally, have spent a great deal of time and much thought trying to seek purpose in my life. However, the singular search for purpose seems so futile and the results, if any, are flimsy and fleeting.

Before I elaborate, let's start by addressing "purpose". The basic principle in the purpose of existence is as simple as Shakespeare: to be or not to be. Our purpose is to sustain ourselves, sustain our species, and to sustain the existence of all life. Everything else we construct, both mentally and as a society, is external to that basic premise.

Some philosophers have argued that the constructs beyond those "basic needs" are meaningless, pointless, and unnecessary. There was a time when I thought that way as well. Now, it seems, I had the wrong idea and I needed to alter my perspective a bit to see things differently.

The change in my view came as part of a larger shift in my thought and attitude. In hindsight, I can see the first public indications of that shift in my article "A midsummer's hike":

I love finding new and exciting experiences throughout the world, but I sometimes find myself pushing physically so hard toward some goal that I ignore what I'm feeling about the experience of getting there. I certainly enjoy the external aspects of the experience (e.g. beautiful views, incredible company, wondrous wildlife). I hope that this new approach to my pace will help me to be mindful of the internal experience as well.

The hike that day was spectacular. Not only did that small change in approach impact my overall enjoyment, the subtle shift caused some of the ripples which would slowly change my attitude and approach to life from then on.

So, what is it that we're really searching for in life? What is this internal drive that we all seem to feel at some point in our lives? Let's circle back to the idea that anything outside "purpose" is "meaningless". I would like to now argue in opposition. While those things necessary for sustaining existence are certainly essential, they are not substantial. And it is that substance that truly is "meaningful".

Reflecting on the shift I experienced during that hike and how it applies to the concepts of purpose and meaning, the relentless pursuit to achieve some goal (purpose) deadens the nuance (meaning) of the experience. It's foolish and dangerous to hike in ignorance of your environment, so too is it foolish to go through life without finding meaning in the experience.

As with the weather on a hike, it was an external influence that started the necessary change in my internal process and shifted my mindset. Had I not accepted that external influence, I may never have come to understand that while the basic essence of life defines what challenges we face in life, it is the substance in our lives that enriches how we approach those challenges. Sometimes things don't go as desired and you get rained on, but it would certainly be a less enjoyable experience if you wear your rain gear all the time.

The wonder of existence comes in finding the balance between preparing ourselves for the challenges while keeping our perspective open to the beauty. Do we push hard toward only one goal (e.g. the summit, the essence, to be or not to be), trampling both thorn and flower as we march? Or do we change our pace and shift our perspective, to better feel the substance (both painful and wonderful) of our existence?

Soaring through the stratosphere

The highest point on Earth is the summit of Mount Everest [wikipedia] at 8848 meters (29029 ft). The average cruising altitude of a commercial jet airplane is about a thousand meters higher at around 10000 m (≈33000 ft). On Monday, October 8th¹ Tuesday, October 9th² a date still to be determined³ Sunday, October 14th, Felix Baumgartner will step out of a specially designed capsule and freefall from over 37000 m (over 121000 ft). During his "Red Bull Stratos" jump, Felix will break quite a few records, including becoming the first person to pass the speed of sound (≈1200 km/hr) on a skydive.

In addition to the obvious awesome-factor, this event will hopefully aide in the advancement of space exploration. Felix will be wearing a "next generation" pressure suit, which might be useful to astronauts in future travels beyond our small planetary home. The detail of scientific data Felix's capsule and suit will gather will be helpful in the study of the atmosphere, spacecraft design, and the effects of such a "fall" on the human body.

As explained in this video [Red Bull Stratos], the whole event will be broadcast live by the Red Bull Stratos team in Roswell, New Mexico via 35 cameras. My appreciation of astronomy, high-adventure, and technology will certainly have me watching the broadcast with excitement. The path of our progress as a species was started with the single step of one person, a single step taken beyond the trail already made and supported by the people who walk by their side.

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¹ 2012-10-06@07:00:00 MDT UPDATE: Mission postponed to 9 Oct, due to weather concerns.
² 2012-10-09@11:45:00 MDT UPDATE: Mission aborted during launch preparations due to wind conditions.
³ 2012-10-09@13:00:00 MDT UPDATE: Next weather window appears to be 14 Oct.

Getting a full slice of pie

Last year, I presented some information about the mathematical concept of "tau". Most importantly, I encouraged an educational focus toward the practical:

Keeping the students as the priority, certain "weird math" gets discarded. For example, did you know that a full pi radian angle is only 180°. If I were to use only pi to cut you a slice of pie that means you would only get half of what you asked for because a circle is really 2π. Using τ you would have access to the full 360°.

Today is again Tau Day and I would like to remind you to get that full slice of pie in your life. Use an open mind and the power of critical thinking to find the methods which expand your world-view.

As I've said in some fashion in other articles:

Never accept "because I said so"; find a better source, one which will help nurture your curiosity not belittle it. Explore the world around you, excite your mind with interest, accept the dynamic nature of "fact", and wonder at the beauty of information.

Vi has put together another fun video [YouTube] about Tau this year. As she says in the silly fun of her song:

"We get further from truth when we obscure what we say."

Tau is a simple and easy way to understand the math of circles. And, let's be honest, math is far to important to be overlooked because someone long ago decided to make it appear harder to conceptualize than it really is.

A midsummer's hike

Ten minutes after this article publishes, the June solstice of 2012 will occur (2012-06-20@23:10 UTC). As written in my "Survive in extreme temperatures" article published at the last solstice (December):

During a solstice, the "tilt" of the Earth is at its greatest angle in relation to its orbit around the Sun.

For astronomers, today's solstice marks the start of Summer in the Northern hemisphere. As much as I love astronomy, I prefer to view the seasons as we do our days: When the Sun is at its peak during the day, we say it is midday. In the same way, when the Sun appears at its Northern most in the sky, it is midsummer.

This midsummer marks the start of my primary hiking season. In fact, by the time this (automatically) publishes, my girlfriend and I should be well on our way to the location of our hike. We are both avid hikers year-round, but I've found that I most enjoy tackling larger summits during the warmer months.

During this hike, I am hoping to try something new. I have a tendency to push myself to find and maintain a constant pace while hiking; essentially, forcing myself to march up mountains. This time, I'm going to experiment with strategically changing the pace based on incline.

If we encounter a flat area, I hope to push myself slightly beyond a comfortable pace. When we encounter an incline I hope to slow myself to a pace below my comfort. I'm curious to observe the results on my overall performance. My goal is to keep the focus on comfort, not time or destination.

I love finding new and exciting experiences throughout the world, but I sometimes find myself pushing physically so hard toward some goal that I ignore what I'm feeling about the experience of getting there. I certainly enjoy the external aspects of the experience (e.g. beautiful views, incredible company, wondrous wildlife). I hope that this new approach to my pace will help me to be mindful of the internal experience as well.

Review: The Flinch

The Flinch by Julien Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Flinch was an entertaining and enriching book and I am glad to have read it. I really enjoyed the light, fast-paced, and fun style of Julien Smith.

I have touched on the subject of fear in my blog and I had planned to circle back again to it again. The Flinch gave me some new inspiration, physiological experiments, and a different perspective for a familiar topic.

I enjoyed the book enough to devour its entire contents in one sitting. I like to imagine that Smith had originally written more, taking us further beyond the comfort of everyday, but the editors simply flinched.

View all my reviews

Review: The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have had a few financial struggles in my life, but I've learned some fantastic lessons from those challenging experiences. Dave Ramsey's book is a decent compilation of advice for those people who haven't yet learned those lessons for themselves.

Perhaps my view of The Total Money Makeover is the same as my view of any other "makeover". I don't think any "makeover" is really necessary, it suggests that a person is incapable of changing themselves without some external enhancements. In this case, the financial advice is great, but it's the knowledge that gives you the power. It's not the "stylist" that makes your hair or makeup great, it's you. Learn (without buying anything) how to do something, then do it.

View all my reviews

How to estimate wind speed and direction

Today is Flag Day in the United States of America. Many countries have these "Flag Day" public holidays, during which the adoption of the national flag or a specific event is recognized. Flags can be found, in some form, throughout history, but their usefulness extends beyond identification, patriotism, and decoration. How? Well, the answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind.


Source: "Palace of the Four Winds" - Wikipedia

It's easy to become so accustomed to our environment that we miss the nuanced information we can collect from it. I previously presented how to predict the weather using observations of your environment in my Survival Guide Series. Today, I would like to detail how you can use similar awareness to discern wind speed and direction, another useful survival skill.

There have been a small collection of measurement systems for estimating wind speed, effects, and direction developed throughout history; one of which is the Beaufort wind force scale [Wikipedia]. Initially used to qualitatively evaluate wind effects, the Beaufort scale was eventually made into a more useful measure of wind conditions.

The Wikipedia article on the Beaufort scale has a wonderfully comprehensive table of the measures and effects of wind at each stage of the scale. I’ve chosen to select specific qualities and quantities from that table to ease memorization. For example, you’ll find that I list specific easy-to-remember speeds approximately within each Beaufort scale, rather than just throw a bunch of data at you. After all, my goal with this article is to make this information easy for you to use without technology or calculation. I want to empower you to look at the world around you and instantly discern the information you desire.

I’ve divided my groupings into three types of observations: flags, land, and sea. The effects described for the flag, are based on a common midsize flag (2:3 ratio, about 1 m ≈ 3 ft on its shortest side). For land, I made sure to include observations of the trees; do keep in mind that other factors can also affect tree movement, such as weather and fauna (e.g. rain may make leaves move, snow may hinder branch motion, squirrels may shake small branches).

CALM
Beaufort 0 - Less than 2 km/h (≈ 1.25 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag is at rest.
Land: Smoke rises gradually straight up, with very little drifting.
Sea: The water’s surface will appear smooth and reflections will be clearly recognizable.

LIGHT AIR
Beaufort 1 - 5 km/h (≈ 3 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag moves slightly in the wind, the bottom corner of the flag will hang.
Land: Smoke will drift with the wind.
Sea: The surface of the water will show some rippling.

LIGHT BREEZE
Beaufort 2 - 10 km/h (≈ 6 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag extends in the wind, the top corner may flap and curl.
Land: Tree leaves begin to rustle.
Sea: Small waves begin forming. No curling or cresting.

GENTLE BREEZE
Beaufort 3 - 20 km/h (≈ 12 mi/hr)

Flag: Waves move across the fabric when the flag is extended in the wind.
Land: Leaves and small twigs will be constantly moving.
Sea: “Wavelets” form, crests begin to form and break.

MODERATE BREEZE
Beaufort 4 - 30 km/h (≈ 20 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag is in constant motion, flapping quickly in the wind.
Land: Small tree branches begin to move. Dust and debris will be carried by the wind.
Sea: Small waves (up to 1 m high) begin to make longer curls. Crests become more numerous and easily visible.

FRESH BREEZE
Beaufort 5 - 40 km/h (≈ 25 mi/hr)

Flag: Ripples move quickly across the fabric.
Land: Small trees with leaves will begin to sway.
Sea: Moderate waves (1-2 m high) form. Many crests are visible, some surface spray is carried by the wind.

STRONG BREEZE
Beaufort 6 - 50 km/h (≈ 30 mi/hr)

Flag: The flag will “snap” and “pop” as it waves, flaps, and ripples. Damage to the flag will begin to occur.
Land: Larger tree branches will begin moving.
Sea: Large waves (2-4 m high) form. More spray is carried in the wind.

NEAR GALE
Beaufort 7 - 60 km/h (≈ 35 mi/hr)

Flag: Flag will begin to tear, possibly detaching from its hoist.
Land: Large trees begin to move and sway. Most people will feel some resistance when walking against the wind.
Sea: The surface of the water begins to heave. Sea heaps up, waves about 5 meters in height will form. Crests will spread down the waves from where the wave breaks.

GALE
Beaufort 8 - 75 km/h (≈ 45 mi/hr)

Flag: What flag? If not already torn from its hoist, there will be little left of the flag to respond to the wind.
Land: Loose leaves and small twigs break free of tree branches. Most people will have difficulty standing and/or staying balanced in the wind.
Sea: Moderately high waves (5-7 m) form. Spray from crests drifts (aka “spindrift”) across the surface with the wind.

STRONG GALE
Beaufort 9 - 88 km/h (≈ 55 mi/hr)

Land: Large tree branches may break. Some damage to buildings.
Sea: High waves (7-10 m) form. The whole surface begins to roll. Foam streaks across the surface. Spray carried in the wind notably fills the air.

STORM
Beaufort 10 - 100 km/h (≈ 65 mi/hr)

Land: Tree trunks may break and/or whole trees will uproot. Significant damage to buildings. (Wind of this speed is a rare occurrence on land.)
Sea: Very high waves (10-12 m) with large crests. The surface is dense with foam and rolls deeply. Visibility is hindered more by spray in the air.

VIOLENT STORM
Beaufort 11 - 115 km/h (≈ 70 mi/hr)

Sea: Waves nearly 15 meters in height. The surface of the water is mostly foam.

HURRICANE
Beaufort 12 - Greater than 115 km/h (≈ 70 mi/hr)

Sea: The air is now filled with foam and spray. Waves are over 15 meters high and the surface of the water is completely white with foam and spray.

I know this list of observations seems long, but it can be fun to focus most on those qualities most commonly relevant to your daily life (Beaufort 2 - 8). In the days writing this article, I have found myself frequently looking out a window to observe, estimate, and check the wind speed.

It’s easy to miss the wonders of the world around us, if we don’t first make an effort to look for them. I hope that the information within these guides inspires your enjoyment of our planet and makes the external environment feel more personally relevant.