Tuesday, March 17, 2020

15 Rain Quotes to Drench Your Heart in Pure Joy

15 Rain Quotes to Drench Your Heart in Pure Joy Rain makes the whole landscape look fresh, green, and glistening. While people huddle under their umbrellas, trying to get to work, the child inside wants to throw away their rain gear and enjoy the pinpricks of raindrops on their face and the puddles that follow. Water is the elixir of life, and those of us lucky enough to enjoy regular rain may not recognize how remarkable it really is. Rain is the source of our food, the only liquid we use to stay clean and healthy, and very possibly the reason life evolved on Earth. Its also the source of wonderful songs such as  Singing in the Rain, Umbrella, Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head  and so many others. Next time the drops start to fall, soak yourself in the pure, unadulterated drizzle and let your worries wash away. Hum a tune as you walk in the rain, and feel your spirit soar. Share these rain quotes with your friends and help the rain god cast a spell of magic. Rain Quotes From Famous People Henry Wadsworth Longfellow A feeling of sadness and longing that is not akin to pain, and resembles sorrow only as the mist resembles the rain. Bill Rodgers I ran my fastest marathon in the rain. Saint Basil Many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, and knows not that it brings abundance to drive away the hunger.   Halle Berry Id like to be able to use Storms powers for good, like have it rain more in Southern California. We could do with it. David Copperfield Im just waiting for people to start asking me to make the rain disappear. Clint Eastwood If you think its going to rain, it will. Langston Hughes Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby. Dave Barry It always rains on tents. Rainstorms will travel thousands of miles, against prevailing winds for the opportunity to rain on a tent. William Shakespeare For the rain it raineth every day. Satchel Paige Dont pray when it rains if you dont pray when the sun shines. Roger Miller Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet. Henry Ward Beecher Rain! whose soft architectural hands have power to cut stones, and chisel to shapes of grandeur the very mountains. Rachel Carson A rainy day is the perfect time for a walk in the woods. Mark Twain It is best to read the weather forecast before praying for rain. Rabindranath Tagore Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. John Updike Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life. Munshi Premchand Trees bear fruits only to be eaten by others; the fields grow  grains, but they are consumed by the world. Cows give milk, but she doesnt drink it herself - that is left to others. Clouds send rain only to quench the parched earth. In such giving, there is little space for selfishness.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Biography of Carl Sagan, Astronomer of the People

Biography of Carl Sagan, Astronomer of the People Astronomer and author Carl Sagan (November 9, 1934 - December 20, 1996) burst into public consciousness as the star and producer of the TV series Cosmos. He was a prolific researcher in astronomy  as well as a science popularizer who sought to educate the public about the universe and the value of the scientific method.   Early Years Born in Brooklyn, New York, Sagan grew up with a strong interest in the planets, stars, and science fiction. His father, Samuel Sagan, immigrated from what is now Ukraine and worked as a garment worker. His mother, Rachel Molly Gruber, encouraged his great interest in science. Sagan often cited his parents influence on his career, saying that his father influenced his imagination and his mother urged him to go to the library to find books about stars. Professional Life After graduating from high school in 1951, the young Sagan headed the University of Chicago for a degree in physics. At the University of Chicago, he took part in chemistry research about the building blocks of life. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics in 1960. Sagan left Illinois and began working at University of California - Berkeley, where he worked with a team to  build an instrument for a NASA mission to Mars called Mariner 2. In the 1960s, Sagan moved to Harvard University, where he worked at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. There, he focused his research more closely on planetary science, with a particular interest in Venus and Jupiter. Sagan later moved again to Cornell University, where he served as director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies. Sagans work with NASA continued. He was a principal advisor for the Viking missions and worked on the landing site selection. He also was instrumental in a project to put messages from humanity aboard the Pioneer and Voyager probes to the outer solar system. In 1976, he became  the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences, a chair he held until his death. Research Interests and Activism Throughout his career, Carl Sagan remained deeply interested in the possibility of life on other worlds.   Throughout his work with NASA and the U.S. space program, he tirelessly promoted the ideas behind the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, colloquially known as SETI. Sagan worked on  several collaborative experiments, which ultimately demonstrated that, when exposed to ultraviolet light, mixtures of amino acids and nucleic acids could be produced in  conditions much like those of early Earth. Carl Sagan conducted early research on climate change. One of his studies showed that the high temperatures on the surface of Venus could be attributed to a runaway greenhouse effect. Throughout his career, Sagan continued his scientific research, ultimately publishing more than 600 papers. Throughout his work, he advocated for scientific skepticism and healthy reasoning, promoting skepticism as an alternative to belief systems of politics and religion. Sagan was also  an anti-war activist. He  studied the potential impact of nuclear war and advocated for nuclear disarmament. Science as a Way of Thinking As an avid skeptic and agnostic, Sagan promoted the scientific method as a tool for better understanding the world. In his book  Demon-Haunted World, he laid out strategies for critical thinking, deconstructing arguments, and testing claims. Sagan published a number of other science books aimed at a lay audience, including The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence, and Brocas Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science.  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1980, Carl Sagans:  Cosmos: A Personal Voyage premiered on television.  The premiere turned Sagan into a well-known science popularizer. The show was aimed at a general audience, with each  episode  focusing on a different aspect of scientific discovery or exploration.  Cosmos  received two Emmy Awards.   Later Years and Legacy In the 1990s, Carl Sagan was diagnosed with a blood condition called myelodysplasia. He received three bone marrow transplants and ongoing treatment, continuing to work on his research and writing even as the condition worsened. At age 62, Sagan died of pneumonia associated with his condition. Sagan left a long-lasting legacy in the fields of astronomy and science education. Several awards for science communication are named after Carl Sagan, included two given by the Planetary Society. The Mars Pathfinder location on Mars is named the Carl Sagan Memorial Station.   Carl Sagan Fast Facts Full Name: Carl Edward SaganKnown For: Astronomer, author, and science popularizer  Born: November 9, 1934 in Brooklyn, New York, USADied: December 20, 1996 in Seattle, Washington, USAEducation: University of Chicago (B.A., B.S., M.S., Ph.D.)Selected Works:  Cosmos: A Personal Journey,  Demon-Haunted World,  The Dragons of Eden,  Brocas BrainKey Accomplishments:  NASA Medal of Honor (1977), Emmy Award for Outstanding Personal Achievement (1981), authored 600 scientific papers and dozens of popular science articles and books.Spouse Name:  Lynn Margulis (1957-1965), Linda Salzman (1968-1981),  Ann Druyan (1981-1996)Childrens Names: Jeremy, Dorion, Nick, Alexandra, Samuel  Famous Quote: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Sources and Further Reading Kragh, Helge. â€Å"Carl Sagan.† Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 27 Oct. 2017, www.britannica.com/biography/Carl-Sagan.  Head, Tom. Conversations with Carl Sagan (Literary Conversations), University Press of MIssissippi, 2006.  Terzian, Yervant, and Elizabeth Bilson. Carl Sagans Universe. Cambridge University Press, 2009.