George Hrab: Skeptical Rockstar

If you've been listening to the 365 Days of Astronomy podcast, you've heard the abridged version of George Hrab's "Far". Here's the even more awesome full version:



George is one of my favorite musicians. He's also wicked smart and one of the most fun critical thinkers around. He was at Dragon*Con last year and will return in 2009.

Happy Darwin Day!

To celebrate, here's an episode of Scientific American's Science Talk podcast in which Hofstra University religion professor John Teahen discusses the study of religion from an evolutionary psychology perspective.

Suzanne Vega is an Evil Genius

I've been catching up on the podcast version of WNYC's Radio Lab which is an awesome show that combines science and pop culture in order to lead to a greater understanding of each.

Yesterday I listened to the Pop Music episode in which the hosts mention that neither of them likes the Suzanne Vega song "Tom's Diner" but that it's got a good hook.

This morning, by coincidence, "Tom's Diner" showed up on my car radio. I listened to the lyrics closely this time and, man, that is one terrible song. The lyrics are banal, the music is an exemplar of lazy production, and the performance is lackluster.

But the Radio Lab guys are right. The hook is insidious. I'm mentally humming it now. I will continue to hum or whistle that little melodic line for the next few days. Well played, Suzanne Vega. Well played, indeed.

365 Days of Astronomy

2009 is the International Year of Astronomy. The International Astronomical Union and UNESCO said so! I think this is a marvelous idea and so do a bunch of podcasters.

365 Days of Astronomy is a project that will publish one podcast per day, 5 to 10 minutes in duration, for all 365 days of 2009. This is awesome! I'm going to volunteer. If you're a podcaster, if you've ever wanted to be a podcaster, or if you just want to talk about the stars for a few minutes, sign up and send something in.