Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C. Clarke died today at the age of 90. As a science fiction fan, an ISU graduate, and a human being, I note his passing as a loss to the planet. May he rest in peace.

Soffen Fund

The NASA Academy Alumni Association is going through a fundraising drive for the Dr. Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund for the Advancement of Space Science Education. The various NASA Academy classes are competing to see which group will donate more money to the fund. I have made my donation, but there is no real hope of my NASA Academy class (MSFC 1996) gathering the most money.

In lieu of "winning" I thought I would help spread the word about the Soffen Fund and its mission. From the website:

"Throughout his life, Gerald Soffen dedicated himself to fostering the growth of young space scientists and engineers. The Dr. Gerald A. Soffen Memorial Fund for the Advancement of Space Science Education was established to continue Jerry's commitment to the future of space by supporting motivated students in the fields of space science and engineering.

Since the fall of 2002, the Soffen Fund has provided students pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in space-related sciences and engineering with Travel Grants. The Travel Grants enable awardees to attend a professional conference at which they present their research.

Over the next several years, the Fund intends to offer its first set of $25,000 Astrobiology Graduate Fellowships."

If you wish to support this worthy cause, tax-deductable donations can be made at the donation site.

Happy Pi Day

Happy March 14! In the USA this is written as 3/14, thus Pi. Perhaps I can have some Pie for desert tonight. I am altering the time of the post so it appears that the post was posted on: 3/14 1:59 to add more significant digits.

It strikes me that in other countries where they write the date before the month (14/3), there is no such thing as a Pi day, as there is never a 14th month. Hmmmm.

Enjoy some mathematics and deserts today!

Also, Happy Birthday Mary Ann!