The Abandoned Subway Stop

Deep under New York there is a beautifully preserved, abandoned subway stop for City Hall. I can't believe the pictures found here. (I think I'll have to have a category for "Modern Ruins" soon ... )

The Gamma-Ray Bubbles at the Center of the Galaxy

[piclink and article]

The universe is a surprising place. A new gamma-ray observatory has found these sharply defined bubbles of gamma rays to appear to be blown out from each end of the center of the galaxy. We're pretty sure what they're NOT -- dark matter -- but we don't really know what they ARE. Is this part of the reason why the rest of the galaxy might not be so habitable? Too many gamma rays? And we KNOW gamma rays turn mild-mannered Bruce Banner into the Hulk.

At the very least, it's a beautiful picture, and a reminder that even with the best observatories we only see through a glass darkly -- even if what we see is dark matter!

Richard Hays speaks to Students and Faculty

This little message is definitely the first one in which a Tom Petty quote actually brought a tear to my eye. It's Richard B. Hays, Biblical scholar, speaking to students and faculty at Duke on a passage from Luke, but really, it's for everyone. Read it when you have the chance here.