Angela,

You can amplify the silliness by putting numbers and equations to the 2012
muddle.

I sat down and compared the the force of the MW black hole on the Earth (you
know, the one that is responsible for the apocalypse) to the Moon on the Earth.

The force on the Earth from the MW BW is 10 billion pounds. (4.4 x 10^10
Newtons). That is assuming a 4 x 10^6 black hole.
The force on the Earth from the Moon is 4.35 x 10^19 pounds (1.9x10^20 Newtons).

The Moon has 4.36 billion times more force on us because it is much closer
(inverse square law). Hence, we have to worry more about the moon any given day.

What Arguelles et al. are arguing is that there is going to be a severing of a
link between all life and Earth and that black hole on 12/21/12. But that means
that such link has to carry a tension that doesn't obey the inverse square law
if we have to worry about it. But if we are dealing with a force that is only
inversely proportional, or even independent of distance, then why not worry
about about any galaxy on the ecliptic and its monster black hole as well?

A succinct info sheet on 2012 can be found on this site (tip of the tinfoil hat
to Phil Plait.)

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/2012-the-end-of-the-world/

Cheers,

Enrique Gomez
Western Carolina University



--- In astrolrner@yahoogroups.com, "Speck, Angela" <speckan@...> wrote:
>
> My favorite way to get people thinking about how silly the 2012 thing is, is
to start with the whole alignment thing.
> On various sites, and on the horrible History Channel “documentary” it is
stated that the Sun will align with the center of the galaxy at sunrise on the
winter solstice 2012. It doesn’t take too much effort or explanation to see
how ridiculous this statement is. Once you’ve done that, a lot of the people
(mostly high schoolers) I’ve talked to have a much healthier level of
skepticism about the various other claims.
>
> I do have a grad student doing a term paper on some aspects of the myth for my
Solar system course. It’ll be interesting to see what he comes up with.
> _______________________________________________
> Dr. Angela Speck
> Associate Professor
> Physics & Astronomy
> University of Missouri
> Columbia, MO 65211
>
> Tel: 573 882 8371
> Cell: 573 489 6075
> Fax: 573 882 4195
>
> http://web.missouri.edu/~speckan
> http://stardust.missouri.edu
>
> "If we knew what we were doing,
> it wouldn't be called research, would it?"
> _______________________________________________
>
> From: astrolrner@yahoogroups.com [mailto:astrolrner@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of KDConod
> Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2009 11:54 AM
> To: astrolrner@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [Astrolrner@CAE] Re:2012 and related things
>
>
> The other similar version of this is that the Sun will align with the
supermassive black hole at the Galactic Center in 2012. So my question is when
is the Sun closest to Sagittarius A? Using Starry Night it seems to be in the
2100's but it be nice to know a more precise date...
>
> Kevin Conod
> kdconod@...
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Chris Anderson <CAnderson@...>
> To: "astrolrner@yahoogroups.com" <astrolrner@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Tue, November 17, 2009 12:22:47 PM
> Subject: [Astrolrner@CAE] Re:2012 and related things
>
>
> Liam McDaid’s notes on 2012 indicate that the winter solstice Sun’s
closest approach to the galactic equator occurred in 1998.  However, my own
research (using Software Bisque’s “The Sky”) indicates that it doesn’t
happen until 2047.  Liam, may I ask where your 1998 date came from?
>
> Chris Anderson
> Production Specialist, Faulkner Planetarium
> Coordinator, Centennial Observatory
> Herrett Center for Arts & Science
> College of Southern Idaho
> Twin Falls, Idaho, USA
>

Hi Liam,

A good resource is David Morrison's article in the recent issue of Skeptic
magazine. (vol 15 #2). Also, I highly recommend Mark Van Stone's section in the
famsi.org website that deals from a Maya epigrapher's point of view. David
Morrison recently spoke to the AP about dealing with people, including
adolescents, who are considering suicide to avoid living through a 2012
apocalypse. This means that now is the time we need to be trusted experts and
confront misconceptions that can turn tragic.

One thing I would add to this list you put out is that there is only one
reference to 12/21/2012 in the pre-conquest Tortuguero 6 stela, and the
prediction it makes is 1) fragmented 2) less than convincing that the Classic,
7th century Maya predicted any catastrophe about this date. As far as anyone
know, the 2012 meme first appears in the 1966 Michel Coe "the Maya" as a bit of
speculation rather than something supported by fact.

I gave a public talk at my university this past week on 2012. I think that in
addition to debunking this myth, one can introduce structure of the Milky Way
and the recent science about it to a public that is hungry to learn something
about the sky.

Cheers,

Enrique Gomez
Western Carolina University.




--- In astrolrner@yahoogroups.com, "McDaid, Liam" <mcdaidl@...> wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
>     I don't know if astrolrner does attachments but I'm attempting to attach
an outline of things relating to 2012.  This will only get worse for two
reasons:
>
>     1).  We've got three years to go until 12/21/12
>     2).  John Cusack's latest movie, which has just come out.
>
>     I also end it (play them out with music) with the Transit of Venus which
will happen on 6/6/12 (numerologists, take note).  So something of import in the
sky will happen that year.  But it won't kill us all.
>
>
> [cid:197174322@16112009-1363]
>
>
>
> Liam McDaid
> Astronomy Coordinator & Professor of Astronomy
> Sacramento City College
> 3835 Freeport Blvd.
> Sacramento, CA 95822
> (916) 558-2005
> mcdaidl@...
>

(please excuse the multiple postings if you get this more than once - we
want to be sure you know about this)


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**********
Timothy F. Slater, Ph.D.
University of Wyoming Excellence in
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of Science Education
cell:  520-975-1373
email: timslaterwyo@...
**********

Wow - who knew this would spark such an interesting discussion? I agree that
this would be a really cool demo within a lab or class setting. I think a good
check of it would be simply to take a DLSR into, say, a deep cavern (as are
abundant in central Texas and elsewhere)and see if the hit rate is modified. As
far as I know, being far underground is really the only good way to shield. Or,
perhaps, I'm misremembering the penetration energy of muons. I think I might
suggest that our Society of Physics Students take this project up - cross
checking the results with a known cosmic ray catcher in both locales.
Hmm....meanwhile, this sounds like a poster or physics/astronomy ed article in
the making. Any takers?

----- Original Message -----

From: Adam Jensen

To: astrolrner@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 3:04 PM

Subject: [Astrolrner@CAE] Re: [Astrolrner@CAE] Doldrums

 

I don't have a comment on the main issue, but I'd like to answer the bonus question.  :-)

It refers to Sirius, the "dog star," and its use as a marker of time in some ancient cultures---specifically when Sirius starts to rise just before the Sun in the morning.

Adam

On Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 2:11 PM, Christopher Sirola <Christopher.Sirola@usm.edu> wrote:

 

Interesting question re mid-term doldrums. I tend to notice it at about the 2/3 - 3/4 mark. It may have an analog in the infamous "dog days" (bonus obscure astronomy reference) of major league baseball in August.

 

I try to do something different. If we have been hitting active learning especially hard, then I try a day of straight lecture. Or vice versa. I may show a video (with questions that need to be answered & turned in for credit). Anything that breaks routine, but is also productive.

 

I also schedule my class projects so that they are due about a month before the end of the semester, which helps fill that gap in time.

 

Chris Sirola

Southern Miss

 

---

From: astrolrner@yahoogroups.com [astrolrner@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of John Feldmeier [jjfeldmeier@ysu.edu]
Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 4:07 PM
To: astrolrner email list
Subject: [Astrolrner@CAE] Monthly Mail Message

 

Hello Everyone,

At my university, we are at the period of the semester I
personally find the most difficult. I call it the "post
midterm doldrums." The students are tired. I am tired. It
seems that all of my efforts to promote a learner-centered
classroom seem to fall on deaf ears or are met with "we've
seen that before." It seems very hard to get things going,
period.

Now, in my experience, I know this period is temporary - generally
students start getting revved up for finals, and we get to certain
parts of the course that some students have waited for all class.
Topics such as black holes, galaxies and cosmology are coming,
and that promotes a lot of interest in my class.

I think everyone who has taught a class is aware that classes
seem to have a mood, and that mood can change dramatically over
the course of a semester. There is the first excitement of the first
few days, the novelty as new techniques and methods are applied, and
the nervous energy before the first exam, among other times.

So, my question for this this month is twofold:

1) Has there been any discussion in the research literature of how
participation in active learning varies across a semester?

2) What do you do to keep up enthusiasm and student participation
throughout the entire semester? If your classes suffer a period
of doldrums, how do you encourage the class to get out of it?

Clear Skies,

John Feldmeier
Assistant Professor
Department of Physics and Astronomy,
Youngstown State University
jjfeldmeier@ysu.edu

--
Adam Gabriel Jensen
Postdoctoral Astrophysicist, UMD / CRESST
Goddard Space Flight Center
Building 21, Room 054
Code 665
Greenbelt, MD 20771
301-286-3211
Adam.Jensen@gmail.com