Voyager Online: Sci Facts

	Book Search by:

So you're into sci fi? But what about sci fact? Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction...

Each month our very own Voyager Science Queen* will bring you interesting, quirky and downright bizarre tasty morsels from the world of science. And its all completely, totally, 100% true!

May Sci-Facts

Scientific Updates on Previous Articles

This month is a good time to look back on some of the news articles brought up in previous Science Pages.

The Tenth Planet
There is still a debate as to whether the so-called tenth planet, now bearing two nicknames: Lila and Xena, is really a planet. This decision is still being debated, along with what is the poor thing’s actual name.

Culturally and historically, as Lila/Xena is bigger than Pluto, is should be called a planet. It even has a moon! It has a very slow orbit. Scientists think it may be an escaped moon from Neptune, or that it was Neptune that flung it into its 44-degree orbit. I couldn’t find any details into WHY they believe this is the case, which is very frustrating (I loathe unsubstantiated facts).

Dr Ian Frazer
Here is an update on what our ‘cancer vaccine’ hero is up to. He isn’t just a great scientist; he is also a great humanitarian. He is now lobbying for air-conditioning for Queensland schools. He believes that the people denying the funding for air-conditioning should get out of their environmentally-chilled offices and spend time in a boiling hot classroom.

epresentatives for that State Government describe his request as ‘ridiculous’. Really? In my own opinion, it sounds like Dr Frazer hasn’t let fame go to his head, and the pollies should spend more time listening to wiser heads than their own government advisors.

Mount Stromlo Observatory
In case anyone isn’t aware, Mount Stromlo Observatory is back in action. In April, the observatory discovered a ‘twin’ of our yellow sun in the Big Dipper.

Biography of the Month - Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle
As it is Mother’s Day this month, I thought it might be nice to do a bio on one of the ‘mothers’ of modern science and scientific thought, a writer and poetess, and a feminist before anyone had even thought of the term.

Margaret Cavendish was born in 1693, the youngest of eight children, to Sir Thomas Lucas and his wife Elizabeth. She was only given a basic education in the feminine arts by her parents.

In1640, when she was seventeen, the civil war broke out in England. Margaret Lucas fled to Oxford where Charles I and his court were in exile, and Margaret became a maid-of-honour to Queen Henrietta Maria. In 1644, the court fled to France. In 1645, she married her husband and mentor, William Cavendish, the first Duke of Newcastle. Margaret received informal lessons in science and philosophy from both her husband and his brother, Sir Charles Cavendish, while still in exile in France. Margaret flowered with the intellectual stimulation provided by her husband.

Though happily married, Margaret was still angered at the lack of educational and professional opportunities available to the women of her era, and wrote against the unequal power in domestic relations. She wrote a total of fourteen works on a broad selection of topics: scientific and philosophical treatises, science fiction (The Blazing World), a biography, an autobiography, essays, letters, poetry, and several plays.

She died in 1673 at the age of fifty. Below is one of her poems, so that you can get an insight into her general view on a tragedy of inequality.

The Hunting of the Hare
Margaret Cavendish

Betwixt two ridges of ploughed land lay Wat
Pressing his body close to earth lay squat
His nose upon his two forefeet close lies
Glaring obliquely with his great grey eyes
His head he always sets against the wind
If turn his tail, his hairs blow up behind,
Which he too cold will grow; but he is wise,
And keeps his coat still down, so warm he lies.
Thus resting all the day, till sun doth set,
Then riseth up, his relief for to get,
Walking about until the sun doth rise;
Then back returns, down in his form he lies.
At last poor Wat was found as he there lay,
By huntsmen with their dogs which came that way.
Seeing, gets up and fast begins to run,
Hoping some way the cruel dogs to shun.
But they by nature have so quick a scent
That by their nose they trace what way he went.

Into a great thick wood he straightway gets
Where underneath a broken bough he sits
At every leaf what with the wind did shake
Did bring such terror, made his heart to ache.
That place he left; to champian plains he went,
Winding about for to deceive their scent,
And while they snuffling were to find his track
Poor Wat, being weary, his swift pace did slack ...

... The great slow hounds, their throats did set a base
The fleet swift hounds as tenors next in place;
The little beagles, they a treble sing.
And through the air their voice a round did ring;
Which made a consort as they ran along:
If they but words could speak, might sing a song:
The horns kept time, the hunters shout for joy
And valiant seem, poor Wat for to destroy.
Spurring their horses to a full career,
Swim rivers deep, leap ditches without fear;
Endanger life and limbs, so fast will ride,
Only to see how patiently Wat died.
For why, the dogs so near his heels did get
That they their sharp teeth in his breech did set.
Then tumbling down, did fall with weeping eyes,
Gives up his ghost, and thus poor Wat he dies.

Conjure Report
I promised you all my Conjure Report. Well, in reality, the Science Page isn’t my personal spot…so I’ll write up the report for the writers’ forum. Promise. When I find the time ...

*The Voyager Science Queen is also known as Lynne Green

So, who is this woman who attempts to entertain us with Science?

Well, I really am a scientist. I have a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Queensland, in Zoology. And, at the moment, I am working in a Pathology laboratory.

I have always been intensely curious about every aspect of our universe, from the teeny tiny workings of the gene right up to the mind-bending forces that are twisting and knotting inside a blackhole. So, now I am sharing a brain stuffed full of trivia...and hopefully entertaining people at the same time.

As well, I write Fantasy stories and novels. One day, I hope to have a book published, but don't hold your breath. Reading is my other major love, and my favourite authors are Terry Pratchett and Isaac Asimov, though I could list hundreds of others. If I had one wish, I ask for more time to write!

Read previous Sci-Facts:

Talking not Choking
Searching for the Lost Eden
A Comment on Comets
Mari Lwyd
The Pandemic
Zombie Insects and other oddities
You'll Be A Star!
Twisting the Light
Green by name, green by nature
A No Science Page...
The Art of Statistics...
Ice, Ice, Baby...
Oddities
Bang, crash...Thud!
The Concept of Time
Fact versus Fantasy
Sci-Facts review
Incy-Wincy Teeny-Weeny Itty-Bitty Small Things
Flavour versus Flavonoids
The Third Eye
X Marks the Spot
The Horseshoe Crab
Pathology
The Tenth Planet
Science News Updates
The Sweet Keen Smell
Indulgence
Hollywood Crimes
Natural Oddities
A Rainbow of Emotions
When is a star, not a star?
The Red Planet
Minerals
Hot Topic - Vitamins
A brief glimpse of New Technologies
Cuddly Australian Animals
Something light-hearted
Living in Interesting Times
New Hope for Our New Year
The Meaning of Life...
As the worm turns
Forensics
A Grab Bag of Facts
Bits and Bobs
Australian Achievements
Getting Your Attention
May Sci-Facts
After the Big Bang
The Big Bang
Ashes to ashes; Dust to dust
Twists in the tale
Robots in the Swim and other things
The Tachyon and other things

Looking for more scientific oddities? Have you checked out Dr Steven Juan's website? He is, quite literally, the wizard of odds!