void? LALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU

[gogmagog]

Wow, today's Honors Colloquium speaker was actually interesting. In fact, he rocked. (Literally.) Our speaker today was Keith Ashman, a professor of astrophysics (actually, the ONLY professor of astrophysics) here at UMKC. The best way I can describe him is as a hippie-punk manic-depressive Severus Snape. XD

(It's definitely the accent and the lanky hair.)

Surprisingly, though, he didn't talk at all about astronomy or physics or anything scientific, really. Instead, he talked about depression; the 1970s London transvestite scene; drugs and alcohol; and all kinds of music from punk to the Beatles. He also sang us several songs that he'd written for the occasion. (They weren't bad, actually.)

Oh, and he also made fun of Tom Petty with his song, "I Only Know Three Chords (C, D and F)." XD

He's kind of one of these people who jumps from subject to subject and does random non sequiturs, but he's interesting enough that it's no hardship. Apparently he used to be in a moderately successful post-punk London band in his late teens, before deciding to become an astrophysicist. (If you want to read more about him, here's an article on Ashman from our local "alternative" weekly, the Pitch.)

Seriously, though, when I got out of class I was kicking myself. "Why didn't I take astronomy instead of geology, dammit!"

In vaguely related news, this paragraph from the article above scares the shit out of me:

Astronomers feel certain now that the universe will continue to expand forever and that all stars will eventually burn out, leading to a frozen and completely black universe that will go on growing, dark and frigid, for eternity. Life, no matter how successful its spread through the galaxies, will be only a temporary and relatively short phenomenon in the history of the cosmos.

Seriously, when I think about that paragraph, I literally feel like I'm starting to have a panic attack. Eeeek. What's the point of...well, EVERYTHING, then? I mean, I still have issues coming to terms with the fact that I will die someday (hopefully later rather than sooner) and that humanity will go on without me. (No, I'm not at all self-centered, why do you ask?) But the idea that humanity is - no, that LIFE ITSELF is just a blip on the radar of a cold, dark, infinite universe of nothingness - that frightens me so much that I feel like wetting my pants.

...anyway! In cheerier news, Thunderbirds are go for Iowa this weekend. I will, however, have to e-mail my Geology professor and see if I can arrange to take Tuesday's exam early, since I almost certainly will not be back by Tuesday morning. (At this point, it's looking like I'll get back sometime Tuesday evening.) But that means I'll have to take it either tomorrow or Friday. Eheheh, I'd better start studying. x_x

Let's Positive Linking!

- There's no place like homosexual (stolen from angrybabble). Worth seeing if for no other reason than that this is the most stereotypically gay 10-year-old in human history. (He's singing a dance remix of "Over the Rainbow," for Pete's sake! But I have to admit he's not a bad performer for a 10-year-old.)

- Check out the newest anti-rape device from Sweden, the FemDefence (also from angrybabble). As far as I can tell, it's basically a tampon with a sharp spike coming out the end to give any attempted rapists a "sharp" rebuke. Let's just say there will be no arguing as to whether no means no - they'll get your "point." (Ohohoho, sometimes I amuse even myself.)

- Scientific American can at times get snarky (link from jokersama). This makes me want to run out and get a subscription now. XD

Comments

[ryuusama.livejournal.com]

My personal favorite anti-rape device would have to be an old friend's graduation present to his little sister before she went off to college--a 20 lb. double-headed battle axe to hang right above the headboard within easy reach. Granted, it can't be carried on the street (well, at least without a license), but it certainly makes any would-be date rapists reassess how they plan on defining 'no.'