Welcome to Reality Straight Up!
With 2016 coming up I am launching a new website, and a new newsletter to go with it. Welcome to Reality Straight Up: Thoughts & Observations of a Free Range Astrophysicist.
Good, Bad & Hubbled
The Dangers of Wishful Thinking
An error in Hubble’s primary mirror had the mission on life support from the very beginning. There are technical answers to exactly what happened. But the real culprit was plain, everyday wishful thinking.
Think Before You Tweet
It can feel really good to call someone out when they cross a line. But if you want to accomplishing something positive, tweeting from the hip is probably the wrong way to go.
The Good, The Bad & The Hubbled
Stories from the front lines of a wild ride
After 30 years of being associated with the Hubble Space Telescope I’ve picked up some fun stories. I’ve also learned a few things about the sometimes fine line between success and failure in complex, rapidly changing, high stakes times. This is the first in what will be an ongoing series of articles where I share a bit of what I picked up along the way.
Ivory Tower Burnout
The profile of the perfect faculty member reads, “most likely to burn out.”
Faculty members are a university’s most precious resource. As universities adapt to changing times, that resource is increasingly at risk. It needs to be protected – and protected from itself.
Science, Art and Beauty
The Courage it Takes to Be Human
Our experience of beauty is not an “also ran” on the list of things that make us human. I took on that question in a TEDx talk I hope you might enjoy.
Professionals Need Coaches Too
Executives use coaching to reach their full potential while maintaining balance in their lives. Professionals could learn a lot from their example.
We’re Not Living in Caves Anymore
Many of our easy habits of mind once served Humanity well, but fail us miserably in a modern, rapidly-changing world. Fortunately there are alternatives.
Right Brained or Left Brained
The common notion of right-brained and left-brained people is a myth. There is no need to let it limit you.
Over his 30 year career as an internationally known astrophysicist, Dr. Jeff Hester was a key member of the team that repaired the Hubble Space Telescope. With one foot always on the frontiers of knowledge, he has been mentor, coach, team leader, award-winning teacher, administrator and speaker, to name a few of the hats he has worn. His Hubble image, the Pillars of Creation, was chosen by Time Magazine as among the 100 most influential photographs in history.