Alternate Reality Groundhog Day

So Groundhog Day...that amazing celebration of rodent hibernation behavior and Bill Murray thinking he's a god...is once again upon us.

Last time, we talked about the possible origins of Groundhog Day, and where our modern traditions for the day come from.  Most likely, Groundhog Day is a hold over from the celebration of Imbolc, the Celtic cross-quarter day festival marking the midpoint between Winter and Spring.  During this time, the Celts would watch to see if serpents or badgers began to appear above ground again...meaning that the weather was warming and spring was on the way.

But I got to thinking last night...what if in some alternate universe, some other tradition from Imbolc were emphasized in the modern era?  There were many things the Celts did to celebrate this important day in their calendar.  So here, in the tradition of numerous sci-fi franchises, I present three possible ways Groundhog Day might have evolved in alternate universes.

Alternate Reality #1: It's...SHEEP MILK DAY!!!

An important part of the festival of Imbolc was the the beginning of lambing season.  That of course, also meant the ewes would begin lactating.  With more fat, protein, calcium and sugar than cow's milk (and less cholesterol too!), sheep's milk is a good choice for cheese making.  So February 2nd in this universe is a day of eating!  Dishes featuring cheeses made from sheep's milk like feta, roquefort, pecorino romano and ricotta (oooh!  lasagna!) would be found in abundance, and in Punxsutawney, PA, the mayor would bring a ewe up into the town's square, milk her, and share the warm milk with everyone!  Err....okay, maybe I'll just stick to the lasagna.

Awassi sheep in Israel.  This breed is commonly kept for milking rather than wool.  Courtesy Wikipedia.

Alternate Reality #2: It's...BRIGITEEN!  Trick or Treat!

Another tradition among the Celts was to seek the blessings of Brighid, later Christianized as St. Brigid, by leaving food and drink for the goddess outside on the night before Imbolc, along with clothing to be blessed by her.  Similar to the Samhain tradition that let to the modern concept of Halloween, in this universe, Imbolc Eve took prominence, and on February 1st, families leave treats outside on the porch for the minions of Brighid to come and collect.  If they've got sense, they won't leave any clothing out for a "blessing."  I shudder to think what they might find in the morning.

St. Brigid in stained glass.  Courtesy Wikipedia.

Alternate Reality #3: It's...OPEN SEASON ON BIRDS!!!

Another legend surrounding Imbolc and related to weather is of the Cailleach - a Gaelic witch-woman representing the winter.  Legends say that on February 2nd, the Cailleach leaves her home to stock up on firewood for the rest of the winter.  If the day is clear, the Cailleach is awake and can gather plenty of wood for the remaining 6 weeks of winter.  If the day is foul, the Cailleach is asleep and gathers no wood, meaning that spring will soon arrive.  Since the Cailleach generally takes the form of a large bird in these tales (who carries the wood in its beak)...in this universe, February 2nd marks the beginning of bird-hunting season!  Hunters are encouraged to take down any bird seen carrying any sticks, thus hopefully securing an early Spring for everyone to enjoy!  And maybe a good dinner for that night as well.

The Cailleach Bheur by Altara

Meanwhile, here in this reality, February 2nd is a Saturday, and we are going to have a wonderful Groundhog Day celebration here at the museum!  The planetarium reopens after some maintenance and upgrades, and we'll be featuring Assignment: Earth, our popular program about the relationships between the Earth, Moon and Sun starring our very own groundhog!  Plus enjoy fun activities and games throughout the day, meet a real live groundhog, and witness our very own Groundhog Day prognostication featuring WAVY-TV's Jeremy Wheeler and the museum's groundhog.  It's going to be a day full of fun you won't want to miss.  Check out our website for more information.

Whatever you decide to do, Happy Groundhog Day.  Me, I think I'm going to make some lasagna.
See you in two weeks!
Carpe Noctem,
Kelly

NASA and the Fiscal Cliff

Sounds like the title of a fairy tale, doesn't it?  Alas, if only it were.

The fiscal cliff has been the subject of much discussion of late, of course, as our government has chosen to kick the can further down the road before dealing with the issue yet again.  With discussions of this kind, there's something often mentioned by well-meaning folks that just forces me to get out my soap box and hold forth.

It usually begins something like this..."They should just eliminate funding for NASA...we've got problems here at home, we don't need to be worrying about space!"

I grit my teeth, take a deep breath, and find myself standing on the soap box yet again.

First and foremost, the point is often made that even eliminating NASA's budget entirely would do little to save America much money.  In 2011, NASA's funding allocation represented 0.5% of America's overall spending...but that 0.5% represents a full 35% of the total spending on academic scientific research in the United States.  Trimming the budget by 0.5% won't save us much...but slicing the academic research budget by one-third will cripple the course of scientific endeavour in the United States.  We really, really cannot afford that.

How NASA spent its money in every state in the union in 2003.  Courtesy Wikipedia.

Second, listening to some politicians hold forth on the ills of NASA, and how their spacecrafts fail, costing the U.S. taxpayer millions of dollars...I sometimes wonder what they think NASA does with the money.  Let me make one thing completely clear: NASA does not cram their spacecrafts full of dollar bills before launching them into space.  Truly!  All the money apportioned to be spent on a given mission is spent right here on the planet Earth.  Each mission represents dozens, if not hundreds of well-paying jobs for Americans, companies which contract to NASA, and of course, technological developments with a wide range of applications.  Believe me, the money spent on a spacecraft like Mars Observer was still well spent, even when the mission failed.  What was lost was the science payoff.  We missed out on learning amazing things about Mars when we lost contact with the spacecraft...but the money was still safely here on Earth, driving the economy forward.

An artist's conception of Mars Observer at Mars.  It wasn't carrying any money.  Courtesy NASA.

 Finally,  few of us, myself included, fully understand the true benefits we have received from NASA's exploration of the cosmos.  There's the intangible...the wonders of the universe revealed to us...a broader understanding of our own cosmic significance...and a sense of connection with something beyond ourselves.  But let's talk turkey here.  Or perhaps LEDs.  Or scratch-resistant lenses.  Or aircraft anti-icing systems.  Or fire-resistant reinforcement for buildings.  Or firefighting equipment.  Or water purification.  Or solar energy.  Or...okay I think you get the point.  Hundreds of things we use in our everyday lives are made better thanks to technological advances made by NASA in preparing missions.  Those new products and ideas are then made available for companies in the United States to use - by law, NASA cannot charge for them or hold any claim on them.  So the next time you feed your little one nutritious, enriched baby food or you drive safely on the highway in slippery conditions thanks to roadway grooving or radial tires...remember that NASA made those things possible.

A Left Ventricular Assist Device, used by patients awaiting heart transplant.  NASA engineers applied technology developed for the space program to make these devices smaller and more energy efficient, allowing transplant patients to lead normal lives while awaiting a new heart.  Courtesy NASA.

 As I climb gingerly off my soap box, let me say this.  The financial problems faced by America are serious, and cutting of the budget will certainly be required.  NASA is by no means perfect, and there is always room for improving the way it uses the money it is allocated.  But we need to consider long and hard whether in the long run we can safely do without NASA and its scientific research and development of new technologies.  And indeed...the wonderment of discovering the universe around us is truly priceless.

Well, it's rainy (again), lunchtime, and in a few hours I'll be judging a science fair.  Plus I need to grab some protein so I can be ready next time someone needs a good lecture from a soap box.

See you in two weeks!
Carpe noctem...at least once the clouds clear out.
Kelly