I’m Robert Simpson and I work at the Zooniverse, a world-leading Citizen Science platform. I am an astrophysicist and my research involves understanding how stars form. I also love the web! You can hear me on the Recycled Electrons podcast.Tumblr (3.0; @orbitingfrog)http://orbitingfrog.com/orbitingfroghttp://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with Pageflakes<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/45711303" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><br/><br/><p>I think this #dotastro video from @astropixie is worth watching again :)</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/51153260591http://orbitingfrog.com/post/51153260591Thu, 23 May 2013 16:57:05 +0100dotastro<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/46ae369d020d3a0777947cec220ca140/tumblr_mn60hjnH8A1qk3hu3o1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://openscience.tumblr.com/post/51010769965/the-audacious-plan-to-end-hunger-with-3-d-printed" class="tumblr_blog">openscience</a>:</p> <blockquote><p><a href="http://qz.com/86685/the-audacious-plan-to-end-hunger-with-3-d-printed-food/">The audacious plan to end hunger with 3-D printed food</a></p> <p>“NASA just awarded 125K for a food synthesizer prototype! 3d printed #startrek food, here we come!”</p></blockquote> <p>Tea, Earl Grey, Hot</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/51012223900http://orbitingfrog.com/post/51012223900Tue, 21 May 2013 21:39:04 +0100<iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sDkC_EkEUCg?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><a href="http://links.laughingsquid.com/post/50653820879/j-j-abrams-takes-audience-suggestions-for-star" class="tumblr_blog">laughingsquid</a>:</p> <blockquote><p><a href="http://laughingsquid.com/j-j-abrams-takes-audience-suggestions-for-star-wars-on-jimmy-kimmel-live/">J.J. Abrams Takes Audience Suggestions For ‘Star Wars’ on Jimmy Kimmel Live</a></p></blockquote> <p>Gotta love Bill Shatner</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50658514650http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50658514650Fri, 17 May 2013 17:21:52 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/1bab8d49968c01f738eb1275d2e98a32/tumblr_mmxq3uThWa1qzvtuuo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2013/14/image/a/format/web_print/">Hubble Captures Comet ISON, which *might* be brightly visible from Earth at the end of the year.</a></p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50641913117http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50641913117Fri, 17 May 2013 09:55:05 +0100<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/101ddf748dc71061ead985e903b20292/tumblr_mmt9daWscy1qbtxv8o1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/79c084180cb4f8b95980f57d6d1f4d7b/tumblr_mmt9daWscy1qbtxv8o2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p><a href="http://rosalarian.tumblr.com/post/50452207989/tickingtimebomb" class="tumblr_blog">rosalarian</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy, in case you hadn’t heard. How dare she remove those ticking time bombs from her chest, amiright? Like, hasn’t she learned by now that her body is public domain and we all get to vote on what she does with it? Sheesh, how selfish can ya get.</p></blockquote> <p>A point well made</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50490382153http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50490382153Wed, 15 May 2013 12:34:06 +0100<iframe src="//www.tumblr.com/video/orbitingfrog/50439871350/400" id="tumblr_video_iframe_50439871350" class="tumblr_video_iframe" width="400" height="225" style="display:block;background-color:transparent;overflow:hidden;" allowTransparency="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><br/><br/><p>Timelapse of clouds at Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50439871350http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50439871350Tue, 14 May 2013 21:15:18 +0100timelapselarge<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/0699e7b068915e4ede617f15fdee57dd/tumblr_mms35uiCXU1qzvtuuo1_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/15356c731d42b3f601096dcb530e07c2/tumblr_mms35uiCXU1qzvtuuo2_500.jpg"/><br/> <br/><p>Saturn and the Moon, seen last night through the 50cm Mons telescope. Sorry for image quality: held my iPhone up to the eyepiece!</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50408160327http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50408160327Tue, 14 May 2013 08:51:29 +0100iphoneastronomy<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/bbe56e1b71773a1705087926d5db8c3a/tumblr_mmr2ppwmcT1qzvtuuo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>I appear to be standing on Mars (in Tenerife). Can’t find Curiosity anywhere…</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50355949099http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50355949099Mon, 13 May 2013 19:44:13 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/41dc40581f879f59b78983840d202800/tumblr_mmr0z3Qa5M1qzvtuuo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Parts of Tenerife look a lot like sets from Star Trek. It’s a good thing.</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50353772083http://orbitingfrog.com/post/50353772083Mon, 13 May 2013 19:06:39 +0100medium<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/a378f77b79b9247327083d8c8bab70d0/tumblr_mltwkgsv6E1qzvtuuo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-147&cid=release_2013-147">NASA Probe Observes Meteors Colliding with Saturn’s Rings</a></p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/48875380311http://orbitingfrog.com/post/48875380311Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:50:36 +0100<iframe src="//www.tumblr.com/video/orbitingfrog/48422690553/400" id="tumblr_video_iframe_48422690553" class="tumblr_video_iframe" width="400" height="300" style="display:block;background-color:transparent;overflow:hidden;" allowTransparency="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><br/><br/><p><a href="http://kateordie.tumblr.com/post/48400231774/beeishappy-john-oliver-talks-to-gun-lobbyist" class="tumblr_blog">kateordie</a>:</p> <blockquote><p><a href="http://beeishappy.tumblr.com/post/48341439949/john-oliver-talks-to-gun-lobbyist-philip-gun" class="tumblr_blog">beeishappy</a>:</p> <blockquote><p><small>John Oliver talks to gun lobbyist Philip <em>‘Gun Control Doesn’t Work’</em> Van Cleave. This was an incredible segment. His logic is shot to Hell.</small></p></blockquote> <p>I laughed myself silly watching this last night. Beware some crazy racism against… Australians?!</p></blockquote>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/48422690553http://orbitingfrog.com/post/48422690553Sat, 20 Apr 2013 08:21:54 +0100<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/1c1c77e012a3ac0bdcde2cd1a0ae3c2d/tumblr_mli7jhkrkj1qzvtuuo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><span>Check out <a href="http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic1307a/">this amazing new Hubble image of the Horsehead Nebula</a>. This image has been released to celebrate Hubble’s 23rd year in orbit. It’s taken in the near-infrared and shows mind-blowing details and complexity in the structure of this famous astronomical object.</span></p> <p><span>The Horsehead is located in Orion and is a favourite for astrophotographers around the world. <a href="http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic1307b/">Normally seen as a dark patch on a bright, diffuse cloud</a> - this IR image shows the glowing dust that makes up the nebula and the detailed structures that ebb and flow within it.</span></p> <p><span>Breathtaking!</span></p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/48353774137http://orbitingfrog.com/post/48353774137Fri, 19 Apr 2013 14:15:00 +0100astronomyscienceHubbleHSTspacelarge<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/d513370eb708475a48834cab5d538c3f/tumblr_mlh2gaCH5E1qzvtuuo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>This diagram compares the planets of the inner solar system to Kepler-62, a five-planet system announced today, which is about 1,200 light-years from Earth. Two planets in this system are not much bigger than Earth and orbit their star in the Goldilocks Zone, where it’s not too hot and not too cold for liquid water: but just right.</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/48308256548http://orbitingfrog.com/post/48308256548Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:28:58 +0100<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/80cea5aa43c8dba6ea7377e1798f9d40/tumblr_ml9l1eWSmX1qzvtuuo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>The <a href="http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharanthus_roseus">Madagascar Periwinkle</a> is now found in tropical regions around the world as an ornamental plant.</p> <p>It contains more than 70 highly-toxic alkaloids to deter animals from eating it. In the 1950s two of these alkaloids (vincristine and vinblastine) were discovered to be amazing cancer-fighting medicines. They inhibit the growth of tumours very effectively.</p> <p>Vinblastine has helped increase the survival rate of childhood leukaemia from 10% to 90%!</p> <p>I learned this today visiting the <a href="http://www.livingrainforest.org/">Living Rainforest</a> centre. The power of modern science to turn these natural compounds into life-saving drugs is truly humbling. It is also a reminder of the enormous important of biodiversity.</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/47987557977http://orbitingfrog.com/post/47987557977Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:36:49 +0100medicinecancerrainforest<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/11b9271edd4e15c2a004d8e969f661ce/tumblr_ml3epuodXP1qz4cuyo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://links.laughingsquid.com/post/47698975786/arrested-development-teaser-posters-for-upcoming" class="tumblr_blog">laughingsquid</a>:</p> <blockquote><p><a href="http://laughingsquid.com/arrested-development-teaser-posters-for-upcoming-fourth-season/">Arrested Development Teaser Posters For Upcoming Fourth Season</a></p></blockquote> <p>Yay!</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/47708256102http://orbitingfrog.com/post/47708256102Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:38:56 +0100<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/839463dccc74757edfa898c9b12fd414/tumblr_mkvvt9YKrR1qzvtuuo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/37462767@N06/8618950807/" title="Panstarrs and M31 03-04-13">Panstarrs and M31 03-04-13</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/37462767@N06/">astronomel</a> on Flickr.</p><p>Astrophotography superstar Mel Gigg (pun intended) got a stunning shot of Comet Panstarrs as it swept by the Andromeda Galaxy.</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/47358600752http://orbitingfrog.com/post/47358600752Sun, 07 Apr 2013 12:55:56 +0100PanStarrsGalaxyAndromedaAstrotracM31<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/3382cbc04ab5ab4b73c1f2116bcb71ab/tumblr_mkutbt1bwv1qzvtuuo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><blockquote><p><a href="http://flip.it/a0igx">Nasa plans asteroid rodeo to lasso 25ft space rock for research</a><br/> Paul Harris in New York and agencies, <a href="http://flip.it/a0igx">guardian.co.uk</a></p> <p>Scientists will use ‘baggie with a drawstring’ to capture space rock in plan due to be backed by $100m from Obama budget</p><p>Nasa is going on an asteroid rodeo. In plans that sound like science fiction but that are aimed at becoming science fact, th…</p> </blockquote> <p>NASA are going to ‘lasso’ an asteroid and bring it back to Earth. Can’t wait to read more about how this will work.</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/47309804453http://orbitingfrog.com/post/47309804453Sat, 06 Apr 2013 23:04:40 +0100<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/eb097ebc44b372ecd2d508e9496f58ec/tumblr_mknfixiqFX1qzvtuuo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>The end of the snowman… for now.</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/46968988834http://orbitingfrog.com/post/46968988834Tue, 02 Apr 2013 23:23:20 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/eb097ebc44b372ecd2d508e9496f58ec/tumblr_mkmisjlT951qzvtuuo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>The end of the snowman… for now.</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/46927739750http://orbitingfrog.com/post/46927739750Tue, 02 Apr 2013 11:36:19 +0100<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/df6d3ae2e52ab1eed167356e9d39c810/tumblr_mkhcvawjW51qzvtuuo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Storytelling Attic in Newcastle, UK</p>http://orbitingfrog.com/post/46676310977http://orbitingfrog.com/post/46676310977Sat, 30 Mar 2013 15:40:21 +0000