Today Beauty In The Universe has launched a very exciting new feature to the website. Using the Ushahidi open source event mapping platform we are going to start mapping lessons, lectures, star parties and observations. Anyone can do it, and the application is here. You need give no personal details to us. All you have to do is select what you wish to record, a lecture, lesson, observation etc, give a map location and you may also attach links or photos.
This will be a great way to map the state of astronomy education in the UK, and possibly the world. We hope to map and record all kinds of events and anyone can get involved in this citizen science project.
At the Ushahidi you can also get apps for your iPhone, Android or Windows Mobile phone so you can record as you go.
Get stuck in everybody!
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The National AIDS Trust
Beauty In The Universe has today agreed to work with The National AIDS Trust in order to raise funds awareness in the fight against a disease that has been the scourge of the late Twentieth Century.
This is a cause that is profoundly important, and education, awareness, research and donations are vital if we are to see this disease cured. We hope to use our services and events to raise money for the NAT, through small donations for our services outside the curriculum rather than a fee per se.
We hope to become more philanthropic as we continue to take astronomy to the masses. We hope you will join us in donating to worthy causes.
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This is a cause that is profoundly important, and education, awareness, research and donations are vital if we are to see this disease cured. We hope to use our services and events to raise money for the NAT, through small donations for our services outside the curriculum rather than a fee per se.
We hope to become more philanthropic as we continue to take astronomy to the masses. We hope you will join us in donating to worthy causes.
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New Additions To The Beauty In The Universe Roster
We never stay still at Beauty In The Universe. We have hatched several plans that remain, as yet, on the down-low. They are big plans but they are not ready to be announced yet. One thing I can announce, however, is a significant increase in our number as we look to expand and influence farther and wider than its current level.
As of today we have two more partners on our staff roster. First up is Kasia.
Kasia is with us to get stuck in to Erica's side of things, funding and navigating the world of not=for-profit. She will assist in pushing forward in areas we are currently targeting, as well as making new projects happen quickly and efficiently.
Next up is Rachel.
Regular followers of Beauty In The Universe on Facebook and YouTube will already be familiar with her input, as will everyone reading this blog. Rachel built, and continues to update and maintain our new website, and she also provides the voice-overs for our YouTube video content.
Both Kasia and Rachel are American, and Rachel still lives over there, in Los Angeles. Beauty in The Universe is a truly international organisation. This chap, pictured here with his significant other:
Is James, a student from Australia who contacted us to get help with a school project on astronomy. Of course, we were only too pleased to help, and we look forward to a great result for James. Beauty In The Universe now reaches three continents and is pushing on to become more and more influential. We hope that you come with us for the ride.
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As of today we have two more partners on our staff roster. First up is Kasia.
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Kasia is with us to get stuck in to Erica's side of things, funding and navigating the world of not=for-profit. She will assist in pushing forward in areas we are currently targeting, as well as making new projects happen quickly and efficiently.
Next up is Rachel.
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Regular followers of Beauty In The Universe on Facebook and YouTube will already be familiar with her input, as will everyone reading this blog. Rachel built, and continues to update and maintain our new website, and she also provides the voice-overs for our YouTube video content.
Both Kasia and Rachel are American, and Rachel still lives over there, in Los Angeles. Beauty in The Universe is a truly international organisation. This chap, pictured here with his significant other:
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Is James, a student from Australia who contacted us to get help with a school project on astronomy. Of course, we were only too pleased to help, and we look forward to a great result for James. Beauty In The Universe now reaches three continents and is pushing on to become more and more influential. We hope that you come with us for the ride.
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Weekly Green Statistics
As promised I am logging all of my travelling and calculating the number of green miles versus polluting miles. Here is the breakdown of my travelling this week, ending today:
Total distance travelled: 13.73 kilometres
Of that:
Distance cycled: 7.23 kilometres
Distance walked: 6.5 kilometres
For my commuting that is a total of 13.73 green kilometres and that is 100% of my total distance travelled.
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Total distance travelled: 13.73 kilometres
Of that:
Distance cycled: 7.23 kilometres
Distance walked: 6.5 kilometres
For my commuting that is a total of 13.73 green kilometres and that is 100% of my total distance travelled.
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Professor Brain Cox Live Webcast
STOP PRESS
Professor Brian Cox is giving a lecture on The Big Bang on June 28th. The good news is that it is going to be shown online in a live webcast. Details here.
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Professor Brian Cox is giving a lecture on The Big Bang on June 28th. The good news is that it is going to be shown online in a live webcast. Details here.
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Friends of Beauty In The Universe
Check out what the friends of Beauty In The Universe are getting up to:
This is the excellent Faces From Earth, an organisation we hooked up with a while back. Check them out. We hope to work with them if our respective schedules allow, and in particular we hope to get involved with their superb E.T., are you out there? project.
Another oasis of knowledge is flourishing, good on you Faces From Earth.
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This is the excellent Faces From Earth, an organisation we hooked up with a while back. Check them out. We hope to work with them if our respective schedules allow, and in particular we hope to get involved with their superb E.T., are you out there? project.
Another oasis of knowledge is flourishing, good on you Faces From Earth.
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Beauty In The Universe YouTube Channel
Check the new, official Beauty In The Universe YouTube Channel. The URL http://www.youtube.com/user/beautiverse. You can sign up to YouTube and subscribe so that you receive notifications of new videos we upload.
All the videos we upload are not copyrighted by Beauty In The Universe so feel free to repost them elsewhere or, if you are an educator, you may use them for your own educational programme. Please do not reproduce them without permission, which you can obtain by emailing us.
We hope you enjoy Beauty In The Universe on YouTube.
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All the videos we upload are not copyrighted by Beauty In The Universe so feel free to repost them elsewhere or, if you are an educator, you may use them for your own educational programme. Please do not reproduce them without permission, which you can obtain by emailing us.
We hope you enjoy Beauty In The Universe on YouTube.
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Further Funding Successes & Initiatives
Today I am pleased to make several significant and exciting announcements.
Firstly, we have successfully petitioned Blackburn and Darwen CVS for funding to take Beauty In The Universe in to that area. This is a significant breakthrough for us. We are expanding our reach and influence in to a wider area of Lancashire, thus enabling many students to to discover the fascinating science of astronomy. The funding award is significant also because it represents our largest single award to date, and it is a real thrill to see local government putting their faith in education, and in a discipline that has proven to be effective, exciting and stimulating consistently throughout history. It is also a vindication of our method and aims as, during these difficult economic times the oasis of knowledge, Enlightenment thinking and reason is flourishing.
Secondly, we have now agreed a grant award from our local council which will allow us to buy at least one portable telescope. This means that we will shortly be able to offer observing events and star parties. This is another string to our educational bow and one which I am personally very pleased about. Observing the night sky is something that cannot be replicated in the classroom and the experience itself can have a profound effect on people. It is a numinous and almost transcendent thing, particularly when one sees objects for the first time, and one which we are now able to offer to students.
Thirdly, we are making our first foray in to adult education. This will be staged at a brand new Darwen venue, 3 In A Bar. The format is yet to be agreed upon fully but it is looking like a monthly adult education evening. This is a long held ambition of both myself and Erica, to make an impact and both adult and family learning.
A while ago I calculated that as a result of our initial round of delivery to schools we have been able to reach in excess of 700 students (not including teachers). These additions and awards now mean that 700 will soon be 7000. It is our ambition to keep adding zeroes to that number. Read More!
Firstly, we have successfully petitioned Blackburn and Darwen CVS for funding to take Beauty In The Universe in to that area. This is a significant breakthrough for us. We are expanding our reach and influence in to a wider area of Lancashire, thus enabling many students to to discover the fascinating science of astronomy. The funding award is significant also because it represents our largest single award to date, and it is a real thrill to see local government putting their faith in education, and in a discipline that has proven to be effective, exciting and stimulating consistently throughout history. It is also a vindication of our method and aims as, during these difficult economic times the oasis of knowledge, Enlightenment thinking and reason is flourishing.
Secondly, we have now agreed a grant award from our local council which will allow us to buy at least one portable telescope. This means that we will shortly be able to offer observing events and star parties. This is another string to our educational bow and one which I am personally very pleased about. Observing the night sky is something that cannot be replicated in the classroom and the experience itself can have a profound effect on people. It is a numinous and almost transcendent thing, particularly when one sees objects for the first time, and one which we are now able to offer to students.
Thirdly, we are making our first foray in to adult education. This will be staged at a brand new Darwen venue, 3 In A Bar. The format is yet to be agreed upon fully but it is looking like a monthly adult education evening. This is a long held ambition of both myself and Erica, to make an impact and both adult and family learning.
A while ago I calculated that as a result of our initial round of delivery to schools we have been able to reach in excess of 700 students (not including teachers). These additions and awards now mean that 700 will soon be 7000. It is our ambition to keep adding zeroes to that number. Read More!
Another School
This week Beauty In The Universe began sessions in another school, Cherryfold Primary in Burnley. This is a lively school and a smart bunch of students. These sessions are double ones so we will deliver the whole of the six week course in three weeks. This is challenging in some ways but satisfying in others. The main obstacle that 90 minutes of science challenges the attention span of even the most hardened academic, however, this was overcome with our innovative delivery and methods and, quite simply, by scheduling a break strategically to allow the students to blow off steam.
It seems to me that the schools in Burnley are oases of talent and ability. To be able to tap in to that and encourage academic endeavour is always going to be a privilege. Naturally, we do not expect every student we come across to pursue a physics degree, but that is not and never has been our intention. Of course we want to increase interest in the space sciences, but a wider goal is to prove to students that knowledge and scholarship is the coolest thing in the universe. Our part in the regeneration and growth of Burnley is growing and despite the government cutbacks we will shortly see, we hope we can continue to build.
Cuts are monetary, recession is temporary, but knowledge is a legacy. Read More!
It seems to me that the schools in Burnley are oases of talent and ability. To be able to tap in to that and encourage academic endeavour is always going to be a privilege. Naturally, we do not expect every student we come across to pursue a physics degree, but that is not and never has been our intention. Of course we want to increase interest in the space sciences, but a wider goal is to prove to students that knowledge and scholarship is the coolest thing in the universe. Our part in the regeneration and growth of Burnley is growing and despite the government cutbacks we will shortly see, we hope we can continue to build.
Cuts are monetary, recession is temporary, but knowledge is a legacy. Read More!
Innovating with