Discoveries across the Galaxy

While exploring the Galaxy recently, I made several incredible discoveries.  This first image was taken in a newly discovered system of a white dwarf (DC) as the primary star with closest planet being an Earth-Like World (ELW) and the second planet being Water World (WW). Both planets are under 60ls from their star. This is a very rare configuration, even taking into account all white dwarf types in the Elite Dangerous galaxy. 

In another Neutron Star System, I discovered a rare luminescent lifeform.

On the same trip, I also discovered even rarer Crystalline Shards.

Related Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVxR0Y2Dt_j/?img_index=1

Escape Velocity Calculator

Escape velocity is the minimum speed an object needs to break free from a body's gravitational pull without any further propulsion. The formula is simple: v = √(2GM/r), where G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the body, and r is the distance from its center. The result tells you how fast something must be launched to escape that gravity well entirely with no engines required after the initial push.

It can be surprising as to how much this number varies.  Earth's escape velocity is about 11.2 km/s. Jupiter's is over 59 km/s. The Sun's surface escape velocity is around 617 km/s. And for a neutron star, it can be a significant fraction of the speed of light. Use the calculator below to explore escape velocities for planets, stars, galaxies, and any custom body you wish.

Escape Velocity Calculator

Quick-select a known body: — Custom / enter manually — Moon Mars Earth Venus Jupiter Saturn Sun Sirius A Neutron Star (typical) Sgr A* (Milky Way black hole) Milky Way Galaxy Mass of body (kg): Radius / distance from center (meters):

For information on other tools and topics:

• Collatz Conjecture Visualizer: Explore one of math's great unsolved problems interactively. [Explore the Collatz paths]
• Futhorc Runic Bi-Directional Converter: Turn your message into First Millennium runes and back! [Try out this rune conversion tool on your own messages.]
• Earth's Looming Expiration Date: Why Earth faces an early deadline as the Sun's energy output increases. [Idea on how to preserve our planet]
• Number Rounding Tool: Multiple methods of rounding supported. [Type your number and round it up or down!]

Movies I watched in the theater in 2017

I am not sure where I saw most theatrically released movies in 2017. This list is put together from memory. One fact I remember is that the only reason I saw Star Wars: The Last Jedi was because The Disaster Artist was sold out when I arrived at the theater. I think this may have been the point where I stopped doing walk-ups and started to regularly buy my seats ahead of time.

Movies I saw in the theater in 2017:

• Lady Bird
• Baby Driver
• Blade Runner 2049
• Thor Ragnarok
• Dunkirk

• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2
• Logan
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi
• John Wick: Chapter 2
• Wonder Woman

• Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
• Happy Death Day
• Justice League
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
• Alien: Covenant

• Kong: Skull Island
• The Disaster Artist
• Annabelle: Creation
• Ghost in the Shell

2017 - 2018 - 2019 - 2020 - 2021 - 2022 - 2023 - 2024 - 2025

Many Paths of the Collatz Conjecture

The Collatz Conjecture is one of mathematics' strange unsolved problems. The rule is deceptively simple: take any positive integer, and if it's even divide it by 2, if it's odd multiply by 3 and add 1. Repeat this process and the sequence seems to always eventually reach 1. Always. This is true for every number ever tested! Even still, no one has ever been able to prove it, though some attempts have got close.

The sequences themselves are practically unpredictable. For example, the number 27 takes 111 steps while rocketing up to 9,232 before finally collapsing to 1. Nearby numbers can reach 1 in just a handful of steps, while others take hundreds of chaotic steps before converging. Use the interactive math tool below to explore and compare up to 5 numbers at once.

Collatz Conjecture Visualizer

Pick any positive integer. If it's even, divide by 2. If it's odd, multiply by 3 and add 1. Repeat. No matter what number you start with, the sequence always seems to reach 1, but nobody has ever proved why. Enter up to 5 numbers to compare their paths.

Enter Numbers to Compare

About the Collatz Conjecture: Mathematician Paul Erdős said: “Mathematics is not yet ready for such problems.”

For information on other tools and topics:

• Futhorc Runic Bi-Directional Converter: Turn your message in to First Millennium runes and back! [Try out this rune conversion tool on your own messages.]

• Earth's Looming Expiration Date: Why Earth faces an early deadline as Sun's energy output increases. [Idea on how to preserve our planet] 

• Number Rounding Tool: This the rounding tool that you didn't know you need! Multiple methods of rounding are supported. [Type Your Number and Round it up or down!]

Movies I watched at the theater in 2018

2018 was likely the year I really started using my AMC membership. At some point that year I joined the AMC Stubs program and later upgraded to AMC A-List. Before then, I had never used an elevated membership to go to the movies. I think I had the equivalent of the free Insider level since 2016 or 2017, but I was not using it regularly during those years. Since 2018, I have watched most of my movies at AMC, though not all. For example, I saw Mandy at an independent theater.

Here's the list of movies I was in 2018:

• Aquaman
• Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
• Once Upon A Deadpool
• Bumblebee (early access screening)
• Hunter Killer

• First Man
• Venom
• A Simple Favor
• The Meg
• Mission Impossible: Fallout

• Ant-Man And The Wasp
• Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
• Deadpool 2
• Avengers: Infinity War
• A Quiet Place

• Game Night
• Mandy

2017 - 2018 - 2019 - 2020 - 2021 - 2022 - 2023 - 2024 - 2025

Movies I watched at the theater in 2021

There were not as many movies to watch in the theaters in 2021, but more than 2020.  Even still, I did get a chance to watch more than one per month.    

• Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
• Venom: Let There Be Carnage
• Black Widow
• Eternals
• No Time to Die

• A Quiet Place Part II
• Ghostbusters: Afterlife
• Free Guy
• Dune: Part One
• The Matrix Resurrections

• Godzilla vs. Kong
• The Suicide Squad
• The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
• Last Night in Soho
• Malignant

• Nobody
• Reminiscence
• Wonder Woman 1984

2018 - 2019 - 2020 - 2021 - 2022 - 2023 - 2024 - 2025 - 2026