Dutch high school education has always been pretty good at teaching the basics of science. I also have a master’s degree in computer science from what is considered one of the top universities in the Netherlands.
That has given me a strong basis in math, physics, some chemistry, and of course, IT.
I like to keep that knowledge up-to-date and expand it by looking at certain interesting scientific phenomena. And for me, writing is learning.
My physics teacher in high school first introduced me to the Dutch equivalent of the saying “to Measure is to know.” In the current climate of anti-intellectualism a.k.a. post-truth, measuring is often attacked. Let’s have a look at measuring and its pitfalls.
Before humanity managed to send man-made objects into space seventy-five years ago, the field of orbital mechanics didn’t really exist. Only the movements of other celestial bodies mattered. Things have really changed since then.
The light barrier is a big hurdle to interstellar travel. The maximum speed of the universe is the light speed. At that speed, even the nearest star to us is over four years away. That really puts a barrier between us and our interstellar ambitions. I’ll try to explain how this barrier works.
