Tag: In the Footsteps

Science, Space Exploration

The Next Year: Countdown to The Cold War, Cancer, and Space Exploration

August 6, 1945: An atomic weapon named “Little Boy” was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. An estimated 70,000 people—almost one-third of the city’s population—and more than 90% of the physicians and nurses were killed by the bombing that day. In the days, months, and years after that event and the bombing of Nagasaki three days later, others died as a result of radiation exposure and related … Continue reading The Next Year: Countdown to The Cold War, Cancer, and Space Exploration

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Science, Writing

Santa Fe Retreat (2)

Recently, we spent eleven days in Santa Fe on our very own self-made writing retreat. Writing was our goal, but we also recommend Santa Fe as a great getaway even if getting away from your routine is your only goal. You can read about lodging, food, and shopping in our first Santa Fe Retreat post. But wait, there’s more! MUSEUMS & GALLERIES Santa Fe is a hub … Continue reading Santa Fe Retreat (2)

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Science, Writing

Writing Process Blog Hop (Doug)

Patricia Grace King tagged us. Her post about her writing process HERE. Emily Gray Tedrowe also tagged us. Emily’s blog hop post is HERE. Anna was up last week HERE. Now, Doug shares his writing process. What am I working on? I am about to restart a novel project that I had to set aside for some time. If I’m honest, I admit that I set … Continue reading Writing Process Blog Hop (Doug)

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Science

In the Footsteps: Jean Dayton (Part 15)

Last Wednesday, Lofty Ambitions introduced Jean Dayton and our serendipitous meeting with that woman of the Manhattan Project and nuclear history. You can start with that post by clicking HERE. Jean Klein Dayton would have been 88 years old this past Sunday. In continuing with our theme of chance, of serendipity, we hadn’t thought about Jean in quite a while, but recently, when tidying up … Continue reading In the Footsteps: Jean Dayton (Part 15)

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Science

In the Footsteps: Jean Dayton (Part 14)

As frequent readers of Lofty Ambitions well know, we’re big believers in serendipity–that chance meeting with an idea, a place, or a person (or even better, a combination of those). Afterwards, your thoughts move in a new, unexpected direction. Last week’s post was about recent serendipity, and this week’s is about serendipity from our past. In May 2003, while he was a graduate student at … Continue reading In the Footsteps: Jean Dayton (Part 14)

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Science

Going Nuclear: From New Mexico to Colorado to Nevada

Today’s post is an extension of or at least directly related to our “In the Footsteps” series, in which we trace the nuclear history of the United States. On this date in 1911, Luis W. Alvarez was born. He would go on to become a world-renowned physicist, eventually awarded the Nobel Prize in 1968 for his work in particle physics, resonance states, bubble chambers, and … Continue reading Going Nuclear: From New Mexico to Colorado to Nevada

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Collaboration, Science, Writing

In the Footsteps (Part 12)

Lofty Ambitions is going to AWP, the Association of Writers and Writing Programs Conference. Doug will present on a panel called “Purloining the Letter” on Thursday, March 1, at 10:30a.m. in the Chicago Hilton. As we’ve peeked at letters and telegrams written in bygone days, we’ve learned a lot about archives and how to read these documents. Doug’s expertise as a scientist and as a … Continue reading In the Footsteps (Part 12)

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Science

In the Footsteps (Part 11)

We spent yesterday in Pasadena—at CalTech and Vroman’s Bookstore—because that’s how we chose to spend one of Doug’s vacation days. We had been planning to visit the CalTech archives for a while, but we chose yesterday because our colleague Tom Zoellner was reading at Vroman’s from his new book A Safeway in Arizona: What the Gabrielle Giffords Shooting Tells Us about the Grand Canyon State … Continue reading In the Footsteps (Part 11)

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Other Stuff, Science

In the Footsteps (Part 10)

Late on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we overpacked our suitcases and headed out on the highway. Five hours later, we had checked into our Las Vegas hotel and were in search of the food you can find at the wee hours in the city that really does never sleep. On Monday, we made our now-annual visit to the Atomic Testing Museum on Flamingo Road. We’ve … Continue reading In the Footsteps (Part 10)

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Science

In the Footsteps (Part 9)

On this date in 2005, nuclear physicist Józef Rotblat died. Born in Poland, Rotblat joined The Manhattan Project in 1944. When he was certain that Germany was no longer pursuing an atomic bomb, he put in a request to leave the bomb-building project in Los Alamos. Shortly thereafter, he was accused of being a spy and was prohibited from returning to the United States for … Continue reading In the Footsteps (Part 9)

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