I have been lucky that most people are really interested when I mention astronomy.
Then again, maybe they are just greatful I am not boring them with palynology for once!
Is hay fever a problem for a Palynologist?
As for astronomy, I get a lot of positive feedback, and questions, when I show people the images that I've taken. Most don't realise that these things are up in the sky and I often get asked if I can see these things from my backyard.
Other questions include:
"Do you see those colours?"
"How far away is it?"
"What is it?"
"What's it made of?"
To be honest I think the school system puts very little into the teaching of Astronomy and the same can be said for Geology. I don't know why because as far as I'm concerned they're both more interesting than Biology!!
Anyway, just thought I'd jump on the soap-box. Time to hop off now!
As for astronomy, I get a lot of positive feedback, and questions, when I show people the images that I've taken. Most don't realise that these things are up in the sky and I often get asked if I can see these things from my backyard.
Other questions include:
"Do you see those colours?"
"How far away is it?"
"What is it?"
"What's it made of?"
To be honest I think the school system puts very little into the teaching of Astronomy and the same can be said for Geology.I don't know why because as far as I'm concerned they're both more interesting than Biology!!
Anyway, just thought I'd jump on the soap-box. Time to hop off now!
Cheers,
Mario
Ditto
The textbooks that have anything of geology or astronomy in them that they use is high schools are absolutely woeful. Factual errors all through them and badly written. You can tell they were written by "stock standard" science teachers and not experts in the fields, or at least teachers with experience in those fields.
I am surprised by the negativity that so many have experienced about our Noble Hobby.
Pretty much everyone I tell is interested at least a little bit. Most guys my age that I tell express the wish that they had an interest like I do which is so interesting. About 1 in 5 people I tell express a wish to come along some time to observe with me; I have hosted heaps of newbies at observing nights in my backyard or at a more public event, as a result of our conversation. Three different social groups I have been involved with over the years have had me run observing nights to introduce people to the night sky.
The one person who truly does not get it is my wife. But: she hates the cold, she likes to socialise rather than be alone, she lacks patience, she processes her thoughts externally (meaning she likes to talk a lot rather than quietly look/observe), and scientific endeavour per se does not interest her. I am rather glad; it means that I can do my own thing, choose my own EPs etc without her having an opinion. And, she is really happy that I have something in my life that makes me so happy.
The one thing that bugs me a bit when talking about astronomy is the number of times people mix up astronomy with astrology. I try to gently educate, but most who believe in astrolo-quackery glaze over!
My friends don't mind my astronomy hobby, but then I used to catch snakes for fun so they probably think I'm much less likely to wind up in hospital after getting bitten by a dobsonian.
My friends don't mind my astronomy hobby, but then I used to catch snakes for fun so they probably think I'm much less likely to wind up in hospital after getting bitten by a dobsonian.
My dobsonian has big teeth - keeps taking big chunks out of my bank account!
I get ribbed at by my co-workers mostly for the nasa moon landing conspiracy. they are so blinded by their shortsightedness that they refuse to apply logic and reason and look at the "why nots" instead of the "not possible".
then there are those who fail to see the point in exploring our universe, but then they're the same bunch who believe that a passenger airliner can "hover" in mid air waiting for a runway to be free, and not that its because youre in a car travelling toward the plane and its classic relative motion.
and of course the classic astrology and astronomy assumption, then the "aliens are looking right back at you".
but if we have reforms in school content or things like NASA where they take a massive rocket all around the country to schools so kids get "excited" by science and space, we'd have a lot more general awareness and maybe even help reduce light pollution.
I love how they have programs in schools to talk to the astronauts in the ISS as it flies overhead using radios.
the behind the scenes sections of nasa's spaceflight site is very inspirational with stories of how these people were awe struck by the stars and space at night when they were kids.
I'm with Brent, what she said. 
that'll get pulses racing!
