Scott Turner Letter

Dear Guide, I have no idea whether you check out reader recommendations for Podcast of the Week – if so, can I recommend a podcast which occupies such an obscure niche within a niche you are reasonably certain not to stumble on it by accident– The “Building a Home Planetarium Podcast” https://homeplanetariumassociation.podbean.com/ The narrator, Gary Likert, podcasts from a chicken coup in Tennessee and each daily 5-minute episode, of which there are about 170 to date, meanders through part of his long experimentation with making planetarium projectors and domes (mostly from everyday objects) and running home-made planetarium shows. He rolls in astronomical stories, classical poetry, 1960s ephemera, 1970s music amongst other odd tangents. The podcast is hypnotic, Mr Likert is hugely knowledgeable in planetarium folklore but remains an affable amateur (amateur in the best possible sense) who has managed not to let modern life wrestle his child-like sense of wonder away. Favourite episode: Series 4 Episode 9 –a reverie about world where having a backyard planetarium becomes the norm and the size of the planetarium becomes a key consideration for house buyers. After a while you will find yourself humming the ear-worm theme tune (which is explained in episode 1) waiting for the next instalment to pop up. I have no financial motive or connection to the podcast - it is a work of pure enthusiasm and an important documentary record of a little known activity which deserves a far wider audience than its obscure genre is likely to deliver – go on, put it in podcast of the week.

The Sagan

The Sagan once upon a midnight dreary while i pondered weak and weary over many quaint and curious volumes filled with astro lore suddenly there a came a tapping as if someone gently rapping rapping in the shadow just outside my ancient chamber door tis some visitor i muttered tapping at my chamber door? only this and nothing more now i knew that i was sober in this bleak and dark october but who would come so late outside perhaps the wind, and nothing more? but presently my soul grew stronger hesitating at last no longer never napping, i heard rapping so i opened wide the door there i saw a ghostly sight a darksome Sagan taken flight i beckoned him to please be seated over by the wooden floor and q;uoth the Sagan ... whatevermore why do you walk the earth undaunted i asked the ghastly thing that haunted haunted through my chamber door stars! he screeched, your theater beckons not enough as i have reckoned how many, came my scream once more quoth the Sagan billions and billions more

Planetariums in Flatland

Planetariums in Flatland

hello, i am a square in flatland ...   youve heard of flatland havent you?  ours is a 2 dimensional world, you who live in 3 dimensions, in space, i think dont appreciate our limitations.   since the description of our 2 dimensional world written over 100 years ago by Edwin Abbott Abbott (Abbott squared, get it?), we got quite a bit of publicity for awhile, but thats died down now..     we famousy got visited by a sphere from space, your 3 dimensional world, but all we could see were circles growing larger and smaller here in flatland.   most people think our 2 dimensional world was just a satire on hiearchical life in Victorian times, but no, we have other business too.   since this is a planetarium podcast, you might be interested in how we build planetariums here in two dimensions

we spent many years trying to depict stars ourselves, but since we all look like lines in 2 dimensional space, all we could do to make stars is arrange volunteers into constellatons viewed almost on end.  this didnt work too well though, because we only looked close to stars from just off center in the audience - the further you got from the center line of sight, the more our 'stars' looked like short lines.   that just ruined it for most here in flatland.   also, since here in flatland it rains from the north (thats one of our laws of nature, like our gravity, which pulls us south), rain tended to wash away our stars.   we couldnt have a roof over their heads much less a dome - nobody could see short lines in front of a larger ilne in back if you see what i mean.  

so we lived for the longest time with very limited planetarium capacity until FINALLY we came up with a solution.  our scientifsts were able to punch a hole into a one dimensional universe called pointland.   the inhabitants THERE were lustrous ponts, and they made great stars!   now our planetariums are something to see!   until it rains..... 

Lost in the Outer Islands

lost in the outer islands of all my travels, never had i ventured as far as the outer islands. it was dusk when i got lost at sea and found myself landing on an unnamed coastline. how i had drifted so far i could not say i had no choice but to tie up my little boat for the night and venture out again in the morning, in bright sun and with clear eyes. in the fading light i could see stars begin to shine overhead,. the land of the island was montainous, and i walked alone into the nearest town. lighted windows beckoned as the night drew in. in the distance all round were .vague shapes which looked like immense pillars of rock of some unknown substance, but other vague shapes loomed in the darkness as well, and i could not discern their nature. .. i met no one in the streets of the little town, but the stars grew thick above as i looked in vain for a place to bed down for the night.. finally, as the dark grew deeper and deeper i threw myself on the ground and curled up and slept for what seemed like ages. and woke to a violent shaking, a shaking light partially blinding me as i dimly perceived a crowd of people now gathered around me, their voices murmuring in a language i couldnt quite make out. in virtual shock, i abruptly sat up to assess what my perceived predictament might be .. what had happened .. who were these vague people. where was i ..... you mustve dozed off came a voice from behind .. the show is over, time to go home came another with sheepish chagrin, i lifted myself upright off the planetarium floor where i had dozed off, rolling out of my chair onto the floor, and shuffled noiselessly towards the door with the other patrons..

The Man Who Loved Pink Floyd Too Much

 doesnt frank ever stop with the pink floyd already?  said Agnes,  kathy's next door neighbor.   

he does play it incessantly doesnt he?  offered kathy ..  i've tried to get him to use headphones but' 

but what? asked agnes ..      

kathy continued:   well,  i think hes playing a practical joke on me.   when i went out to get the mail this morning,

i found this' said kathy, showing agnes a folded sheet of paper that said, I'll see you on the dark side of the moon'     and i cant find him now.   he's hiding

what??  said agnes ..   what a joker!  hope he turns up by dinner!    she said and left, huffing..  

since apparently it was too early for mail, kathy went back to the mailbox later that day 

and found ANOTHER folded sheet of paper! 

this is getting old she thought ...   this one said simply said:   'how i wish you were here'   .....

FRANK she yelled as if the trees had ears ...   that's enough now, come out this instant! .  no reply.

later that evening as darkness was falling, Agnes stopped by kathys again, 

and found  the door ajar, with a folded note on the front step.  unfolding it, she read almost disbelievingly

Agnes.. be a dear and feed the fish .... Frank's been in touch, and he's.. well he's  calling me up. 

 i feel it inside,  something pulling me up ...    it tickles almost , i think im trying to.... float away .

.there;s a glow forming around me.   i can't describe .....

 its something inside me, its  pulling me up  ...  towards Frank

somehow   

but dont you worry now

i may be receding

but

there IS no pain