Black History Month: Gladys West — Pioneer of GPS Technology

From maps to apps to chartplotters, we all rely on GPS these days, sometimes whether we realize it or not.  Ethan Siegel recently wrote in Forbes: Unbeknownst to most people, however, the science underlying this technology was primarily developed by … Continue reading

Magnetic North Pole on the Move — How Big a Deal?

Recently, the media has somewhat breathlessly reported that the usually slow drift of the magnetic north pole has sped up dramatically. My favorite headline is from NPR which reads, “As Magnetic North Pole Zooms Toward Siberia, Scientists Update World Magnetic Model.” … Continue reading

Update: Newport-to-Ensenada Racing Tragedy – Did the Aegean Hit the Rocks?

Initial speculation included an explosion and then a collision with a larger vessel.  Now an online GPS tracking system, SPOT, shows the yacht running onto the rocks on a far end of North Coronado Island at 1:36 a.m. Saturday.  The Coronado Islands are about … Continue reading