Astronomy’s Problem with Starlink (w/ Vivienne Baldassare) and Why Toilet Paper Is White

Learn about Starlink’s unintended consequences for astronomy from astrophysicist Vivienne Baldassare, NASA Einstein Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University. Then, learn why toilet paper is white.

If you think the night sky should be included in assessments of the environmental impact of government projects, you can get involved in the Council on Environmental Quality’s Proposal to Update its NEPA Implementing Regulations. Comments should be submitted on or before March 10, 2020.

Read the document and submit comments here: https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=CEQ-2019-0003-0001

Tips on how to submit effective comments: https://www.regulations.gov/docs/Tips_For_Submitting_Effective_Comments.pdf

More information:

• CEQ’s Proposal to Update its NEPA Implementing Regulations | Council on Environmental Quality NEPA Modernization https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/nepa-modernization/
• NASA: In 2018, there were ~20,000 objects in orbit, ~4,500 of which are spacecraft https://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/quarterly-news/pdfs/odqnv22i1.pdf
• Website of Vivienne Baldassare, NASA Einstein Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University: http://viviennebaldassare.com/
• Vivienne Baldassare | Department of Astronomy. (2017). Yale.edu. https://astronomy.yale.edu/people/vivienne-baldassare
• Follow @vbaldassare on Twitter https://twitter.com/vbaldassare

Why toilet paper is white by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Gerald)

• Technologies for reducing dioxin in the manufacture of bleached wood pulp. (1989). Google Books. https://books.google.com/books/about/Technologies_for_reducing_dioxin_in_the.html?id=iBhRA3mNiJEC
• Tissue. (2020). American Forest & Paper Association | afandpa.org. https://www.afandpa.org/our-products/tissue
• Chemical composition of wood (Date unknown). Mendel University in Brno | Mendelu.cz. https://is.mendelu.cz/eknihovna/opory/zobraz_cast.pl?cast=19242
• The Nature of Lignin. (1991, November). Conservation-us.org. https://cool.conservation-us.org/byorg/abbey/ap/ap04/ap04-4/ap04-402.html
• Understanding the effect of machine technology and cellulosic fibers on tissue properties – A Review :: BioResources. (2018). @bioresjournal. https://bioresources.cnr.ncsu.edu/resources/understanding-the-effect-of-machine-technology-and-cellulosic-fibers-on-tissue-properties-a-review/

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Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/astronomys-problem-with-starlink-w-vivienne-baldassare-and-why-toilet-paper-is-white

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