It's Not Over for Pluto

Scientists challenge Pluto's demotion. At the Wake for Pluto I asked Parke Kunkle of the Minnesota Astronomical Society what his opinion was. He replied that, while he understood the decision, in terms of sentiment he would always consider Pluto to be a planet.

That seems to be the general consensus, whether by astronomy enthusiasts or by members of the general public. Students at New Mexico State University, including Al Tombaugh, the son of Pluto's discoverer, held a protest to demand that Pluto be restored as major planet. Voice of America has more on the debate.

Wow, protests for Pluto. This comes just as the Star Tribune reports that interest in math and science is up in Minnesota. Frankly, the article does not get into the comparison between inner city and suburban resources for K-12 math and science. Minnesota has always been a leader in education among the 50 states.

However, the article interviews a Hamline student who says that the real problem is the requirement of a graduate degree to secure stable (which still does not necessarily mean high-paying) employment in a science or technical field, which discourages many students.

I understand that; it took me another twenty years to make this commitment.

New, grad school-related links for me:

American Society for Information Science and Technology
History of Information Science

By the way, here's the link to the actual conference, the International Astronomical Union's General Assembly. A lot more went on than just the defining of "planet."