by Dava Sobel | Nov 16, 2016 | Essays-DavaSobel
People often speak of drawing “a line in the sand,” meaning a boundary that cannot be crossed without serious consequences. Next week Skipper Rich Wilson will cross a line in the water. Although no one can see that line threading through the ocean waves, still the...
by Rich Wilson | Nov 16, 2016 | Essays-RichWilson
For a mariner, Crossing the Line is a special event, no matter how many times he or she may have done it before. North turns to South (or the reverse) on the GPS. The Line is not marked by buoys, only by signs (+ or -) in the spherical trigonometry of the planet. New...
by Rich Wilson | Nov 8, 2016 | Essays-RichWilson
Shipping is an unseen, yet essential, industry. Around 90% of the world’s goods are sent to their destinations by ship. On land, if you live near a port, you might see a few ships from time to time. At chokepoints for the movement of ships, Panama and Suez...
by Rich du Moulin | Nov 8, 2016 | Essays - Rich du Moulin
Most people go about their daily lives never thinking about how the goods they use every day end up in their home. World trade is bigger today than ever before in history, and 98 percent of everything that comes to the United States and most other countries arrive by...
by Rich Wilson | Nov 1, 2016 | Essays, Essays-RichWilson
When I was a young boy, I read about the great solo circumnavigators: Joshua Slocum, Francis Chichester, Bernard Moitessier. Their adventures, courage, skill, and pursuit of their dreams mesmerized me. I wondered whether I could ever be smart enough, strong enough, or...
by Prof. Maria Zuber | Nov 1, 2016 | Essays, Essays - Maria Zuber
I have never wanted to do anything else but study space. I grew up in anthracite country in eastern Pennsylvania, where there were no professional scientists or nearby colleges where one could be exposed to enrichment programs in science. But living there worked for...
