Let The Reboot Begin...

So the holidays are finally over, the new year has begun, and a long holiday break has allowed me a chance to reevaluate my goals for the site, as well time to sit down and comb through all of the cool science news I missed while I was away. And while I don't want to inundate you with too much news you've likely already heard, turns out, the past few months have been filled with all kinds of awesome space news- particularly where the search for potential homes for life outside our own world, and even our own solar system is concerned. The Kepler spacecraft in particular has been very busy. And so, I have devised something of a theme for my first week back, in part to organize my thoughts and help get myself back into "the groove" of writing on a regular basis. But mostly because I have an abundance of material to choose from, and much of that material just so happens to fit a particular theme. So if you're not a big fan of themes, don't worry, I don't plan on making a habit of this.

But before we get into the theme for the week. I wanted to take one more moment to discuss the blog itself. While there likely won't be any earth shattering changes to the overall look and theme of the site,I do intend to experiment with the content a bit over the next few weeks and I am considering a variety of options for expanding the site; which I'll get into more when and if I get to them. The ultimate goal of any future changes are: 1) To try and make generating said content a bit easier on myself; and 2) To find a more entertaining, accessible, and hopefully unique, way of delivering information, in an effort to better distinguish this site from all the other science blogs on the net- and I do primarily consider this a science blog- and maybe lure in a larger audience.

But don't worry, that doesn't mean that I'm turning the page into one of those boring, technical, science only sites that many of you likely avoid like the plague; Because, frankly- I'm not smart enough for that. In fact, my goal with this reboot of the blog is to try and find a better way of integrating the strange, geeky and (hopefully) entertaining, with the intellectual and philosophical pursuits, that occupy the majority of the space in my brain. Basically, I'm planning on making this more of a personal page than it has thus far been. Because, despite my inactivity over the last few months, I find writing for this site deeply satisfying. And with a variety changes going on in my personal life -which I may get into more in the future, assuming you actually care to hear about that sort of thing- I have decided, definitively, that I would like to find a way to make promoting science, critical thinking, and a rational world view, what I do with my life; or at the very least, a large part of it. And while I admit that a failed musician and high school drop out who just happens to have a fetish for rationalism and science, is probably not be the best person to promote those ideals, if I can understand them, and be passionate about them, anyone can.

-CAINE-

Up next: Exoplanets Everywhere: Kepler's ongoing search for new worlds