Emily Li

  On my way back from Kenting, one of Taiwan’s most famous vacation spot that is known for its beaches, abundant sunshine, and a year-round holiday vibe, I had been thinking about what the essence of a road trip is. While the need to reach the destination was what leads to the initial intention of going on a road trip, it is certainly not the most valuable part of the trip. If we view the destination as the end goal, we only spent a short amount of time at the destination compared to the length we spent on the entire trip. Taking my road trip to Kenting as an example, my family and I spent a significant amount of time in the car while only spending a relatively brief time at the various sites. And yet, the joy we experienced was certainly not compromised as opposed to what we had believed. As kids, my brother and I used to have all the time with our friends and family. Now, all grown up, we have many responsibilities during our day that we almost never have time to hang out. Being ...

As my Introduction to Astronomy class has started its discussion about the solar system and the objects of the Kuiper Belt, I figured it is about time for me to pick up How I Killed Pluto. I was quite excited to read about a topic that is so relevant to what I am currently learning. From my astronomy class, I learned that Pluto was removed from the list of planets because of “accidental” discoveries of other like-kind objects. I was surprised when I learned this in class since the idea of “accidentally” discovering something so tinny in the sky filled with thousands of shiny stars that look almost identical to each other just doesn’t make much sense. While the excitement to know more about the details of the discovery is real, I am also quite worried that the jargons and science behind the discovery are difficult to understand (even some of the basic concepts in my introductory astronomy class confuse me).  As I have anticipated, the book provides an insider view of the details on ...

I picked How I Killed Pluto by Mike Brown for my second book. I have decided to read this book after I read four of my classmates’ blog posts about the book, which all provided very concrete reasons for why they endorse the book. Interestingly enough, I am currently taking Life to the Universe, an introductory astronomy class offered by Dornsife, that teaches me how planets are defined, what constitutes a star, and the ins and outs of the debate around space objects versus planets. From my class, I learned that Pluto’s removal from the registry of planets is due to various objects being discovered around the Kuiper Belt and the redefinition of the planet. Therefore, with curiosity toward the story behind the person who leads to this ultimate removal of Pluto as a planet, I decided that How I killed Pluto will be the second book that I will be spending on my time on.  How I killed Pluto  is about an astronomist, Mike Brown, made his discovery of objects and yet eventually lea...