Boston & New England

Daddy’s Dairy Is A Real Place

By Lisa Johnson | June 27, 2022

A few weeks ago, I was out and about somewhere and overheard a conversation. Two people were talking about ice cream places and one mentioned that someone told them...

Emma Andrews Library Author Series

By Lisa Johnson | March 27, 2022

I have some exciting news! On Thursday, April 7, 2022, at 7pm, I will be interviewed as part of the Emma Andrews Library Author Series! Over the past week or...

My Korean Drama Playlist

By Lisa Johnson | June 17, 2022

This Korean Drama playlist has changed over time and is a constant work in progress. Songs are always being added and a few were deleted too. I started watching Korean...

The constellation of Virgo (The Virgin) is especially rich in galaxies, due in part to the presence of a massive and gravitationally-bound collection of over 1300 galaxies called the Virgo Cluster. One particular member of this cosmic community, NGC 4388, is captured in this image, as seen by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3). Located some 60 million light-years away, NGC 4388 is experiencing some of the less desirable effects that come with belonging to such a massive galaxy cluster. It is undergoing a transformation, and has taken on a somewhat confused identity. While the galaxy’s outskirts appear smooth and featureless, a classic feature of an elliptical galaxy, its centre displays remarkable dust lanes constrained within two symmetric spiral arms, which emerge from the galaxy’s glowing core — one of the obvious features of a spiral galaxy. Within the arms, speckles of bright blue mark the locations of young stars, indicating that NGC 4388 has hosted recent bursts of star formation. Despite the mixed messages, NGC 4388 is classified as a spiral galaxy. Its unusual combination of features are thought to have been caused by interactions between NGC 4388 and the Virgo Cluster. Gravitational interactions — from glancing blows to head-on collisions, tidal influencing, mergers, and galactic cannibalism — can be devastating to galaxies. While some may be lucky enough to simply suffer a distorted spiral arm or newly-triggered wave of star formation, others see their structure and contents completely and irrevocably altered.

Is Student Loan Cancellation In The Stars?

By Lisa Johnson | June 4, 2022

"Either a) they're going to resume repayments right before the election, which would be suicidal, or b) they're going [sic] forgive loans right before the election, which would be...

Coffee Breaks & Other Food Thoughts

By Lisa Johnson | June 13, 2022

Days and events over the past month have me thinking. About food. About family. About friendship. About time. About what is normal life. About coffee breaks and cafes. Is this...

Winter Weekend Baking Recipe: Apple Cranberry Fig Crisp

By Lisa Johnson | January 24, 2022

We're deep in the heart of winter -- the end of January heading into February. As part of my practice of leaning into each season, I'm contemplating the feeling of...