My dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January. He was on the first treatment of chemo for about six months. When that stopped working, there was a short break, then he went on the second type for about one month. The side effects of that were really hard, and the FDA just approved a pill for pancreatic cancer in September, that was especially targeted toward the type he had.
He was on it for three weeks, and the side effects were even worse than the chemo.
On Tuesday, October 6, he made the decision to stop treatment and go on hospice.
On Friday, October 9, he died at 3:20pm.
I didn't see him between Wednesday and Friday because I was fighting a cold and didn't want to get him sick.
Ove of the last things he did in his last year was write some astronomy essays. I've compiled them into a book for my family, and will be releasing it on Amazon KU and paperback next week.
Who would have thought the first thing I do with my author career is not publish my queer fiction, but to publish a series of non-fiction essays to keep a promise I made my dad on his deathbed?
“In the beginning, the entire universe was a thimbleful of super hot, super compressed energy...”
So begins the journey into the history, current era, and distant future of the universe. Written with clarity, warmth, and a deep love for science education, Another Little Thing in the Grand Scheme of Things brings readers of all levels into an exploration through space, time, and human curiosity.
This collection of essays, written by astronomy enthusiast and patient teacher Dale Davaz, explores cosmology fundamentals such as the big bang, motions of the planets through space, Earth's continually changing place in the solar system, and the eventual heat death of the universe.
Alongside the astrophysics, the essays explore the lives and discoveries of some of the most influential, and sometimes lesser-known, astronomers throughout time. From the ancient Babylonians, through Tycho Brahe's underground observatories, to Simon Marius's competition with Galileo, and Chandrasekhar’s contemporary groundbreaking astrophysics, learn about the people who helped propel astronomy to where it is today.
In language accessible to anyone - from middle schoolers looking to begin their understanding of the universe to lifelong science lovers - these essays were always meant to be shared with people who love the cosmos as much as the humble backyard astronomer who wrote them.
