Category: Behind The Black
Magnetic bubbles at the edge of the solar system
Magnetic bubbles at the edge of the solar system.
How a Teachers’ Rally Made Me Anti-Education
Ohio restaurant referenced by Obama is closing
The ironies are endless: An Ohio restaurant referenced by President Obama last week as a beneficiary of the auto bailout is going out of business this week due to the bad economy and increased regulation.
Camera being added to the last shuttle external tank
A camera has been installed on the last shuttle external tank so that its destruction in the atmosphere can be observed.
Space weather expert downplays threat to Earth from solar flare
Space weather expert downplays threat to Earth from solar flare.
My god, a reporter actually talked to a scientist on this subject, instead of the normal political hacks swilling for bigger budgets, and found out that we aren’t going to die!
Opportunity Heads Toward ‘Spirit Point’
Opportunity’s target on the rim of Endeavour crater has been dubbed “Spirit Point” by the science team in honor of the now defunct rover.
Human bones taken to ISS for long space flight experiments.
Human bones were part of the cargo on board the Soyuz capsule launched to ISS today.
“The fragments of human bones will be used to study the causes and dynamics of decalcination of bone tissue in a long space flight,” the head of the experiment, Tatiana Krasheninnikova told Itar-Tass. The problem of decalcination is a headache for medics responsible for spacemen’s health. Researches in this area are conducted by scientists from many ISS member states. However it is impossible to take sample of spacemen’s bones, only their urine is being examined, and a complete picture of dynamics of changes in human bones is not clear, she noted.
Pink Floyd tribute in classical style
An evening pause: Early acid-rock Sid-Barrett-insane Pink Floyd, as performed by the Classic Rock String Quartet
A press conference of my very own
This week the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland was holding a conference on the future research possibilities of the James Webb Space Telescope, and ended the conference with a writer’s workshop/press conference today.
Not surprisingly, there was not a lot of press interest. The Webb telescope is way behind schedule and over budget, and is not scheduled for launch until 2018. For most of the press, a press conference now on what Webb might someday do is really nothing more than a NASA sales pitch. Most reporters, including myself, don’t find these kinds of press conferences of much worth.
However, after thinking about it a bit, I decided to go, with the hope that I might be able to find out some more details about the state of the telescope’s construction.
To my astonishment, I discovered how little press interest there was, as it turned out I was the only journalist there! When the presentations ended, the whole workshop became an exercise in answering Bob Zimmerman’s questions about Webb and astronomy. I felt a bit embarrassed about this, but then decided the only stupid question is the one you don’t ask, and forged ahead. Moreover, the situation probably was far more embarrassing for the press people at the Institute then it was for me.
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The remnant of supernova 1987a Lights Up
The remnant of supernova 1987a lights up.
This supernova is the only naked eye supernova since the invention of the telescope, and has been tracked by Hubble for two decades.
Delta charged returning GIs $2,800 in bags fees
Another example of airline stupidity, which is why I drive whenever I can: Delta Airlines charges returning GIs $2,800 in bags fees.
Most of the GIs, it seems, had four bags. Delta only allows three for free in coach, “and anything over three bags, you have to pay for,” another soldier said, “even though there’s a contract between the U.S. government and Delta Airlines.”