First carbon-rich exoplanet discovered
The first carbon-rich exoplanet discovered.
Category: Points of Information
Very brief descriptions, with appropriate links, of current or recent news items.
Wind Group Warns of Job Losses Without Grants
Oink! Oink! The wind industry warns of job losses without federal grants.
Eight Hebrew books stolen from Indiana University Library and thrown in toilets and urinated on
If only the book was the Koran and these Jews believed in Mohammed, then someone might care! Eight Hebrew texts stolen from the library at Indiana University and thrown in toilets and urinated on, followed by several attacks on Jews at the university.
“Gore effect” strikes Cancun Climate Conference 3 days in a row
“Gore effect” strikes Cancun Climate Conference 3 days in a row.
Firestorm over arsenic microbe continues to grow
Firestorm over arsenic microbe continues to grow. Now the leader author of the paper responds to the criticisms from other scientists that have been popping up on the web.
Falcon 9 launch a success. Dragon capsule returns successfully
SpaceX is two for two! The Falcon 9 launch today was a success, and was topped off by the successful return of the Dragon capsule after two orbits.
This is big news. Think about it: a private company — not a government — has designed and built a rocket and capsule, capable of carrying astronauts, and successfully launched both and recovered the capsule. Hot dog! True space travel might very well be around the corner at last.
Japan’s Venus probe fails to enter orbit
Sad news: It appears that Japan’s Venus probe failed to enter orbit, and might have flown past Venus.
Update: It is confirmed that the spacecraft flew past Venus. There is a chance Japan could try again, when Akatsuka returns to Venus — in about seven years.
The Crab Nebula burps!
Deorbiting the International Space Station
NASA budget details
The continuing space war: A draft version of NASA’s budget suggests that the lame duck Congress will more or less follow the recommendations of the authorization bill passed in September.
Climate models used by IPCC fail to predict past climate patterns
A recent paper published in Hydrological Sciences Journal states that climate models used by IPCC cannot even predict known past climate patterns. Key quote:
It is claimed that GCMs [General Climate Models] provide credible quantitative estimates of future climate change, particularly at continental scales and above. Examining the local performance of the models at 55 points, we found that local projections do not correlate well with observed measurements. Furthermore, we found that the correlation at a large spatial scale, i.e. the contiguous USA, is worse than at the local scale. However, we think that the most important question is not whether GCMs can produce credible estimates of future climate, but whether climate is at all predictable in deterministic terms.
‘No climate talks in future if Cancun fails’
Cool news! India said Wednesday that future climate negotiations would be unlikely if the Kyoto protocol is not extended in some manner this week at the climate summit in Cancun.
The list of companies receiving healthcare waivers
The actual list of companies receiving healthcare waivers, from the government itself.
What I find interesting about this list is the number of insurance companies and unions on it. The insurance companies would be the ones most familiar with the consequences of Obama’s healthcare bill and therefore the likeliest to react quickly to it. The unions, however, were almost all shilling for the bill’s passage, which suggests that the leaders of these unions are simply idiots for backing something without knowing what was in it. Now that they know they are scrambling to avoid it.
NASA sold computers with sensitive data, report says
Our government in action! Inspector general notes that NASA sold excess computers without deleting the sensitive data still on them.
The military’s perspective on X-37B
The military’s perspective on the X-37B.
Millions of research money stolen in Mali
Fifteen people have been arrested in Mali for embezzling $4 million intended to research malaria and tuberculosis.
Falcon 9 set for Wednesday launch
It appears that the next attempt to launch Falcon 9/Dragon is now set for Wednesday.
Muslim Brotherhood Front Group Trains Airport Screeners
What could possibly go wrong? A Muslim Brotherhood front group, hired by the TSA, has trained 2200 airport screeners.
FCC push to regulate news draws fire
What part of “Congress shall make no law” do they not understand? The push by the FCC to regulate news reporting draws fire.
Waivers to Obamacare continue to pile up
If this law was so great, why is this happening? Waivers to the Obama healthcare bill continue to pile up.
Then again, maybe this quote explains it: “The new legislation would have left our part-time workers without their medical coverage,” said Tom Schroder of Universal Orlando Public Relations.