Category: Points of Information
Very brief descriptions, with appropriate links, of current or recent news items.
TSA to investigate man who refused body scan
Freedom of speech alert! The TSA, not content to stick its hands in our pants, is going to investigate the man who refused a body scan and recorded the whole event.
Go to sleep for science and space exploration
Go to sleep for science and space exploration.
Hayabusa captured asteroid dust
The first asteroid sample return! Japanese scientists announced today that their probe Hayabusa did capture asteroid dust in its visit to the asteroid Itokawa.
Chinese female astronaut identified
Chinese female astronaut identified.
Russians complete spacewalk
Except for the failure to install a video camers, two Russian astronauts successfully completed a six hour spacewalk on ISS today, doing a variety of construction tasks on the station’s exterior.
National Opt-Out day suggests wearing kilts as well
National Opt-Out day at the airports is November 24. One commentator is suggesting that men wear kilts, just to drive the TSA even more crazy.
Continuing resolution likely into 2011
The space war returns! The lame duck session of Congress is now expected to pass a continuing resolution that extends into next year, leaving the final decisions about the budget to the next Congress. This is very bad news for NASA and what’s left of the government space program.
Update: I should add that I’m not bothered in the slightest that this might happen. The money that the present Congress proposed giving to NASA will not make the exploration of the solar system possible, and in fact might hinder that exploration significantly under the weight of government regulation. It is time to cut the cord, and stop depending on the damn government to conquer the stars.
New Castle councilman calls cops on boys’ cupcake sale
Fire him! Local councilman calls the cops on two 13-year-old boys, because they are selling cupcake illegally!
Abolish the TSA
Now here’s a good idea: Abolish the TSA.
Tycho Brahe’s body exhumed
Scientists have exhumed the body of Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe in order to do a new autopsy.
Video from Chang’e 2
Videos from the Chinese lunar probe, Chang’e 2.