The cost of rare earth metals has soared as China limits supplies
The cost of rare earth metals used in electronics has soared to record levels in the past two weeks as China clamps down on illegal mining and limits supplies.
Unmanned sail prototype prepares for launch
A prototype of an unmanned sailing ship will begin a test voyage this fall.
Although Harbor Wing will operate without a captain and crew by sailing on a pre-programmed course, “the man is always in the loop,” Ott said. An operator, seated at a computer that could be hundreds of miles away, can control the craft with keystrokes that relay commands via satellite. The transmission gap, from order to receipt, is only 18 seconds, which “on the open ocean is not much,” he said, “so you have very close control.”
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Deep well inspection
An evening pause: Let’s take a strange journey, down 275 feet deep into a well. No sound, but fascinating nonetheless.
Daley can’t defend Obama’s ‘indefensible’ economic policies
White House chief of staff can’t defend Obama’s “indefensible” (his word) economic policies.
Now available in hardback and paperback as well as ebook!
From the press release: In this ground-breaking new history of early America, historian Robert Zimmerman not only exposes the lie behind The New York Times 1619 Project that falsely claims slavery is central to the history of the United States, he also provides profound lessons about the nature of human societies, lessons important for Americans today as well as for all future settlers on Mars and elsewhere in space.
Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space, is a riveting page-turning story that documents how slavery slowly became pervasive in the southern British colonies of North America, colonies founded by a people and culture that not only did not allow slavery but in every way were hostile to the practice.
Conscious Choice does more however. In telling the tragic history of the Virginia colony and the rise of slavery there, Zimmerman lays out the proper path for creating healthy societies in places like the Moon and Mars.
“Zimmerman’s ground-breaking history provides every future generation the basic framework for establishing new societies on other worlds. We would be wise to heed what he says.” —Robert Zubrin, founder of the Mars Society.
All editions are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all book vendors, with the ebook priced at $5.99 before discount. All editions can also be purchased direct from the ebook publisher, ebookit, in which case you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
Autographed printed copies are also available at discount directly from the author (hardback $29.95; paperback $14.95; Shipping cost for either: $6.00). Just send an email to zimmerman @ nasw dot org.
Research Center Under Fire for ‘Adjusted’ Sea-Level Data
A university research center is under attack for arbitrarily adjusting its sea-level data upward.
Some bats seem to be surviving white nose fungus
Good news: Some bats seem to be surviving despite being infected with white nose fungus [pdf].
Leaving Earth: Space Stations, Rival Superpowers, and the Quest for Interplanetary Travel, can be purchased as an ebook everywhere for only $3.99 (before discount) at amazon, Barnes & Noble, all ebook vendors, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big oppressive tech companies and I get a bigger cut much sooner.
Winner of the 2003 Eugene M. Emme Award of the American Astronautical Society.
"Leaving Earth is one of the best and certainly the most comprehensive summary of our drive into space that I have ever read. It will be invaluable to future scholars because it will tell them how the next chapter of human history opened." -- Arthur C. Clarke
NASA about to decide on its shuttle heavy-lift replacement
NASA is about to decide on its shuttle heavy-lift replacement, and it looks like it will be almost entirely shuttle-derived.
As I have said previously, this rocket will almost certainly never fly. NASA has to start over after spending billions and years developing Constellation, and is being given less money and time to do it.
And even if I am wrong and this rocket does fly, I bet it will do only one flight and then be retired as too costly.
Poland joins the European Space Agency
Poland joins the European Space Agency.
The debate over arsenic-based life continues
The debate over arsenic-based life continues.
SpaceX Sues Expert Who Questioned Safety of Falcon 9 Rocket
Turf war: SpaceX has sued a NASA safety expert (with ties to the Ares rocket program) who questioned the safety of the Falcon 9 rocket.
The Pan-STARRS Telescope has found comet that might provide a show in 2013
The Pan-STARRS Telescope has found a comet that might provide us all a show in 2013.
An update from Messenger
An update from Messenger.
Ray Stevens – Obama budget plan
An evening pause: If the government can do it, why not everyone?
Eddi Reader with Boo Hewerdine – Footsteps Fall
An evening pause:
Milk changing color – cool science experiment
An evening pause:
Sheila Jackson Lee Likens Islamic Radicals to ‘Christian Militants’ in U.S.
An idiot speaks: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) yesterday equated Islamic terrorists with “Christian militants” in the United States.
Since 9/11 Islamic terrorists have carried out more than 17,000 attacks, killing tens of thousands. In that same time, you could count on one hand the number of attacks by “Christian militants,” if that many. For Representative Lee, it seems it is hard for her to tell the difference.
Why Are Taxpayers Paying for Wine Tasting?
IPCC in trouble again over using Greenpeace employee for energy report
The IPCC is in trouble again for using a Greenpeace activist to help write one of its recent energy reports.
Republicans refuse to cut farm and ethanol subsidies, cut international food aid instead
Some pigs win, some lose: Republicans refuse to cut farm and ethanol subsidies, but cut international food aid instead.
The cowardice of politicians from both parties to honestly face the federal deficit problem sadly continues.
National Speleological Society responds to the demand that all caves be closed to protect bats
The National Speleological Society has responded in strong opposition [pdf] to the demand by the Center for Biological Diversity that all caves on public land be closed to protect bats.
Calling for blanket cave closures across the U.S. is unnecessary, unenforceable, and counterproductive. While cave closures on some federal lands have been implemented, particularly in the eastern U. S., there is no evidence that this action has done anything to contain [white nose syndrome] (WNS). Most people working on WNS understand that bat to bat transmission is overwhelmingly the primary method of transmission, and administrative closing of caves and mines does nothing to prevent that.