Jansen’s Strandbeests
An evening pause:
Tag: engineering
House cuts off funds to IPCC
Listen to the squealing: Scientists criticize the House vote to cut off funds to the IPCC. Key quote:
Without the federal support, [Stanford ecologist Chris Field] said, “We’d have no ability to organize meetings, we’d have no ability to coordinate chapters.”
In other words, no more jaunts to Cancun in the midst of winter. What a shame!
Considering the insincere effort of the IPCC and its scientists to correct its numerous errors, as well as their admitted political agenda, it seems completely appropriate to stop funding it with U.S. tax dollars. If these environmentalists want to issue a report, they should pay for it themselves.
Final liftoff for Discovery set for Thursday, Feb 24
The final launch for the space shuttle Discovery has now been set for Thursday, February 24.
Robot arm on ISS shifts Japanese freighter to different port to clear path for shuttle
The robot arm on ISS shifted the Japanese freighter docked there to a different port today to clear a path for the shuttle.
More Webb budget troubles
According to its manager, the budget troubles of the James Webb Space Telescope will likely keep it on the ground until 2016.
This is terrible news for space-based astrophysics. Until Webb gets launched, NASA will have no money for any other space telescope project. And since all the space telescopes presently in orbit are not expected to be operating at the end of the decade, by 2020 the U.S. space astronomy program will essentially be dead.
Then again, there is the private sector, as Google Lunar X Prize is demonstrating.
U.S. military turns to private sector for its satellite communications needs
Now, was that so hard? The U.S. military is turning to the private sector to fill its satellite communications needs.
How hibernating bears could help man get to Mars
How hibernating bears could help man get to Mars.
The Great Moonbuggy Race
A potential landing site for next Mars rover
This week’s release of cool images from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter included the color image below of a region on the floor of Holden Crater, one of the four possible landing sites for Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory planned for launch later this year. (If you want to see the entire image at higher resolution, you can download it here.)
Two things that immediately stand out about this image (other than this looks like an incredibly spectacular place to visit):
A Private Space Shuttle Replacement
Google Lunar X Prize has announced the final roster of teams competing for its $30 Million prize
The Google Lunar X Prize has announced the final roster of teams competing for its $30 Million prize.
‘Watson’ the computer creams human ‘Jeopardy!’ champs
‘Watson’ the computer creams human ‘Jeopardy!’ champs. Key quote:
“I for one welcome our new computer overlords,” contestant Ken Jennings — who holds the “Jeopardy!” record of 74 straight wins — cheekily wrote on his answer screen at the conclusion of the much-hyped three-day showdown.