Looking Up: And the winner is ... Nov 21, 2009
One more bit of cosmic rock vaporized as it hurtled through the Earth s atmosphere, our blanket of air once again shielding us from being peppered. The meteor was brighter than any of the night sky s stars. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
2012: A case of mania Nov 21, 2009
NASA's Web site carries this unequivocal statement of doomsday refutation: "Nothing bad will happen to the Earth in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012." ... As the story goes, Nibiru is on a collision course with the Earth and the event, initially predicted for 2003, was re-forecast for 2012 after the first date came and went uneventfully ... And what of cosmic alignments, and... (Paragould Daily Press, AR)
Science photos Nov 20, 2009
Up-close exploration of the moon, Earth's only natural satellite, began in 1959 and hasn't stopped ... Click through the highlights from Septembers outer-space imagery, including glittering galaxies as well as Earths hurricanes viewed from on high ... Click through a collection of beautiful Earth imagery captured from orbit by the Landsat 7 satellte. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Nuclear power opponent speaks out on Payette proposal Nov 20, 2009
John Farmer wrote on Nov 19, 2009 8:38 PM:" Why does anyone refer to this guy as a doctor? He is a podiatrist for gosh sakes. That means he probably failed out of medical school or has a foot fetish. He is not an engineer. He is nothing more than some idiot who gains attention by fear mongering. He is the King of the NIMBYs who now according to the article will commute to your backyard in order to spread his word of fear. I would not trust this guy with a bunion let alone advice on how to solve... (Ontario Argus Observer, OR)
Pitt Enters Dark Void Nov 20, 2009
" is an adrenaline-fuelled blend of aerial- and ground-pounding combat which centers on Will, a pilot who crash lands in the Bermuda Triangle following a routine mission. Will wakes up to find himself in 'The Void,' an alternate world resembling a primitive Earth where aliens with superior technology are planning to take over civilization. Together with a faction of humans who have disappeared into the Void, Will takes on the alien race using their own advanced technology, including a... (IGN FilmForce)
Ask the experts: What is the significance of NASA finding water on the moon? Nov 20, 2009
"It's always exciting to find water in other places like the surface of the moon. Potentially one could use this water for human uses. I think even more interesting is the potential of mining materials on the moon. If we start building fuel cells that are present here on Earth, those materials that aren't as abundant as we like it to be will be sought somewhere else. Some years ago, President Bush unveiled a plan to build a base on the moon as a stepping stone to go to Mars and to other... (Daily Orange, NY)
Bulging galaxy baffles Nov 20, 2009
Earth-sized white dwarfs show oxygen atmosphere. Astronomers have discovered two Earth-sized bodies with oxygen-rich atmospheres, but there is no chance of finding life on these worlds for they are two unusual breeds of white dwarf star ... NGC 4710 is a member of the Virgo Cluster of galaxies and lies 60 million light years from Earth in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices. (Astronomy Now Online)
Creationists defeated in Kansas school vote on science teaching Nov 20, 2009
In redrafting guidelines for science teaching, the board removed language suggesting that key concepts such as a common origin for all life on Earth and for species change were seen as controversial by the scientific community ... Unlike traditional creationism, which claims that God created the earth in six days, proponents of intelligent design say the workings of this planet are too complex to be ascribed to evolution. (Yahoo News -- Church-State Issues)
Atlantis Astronauts Take Spacewalk Nov 20, 2009
An Inside Look into What it Takes to Go to "The Edge of the Earth". The Olsen Twins, Johnny Depp, Brooke Shields, and Anna Wintour Honor Tim Burton. (CBS News)
Jim Cameron: "Avatar" A Dream Come True Nov 20, 2009
60 Minutes stopped in while he was shooting a scene himself on a camera he helped develop to better shoot his 3D vision of "Avatar," a film about a paradise in outer space that is in danger of being despoiled by ambitious earthlings ... a film about a paradise in outer space that is in danger of being despoiled by ambitious earthlings ... He means something like earth. (CBS News)
Ex-NASA Astronaut Builds Space Trash Haulers Nov 20, 2009
The sun's energy could be used in Earth-Moon missions ... The Costa Rica-born physicist speaks nonchalantly about the day humankind will have moved entirely to outer space, while our precious Earth becomes a protected park ... Our great grandchildren will always be able to come back [to Earth] from wherever they happen to live and see where their ancestors and culture came from, said the former NASA astronaut who is now president and CEO of the. (Newsmax)
NASA hopes to free Mars rover from sand Nov 20, 2009
Earth-bound controllers are ordering Spirit, the aging Mars rover stuck in a deadly Martian sand trap since April, to start spinning its wheels in a last-ditch effort to make the little vehicle dig itself out and continue its epochal voyage over the red planet's hilly surface ... They had a programmed lifetime of only three months, but have radioed major discoveries of the planet's history, geology and evidence of ancient water back to Earth ever since. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
Seas lose effectiveness in absorbing CO2 Nov 20, 2009
The Earth's oceans, which have absorbed carbon dioxide from emissions since the dawn of the industrial era, have recently grown less efficient at sopping it up, new research suggests ... "The more carbon dioxide the ocean absorbs, the more acidic it becomes and the less carbon dioxide it can absorb," said the study's lead author, Samar Khatiwala, a research scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University and a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology ... The... (India Times, India)
Spacewalk for shuttle astronauts Nov 20, 2009
They will return to Earth with a seventh crew member, Nicole Stott, who has been living at the space station for nearly three months. But this will be the last such shuttle crew rotation before the fleet's retirement. (BBC News -- Science)
Rosetta Bids Earth Adieu Nov 20, 2009
Back in the 1960s and early '70s, planetary exploration was a purely ballistic exercise: launch a spacecraft to Earth's escape velocity, point it in the right direction, and some months later it would arrive wherever be it Venus, Mars, or Jupiter ... The day before it swung past Earth for the last time, Rosetta snapped this image from a distance of 393,000 miles (633 000 km) ... ESA / OSIRIS team Rosetta picked up another I've-been-there postcard on November 13th, when it swept past Earth for... (SkyAndTelescope.com)
Ray Bradbury Biography Nov 20, 2009
In his stories Bradbury imagines what it would be like if people from earth tried to invade and settle on planet Mars. He also imagines what the effects of a huge nuclear war on Earth would be. (Suite101.com)
Planet 51 proves unable to support life Nov 20, 2009
Planet 51 proves unable to support life - At the movies- msnbc. Planet 51 proves unable to support life. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Nigeria: Diplomat Expresses Regrets Over UN Food Summit Nov 20, 2009
FAO had proposed setting a target of 2025 for total eradication of hunger from the face of the earth and increasing official development assistance (ODA) to agriculture to $44 billion per year for investment in developing-country agriculture and rural infrastructure. At the same time, however, the summit produced four important commitments, Mr. Diouf said. (allAfrica.com)
Movies: Apocalypse not Nov 20, 2009
They are not paranoid enough about the fragility of life on earth. Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company. (Boston Globe)
Look closely to find satellite Nov 20, 2009
We can see it rise in the SSW below Jupiter, pass over Fomalhaut in the south, reach its highest altitude in the ESE and then descend towards the NNE, finally winking out in Perseus as it enters the earth's shadow ... In the morning we catch up with its orbit on the other side of the earth ... The orbit remains stable overhead, while the earth turns around on its axis. (Florida Today)
Astronauts get extra moving time at space station Nov 20, 2009
(AP Photo/NASA) This image provided by NASA shows a partial view of Space Shuttle Atlantis' payload bay, vertical stabilizer, orbital maneuvering system pods and docking mechanism backdropped by a blue and white part of Earth in this image photographed by an STS-129 crew member from an aft flight deck window Tuesday Nov. 17, 2009. Atlantis arrived at the International Space Station on Wednesday for a weeklong stay, and the astronauts quickly unloaded a huge platform full of spare parts needed to... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
Stronger winds coming from largest lake Nov 20, 2009
"Wind is potentially a really important factor in determining how the Earth will shape in the future." Recent work by study co-author Jay Austin of the University of Minnesota, Duluth showed that Lake Superior's surface waters were warming 15 percent faster than the air above them and twice as fast as the nearby land. The accelerated warming resulted from reduced ice cover on the lake, Austin found. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Science news » Nov 19, 2009
The agency did not recommend countries set limits on how many children people should have, but said: "Women with access to reproductive health services . Conservationists searching for one of the world's most endangered crocodile species say they have found dozens of the reptiles lounging in plain sight at a wildlife rescue center in Cambodia.DNA taken from 69 crocodiles housed in the moats of the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center showed nearly 50 percent were Siamese crocodiles, which until... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
Click to read: Gearing Up for High Flight Nov 19, 2009
Dave Price reports on his progress in preparing and training for his upcoming flight 13 miles above the Earth's surface in a two passenger U-2 spy plane ... (CBS) "Early Show" weather anchor and features reporter Dave Price is spending the week at Beale Air Force Base in Northern California, training to fly in the legendary U-2 spy plane in the "Edge of the Earth" series. (CBS News -- Early Show)
Sinking Global Warming: Is There a Reliable Way to Track Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Levels? Nov 19, 2009
Reconstructing the , oceanographer Samar Khatiwala of Columbia University's Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory and his colleagues estimate that the proportion of fossil-fuel emissions absorbed by the sea has declined 5 percent already in the first years of the 21st century, according to a new paper published November 19 in Nature ... And a paper in the November 7 issue of Geophysical Research Letters from earth scientist Wolfgang Knorr of the University of Bristol in England argues that the... (Scientific American)
Vilgax Attacks Review Nov 19, 2009
The latest adventure from and , pits Ben against a returning nemesis that plans to destroy the Earth ... The story behind Vilgax Attacks revolves around one of Ben's worst enemies invading Earth in an attempt to destroy the entire planet with a weapon known as a Null Void Projector ... The plan succeeds, and when Earth seems lost, Professor Paradox arrives and turns back time so that Ben and his friends can track down the power sources of this weapon so Vilgax can't put his plot in motion. (IGN PS2)
Are the Earth's Oceans Hitting Their Carbon Cap? Nov 19, 2009
Are the Earth's Oceans Hitting Their Carbon Cap ... Are the Earth's Oceans Hitting Their Carbon Cap ... Led by Samar Khatiwala, an oceanographer at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, a team of researchers reconstructed the amount of carbon that had been annually absorbed by the oceans going back to 1765 around the time when people began putting large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. (Time.com)
US Physics Lab Ties in Race for Atomic-Scale Breakthrough Nov 19, 2009
18, 2009) Everybody loves a race to the wire, even when the result is a tie. The great irony is the ultraprecise clocks that could result from this competition could probably break any tie. (Science Daily)
Crater: 175 million tons of rock were blown out. Nov 19, 2009
About 50,000 years ago, a meteor struck the Earth, blasting a hole into the landscape about 700 feet deep and three-quarters of a mile wide ... Every now and then, small particles drop toward the Earth and vaporize in the atmosphere ... In 1980, Walter and Luis Alvarez suggested that this meteor created so much devastation that more than 70 percent of the Earth's creatures died, including the dinosaurs. (AZCentral -- Travel)
Cray claims fastest supercomputer crown Nov 19, 2009
No, the Japanese Earth Simulator was an open science machine and was on the Top500 for a number of years, he said. Ray Orbach, a former DOE undersecretary for science, said the DOE s National Nuclear Security Administration has supercomputers in development that will likely leapfrog Jaguar in the next ranking. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
LETTER: Churches should do a better job teaching love Nov 19, 2009
The Question wrote on Nov 18, 2009 9:33 AM:" You astoundingly arrogant fundamentalist Christians seem to have missed the point that gays, Jews, Buddhists, atheists and many others do not exist for you or for the sake of your outlandish religious fantasies, and do not care whether you babble on and on about "mortal sin" or "divine judgment" or some other such blithering nonsense.This universe does not revolve around you and your puerile beliefs. Galileo demonstrated that when you religious fools... (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
Apps of the Week: Outer space Nov 19, 2009
An orbit-tracker tracks the positions of the space station and other spacecraft orbiting Earth. The app also offers users access to 's vast image library and integrates its Twitter feeds. (CNN)
Obama Bows, but the World Refuses to Bow Back Nov 19, 2009
"I am absolutely certain that generations from now," he said on the night he clinched the Democratic presidential nomination in June 2008, "we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last best hope on earth."... (Townhall.com)
Vandals spray graffiti before Gore talk in Portland Nov 19, 2009
Louie wrote on Nov 18, 2009 4:19 PM:" PS Paul...very cynical way to look at the message Al Gore is trying to present to America and the world. He has devoted years and his own finances to this effort so if he is compensated for that hard work I have no problem with that. If anyone thinks Global Warming is a fallacy you haven't been on this earth long enough to notice the change...I have definitely noticed a difference in our weather from when I was a kid growing up in the 40s and 50s. We have... (Longview Daily News, WA)
Charita Goshay: What will you do before the end of the world? Nov 19, 2009
In 1970, Christian doomsayer Hal Lindsey s book The Late, Great Planet Earth predicted that we d be a smoldering lump of coal by 1980. When President George H.W. Bush spoke of a new world order in 1990, it triggered apoplexy among conspiracy theorists who were all but convinced he was stumping for a one-world government. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
SPACE PHOTOS THIS WEEK: Baby Star, Crescent Earth, More Nov 19, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009. SHARE RELATED STORIES. (National Geographic)
NASA inks deal with ISRO for satellite use Nov 19, 2009
The Letter of Intent in this regard was signed by Michael H Freilich, Director Earth Science Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Mary E Kicza Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Science of the Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and R R Navalgund, Director, Space Application Centre, ISRO.. The signing ceremony was done in Washington on the sidelines of Sixth Plenary Session of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO). (India Times)
Atlantis Docks with Space Station Nov 19, 2009
A file photo of the space shuttle Atlantis orbiting the Earth ... The shuttle also provides a way to bring failed components back to Earth for repairs or refurbishment. (CBS News)
Obama Reunites with Half-Brother in China Nov 19, 2009
Thank them for opening the Doors, so that the USA would soon be Borrowing Billions and Competing with the Largest Communist-Socialist Country on Planet Earth. 2. (CBS News)
Ocean Losing Its Appetite for Carbon Nov 19, 2009
In terms of ocean processes, "that's a pretty large drop, and the trend is pretty clear: The ocean can't keep up with [human-made carbon]," said study leader Samar Khatiwala, an oceanographer at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Khatiwala is careful to point out that the total uptake of carbon is not declining the rate is just not growing as fast as it used to. (National Geographic)
Meteor Streak Lights Up the Night Across Utah Nov 19, 2009
The meteor exploded in space while traveling northeast on its way to earth, creating a significant amount of light. NASA Solar System Ambassador Patrick Wiggins, said the light was caused by a Bolide meteor. (FOX61, CT)
Finding God in the Creation Story Nov 19, 2009
The creation story in Genesis 1 is more than just a brief history of how the earth came into existence ... The very first verse identifies God as being an intelligent and all-powerful deity by stating unequivocally that it was he who created "the heavens and the earth." The second verse indicates that the earth was dark, empty, lifeless and had no form ... Life on earth must have light so the darkness must be limited. (Suite101.com)
Mini movie reviews Nov 19, 2009
PLANET 51 (PG-13): Little green people of a faraway planet fear they're about to be invaded when an astronaut from Earth (Dwayne Johnson) makes landfall. Augusta Exchange, Evans, Aiken. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Space shuttle mission has 'perfect' start Nov 18, 2009
The shuttle is scheduled to dock with the orbiting research outpost just before noon Wednesday, about 220 miles above Earth. Today, the shuttle crew will inspect the space ship's heat shields, scanning the wing's leading edges and nose cap for any signs of damage from launch debris such as ice or insulating foam falling from the orange external tank. (Florida Today)
Sesame Street Goes Green at 40--But Warming "Too Scary" Nov 18, 2009
And a recent Sesame Street DVD had fire engine-red Elmo literally turn green while co-hosting "Earth-a-thon" not to mention , a Sesame Street Live production currently touring the United States ... "So it's not at all surprising to me that they're trying to teach kindness to the Earth and our environment.". (National Geographic)
Bubbling sun surface images unprecedented Nov 18, 2009
Nov. 16: Full coverage of shuttle Atlantis' launch, through separation of the external fuel tank, 66 miles above the Earth ... SUNRISE, the largest solar telescope ever to have left Earth was launched from the ESRANGE Space Centre in Kiruna, northern Sweden, on June 8 ... After launch, SUNRISE reached a cruising altitude about 23 miles above the Earth's surface. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Initial shuttle inspection shows no damage Nov 18, 2009
The shuttle gradually was gaining on the station, and the two craft were on opposite sides of Earth at midday Tuesday, not quite 24 hours into the chase. "You've got 8,000 miles of rock between you and it," Mission Control informed shuttle commander Charles Hobaugh. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Stuck Mars rover hits snag in escape attempt Nov 18, 2009
They tested them with model rovers back on Earth that are essentially replicas of , Opportunity. Rover drivers decided that the best strategy would be to have , moving forward to retrace the tracks that brought it into its current predicament. (MSNBC -- Technology)
Fastest computer used for planet-saving science Nov 18, 2009
"No, the Japanese Earth Simulator was an 'open science' machine and was on the Top500 for a number of years," he said ... In 2002, the Japanese Earth Simulator was 100 times faster than anything in the United States, said Orbach, adding he never dreamed of reaching petaflop speed by 2009 when he helped set the course five years ago for what has become a dramatic increase in U.S. computing capability roughly doubling in speed ever 9 months. (MSNBC -- Technology)
NASA seeks new emblem for shuttle program Nov 18, 2009
Nov. 16: Full coverage of shuttle Atlantis' launch, through separation of the external fuel tank, 66 miles above the Earth. Most popular. (MSNBC -- Technology)
In Concord, Lexington residents rally for climate change Nov 18, 2009
The rally also featured acoustic guitar tunes by Jim Scott, a polar bear pull for the earth and featured speakers including McKibben s mother, Peggy, and state Sen ... The idea is to ask each person to express a prayer or wish or message for the future of the earth, said Morwen Two Feathers, coordinator of the Musketaquid Arts and Environment Program. (Lexington Minuteman, MA)
Godsell confirms Eskom resignation Nov 18, 2009
Until this present Government and their Parastatals and our South African business world realizes that the Godly principles of service to the people, to the Nation, are paramount: that we are all in fact involved in the great people business; that service providers should place themselves second in the equation of life and living, this beautiful Country is destined to become another living testimony to the tears, frustration and failure syndrome that has so typically befallen the rest of the... (Business Report, South Africa)
Atlantis arrives at station today Nov 18, 2009
The high-resolution photos, inspection data and launch imagery all will be examined by engineers on the ground before Atlantis is cleared to return to Earth. Atlantis is delivering 27,000 pounds of large spare parts to the station. (Florida Today)
Jehovahs Witnesses bring thousands to Hawaii Nov 18, 2009
org, Jehovah s Witnesses believe in Almighty God, Jehovah, Creator of the heavens and the earth. Their beliefs, drawn from the Bible, include Images should not be used in worship, Christ died on a stake, not a cross, People God approves will receive everlasting life and We are now in the time of the end. (Pacific Business News, HI)
Margarets mission: Student writes President Obama in effort to save the oceans Nov 18, 2009
Eight-year-old Margaret Brown is on a mission to save the earth s oceans and stop pollution around her. After a class trip to study tide pools turned up more trash than sea treasures, the Hamilton resident was spurred to action. (Hamilton Wenham Chronicle, MA)
Leonid Meteor Shower a Cosmic Light Show Nov 18, 2009
Star Gazers Get Treat as Earth Passes Through Comet's Debris Field; Phenomena Visible Until Nov. 21 ... The meteor shower occurs as the Earth slams into remnants of the comet Tempel-Tuttle, which, according to Science ... The comet's debris, mostly of ice and rocks the size of a grain of sand, is slamming into the Earth's atmosphere at around 160,000 miles per hour, creating a multi-colored light show for skywatchers. (CBS News)
Dirty Rockets Nov 18, 2009
Bits of aluminum oxide, for example, reflect the visible light from the sun back into space, which cools the Earth. But those same particles can also absorb infrared radiation emanating from the planet's surface, essentially trapping heat the way a greenhouse gas does. (Slate)
Top Entertainment Stories Lauren Bacall, 2 others receive early Oscars Nov 18, 2009
The movie lovers of planet earth thank you, Tarantino said. Ron Howard credited Corman with giving him his start as a filmmaker, saying working for Corman was a badge of honor. (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
Atlantis Races Toward Space Station Nov 18, 2009
A file photo of the space shuttle Atlantis orbiting the Earth ... Serenading the astronauts as they circled high above the Earth was the band Mercy Me with their song, "I Can Only Imagine." ... The shuttle also provides a way to bring failed components back to Earth for repairs or refurbishment. (CBS News -- Sci/Tech)
6How to Watch This Week's Leonid Meteor Shower» Nov 18, 2009
Plenty of the comet's old dusty trails litter the mid-November part of Earth's orbit and the Earth glides through this debris zone every year ... Since Comet Tempel-Tuttle comet passed near the sun (and in doing so crossed Earth's orbit) in 1998, it was in those years immediately following its passage that the Leonids put on their best show ... For although Comet Tempel-Tuttle is now far removed from the inner solar system, independent studies by several noted meteor scientists suggest that the... (Fox News)
Political Superhero Celebrity--La M... Nov 18, 2009
But in its story of a woman who brings irrevocable change to Planet Earth, the tale provides a valuable reality check on current American anxieties and naivetes regarding the pace and types of possible sociopolitical change. Superhero Celebrity, Neocon Target. (Suite101.com)
NBC/AP poll Americans on green attitudes, actions Nov 18, 2009
But it also indicated that some paths toward a greener Earth are not as easily taken or turned into action ... It found that 60 percent of those surveyed felt either a "great deal" or "a lot" of personal responsibility to protect the environment, while 37 percent rarely, if ever, even thought about the impact of their actions on the Earth's health. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Counterpoint: The case for 'telepresence' in space Nov 18, 2009
Telepresence could be developed to enable a human on Earth to function in, and experience, a distant space environment such as Mars as effectively, for all practical purposes, as actually going there but without going there ... Mars is the planet most like the Earth ... Are there valuable ores and minerals on Mars that are in short supply or not present at all on Earth. (EETimes)
NASA looks to SiGe for radiation-immune circuits Nov 18, 2009
Most of the advanced electronics now used in space were designed for the relatively benign atmosphere of Earth. When used in spacecraft, conventional electronics often require heavy shielding to prevent radiation damage, as well as triple redundancy to compensate for exposure to cosmic rays. (EETimes)
Monsoon Model Indicates Potential For Abrupt Transitions Nov 18, 2009
The article "Basic mechanism for abrupt monsoon transitions" will appear in print in a Special Feature of the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences." The Special Feature contains analyses of eight potential tipping elements in the Earth System and is edited by Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, director of PIK. ... (Credit: Image courtesy of Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center). (Science Daily)
