The private rocket, Falcon, exploded Saturday night on its way into space, destroying three experimental satellites and wasting millions of dollars. But more importantly, it also blew up Scotty's ashes. You heard me. James Doohan's ashes were aboard the rocket, destined to enter orbit and remain there for all of eternity, gently circling our tiny globe, ever observant as we sail the rivers of time, our mast pointed to the future. But now they're fused into a hunk of metal at the bottom of the ocean, most likely being shat upon by whales and giant squid. The rocket was the latest experiment by the privately funded company known as SpaceX, which was started by Elon Musk, the Internet millionaire who created the web site PayPal.com. The company has actually lost several rockets in the past couple years, and plans to keep sending more up until they finally get one into orbit. Here's hoping this new interest in private space businesses pans out. Read more here.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Scotty Tries to Give Her More Power, Explodes
In Russia, There's no Such Thing as Sexual Harassment
A 22-year-old Russian woman has lost her case to become only the third woman in the history of the country to win a sexual harassment suit against a male employer after the judge ruled that "If we had no sexual harassment, we would have no children." According to the court, the woman's boss, who "demanded that female workers signalled to him with their eyes that they desperately wanted to be laid on the boardroom table as soon as he gave the word", was simply ensuring the survival of the human species through sexual reproduction. According to a recent survey, 100% of female Russian professionals say they've been sexually harassed by their bosses. Yes, that's all of them. Of course, when the office cooler is filled with vodka, weird things can happen in the workplace. More details here.
The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas
While America's farmers gear up to destroy the environment and the world's food supplies by turning their corn into ethanol, scientists at MIT have developed a revolutionary new solar power solution. The sun is a giant energy ball just hanging there in the sky, baking our skin to a gorgeous lustre and burning our retinas when we stare at it too long. But solar power has been a frustratingly inefficient alternative energy source, since there hasn't been a way to effectively store all the energy produced by the sun during the day after the sun don't shine. Enter the evil geniuses at MIT, who have mimicked the energy storage system used by plants to create a new solar technology that finally has the potential to keep Ed Begley, Jr. from running his toaster with a bicycle. The new process splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, which can later be recombined in a fuel cell. The best part? This technology is fast, cheap, yet completely under control. More details here.
Teeny Tiny Snake
Penn State University evolutionary biologist S. Blair Hedges (the "S" stands for "Superawesome") has discovered the smallest known species of snake on the island of Barbados. A fully grown adult of the newly-named species Leptotyphlops carlae reaches only about four inches. It's not a venomous snake, and its appetite for termites and insect larvae could make it a creative solution for those in need of pest control. Of course, the tradeoff is that your house would be infested with tiny snakes. But I think a life of cotton balls stuck in your orifices is worth it for the conversation value alone. More details here.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Big Brother Wants Your iPods, Laptops, Civil Liberties
According to a new set of policies released by the Department of Homeland Security, US Customs and Border Protection have the authority to confiscate any traveller's laptop computer or other electronic device for any length of time, without any suspicion of wrongdoing. These policies apply to anyone entering the country, including US citizens. The policies cover "any device capable of storing information," including hard drives, flash drives, cellphones, iPods, and video and audio tapes. Interestingly, "all papers and other written documentation," including books, pamphlets and "written materials commonly referred to as 'pocket trash' or 'pocket litter' " can also be taken without warrant or suspicion. Customs Deputy Commissioner Jayson P. Ahern said the efforts "do not infringe on Americans' privacy," I suppose because the man doesn't understand the definition of the word "privacy." The DHS claims these new policies are "reasonable and necessary to prevent terrorism." Yes, because as we all know, the 9/11 hijackers used iPods and 'pocket litter' to coordinate their attacks. Read more here.
Mystery Solved
The Antikythera Mechanism is a piece of ancient Greek technology recovered more than 100 years ago from a shipwreck off the coast of Crete. Ever since, it's been the source of much speculation over the function of its advanced-seeming bronze gears and mechanisms. Because they tend not to understand things and enjoy jumping to outrageous conclusions, several proponents of ancient astronaut theory have used the device as proof that extraterrestrial civilizations imparted untold knowledge onto ancient civilizations. Why advanced technology would utilize bronze gears is beyond me. But using modern x-ray techniques, some writing on the back of the device has been discovered to note astronomical movements and the months of the calendar. The ancient Greek millionaire playboy and nighttime vigilante Archimedes was known to have developed similar devices for measuring solar eclipses and the four-year cycles of the Olympiad. The Antikythera Mechanism seems to be the only known example of such a device. No word yet on how the device is also able to shoot laser beams and allow people to travel through time, but I'm sure science will eventually figure that out too. More details here.
