The latest installment from the Symphony of Science tackles the great question of our place in the cosmos and features Robert Jastrow, Carl Sagan, Richard Dawkins, and Michio Kaku.

From YouTube:

MP3: http://symphonyofscience.com orhttp://masonstreetgangstas.com/sos2 if my main site isn’t working!

“Our Place in the Cosmos”, the third video from the Symphony of Science, was crafted using samples from Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, Richard Dawkins’ Genius of Charles Darwin series, Dawkins’ TED Talk, Stephen Hawking’s Universe series, Michio Kaku’s interview on Physics and aliens, plus added visuals from Baraka, Koyaanisqatsi, History Channel’s Universe series, and IMAX Cosmic Voyage. The themes present in this song are intended to explore our understanding of our origins within the universe, and to challenge the commonplace notion that humans have a superior or privleged position, both on our home planet and in the universe itself.

In reviewing the NASA images of the day, I was surprised to see that I missed this. November 18, was the twentieth anniversary of the launch of NASA’s Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), which measured and mapped the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation that is found throughout the universe. That data helped to provide empirical evidence to support the inflationary Big Bang theory over other cosmological theories and is celebrated as one of the most beautiful and significant images in scientific history. Below is that image of the CMB.

From NASA:

NASA’s Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite rocketed into Earth orbit on Nov. 18, 1989, and quickly revolutionized our understanding of the early cosmos. Developed and built at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., COBE precisely measured and mapped the oldest light in the universe — the cosmic microwave background.

“The Augustine Commission for Dummies”

(Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Wrap Up.)

Given the intent of the politicians to fight for the funding their districts currently receive from the Constellation Program (CxP – the current program developing the Ares I and Ares V rockets) as well as go begging for more, and given the budget constraints the NASA faces, it is instructive to see where this course will end up. In the Senate, Richard Shelby has announced his intention to fight for Constellation and will try to increase funding to the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida is fighting for Kennedy Space Center and all the jobs and funding there. In the House, Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona and Pete Olson of Texas have dug in their heels and reiterated their backing of the Constellation program (See Space News, 21 November 2009).

All this is taking place against the backdrop of the Augustine Commission’s Final Report, which has made it clear that Ares I is over budget and underpowered. As Jeff Greason said at the Committee deliberations, if Santa Clause gave us Ares I and Ares V tomorrow, we would have to scrap them immediately because they would be too expensive to operate.

The Forum at NasaSpaceFlight has been for many years the authoritative site for information on all things NASA. It has been home to the rebel alliance of NASA and industry engineers that have advocated the in-line shuttle derived launch vehicle for the past four years.

The source of this concern was former Administrator Michael Griffin’s decision in 2005 to replace the dual-launch, in-line shuttle derived architecture recommended by NASA engineers, with his personal choice of a small Ares I and a very large Ares V. Instead of building one rocket using existing shuttle components as Congress had directed, he would build two brand new rockets. This decision came just two weeks before the scheduled release of the NASA document on the Constellation program.

Now, four years later in 2009, when the in-line shuttle derived launch vehicle should have been making its first flight, we are five or six years away from Ares I making its first flight. The Shuttle is scheduled for retirement next year and America will have to buy seats on the Russian Soyuz to get to the International Space Station. And the International Space Station is scheduled for de-commissioning in 2015 and would be de-orbited into the Pacific Ocean.

This reality gave birth to the Augustine Commission and its Final Report. We have covered in detail the findings of the Committee. Now we look to consider the possible outcomes.

Philip Metschan (writing as ‘Phoegh’), a long time contributor to the Forum at NasaSpaceFlight, has produced a marvelous interactive series of graphics available at directlauncher.com that illustrate the options identified by the Augustine Commission.

The Budget and Time Line for these options are given in the following table. Included are destinations beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) and the impact of each option on the existing workforce.

We can draw the following conclusions, which are illustrated in the Graphics mentioned earlier and shown below. We start with Option 1, the Program of Record (POR – Constellation) and the funding level provided in FY 2010:

• Option 1 – Ares I crew vehicle is ready a year after the ISS is de-orbited (2015) and Ares V is completed in 2028 with no funds to conduct exploration. There is no Moon in the picture.
• Option 2 – Scrap Ares I and substitute Commercial Crew Access to LEO. The money saved is used to keep the ISS operating until 2020. Ares V is completed in 2028 with no funds to conduct exploration. There is no Moon in the picture.
• Option 3 – Add $3 Billion per year to the existing program. Ares I crew vehicle is ready a year after the ISS is de-orbited (2015) and Ares V is completed in 2019. The Moon is reached in 2025, but no other destinations beyond LEO can be funded.
• Option 4 – Add $3 Billion per year to the existing program. Scrap Ares I and substitute Commercial Crew Access to LEO. The money saved is used to keep the ISS operating until 2020. Ares V is completed in 2023. The Moon is reached in 2030, but no other destinations beyond LEO can be funded.
• Option 4B – Add $3 Billion per year to the existing program. Extend the Shuttle to 2015. Scrap Ares I and substitute Commercial Crew Access to LEO. The money saved is used to keep the ISS operating until 2020. Ares V is completed in 2023. Develop the Propellant Depot by 2026. The Moon is reached in 2030.
• Option 5A – Add $3 Billion per year to the existing program. Scrap Ares I and substitute Commercial Crew Access to LEO. The money saved is used to keep the ISS operating until 2020. Scrap Ares V in favor of a smaller Ares V Lite, which is completed in 2023. Visit EML-1 or EML-2 in 2026. Visit a Near Earth Object (NEO) Sometime in the Future.
• Option 5B – Add $3 Billion per year to the existing program. Scrap Ares I and substitute Commercial Crew Access to LEO. The money saved is used to keep the ISS operating until 2020. Scrap Ares V in favor of a commercial heavy launch capability, which is completed in 2021. Develop the Propellant Depot by 2024. Visit a Near Earth Object (NEO) in 2026 and Phobos in 2028. Return to the Moon in 2029.
• Option 5C – Add $3 Billion per year to the existing program. Scrap Ares I and substitute Commercial Crew Access to LEO. The money saved is used to keep the ISS operating until 2020. Scrap Ares V in favor of a the Direct Team’s Jupiter 241, which is completed in 2022. Visit EML-1 or EML-2 in 2023. Develop the Propellant Depot by 2024. Visit a Near Earth Object (NEO) in 2027 and Phobos in 2029. Return to the Moon in 2030.

Those are the options explored by the Augustine Commission in their Final Report.

Notice, however, that there is one more slide, Option 5D. This is the architecture that was presented to the Augustine Commission during their first public session on 17 June 2009 by the Direct Team. It provides for:

• Add $1 Billion per year to the existing program.
• Extend Shuttle until 2012.
• Scrap Ares I and develop the Jupiter Core (Jupiter 130) for carrying crew on Orion to LEO and ISS by 2014.
• Develop Commercial Crew Access to LEO to replace the Jupiter 130 by 2015. Use Jupiter 130 for ferrying the few large payloads needed by ISS.
• Continue ISS operations until 2020.
• Scrap Ares V in favor of the Upper Stage for the Jupiter Core (Jupiter 241 or Jupiter 246), which is completed in 2017.
• Visit EML-1 or EML-2 in 2018.
• Orbit the Moon in 2019.
• Visit a Near Earth Object (NEO) in 2022.
• Visit Phobos in 2025.
• Develop the Propellant Depot by 2028.

The key here is that the goal of expansion of human civilization into the Solar System is better served, is accomplished sooner, and costs less. Indeed, even without the additional $1 Billion per year, only the extension of the Shuttle operation need be eliminated.

Final Conclusions

• Options 1, 2 and 3, which are favored by the politicians with space flight facilities, get us nowhere and cost far too much.
• Options 4 and 4B get us to the Moon, but neither builds infrastructure for support of future exploration.
• Options 5A, 5B and 5C builds the skills and infrastructure for space exploration, but leave us a crew to LEO gap of five to six years.
• Option 5D builds the skills and infrastructure for space exploration, reduces the crew to LEO gap to one or two years, and gives the international community the ability to descend to the surface of the Moon and Mars.

Time is of the Essence

Finally, this note about the political realities. First, if a decision is delayed for four to six months while the politicians fight for every last bit of funding they want, the infrastructure on which the Jupiter program builds will be dismantled and Options 4B, 5C and 5D will be eliminated.

Second, Congress will likely decide that the Constellation program as currently envisioned is too costly for what will be developed and not worth throwing more money down the drain. Options 1, 2, 3, 4B and 5A will be eliminated.

Thus, only commercial crew and cargo capabilities will be funded. NASA will be reduced to research and contracting for services. The Marshall Space Flight Facility will have little purpose. And the politicians will lose most of the jobs and funding that their districts currently enjoy.

(Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Wrap Up.)

Richard Branson arrives at Air Venture with White Knight II

Sir Richard Branson comments he got the first ride because he is the Virgin

Rich Branson kisses Burt Rutan

Pretty much the least fashionable and happiest day of my life

My pics from inside the cockpit (check out the Simpson sticker):

My New Ride Home

I had at least 5 sales guys at Oshkosh say to me (like I was a little girl): “I bet you want to learn to fly now.” No Mo**** F***** I know how to fly! :-p  See if I ever buy a plane from you Not sure whether to correct them, slap them, or smile and be a “lady”

fetele oamenilor se lipeau de pereti, ochii le ieseau din orbite si se inaltau ca niste baloane cu heliu, la fel de colorati si usori, la fel de liberi. totul se topea in jur si la radio se anunta sfasitul lumii, al culorilor, al zambetelor, al florilor, curcubeelor, broastelor testoase, al fluturilor, al bicicletelor si muzicii. totul era pierdut si din haos nu se nastea decat haos, toate vietuitoarele imaginare ieseau afara de pe unde se ascunsesera o viata si priveau lumea, tacute, cu un repros pe fata, ca si cum ar fi spus: uite ce ati facut…ati distrus totul, voi, oamenii. apoi se intorceau in ele si se faceau nevazute. noi avem locul nostru dar voi ce faceti..se auzi ca un ecou..

fetita se ascunse in bratele bunicului ..spune-mi spune-mi din nou povestea, spune-mi spune-mi.. iar batranelul urma:

a fost o data un bunic si o bunica,

bunicul se trezi de dimineata si se duse la camp  ca de fiecare data, luand-si pachetelul cu mancarea de pranz pregatit de bunica. dupa ce munci toata dimineata pe rupte, pentru ca soarele ardea cu putere si i se facuse foame, se aseza la umbra unui copac si scoase din traistuta  un bulgare de orez, dar cand sa il infulece, pac, ii cazu din mana si se rostogoli pe pamant, chiar intr-o gaura. dintr-o data se auzi o voce subitre,  : ,,omusubi  kororin, kororin,” . batranelul uimit se gandi ca i se paruse asa ca incerca si cu celalalt bulgare de orez si din nou se auzi vocea veseala cantand intr-o limba necunoscuta.  fu uimit peste masura cand din gaura iesi un soricel mic si sfrijit care incepu sa vorbeasca :

,, bunicule, tu mi-ai trimis mancarica?”

batranelul ramase cu ochii mari la creatura caraghiosa cu vocea atat de pititgaiata si mormai un da…

,, iti multumesc mut bunicutule, chiar mi-era foame si m-a bucurat mult gestul matale, asa ca in schimb te voi invita  sa ne vizitezi lumea , vrei sa vii?

batranelul zambi si pentru ca era un batranel tare curios accepta,

asa ca gaura soricelului se facu dintr-o data uriasa si batranelul intra insotit de soricel intr-o lume de vis. nu numai ca totul era facut din aur, dar templele, copacii, vrabiutele, totul respira frumusete si pace.  intalni soricei frumos imbracati in kimono-uri colorate si  de bun gust, cu fetelefericite,  se plimba pe stradutele pline de farmec uimit de tot ce vedea si cand se facu timpul de plecare soricelul ii darui pietre pretioase, multumindu-i inca o data pentru ca l-a hranit la pranz.

si asa batranelul se intoarse acasa si trai cu bunicuta lui o viata imbelsugata pana la sfarsit.

fetita zambi si adormi fericita, nu inainte de a spune, mergem si noi acolo, nu? mergem , mergem!!!

si din clipa in care a inchis ochii se trezi intr-un oras stralucitor, plin de soricei imbracati in kimonouri, cu voci haioase si fete fericite. bunicul ei era salutat calduros de toti soriceii pe langa care treceau si atunci isi daduse seama ca povestea era cu adevarat adevarata

il lua pe bunicul ei de mana si se pierdu in multimea colorata.

the end..

nu al lumii ci al povestii

zunzun,

Ps: poveste din proiectul salvati povestile lumii. care imi bantuie mie mintea

de precizat ca in ultima vreme ascult povesti si toate personajele ma bantuie incat daca ma trezesc noaptea  brusc le vad prin camera, atingand-mi hainele sau jucandu-se cu cartile mele. uneori ma insotesc pe bicicleta sau mi se gata de fular.

vor urma

ssi putina muzica:

love this grace care nu e gratioasa si nici frumoasa in sensul comun al cuvantului dar este incredibil de frumoasa, love this song si inceputul l videoclipului cand seamana cu pinochio si canta la acordeon.

Melihat berbagai masalah yang terjadi di bumi yang tercinta ,misalkan, kemacetan total yang sering terjadi di Jakarta, jumlah penduduk yang membeludak, daratan tak lagi mampu menampung semua manusia di bumi, air bersih berkurang, polusi udara bertambah, terjadi wabah penyakit, sumpeknya perkotaan akibat permukiman kumuh dan lainnya. Ini tentu saja membuat kita gerah. Masalah ini seolah-olah takkan pernah terselesaikan. Membangun rumah-rumah susun hingga bertingkat puluhan lantai mungkin dapat menjadi solusi saat ini. Namun, sampai kapan? Kalau jumlah penduduk terus bertambah, bukan tidak mungkin , ruang kosong yang tersedia akan habis. Tidak ada lagi tempat untuk dibangun rumah. Kalau begitu, permukiman di atas laut mungkin akan menjadi solusi berikutnya. Akan tetapi, bayangkan apabila seluruh laut dipenuhi oleh rumah-rumah? Wah, laut bakal menjadi tempat penampungan sampah terbesar di dunia. Tidak ada lagi air yang bisa diminum. Barangkali kita harus pergi ke luar angkasa dan tinggal di sana. Tetapi ukuran bulan begitu kecil dan tidak cukup menampung seluruh penghuni buni. Apalagi tidak ada oksigen dan air di sana. Mars mungkin bisa jadi alternatif mengingat ada es di sana. Es ini mungkin menjadi sumber air. Tetapi perlu berapa waktu agar kita benar-benar bisa tinggal di Mars atau bulan tanpa masalah?

Menghadapi permasalahan ini, saya mencoba melihat virtual spaces sebagai alternatif baru. Seperti yang dikutip berikutnya:

“ …that the possibility of transferring or ‘downloading’ human consciousness to a computer is eagerly anticipated in the computer world. In such a’ post-biological world’ one could thus avoid death and the time and energy required for maintaining and reproducing human bodies.” (Newton and Helen Mayer Harrison, 1989).

Andaikan itu terjadi, bayangkan yang akan terjadi jika kesadaran manusia dipindahkan ke komputer dan meninggalkan tubuh manusia di luar. Kita akan hidup di virtual spaces. Di sana, kita bisa bebas membangun rumah di atas lahan (bits) yang tidak terbatas, tanpa harus mempertimbangkan strukturnya. Kita bisa membentuk rumah sehendak hati. Membangun rumah yang terbalik di langit pun bisa. Mau buat apartemen yang ratusan tingkatnya pun bisa.  Bahkan kita mengganti interior dapur dengan cepat. Tidak hanya itu, kita juga bisa membentuk tubuh sendiri.  Mau menjadi laki-laki atau perempuan, terserah kita. Mau memiliki tubuh binatang, pun biasa. Intinya, di dalam virtual spaces, kita bebas berkreasi sesuka kita termasuk lingkungannya,seperti kutipan berikutnya:

“Virtual worlds will offer myriad opportunities to encounter and engage objects and spaces in new and different ways and to occupy other bodies, other entities, others species.” (Karen A Franck, 1995)

Akan tetapi, hidup di virtual spaces sama dengan meninggalkan indera perasa, peraba,dan  penciuman. Oleh karena itu, di dunia virtual, kita dapat memakan apel dan meminum air. Tetapi kita takkan merasakan manisnya apel atau segarnya air. Di sana, kita dapat menjalin pertemanan, tetapi tidak dapat merasakan sentuhan orang lain. Bahkan kita dapat memiliki anak tanpa mengalami masa kehamilan. Ringkasnya, kita hidup di dunia yang dipenuhi oleh pengalaman visual (mungkin juga audio) seperti yang kita alami di dalam mimpi.

Secara pribadi, saya mengakui virtual spaces bukanlah alternatif yang baik. Bayangkan andai komputer mati karena suatu alasan, kita hidup di kegelapan. Jiwa kita sadar tetapi tidak dapat melihat atau merasakan apa-apa. Namun, jika teknologi memungkinkan itu terjadi, maka ini patut dipertimbangkan.

Reference

Franck, Karena A. 1995. Architects in Cyberspace: When I Enter Virtual Reality, What Body Will I leave Behind?.Cambridge: VCH Pubisher LTD.

Maybe that’s why I love to watch dancers. You can tell when someone is in complete control of himself. Watch speakers who have charisma; the ones who draw you in like a magnet. They intuitively know when to use big gestures, when to move around on the stage, when to speed up and slow down their speaking pace.

They’re controlling space with movement and gestures. They’re controlling time with pauses and rate of speech. It feels good to be in their company. Who says we can’t control time and space!

Remember the last time you listened to someone who felt out of control? Maybe they talked too long. Maybe there was no pause between words. Or maybe they had distracting hand gestures. These varying degrees of being in charge of your own space all register with your audience.

One of my last clients realized how her inability to stop and pause was affecting her business. She’s now making a difference in the world by drawing people toward her rather than pushing them away. If you’re struggling to move forward, it might be an easy fix. A coach can help you see blind spots.

This is a global map depicting the dissection density of valley networks on Mars, in relation to the hypothesized northern ocean. Two candidate sea levels are shown: contact 1 with mean elevation at -1,680 meters and contact 2 with mean elevation of -3,760 meters. (Credit: Wei Luo, Northern Illinois University)

New research adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting the Red Planet once had an ocean.

In a new study, scientists from Northern Illinois University and the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston used an innovative computer program to produce a new and more detailed global map of the valley networks on Mars. The findings indicate the networks are more than twice as extensive (2.3 times longer in total length) as had been previously depicted in the only other planet-wide map of the valleys.

Further, regions that are most densely dissected by the valley networks roughly form a belt around the planet between the equator and mid-southern latitudes, consistent with a past climate scenario that included precipitation and the presence of an ocean covering a large portion of Mars’ northern hemisphere.

Scientists have previously hypothesized that a single ocean existed on ancient Mars, but the issue has been hotly debated.

“All the evidence gathered by analyzing the valley network on the new map points to a particular climate scenario on early Mars,” NIU Geography Professor Wei Luo said. “It would have included rainfall and the existence of an ocean covering most of the northern hemisphere, or about one-third of the planet’s surface.”

Luo and Tomasz Stepinski, a staff scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, publish their findings in the current issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research — Planets.

“The presence of more valleys indicates that it most likely rained on ancient Mars, while the global pattern showing this belt of valleys could be explained if there was a big northern ocean,” Stepinski said.

Valley networks on Mars exhibit some resemblance to river systems on Earth, suggesting the Red Planet was once warmer and wetter than present.

But, since the networks were discovered in 1971 by the Mariner 9 spacecraft, scientists have debated whether they were created by erosion from surface water, which would point to a climate with rainfall, or through a process of erosion known as groundwater sapping. Groundwater sapping can occur in cold, dry conditions.

The large disparity between river-network densities on Mars and Earth had provided a major argument against the idea that runoff erosion formed the valley networks. But the new mapping study reduces the disparity, indicating some regions of Mars had valley network densities more comparable to those found on Earth.

“It is now difficult to argue against runoff erosion as the major mechanism of Martian valley network formation,” Luo said.

“When you look at the entire planet, the density of valley dissection on Mars is significantly lower than on Earth,” he said. “However, the most densely dissected regions of Mars have densities comparable to terrestrial values.

“The relatively high values over extended regions indicate the valleys originated by means of precipitation-fed runoff erosion — the same process that is responsible for formation of the bulk of valleys on our planet,” he added.

The researchers created an updated planet-wide map of the valley networks by using a computer algorithm that parses topographic data from NASA satellites and recognizes valleys by their U-shaped topographic signature. The computer-generated map was visually inspected and edited with help from NIU graduate students Yi Qi and Bartosz Grudzinski to produce the final updated map.

“The only other global map of the valley networks was produced in the 1990s by looking at images and drawing on top of them, so it was fairly incomplete and it was not correctly registered with current datum,” Stepinski said. “Our map was created semi-automatically, with the computer algorithm working from topographical data to extract the valley networks. It is more complete, and shows many more valley networks.”

Stepinski developed the algorithms used in the mapping.

“The basic idea behind our method is to flag landforms having a U-shaped structure that is characteristic of the valleys,” Stepinski added. “The valleys are mapped only where they are seen by the algorithm.”

The Martian surface is characterized by lowlands located mostly in the northern hemisphere and highlands located mostly in the southern hemisphere. Given this topography, water would accumulate in the northern hemisphere, where surface elevations are lower than the rest of the planet, thus forming an ocean, the researchers said.

“Such a single-ocean planet would have an arid continental-type climate over most of its land surfaces,” Luo said.

The northern-ocean scenario meshes with a number of other characteristics of the valley networks.

“A single ocean in the northern hemisphere would explain why there is a southern limit to the presence of valley networks,” Luo added. “The southernmost regions of Mars, located farthest from the water reservoir, would get little rainfall and would develop no valleys. This would also explain why the valleys become shallower as you go from north to south, which is the case.

“Rain would be mostly restricted to the area over the ocean and to the land surfaces in the immediate vicinity, which correlates with the belt-like pattern of valley dissection seen in our new map,” Luo said.

The research was funded by NASA.

Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by Northern Illinois University.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123094122.htm

In his famous lecture, “Life in the Universe,” Stephen Hawking observed that what we normally think of as ‘life’ is based on chains of carbon atoms, with a few other atoms, such as nitrogen or phosphorous. We can imagine  that one might have life with some other chemical basis, such as silicon, “but carbon seems the most favorable case, because it has the richest chemistry.”

Our personal favorite at The Daily Galaxy is the possibility of life in Neutron stars which wou;df be based on the properties of polymeric atoms which which could form chains that could store and transmit information in a way that bears an uncanny similarity to the functions of nucleic acids -the molecules that carry genetic information or form structures within cells.

Posted by Casey Kazan with Rebecca Sato.

Highly Recommended:

Stephen Hawking: Why Isn’t the Milky Way “Crawling With Self-Designing Mechanical or Biological Life?”

http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2009/11/could-interstellar-dust-clouds-or-neutron-stars-harbor-life.html

This is the third video in a series from Symphony of Science.  They are all really cool, but this new one is my fav I think.

What purpose is there in intellectualizing existence? Does it bring us closer to the truth? What is the truth? Is it being able to describe the patterns that an electron takes, or how exactly memories are formed in the brain and stored by our consciousness, or soul? Is knowing the truth understanding how energy transforms into it’s various forms and knowing that our existence may be more than what we perceive with our bodies? Is it feeling the energy that exists around us as vibrations and signals?

What are we trying to find? Some say we are finding ourselves, that it brings us closer to knowing who we are and what we are. What if we’re asking the wrong questions? Maybe by intellectualizing this existence we are really looking past what we are meant to see. Maybe in trying to find answers through the logical mind, we are really digging ourselves a hole, and creating answers for questions that were never meant to be asked. What if all we are doing is creating another distraction for ourselves? After all, if the truth is the truth, should it not be so simple that all can understand? Should not the truth be so simple that even a child could understand it? Should not the truth be so simple that even someone who cannot read, or write, can understand it when they experience it?

And though we may answer yes to the simplicity of truth, there are those who would have us believe in a fantasy so conceptualized that they themselves cannot comprehend it’s magnitude. They claim to understand and hold the keys to a knowledge that no one owns. With business cards in tow and a new spiffy title to boot, they show their pearly whites.

The truth isn’t for sale. It is not a secret that is hidden from site. It is everywhere, in everything, in all that we do and in all that we are. It is not some vibration, or some new fantastic form of energy. It simply is. It is who we are, and what we have always been.

1. This amount of hard drive space is good enough for anyone…

It seems that at some point or another, every technology writer or senior figure has doubted whether anyone would need more than a certain amount of capacity in a system. Bill Gates was known to denounce larger disk sizes. IBM once said that homes would not need computers. Whatever. Digital capacity fuels economies of trade in innovation, and people want it too. That myth needs to stay forgotten for the excitement to continue.

2. You can break a computer.
A lot of people in the 1990s and 2000s – including today – believe/d that computers could be broken very easily. Few still do think this. True, parts are now more durable, but it has always been hard to completely kill a whole Mac or PC. The Internet and Genius Bars have also helped pop this myth into non-existence – nowadays spare parts can be gleaned quite easily according to budget.

3. It’s all expense.
In days gone by, a computer cost more to get and run. Even so, that was untrue to a certain extent then. Now, however, this myth has been cleaned away quite thoroughly. The total cost of ownership of a system (TCO) is now quite low, due to freebie software, and people are more creative with finding uses for old devices in a recession – and they publish their findings. Also, the more you pay, the more years you get. True, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but in computing, that is good in some cases. Free or costly, expense in computers is a myth – normally.

Where does the future of space exploration lie? This week’s post will examine the potential risks and benefits of space exploration in the near future. The main issues involve the exploitation of space including the Moon and other celestial objects for economic and/or military purposes. With the Outer Space Treaty effectively banning any claims of sovereignty to be made with regards to outer space[1], the need to establish global governance institutions to administer space exploration has never been more imperative. The threat of space militarization is a cause for concern as the United States has failed to commit to any ban on the pursuit of outer space weaponry. Although the Outer Space Treaty establishes the ban on sovereignty claims, the US National Space Policy presented by President Bush on Aug 31 2006 permits defense and intelligence-related activities in the pursuit of its national interest[2]. Furthermore, countries such as Russia and China have begun to develop advanced space technology including weaponry[3]. The need to establish an internationally relevant legal framework for resource extraction from the Moon, asteroids and other celestial bodies is becoming more apparent with the discovery of helium-3 and its nuclear fusion capabilities in large amounts on the Moon[4]. The claim that in the modern capitalist society, internationally governed institutions and initiatives are doomed to fail is exemplified by the case of Intelsat, the intergovernmental organization responsible for the world’s first commercial communications satellite, beaming the first images of the Moon to Earth. Intelsat was sold to a private company in 2001[5]. Whether space exploration has the potential to cause global conflict is for now a question of the future with the most pressing problems of today concerning the massive amount of debris and commercial satellites floating in Earths orbit.

[2] Government of the United States. 2006. U.S. National Space Policy http://www.ostp.gov/html/US%20National%20Space%20Policy.pdf.

[3] Gertz, Bill. “Officials fear war in space by China.” Washington Times 24 Jan 2007, Print.

[4] Schmitt, Harrison, H. “Mining the Moon.” Popular Mechanics. Oct 2004. Hearst Communications, Web. 19 Nov 2009. <http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/1283056.html?page=1>.

[5] Noguchi, Yuki. “Intelsat Renegotiates Terms Of Its $5 Billion Sale to Zeus.” Washington Post 19 Jan 2005: E5. Print.

Thankful for great teachers like Carl Sagan.

Yet again, a CGI movie has proven just how much of a little kid I am. It doesn’t quite touch anything by Pixar or Dreamworks, but Planet 51 is still awesome. While there is plenty of adult humor to go around, Planet 51 is definitely geared more to kid audiences than to the entire general public like Pixar and Dreamworks tend to be.

The movie was fun and witty enough with a ton of pop culture references for all ages, but my favorite part of Planet 51 is the concept of a human being the scary alien on another planet. It’s a fun idea and a neat twist on a classic idea…even if it is executed in the most cliché and expected of ways. Almost like E.T. in reverse. As for the animation itself, it was good, but not great. I loved the visual design, but Ilion Animation Studios is light years away from what Pixar achieves in the level of detail. I’m not the kind of person that needs all the snazzy effects and whatnot, but that’s kind of the added bonus you get from Pixar and Dreamworks.

As much fun as I had with this movie, I wouldn’t say that it’s a must see, but if you’re looking for something to see, check it out and don’t worry about the crappy rating.

Rating: B-

Post written by Edward Cooper. Follow me on Twitter.

When you don’t have enough space, you can’t stretch. This applies in your workspace, and mentally as well. We all need at least some ’space’ to flex. The same applies to our schedule.

Most people use some basic planning methods, like a calendar or task list, to structure their time for meeting commitments.

When you plan, do you structure and record time for thinking, planning, innovating, motivating, goal setting or inspiring?

If not, why?

These things require due care and attention, but often they are given low priority and, crucially, low importance over everything else.

The benefits of putting structure to these aspects of our work can pay intangible dividends to our businesses or our careers as employees. But just because we can’t measure their value, does that mean they don’t have any value? Of course not.

Goal setting is perhaps the most commonly scheduled activity of those I’ve mentioned. Advocates of good time management systems recommend spending regular time on reviewing major goals. It’s a good idea to set interim targets on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

How many of us give this activity your full attention? Do you diary time for this? What about thought, innovation, motivation, inspiration? Sure, we think, innovate, motivate and inspire in our work. But often these are moments, in between more pressing items in the day.

A walk in the park can help clear your head for creative thinking.

Here are some tips for putting structure into innovating your business, and giving due consideration to an uninterrupted thought process.

- Spend a few minutes first thing every morning visualising your success. Allow yourself to take inspiration from this. (If necessary, get up earlier so you can give it your full undivided attention.)

- Put dedicated time aside in your diary for the intangible, but important things in your work. If necessary, arrange this time away from your normal workspace, e.g. in a parked car, a calm environment or another room in the building.

- Before working on reviewing or setting goals, go for a short walk outdoors. Find a quiet space such as a local park or somewhere you can take inspiration from. Clear your head and think creatively. When you are planning your time and reviewing your goals, you will benefit from a different mindset to when you’re in ‘production’ mode during the daily grind.

- The same applies for innovating. Every business needs to innovate, to stay ahead of the game and outperform the competition. The same goes for a worker selling their services to future employers. You may want to preclude any time spent working solely on this kind of planning with longer periods away from your normal workplace, to get you in the right frame of mind. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and go to visit your competitors as a potential purchaser. Think like a customer and take notes that you can use during your planning.

- Finally, give your physical workspace due attention. Ensure it is kept regularly tidy and organised. If not, you guessed it – schedule some dedicated time to accomplish this. Not only will it promote a more efficient environment, where you can find things easily, but it will also feed your mind with the clarity it deserves to perform better.

Even if your customers (or bosses) don’t ever see your workplace, or into your mind (!), their continued support for your output will serve as thanks for giving yourself the space and time needed to innovate, inspire and achieve the goals you have set.

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    Slowly as a carnivorous mammal stalking it’s pray, Cass began to turn her head towards the right a moment that seem to take forever. As the distortions hasten from the corners of her eyes, they began to clear as she started to study the whole area. Cass focused her clear blue eyes on the innocuous pile of roots surmounted by shrapnel torn trunk nothing stirred. Everything seemed to be perfectly right, that spot was the only hiding place available to the sniper, he must have settled there after they had move in otherwise they all would be dead by now.
   At that moment, a minute blur of movement fixed her eyes into a killer stare. It was so evanesced that many a specialist would have miss it, but it riveted Cass to attention. The stare stayed, not a blink, a movement, the realization of what she had just seen kept her motionless. Protruding from the tangle of roots was the tip of an amphibian’s rifle; the barrel was screened well amongst that mass. It had been wrapped with bark and smeared with mud to break the stark outline and this technique would prevent reflection of light off metal, nevertheless the deadly square mouth of the muzzle was uncovered.
   Slowly the minutes ticked by, Cass watched the tip of the barrel, but it did not move again. This situation she and the others found themselves in was going to be difficult, this sniper was patience and processed the stillness to go with it.
    Unbearable minutes crept by without any break in the heavy air of tension. Vasrac like the others, Rowe and Owain dared not to move. His rifle was in the firing position and he was aiming the muzzle towards his own line. Through the raised sight he pinpointed the position of that shot the amphibian had taken.
   He stared through the sight willing Grey to try the dummy `droid again. “Come on try Toby again,” Vasrac was almost muttering to himself. He witness the sniper take out the `droid with it’s first shot so he thought he had a good idea where it was; behind Moongazer, which side he was unsure of. Lutron knew that if the amphibian fell for the maintenance `droid again he would have the time to turn and fire. Which side of Owain he would decide when he pulled the trigger and he was banking on Cass or Rowe had pinned him by now. Vasrac did not like the idea of turning and firing wildly, but their options were running out, and this sniper was not going anywhere.

CRYDAW   Call of the Blue Stone   Page 37

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All material is owned by the Author and can not be used, or copied without permission.

There is only one thing that would have stopped Sally Ride from joining us for our 2009 Hall Of Fame Gala – a call from the White House asking her to come to Washington DC. Sadly (for us) – that is what happened. But before she left town, Dr. Ride was kind enough to send us the following video message:

The biographical information below was compiled by Alan Renga, Assistant Archivist, for the 2009 International Hall of Fame Gala. For more information on the Museum’s Library and Archives, click here.

Sally Ride Hall of Fame Portrait

She is the first American Woman in space.  She is a world renowned physicist. She is dedicated to interesting young women in science, technology, engineering, and math. She is Sally Ride.

Born in 1951 in Los Angeles, California, Sally graduated High School in Westlake, where she was a Nationally Ranked Tennis player. She attended Swarthmore College and then transferred to Stanford University where she eventually received a doctorate degree in Physics in 1978.

While a doctorate candidate, Ride was one over 8000 people to answer an advertisement seeking applicants for the space program and was accepted! After joining NASA, Ride underwent an extensive training period that included parachute jumping, water survival, gravity and weightlessness training, radio communications and navigation. For the second and third Space Shuttle flights, Sally served as the ground-based Capsule Communicator between On June 18, 1983, she became the first American woman in space as a crew member on Space Shuttle Challenger for STS-7.

During the mission, the STS-7 crew deployed satellites for Canada and Indonesia and conducted the first formation flying of the orbiter with a free-flying satellite, along with many other important tasks. The mission lasted over 6 days before landing on a lakebed runway at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on June 24, 1983.

Dr. Ride took to space for a second time in 1984 on STS 41-G, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 5, 1984. After the tragic Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, Dr. Ride served as a member of the Presidential Commission investigating the accident. She later served on the accident investigation board for the space shuttle Columbia tragedy, the only person to serve on both boards. Upon completion of the Challenger investigation she was assigned to NASA Headquarters as Special Assistant to the Administrator for long range and strategic planning.

In 1989, Dr. Ride joined the faculty at UCSD as a Professor of Physics and Director of the University of California’s California Space Institute. Because of her passion for motivating girls and young women to pursue careers in science, math and technology in 2001 Sally, founded her own company, Sally Ride Science, which creates entertaining and informative science programs and publications for upper elementary and middle school children. In addition, she has written numerous science books for children.

Dr. Ride has been a member of many prestigious organizations including the President’s Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology and the National Research Council’s Space Studies Board, and has served on the Boards of the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, the Carnegie Institution of Washington, and the NCAA Foundation.

Dr. Ride has received numerous honors and awards. She has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the Astronaut Hall and has twice been awarded the NASA Space Flight Medal.

For her incredible courage for being the first American Woman in space and her desire to instill in young women a love for the sciences, the San Diego Air & Space Museum takes great pleasure in inducting Doctor Sally Ride into its International Aerospace Hall of Fame.

“If you can tell a man by his shoes, you can tell a city by its pavements” goes the corny old saying but de-cluttering, better quality surfaces, less barriers, more freedom of movement, X-crossings as in Oxford Circus and the junction outside Balham Station, better thought out planting, focal points. really do make a big difference to the environment and how we feel about a place. The pavements, from the Pond and soon to be FAB new library to the station and on past the venerable Clocktower down the old High Street, could all really do with a redesign and upgrade of its materials and spaces.

We’d all feel a lot better about living in Thornton Heath if our shared spaces reflected the highest aspirations of urban space design. It would improve our shopping experience bringing more business to the small shops; bring joy to all us commuters if when trudging on our way to work we could pass over surfaces that greeted our downcast eyes with materials and textures to lift our spirits; leave those that are just passing through with a nice impression.

The buildings can only change slowly but the street furniture and paving stones can be renewed in a short time. And this will inspire people to renovate the buildings with consideration. People will circulate around the High Street with a lighter step. Some of us might even consider investing in new shoes.

Its the most basic place to start improvement – from the ground up. Let’s ask Jan Gehl to design for us – he says:
“The life or lifelessness of public spaces depends very much on the quality of the spaces and whether they are welcoming to likely users, to walk, stay, sit or otherwise enjoy the spaces. Surveys from existing city areas, as well as new towns and new city districts and developments, have shown
striking differences concerning life and lifelessness. Everything points to the quality issues being of considerable importance. And the evidence likewise points to the need for a more systematic and careful treatment of the public realm in order to secure good quality and to ensure spaces are welcoming to users.”

There are already some nicely kept flower boxes – congratulations to those who keep those so spik and span. And a start has been made on parking down the High Street, but much more could be done. The Leisure Centre has set a standard of design for the rest of Thornton Heath to catch up with. And soon the Library turned Information Hub should be something to be proud of. Let those public spaces be next to get some funding and tlc design.

It will only happen if we ask for it!

London’s Great Outdoors, report.
http://www.london.gov.uk/greatoutdoors/

Sample jan Gehl’s thinking here:
http://www.openspace.eca.ac.uk/conference/proceedings/PDF/Gehl.pdf

A good friend forwarded this on to me recently. It’s an animation projecting the rings of Saturn onto the Earth and shows how they would look from some of the great cities of the world; it’s a fascinating exercise.

From YouTube:

What the rings would look like from different cities and latitudes across the world. It’s interesting to imagine how it would affect culture throughout time. It would have influenced religion, mythology, navigation, etc..

Nasa has released the latest raw images of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, from the Cassini spacecraft’s extended mission to the planet and its satellites.

The images show the moon’s rippling terrain in remarkable clarity.

Cassini started transmitting uncalibrated temperature data and images during a flyby on 21 November.

The data will help scientists create a highly detailed mosaic image of the southern part of the moon’s Saturn-facing hemisphere, and a thermal map.

This thermal map will help researchers to study the long fractures in the south polar region of the moon’s surface, which have been dubbed “tiger stripes” and are warmer than the rest of the surface.

The icy moon’s surface contains ridges and fractures

Scientists are particularly interested in these fissures because they spew out jets of water vapour, and other particles, in plumes that reach hundreds of kilometres above the surface.

This flyby was scientists’ last peek at the tiger stripes before the south pole fades into the darkness of winter for many years.

Cassini completed its initial four-year mission to explore Saturn in June 2008.

But because the spacecraft is still functioning so well, it was reprogrammed to work overtime on the Cassini Equinox Mission.

The extended mission will last until late 2010. It was named after Saturn’s equinox, which occurred in August 2009 – when the sun shone directly on the equator, illuminating the northern hemisphere and the rings’ northern face.

Working overtime

Saturn’s orbit is so vast that Equinox happens only once every 15 Earth years.

Cassini is now continuing to observe seasonal changes brought about by the changing sun angle on Saturn, its rings and its moons.

One of the “tiger stripes” from a previous Enceladus flyby

“These first raw images are spectacular, and paint an even more fascinating picture of Enceladus,” said Bob Pappalardo, Cassini project scientist at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, US.

“The Cassini teams will be delving into the data to better understand the workings of this bizarre, active moon.”

This was the eighth targeted flyby of Enceladus, and brought Cassini to within about 1,600km (1,000 miles) of the moon’s surface.

Cassini is now cruising toward Rhea, another of the planet’s moons.

 

Cassini’s data will allow scientists to map the active moon in new detail