STS-124

I am reading about STS-124 mission on NASA's website.
According to this article, the Space Shuttle Discovery is set to launch on 31 May 2008 at 5:02 PM EDT.
Cmdr. Mark Kelly is in command of the shuttle mission to the International Space Station.
The Kibo Pressurized Module and the robotic arm of the Japanese Experiment Module will be aboard the shuttle as well.

ISS

I heard on NPR that the International Space Station needs some plumbing repaired.
According to the news a shuttle is scheduled to dock there next week.

NOVA scienceNow

I am reading my copy of SPOTLIGHT from WCVE.
According to this article, Science News Magazine Back For The Summer, Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson will continue to host the show NOVA scienceNOW.
The third season of the show will air on Wednesday nights.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Today Show

I saw Neil DeGrasse Tyson on the Today Show this morning talking about the Phenix Module landing on Mars.

Phoenix Sends Color Photos of Mars to NASA

I heard that Phoenix Module landed on Mars Sunday evening on NPR.

I am reading these articles, NASA's Phoenix to Look for Ice on Mars
by Joe Palca and Phoenix Sends Color Photos of Mars to NASA, on NPR's website.

Nighthawk Sci Fi Club Meeting

The monthly meeting of the Nighthawk Sci Fi Club is scheduled for Sunday,
25 May 2008 at 2 PM Eastern Time.
Meetings are free and open to the public.
Civil discussions of science fact and science fiction are welcome.

Active Galaxies

I heard this StarDate(http://stardate.org/) story, Active Galaxies, on NPR two mornings ago.
I heard the term blazars for the first time that I recall.

Astronomy Day at the Science Museum of Virginia

I enjoyed several activities during the Astronomy Day event, for example:

I attended part of one lecture on "The Saturn System Through the Eyes of Cassini" given by Dr. Anne Verbiscer of the Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations,
Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado.
I saw a photo of Enceladus.
I liked the photo of Saturn shot from behind Saturn with back lighting from the Sun and Earth showing through the G Ring.

I attended a lecture on "The Search for Other Earths" given by Dr. Mike Strutskie, Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia.
He said some interesting things about planets on the science side and an interesting thing on the science fiction side.
He made the point that no extrasolar planets have been seen, the data suggests that some stars have extrasolar planets orbiting them.
He talked about a new way of using shade to view planets around other stars.
He talked about science fiction, for thirty years, showing life on other planets yet, we only had the idea of other planets in the universe after 1997.
I met Dr. Mark Adams, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville.
I missed his lecture "Exploring the Invisible Universe With Radio Astronomy", but he told me some things about radio astronomy after his lecture.

National Astronomy Day

After the Out of the Blue Radio Review radio show, I heard Virginia Skylines on NPR.
The topic was Astronomy Day and the presenter was Leslie Bochenski.
It is a good day for professional astronomers and amateur astronomers to enjoy the day with astronomical activities.
National Astronomy Day is 10 May 2008.

Blade Runner The Final Cut

I heard an interview with director Ridley Scott on Fresh Air with Terry Gross.
He talked about redoing the movie Blade Runner.
You can read more about this story, 'Blade Runner' Director Ridley Scott, on NPR.
I started watching The Final Cut this morning.
After listening to this interview, I found Decker's comments to Tyrell about Rachael very interesting.
He asked Tyrell about how Rachael did not know that she is a android.
This is more than just a question about science.
This goes deeper into questions of existence.
I think therefore I am . . .
But what if I am a android?
does Rachael actually think thoughts like this as Tyrell says he suspects.
Or is Rachael as illusion of a human female portrayed by hardware and software?
Ridley Scott had some interesting things to say about Philip K. Dick, the writer of the story, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, that the movie is based on.