Moon countdown: NASA probe enters lunar orbit

I am reading this article Moon countdown: NASA probe enters lunar orbit By ALICIA CHANG | AP on Yahoo's website.
According to this article the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory-A probe is now in orbit around the Moon and the Grail-B is scheduled to be in orbit around the Moon on New Year's Day.

Galileo first observed the planet Neptune

I heard on The Writer's Almanac this morning that:
Galileo first observed the planet Neptune on this date in 1612.
However Neptune was not officially discovered until September 23, 1846 according to Wikipedia, yet had been observed before that date without being recognized.

Earth-size Planets

I understand that Kepler has found two truly Earth-sized planets -- one slightly larger than Earth and the other slightly smaller. I believe both are considered to be rocky.

Monthly Meeting

We are planning to have our regular monthly meeting Sunday. However, Books-A-Million will be closed for Christmas Day, so I thought we could get together at the movie theater in the mall and watch a movie. I can't find the times yet, but assume we'll watch a show after 2:00 PM.

Dr. Michio Kaku

I am listening to Dr. Michio Kaku talk about black holes, on Coast To Coast AM radio show.
I am also looking at his website.
http://mkaku.org/

Patricia Cornwell

Several years ago, I read a Dr. Kay Scarpetta novel by Patricia Cornwell.
That cultivated an interest in forensic science that led me to read more novels in the Dr. Kay Scarpetta series and attend lectures on forensic science.
I visited the Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine for a lecture on the Jack The Ripper case presented by Patricia Cornwell.

I also met Patricia Cornwell, Dr. Paul B. Ferrara and Dr. Marcella Fierro in person a few times at various events.
http://www.patriciacornwell.com/

http://www.news.vcu.edu/news/Paul_B_Ferrara_distinguished_professor_in_forensic_science_dies

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/22465005/ns/today-books/t/real-kay-scarpetta-retires/

An interview with Particia Cornwell is sceduled to air on ABC News Nightline tonight.

Michele Cappellari

I am looking at Michele Cappellari Homepage.
http://www-astro.physics.ox.ac.uk/~mxc/

Scientists find monster black holes, biggest yet

I am reading this article Scientists find monster black holes, biggest yet on Yahoo's website.
According to this article, each of the black holes this team discovered are 10 billion times the size of Earth's Sun.

NASA finding feeds talk of a new Earth

I am reading this article NASA finding feeds talk of a new Earth on CBS News's website.
According to this article, when the Kepler space telescope discovered a planet, Kepler-22b, it had located 2.326 potential planets.

Most Massive Neutron Star

Astronomers at the Green Bank Radio Telescope in West Virginia have announced the discovery of a neutron star significantly more massive than any previously known. This discovery could affect our understanding of the laws of physic and astrophysics.

Green Bank is where David Drake began SETI.

http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2010/bigns/

Anne McCaffrey

I understand that Anne McCaffrey has passed away. She graduated from a prep school here in Virginia, Stuart Hall in Stanton, although she had been living in Ireland since 1970.

NASA Astronaut Michael Fossum Lands In Kazakhstan With Russian Cosmonauts Sergei Volkov, Satoshi Furukawa

I am reading this article NASA Astronaut Michael Fossum Lands In Kazakhstan With Russian Cosmonauts Sergei Volkov, Satoshi Furukawa on The Huffington Post's website.
According to this article the weather was very cold and the wind was blowing hard.
However Volkov, Furukawa and Fossum arrived safely at 0226 GMT on 22 November 2011.

I am reading this article International Space Station crew land in Kazakhstan after 167 days in orbit Three members of Expedition 29 emerge from Soyuz capsule into steppe's sub-zero temperatures on The Guardian's website.
According to this article, the temperature was -15 C. and the heavy winds blow the capsule onto its size by the time it landed.

Aurora Award for Best Novel

Robert Sawyer's novel WWW.Watch won this year's Aurora Award for best novel. Last year, WWW.Wake, the first novel in the trilogy, also won the Aurora Award for best novel. The Prix Aurora Awards honor the best in Canadian science fiction and fantasy every year.


Robert Sawyer's latest novel in being serialized in Analog magazine. The first part is in the January/February issue -- now on the newsstand. Also, another Ravencon guest of honor has a story in the same issue of Analog --Jack McDevitt.

"Distress" by Greg Egan

I recently finished reading the book Distress by the Australian science fiction writer Greg Egan. It is based on an interpretation of quantum cosmology. I have to say that I can't buy the premise, but it was interesting enough that I read it to the end. His viewpoint and writing style is a bit different to me. He was recommended by the Professor Drout in the science fiction course I listened to on CD.

Cliff Pickover

I am listening to Coast To Coast AM with George Noory. http://www.coasttocoastam.com/
He is interviewing Cliff Pickover. http://www.pickover.com/
I am interested in reading his new book, The Physics Book.

China spacecraft returns to Earth after docking test

I am reading this article China spacecraft returns to Earth after docking test on Reuters's website.
According to this article, a Shenzhou 8 unmanned spacecraft successfully docked with the unmanned Tiangong module in orbit about 340 kilometers about the Earth, on 3 November 2011.

NASA on Twitter

I see NASA tweets that say that:
Soyuz docked with International Space Station at 1224 EST today
Hatches between ISS and Soyuz were officially opened at 0239 EST today

Russian Soyuz Capsule Successfully Launches to ISS After Rocket Troubles

I am reading this article Russian Soyuz Capsule Successfully Launches to ISS After Rocket Troubles on Daily Tech's website.

I heard on the news this morning that The Soyuz TMA-22 capsule is in orbit around Earth and heading to the International Space Station with Anatoly Ivanishin, Dan Burbank and
Anton Shkaplerov.

The Eerie Silence -- Dr. Paul Davies

I have been listening to the audio book version of Paul Davies book The Eerie Silence -- renewing the search for alien intelligence. Davies is the well known British physicist and astrobiologist who is a professor at Arizona State University. He is the chair of SETI's Postdetection Taskgroup. This book gives an evaluation of SETI after 50 years and ideas for a "new SETI" -- different ways to search for other life forms. One of the most interesting ideas is the realization that if Earth's environment is conducive to the biogenisis of life, then life should have arisen several times on Earth. Finding a different biogenisis of life on Earth would say a lot about the likelihood that life would arise on other Earth-like planets.

I strongly recommend The Eerie Silence.

Fresh Air with Terri Gross

I am listening to Terri Gross interview Brian Greene, on her radio show Fresh Air.

First Progress Launch Since Accident Looms Large for Space Station Program

I am reading this article First Progress Launch Since Accident Looms Large for Space Station Program on Universe Today's website.

I am reading NASA Statement on Success of Russian Progress Launch
Successful Launch Sets Stage for Soyuz Flight on NASA's website.

From what I read, the Progress 45 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 0611 EDT on 30 October 2011, for the ISS.

WSF Live Forum: Fabric of the Cosmos

View NOVA’s The Fabric of the Cosmos on PBS or a live webcast on worldsciencefestival.com on 2 November 2011 at 10pm ET.
You can find out more information about this on World Science Festival's website. http://worldsciencefestival.com/fabric_info

Flights Resumed To ISS

Looks like the Russians have resumed flights to the International Space Station.

Cooling the Warming Debate: Major New Analysis Confirms That Global Warming Is Real

I am reading this article Cooling the Warming Debate: Major New Analysis Confirms That Global Warming Is Real on Science Daily's website.
This article tells about the Berkley Earth team, which includes a winner of 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics Saul Perlmutter, and the team's study of land surface warming.

I went to this website to get some more infornation.
www.BerkeleyEarth.org
This website listed these people as members of the Berkley Earth Team:
Elizabeth Muller, Richard Muller, Robert Rohde, David Brillinger, Judith Curry, Don Groom, Robert Jacobsen, Saul Perlmutter, Arthur Rosenfeld, Charlotte Wickham and
Jonathan Wurtele.

Monthly Meeting

Our regular monthly meeting is Sunday at Books-A-Million in Colonial Heights around 2:00 PM.

Everyone with an interest in science fiction is welcome!

Nobel Prizes in Physic and Chemistry

Three U.S.-born scientists, Saul Perimutter, Brian Schmidt, and Adam Riess,won the Nobel Prize in physics for discovering that the universe is expanding at an accelerating pace. Their discovery raised the question: What is pushing the universe apart? This has been labeled "dark energy," but no one knows what it is.


A single individual won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry this year - a Israeli scientist named Dan Shechtman. He recognized a new crystalline chemical structure that seemed to violate the laws of nature. Schechtman discovered what are now called "quasicrystals" atoms arranged in patterns that seemed forbidden by nature. The discovery :fundamentally altered how chemists conceive of solid matter" the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in awarding the prize.


The Nobel Prizes certainly seem to give the Swedes a lot of influence on science.

Steve Jobs Earned His Place in the American Business Pantheon

I am reading this article Steve Jobs Earned His Place in the American Business Pantheon on Yahoo's website.

I would like to offer my condolences to family, friends and fans of Steve Jobs.

Hail and Farewell, Grand Colliders

I read this article Hail and Farewell, Grand Colliders on PBS's website.
This article touches on some interesting historical events involving colliders and the Standard Model of fundamental physics.

China orbits future ISS rival

I am reading this article China orbits future ISS rival at RIA NOVOSTI's website.
According to this article China launched the Tiangoug-1.

The Tevatron: 28 years of discovery and innovation

I am reading this article The Tevatron: 28 years of discovery and innovation at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory's website.
Tevatron collider was shut down Friday 30 September 2011, according to this article.

Space Station Future In Question

All six crew members of the International Space Station may be called back to Earth, leaving it to controlled remotely. This is the result of the loss of a Russian supply vehicle the experienced a third-stage engine shutdown shortly after takeoff on 8/24/11 and failed to reach orbit. The Russian Soyuz vehicle that taxis astronauts to and from the space station uses similar rockets and will not be launched until the cause the cause of the crash is known and fixed. Supplies cannot be delivered and crews cannot be replaced until the problem is fixed.

Three crew members were evacuated 9/16/11. The three remaining crew member may be evacuated in November.

Deadly Typhoon Leaves Japan; Nuclear Plant Intact

I am reading this article Deadly Typhoon Leaves Japan; Nuclear Plant Intact on National Public Radio's website.
I am reading more about nuclear power plants since the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant melt down in March 2011.

Strange Particles May Travel Faster than Light, Breaking Laws of Physics

I am reading this article Strange Particles May Travel Faster than Light, Breaking Laws of Physics on Yahoo's website.
I believe Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity is correct.
And I am interested in the findings from CERN laboratory in Switzerland regarding the speed of neutrinos.

NASA Says Satellite Has Hit Earth Over Pacific Ocean

I am reading this article NASA Says Satellite Has Hit Earth Over Pacific Ocean on FOXNews website.
I am glad NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite missed hitting anyone on land.

Regular Monthly meeting

This coming Sunday we have our regular monthly meeting at Books-A-Million in Colonial Heights around 2:00 PM.

Everyone with an interest in science fiction is welcome!

Physicist James McCanney and Plasma Physicist Dr. John Brandenburg

I listened to Coast To Coast AM and heard an interview with physicist James McCanney, not Briane Greene.
He talked about Comet Elenin.
I also heard an interview with plasma physicist Dr. John Brandenburg, not Brian Greene.
He talked about Einstein's theories.
He talked about his own theory that connects electromagnetism and gravity.
I enjoyed both interviews.

Monthly Meeting

Sunday we have our regular monthly meeting at Books-A-Million in Colonial Heights. People may start arriving around 2:00 PM, but it will probably be around 3;00 PM before everyone is there. We plan to have supper together after the meeting. There is a possibility of storm conditions because of a possible hurricane. If the conditions are bad there won't be a meeting.

Everyone with an interest in science fiction is welcome!

Single Water Molecule Isolated

Researchers in Japan have captured a lone water molecule inside a C60 fullerene cage. the molecule, H2O@C60 will give scientists an opportunity to study water without the influence of the hydrogen-bonded network in which it usually exists.

Direction of Space Program

Although the end of the Space Shuttle program marks a lull in the United States' manned space exploration, this year will be a busy period in unmanned exploration: the Dawn spacecraft mission to Vesta - a protoplanet in the main asteroid belt, the Juno mission to Jupiter, twin spacecraft to fly coordinated orbits around the moon, and the new Mars Rover. I believe that unmanned flights are a more reasonable way to approach space exploration.

Monthly Meeting

Sunday we have our regular monthly meeting at Books-A-Million in Colonial Heights. We officially start around 2:00 PM, but it will probably be around 3;00 PM before everyone is there. I plan to discuss Frank Herbert, among other things, Sunday.

Everyone with an interest if science fiction is welcome!

Whither astronauts? Corps shrinks as shuttles stop

I am reading this article Whither astronauts? Corps shrinks as shuttles stop on Yahoo.com:
http://news.yahoo.com/whither-astronauts-corps-shrinks-shuttles-stop-165453965.html
I watched the Space Program in the USA from the very start.
Now I am reading about American astronauts looking for another job.
This is a sad day.

Final Space Shuttle

The final Space Shuttle lifted-off today. It was the 135th shuttle flight. Orginally, there were supposed to be over 700. The goal of the Space Shuttle was an economic one -- to reduce the cost of going into space. I would have to say that this goal was not realized.

Aquarius Satellite

The Aquarius Satellite was launched on June 10 to study ocean circulation and Earth's water cycle via ocean salinty - ocean surface salinity affects the density of the water, and salinity differences help drive ocean circulation. The mission is a joint project between NASA and Argentina's space agency.

Monthly Meeting

Sunday we have our regular monthly meeting at Books-A-Million in Colonial Heights. It will probably be around 3:00 PM before everyone is there.

Everyone with an interest in Sci-fi is welcome!

New Elements

Elements 114 and 116 have been added to the periodic chart.

Soyuz Blasts Off To International Space Station

I am reading this article Soyuz Blasts Off To International Space Station on the Irish Weather Online's website:
http://www.irishweatheronline.com/news/space/soyuz-blasts-off-to-international-space-station/19286.html
According to this article Mike Fossum, Sergei Volkov and Satoshi Furukawa are on board a Soyuz TMA-02M spacecraft heading for the International Space Station.
The spacecraft lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan last night at 2112 GMT.

The crew aboard the ISS are Andrey Borisenko, Alexander Samokutyaev and Ron Garan.

John W. Campbell

John W. Campbell was born on 8 June 1910.

I heard an interesting story about Campbell on The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor,

http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/ , this morning on National Public Radio.

Study Of Arsenic-Eating Microbe Finds Doubters

I am reading about Felica Wolfe-Simon on Wikipedia.

According to this current post, she led a team that discovered an extremophile bacterium called GFAJ-1 in California's Mono Lake.

Mono Lake is naturally rich in arsenic.

The team claims that the bacterium uses arsenic for a small amount of phosphate in its DNA and some essential biomolecules.

I heard this story Study Of Arsenic-Eating Microbe Finds Doubters on NPR.

It seems that some scientists disagree with the claim made by Ms. Wolfe-Simon's team regarding GFAJ-1 in research article A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus.

Endeavour returns for last time

I am reading this article Endeavour returns for last time on the Orlando Sentinel's website.

According to this article, Space Shuttle Endeavour landed at 0236 in Florida earlier this morning.

And Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to launch on July 8 for the International Space Station.

Space Shuttle Endeavour

I am listening to Coast To Coast AM and just heard a report that the Space Shuttle Endeavour has landed safely a few minutes ago.

This mission was this shuttle last fight into space.

Soyuz Capsule Lands Safely With Space Station Crew

I am reading this article Soyuz Capsule Lands Safely With Space Station Crew on Space.com

According to this article, on 23 May 2011 a Soyuz TMA-20 space capsule landed safely in Kazakhstan at 2237 EDT.

The capsule carried Dmitry Kondratyev, Cady Coleman and Paolo Nespoli from the International Space Station back to Earth.

Dark Energy Concept Strengthened

NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer has helped to reinforce the current concept of dark energy: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/galex/galex20110519.html.

WWW.Wonder

I am presently reading Robert Sawyer's book WWW.Wonder -- the third and final book of his WWW. series. I noticed that he gave the Day that Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japanese as December 6. I contacted him about it, and he said that he was embarrassed by it, that it was a typo, and that he would correct it for the paperback. In spite of the error, I am enjoying the book a great deal.

Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 Installed

I am reading this article Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 Installed at NASA's website.

According to this article the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 was removed from Endeavour's payload bay via the Space Shuttle's robotic arm.

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 was then installed on the International Space Station's truss.

Data gathered from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2 will be studied for information on dark matter, antimatter, other unusual matter, pulsars, gamma ray bursts, and other cosmic phenomena.

Space Shuttle Mission: STS-134

I am reading this article Space Shuttle Mission: STS-134 at NASA's website.

According to this article the crew members for this mission are: Mark Kelly, Gregory H. Johnson, Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and Roberto Vittori.

According to NASA's website Space Shuttle Endeavour launched on 16 May 2011 at 0856 EDT.

Monhtly Meeting

Our regular monthly meeting will be this coming Sunday at Books-A-Million in Colonial Heights. We maybe starting a little later this Sunday -- probably around 3:00 PM instead of 2:00 PM.

Everyone with an interest in Sci-fi is welcome!

Stargate: Universe

Tonight the last new episode of Stargate: Universe will air. I am very sorry to see it end. The last 10 episodes have been really good. Also, this may be the end for any new Stargate -- a sad day indeed. It has been a good run. Thank you Stargate!

Physics of the Future

I am presently reading Michio Kaku's new book Physics of the Future. I recommend it highly.

Regular Monthly Meeting

Our regular monthly meeting is this coming Sunday at Books-A-Million in Colonial Heights around 2:00 PM.


Everyone with an interest in Sci-fi is welcome!

William N. Lipscomb Jr., Nobel Prize-Winning Chemist, Dies at 91

I heard about this on National Public Radio.
I am reading this article William N. Lipscomb Jr., Nobel Prize-Winning Chemist, Dies at 91 on The New York Times's website.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/16/us/16lipscomb.html?_r=1

An Astronaut's Perspective

I am watching Astronaut Julie Payette give a lecture on this episode An Astronaut's Perspective of Wison Forum on WCVE-D3.

http://www.kcet.org/shows/wilson_forum/

STS-1 Space Shuttle Columbia

I am reading about the STS-1 Space Shuttle Columbia mission on 12 April 1981 at NASA's website.
This was the first NASA Space Shuttle fight into space.

April 12, 1961: A remarkable date in human history

I am reading this article April 12, 1961: A remarkable date in human history By Frank Leonard on Gizmag.com
According to this article, Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first person in space and completed a single orbit of the Earth aboard Vosotk I on 12 April 1961.

Web Sci-fi Guide

Here's a sci-fi guide: http://www.magicdragon.com/UltimateSF/SF-Index.html.

Monthly Meeting

This coming Sunday we have our regular monthly meeting at Books-A-Million in Colonial Heights around 2:00 PM.

Everyone with an interest in Sci-fi is welcome!

Robert Sawyer's www. Series

I am presently reading the second book in Robert Sawyer's www. series, WWW.Watch. I enjoyed the first book and am enjoying the one I am now reading. The third and final book is scheduled to be released in Canada March 29 and in the United States in early April.

Retirement a New Beginning for Discovery

I am reading this article Retirement a New Beginning for Discovery on NASA's website.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/discoveryretire.html

According to the article, Space Shuttle Discovery landed Wednesday, 9 March 2011, after its mission to the International Space Station.

This was the last flight of this space shuttle for NASA.

Spacecraft Orbits Mercury

For the first time a spacecraft has gone into orbit around the planet Mercury:http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/mar/HQ_11-079_MESSENGER_Orbits.html.

Dr. Michio Kaku

I listened to part of an interview with Dr. Michio Kaku, not Brian Greene, on Coast To Coast AM earlier this morning.

I went to his website http://mkaku.org/

Jay Barbree's Book "Live From Cape Canaveral"

Several months ago, at one of our regular monthly meetings, Al, Mike, and I all bought a copy of Jay Barbree's book Live from Cape Canaveral -- it was in the clearance area and only $1, so we figured we didn't have much to lose. I recently finished reading the book and was very pleasantly surprised with how good it was. As a matter of fact, I could go so far as to call it great -- one of the best dollars I've spent!


The last 10 episodes of Stargate: Universe starts tonight.

Fossils of Cyanobacteria in CI1 Carbonaceous Meteorites

I went to the Journal of Cosmology's website, http://journalofcosmology.com/Life100.html

I am reading the synopsis Fossils of Cyanobacteria in CI1 Carbonaceous Meteorites Richard B. Hoover, Ph.D. NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center.

I am reading the abstract Fossils of Cyanobacteria in CI1 Carbonaceous Meteorites: Implications to Life on Comets, Europa, and Enceladus Richard B. Hoover, Ph.D. NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL.

NASA scientist finds evidence of alien life

I went to Yahoo News website to read this article, NASA scientist finds evidence of alien life.

According to this article Dr. Richard B. Hoover's research paper has been made available for peer review.

He says that he found evidence of alien life in fossils of bacteria in extremely rare meteorites.

Shuttle Discovery pays last visit to space station

I went to Reuter's website to read this article, Shuttle Discovery pays last visit to space station.

According to this article Space Shuttle Discovery arrived safely at the International Space Station today.

Monthly Meeting

Our regular monthly meeting is Sunday at Books-A-Million in Colonial Heights around 2:00 PM.

Everyone with an interest in Sci-fi is welcome!

Simulated Mars mission crew "walks" on the Red Planet

I am reading this article, Simulated Mars mission crew "walks" on the Red Planet, on

http://news.xinhuanet.com/

According to this article, the crew on the Mars-500 simulated mission have arrived at Mars and performed the first simulated walk on the surface on 14 February 2011. Other walks are scheduled for later in the month.

Stardust-NExt

I am reading about NASA's Stardust-NExt mission on NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab's website http://stardustnext.jpl.nasa.gov/

On 4 July 2005, the Deep Impact probe smashed into the comet forming an impact crater, according to this website.

I am reading this article, Comet Temple 1 picture taken by NASA Stardust - Pics, at www.examiner.com

On 14 February 2011, the spacecraft flew within 110 miles of the Temple 1 comet and took photographs of the comet, including Deep Impact's impact crater. The comet was 200 million miles from Earth at the time, according to this article.

Brian Greene

I heard most of an interview with Brian Greene on Coast To Coast AM with George Noory earlier this morning.
Greene discussed some of the topics he wrote about in his book, The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos.
Greene wrote The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory too.
Greene also wrote The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality.

Jack Ferguson

Jack Ferguson died Saturday, February 5.

He was a dedicated Star Trek fan.

Challenger's Crew: More than a "Teacher in Space"

I am reading this article, Challenger's Crew: More than a "Teacher in Space", at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/27/national/main20029843.shtml

I was at home watching the launch on TV, 25 years ago today.

Regular Monthly Meeting

Next Sunday we have our regular monthly meeting at Books-A-Million in Colonial Heights around 2:00 pm.

Everyone with an interest in Sci-fi is welcome!