Friday, November 24, 2006
Sponsored by The Science Network, the Beyond Belief forum was
held earlier this month at the Salk Institute. As described by
George Johnson in the Tuesday NY Times, the meeting came "to
resemble the founding convention for a political party built on a
single plank: in a world dangerously charged with ideology,
science needs to take on an evangelical role, vying with religion
as teller of the greatest story ever told." And what a story it
is turning out to be! Yet, while the world is quick to embrace
the benefits of science, people the world over cling to medieval
superstitions and defend such beliefs as a virtue. Scientists
are inclined to meekly declare their "respect" for superstitions
even while proving them to be utter nonsense. That may change.
In his recent best-seller, "The God Delusion," Richard Dawkins, a
participant in Beyond Belief, observes that "God is a scientific
hypothesis," but there is no evidence to support the hypothesis.
Beyond Belief can be viewed at http://beyondbelief2006.org .
Things are never easy on the ISS: first there was an overheating
space suit, then an exterior hatch stuck and cosmonaut Mikhail
Tyurin's tether got in the way. But finally he got in position to
address the ball with American astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria
holding on to him. Meanwhile, Moscow mission control deliberated
on how to position the ball. "It's me that's supposed to be
positioned properly," Tyurin snapped. At last, using a gold-
plated 6-iron, Tyurin took his swing. He shanked it, according
to The Moscow Times.com. No matter, "I can see it moving away
from us," Tyurin exulted. Element 21, a Toronto golf company, is
paying the Russian Federal Space Agency an undisclosed amount for
the golf stunt to promote its new golf club. That should silence
the critics who complain that the ISS has no mission.
Launched ten years ago, the durable space craft reached Mars
orbit a year later. It has mapped the Martian surface, recorded
seasonal changes, and gathered evidence of water in Mar's past.
Today, the US has three orbiters and two surface rovers, and the
European Space Agency has an orbiter, the Mars Express. Still,
the Global Explorer was collecting valuable climate data. A
disabled solar panel is thought to be the problem. Efforts to
reestablish contact are given little chance. Construction,
launch and operating costs over its long life totaled $242M, or
about one-tenth the cost of a single shuttle mission to the ISS.
It was, however, completely unable to hit a golf ball.
Health complaint? Could be wi-fi according to Wednesday's
Evening Standard in the UK. Or you could just be neurotic.
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