Tag Archives: NASA

Winning Science August 14, 2013

All the in-the-know geeks are talking about space news these days, it seems.  NASA’s space probe Juno is halfway to the planet Jupiter on a five year voyage to check out the sights and sounds.

junos_c

A five year mission…really? There had better be some boldly going.

Interestingly enough, Jupiter is also on MY list of places to visit, right after Disney World and Alpha Centauri.

The researchers who have been living in a dome to simulate life on Mars have finally emerged after a four month experiment to determine the types of foods that could be consumed by astronauts headed to the Red Planet.  Apparently, they all craved Nutella while they were there.

If this is the future of space travel I may need to reconsider my desire to go into space.

If this is the future of space travel I may need to reconsider my desire to go into space.

They also made a Cajun jambalaya out of Spam—not my choice of ingredients, but hey! Spam is definitely non-perishable.

Scientists have created a list of twelve asteroids that they say could be captured and studied.  Not only is cost a factor in roping an asteroid, but scientists also have to beware accidentally propelling an asteroid directly into the earth and causing a catastrophe.  These twelve asteroids, they say, are of an easily manageable size.

Think this, only much bigger.

Think this, only much bigger.

I never had a pet rock, but somehow the idea of a pet asteroid is far more appealing!

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Winning Science July 31, 2013

As July wraps up, here’s some of what’s happening in the world of science.

In keeping with this week’s Wolverine theme, we have an article from Popular Science talking about what Wolverine’s real weaknesses would be.

Uncanny X-Force Vol. 1, #26 This won't be pretty

Uncanny X-Force Vol. 1, #26
This won’t be pretty.

One that was left out in the article that the comics picked up on not so long ago, is autoimmune disease. With his super immune system, this could cause all kinds of unpleasant things to happen.

Yesterday commemorated the 55th birthday of NASA . And here is the document that made it all possible

nasa_logo

We love the work NASA has done, but seriously, it’s time to GET BACK UP THERE! If the Virgin Records guy gets to Mars before they do, I’m gonna be seriously annoyed.

Some lucky (or perhaps unlucky) diner will soon have the chance to eat the world’s first artifically grown hamburger. A lab in the Netherlands has developed this using beef muscle stem cells at a cost of $384,000. I’ve heard some grumbling that this a waste of scientific resources, but this same research might be applied to the growing of new organs. It may also help address future global food shortages.

Om Nom Nom Nom

Om Nom Nom Nom

I’m all about trying new foods, but at least for the moment, I’ll stick with the real thing.

And finally Mr. Charles Darwin is making way for Ms. Jane Austen. Coming soon the £10 note will now feature the face of author Jane Austen.

Ooooo, fancy.

Ooooo, fancy.

While not purely a piece of science news, let’s be honest, Charles Darwin is the father of evolution. Still, maybe it’s time someone else had a turn on the money.

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Around the Web July 20, 2013

Hollywood is taking a pretty considerable beating in the later half high. Four major budget movies have flopped in recent weeks, derailing what was on track to be a record breaking summer.

Kind of like this, only the sign isn't taking the beating this time.

Kind of like this, only the sign isn’t taking the beating this time.

I’ll admit to being part of this problem, but then again a few of those movies just didn’t look any good. I also have an awesome couch and it’s tough to get off it.

The founder of Amazon has announced that he has recovered one of the rocket engines from Apollo 11. The engine was positively identified by a part serial number. This announcement also comes with pretty good timing as tomorrow is the 44th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing (yes it really happened).

For once government bureaucracy pays off.

For once government bureaucracy pays off.

I can’t wait for this stuff to go on the museum tour. I just hope it comes near me, though there are few places more deserving than Hampton, VA (where the original astronauts trained, look it up).

And to wrap up this week, we have cute baby pandas. They even have a PandaCam.

pandaLook, the internet is 49% porn, 49% cute animals (mostly cats, lets be honest) and 2% everything else. Therefore I Geek is gonna put up cute animals every now and again.

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Winning Science!

I am all for the exploration of space.  Being a lifelong Star Trek fan I feel that we are actually way behind the times when it comes to advancing our knowledge of the universe.  Here are a couple stories about some of the things that NASA is doing to help move the ball forward.

Curiosity probe is going on a trek 10 times longer than its ever gone before. But before it leaves on its journey, Curiosity stopped for a little impromptu art.  Neil Armstrong left a footprint, and a flag, and said some inspiring words when he landed on the moon.  Guess standards have fallen a bit.

mars rover penis

Also, NASA’s Opportunity rover finds water on Mars. Personally, I think I’ll run it through a filter before I take a sip.

mars water

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