-----Forwarded Message----- >From: What's New <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Nov 28, 2006 12:11 PM >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [BOBPARKS-WHATSNEW] What's New Friday November 24, 2006 > >WHAT'S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 24 Nov 06 Washington, DC > >1. BEYOND BELIEF: SCIENCE, RELIGION, REASON AND SURVIVAL. >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 . > >2. SPACE STATION: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED, A BIT BEHIND SCHEDULE. >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. >3. MARS: THE "MARS GLOBAL EXPLORER" HAS FINALLY FALLEN SILENT. >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. > >4. EMF: WIRELESS COMPUTER NETWORKS ARE THE LATEST CULPRIT. >Health complaint? Could be wi-fi according to Wednesday's >Evening Standard in the UK. Or you could just be neurotic. > >THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. >Opinions are the author's and not necessarily shared by the >University of Maryland, but they should be. >--- >Archives of What's New can be found at http://www.bobpark.org >What's New is moving to a different listserver and our >subscription process has changed. To change your subscription >status please visit this link: >http://listserv.umd.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=bobparks-whatsnew&A=1
