] China is on course to become only the third nation ever
] to place a human in space, following press reports that
] the first crewed flight will take place in 100 days.

New Scientist

] Developing a new space plane in five years is a very
] short timetable. It took more than 10 years to get the
] shuttle flying. But the idea behind the new space plane
] is to make it simple, small and reliable, and not to
] break too much new technological ground.

If they have a conservative enough design, it is absolutely possible to do this ... but I expect NASA will probably drop the ball anyway...

WESH.com - News - NASA Works To Build New Spaceship

] Biologists and demographers are greeting with
] considerable enthusiasm a new theory of aging that
] extends Hamilton's idea and explains the features it
] doesn't account for well. The new theory, proposed by Dr.
] Ronald Lee, a demographer at the University of California
] at Berkeley, was published in today's issue of The
] Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Why We Die, Why We Live: A New Theory on Aging

] BRAUNSCHWEIG, Germany — In these girth-conscious times,
] even weight itself has weight issues. The kilogram is
] getting lighter, scientists say, sowing potential
] confusion over a range of scientific endeavor.
]
] The kilogram is defined by a platinum-iridium cylinder,
] cast in England in 1889. No one knows why it is shedding
] weight, at least in comparison with other reference
] weights, but the change has spurred an international
] search for a more stable definition.

Scientists Struggling to Make the Kilogram Right Again