] The Voyager spacecraft is now approaching the edge of the
] solar system. Near the boundary between the solar system
] and the interstellar medium we find that an unstable
] ``jet-sheet'' forms.

Probing the Edge of the Solar System: Formation of an Unstable Jet-Sheet | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference

House Science Committee wants to put the space plane on hold.

IF we're going to keep up manned spaceflight, the shuttle needs to be retired. I'm not sure what I think about arguments that we give up on manned spaceflight -- if we don't keep at it, how will it ever get faster/cheaper/safer?

Not So Fast, Lawmakers Say of Plans for a Space Plane

Thanks to advances in nanotechnology, RF and MEMS, researchers say a cloud of miniature self-organizing sensors could monitor chemical spills or tell you your milk is sour.

Dust 'Motes' making their way into modern technology

] China's first piloted spacecraft has entered the outer
] space, and Lieutenant Colonel Yang Liwei is now the first
] Chinese astronaut in space in the world's 241st manned
] space mission.

] At around 9:10, Shenzhou-5 moved into the
] preset orbit, indicating success of China's endeavor to
] hurl a piloted space vehicle of its own into the orbit.

] In the meantime, The Yuanwang-1 measuring vessel has
] been monitoring the target over the Pacific Ocean; and
] the Beijing Space Command and Control Center ordered
] the craft to open up the solar panels.

a big moment for the world.

:: Xinhuanet - English :: China's first manned spacecraft in orbit

] "He was straight up," he added. "He raised a healthy
] tiger. They should find him a job with animals."

Tiger in da hood

Museum security guards stood by nervously Thursday as curators -- joking they hoped the gem's storied curse wouldn't rub off -- allowed a reporter and photographer to hold the diamond briefly after it was removed from its case for scientific study.

What does it feel like to hold such a priceless gem, one of the most famed in the world?

The first thought that comes to mind is "Wow!"

It's like holding a bit of ancient India, the French Revolution, Georgian England and Gilded Age America in one magnificent moment.
You cradle the 45.5-carat stone -- heavier than its translucence makes it appear -- turning it from side to side as the light flashes from its facets, knowing it's the hardest natural material yet fearful of dropping it.

Once part of the French crown jewels, the fabled gem is now the star of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. It normally resides in a special protective display case in a secure room.

For the testing it was taken to a museum laboratory, reachable down winding corridors and through three locked doors. It was only the second time in 20 years the Hope has been removed from its necklace setting, where it is surrounded by bright clear diamonds that intensify its blue color.

National Gem Collection Curator Jeffrey Post ordered the lights turned off and focused an ultraviolet beam on the Hope Diamond. Then he switched off the beam and, in pitch dark, the diamond glowed bright orange-amber.

It's that strong color, which lasts for several seconds after the diamond is exposed to ultraviolet light, that intrigues scientists. What causes the gem to fluoresce remains a mystery. Post speculates it's related to chemical impurities that give it that blue color.

But the Hope Diamond has inspired legends over the years and some may prefer those to sheer science.

Some say, for instance, that the glowing color reflects the blood of royalty spilled in the French Revolution and the trail of bad luck said to have followed the stone over many years -- including the bankruptcy of the Hope family for whom it is named and the death of the young son of later owner Evalyn McLean.

Hope Diamond glows with mystery

] Advexin is an ingenious drug that uses a disabled virus (one that
] causes the common cold, in fact) to deliver a gene called p53 to
] tumor cells. When this gene is mutated, cells can start dividing
] uncontrollably and turning into tumor cells. Advexin delivers a
] normal copy of p53 to tumor cells in order to restore order to the
] cells.

cool...

Anti-cancer drug aproved for FDA fast tracking

] In two days of discussions, the scientists aim to turn
] into a reality an ambition that has been around for at
] least a century: the creation of a space elevator that
] would deliver satellites, spacecraft and even people
] thousands of kilometres into space along a vertical
] track.

this pops up every few months, but looks like it's getting closer to being realistic. of particular note, to me anyway, is the estimated cost of only 7 billion. That's a lot of cash, of course, but compare it with what the prez asked for last week (eighty-seven billion) and it's not too absurd.
And of course, if the 400-fold decrease in (presumably per pound of payload) cost is accurate, 7 billion should be recoupable in fairly short order.
Color me skeptical, but hopeful.

The cheap way to the stars - by escalator

] The hellish climate of Venus may have arisen far more
] recently than previously supposed, suggests new research.
] If so, pleasant Earth-like conditions probably persisted
] for two billion years after the planet's birth - plenty
] of time for life to have developed.

Venus possibly habitable for billions of years - New Scientist

HP doing neato nanoscale stuff...

Reinventing the Transistor