NASA’s latest Mars probe, Curiosity, a nuclear robot with science fiction abilities

Tomorrow morning NASA will launch a Mars Probe, MSL Curiosity, into space for an eight month space journey and then a one year trek across the surface of the planet.

A brief description of the probe:

A new robotic mission to Mars, carrying 10 highly sophisticated instruments to seek the basic chemicals of life in the planet’s ancient rocks, is standing on the launchpad at Cape Canaveral, ready to lift off Saturday morning aboard an Atlas V rocket on a 350 million-mile journey.

The six-wheeled rover named Curiosity is headed for the flanks of a Martian mountain that exists inside a crater where layers of sedimentary rock may hold evidence of what the planet was like a billion or more years ago: warmer, probably; wetter, most probably; and an abode for living organisms – just maybe.

Curiosity’s tools will drill into the mountain’s layered rocks and zap them with a laser so spectrometers can analyze the powdery particles to determine their composition.

Via SFGate

There’s more to the story than lasers and spectral analysis, including a return to nuclear powered robots, this one has a core of plutonium. Not to mention that Curiosity looks like Johnny Five’s bigger, geekier older brother, but that’s not what fascinates me.

It’s the science fiction that does. Two key elements of this mission remind me directly of Star Wars. The first is the Sky Crane that uses rocket thrusters to lower the robot to the surface of Mars.

Continue reading “NASA’s latest Mars probe, Curiosity, a nuclear robot with science fiction abilities”

NASA's latest Mars probe, Curiosity, a nuclear robot with science fiction abilities

Tomorrow morning NASA will launch a Mars Probe, MSL Curiosity, into space for an eight month space journey and then a one year trek across the surface of the planet.

A brief description of the probe:

A new robotic mission to Mars, carrying 10 highly sophisticated instruments to seek the basic chemicals of life in the planet’s ancient rocks, is standing on the launchpad at Cape Canaveral, ready to lift off Saturday morning aboard an Atlas V rocket on a 350 million-mile journey.

The six-wheeled rover named Curiosity is headed for the flanks of a Martian mountain that exists inside a crater where layers of sedimentary rock may hold evidence of what the planet was like a billion or more years ago: warmer, probably; wetter, most probably; and an abode for living organisms – just maybe.

Curiosity’s tools will drill into the mountain’s layered rocks and zap them with a laser so spectrometers can analyze the powdery particles to determine their composition.

Via SFGate

There’s more to the story than lasers and spectral analysis, including a return to nuclear powered robots, this one has a core of plutonium. Not to mention that Curiosity looks like Johnny Five’s bigger, geekier older brother, but that’s not what fascinates me.

It’s the science fiction that does. Two key elements of this mission remind me directly of Star Wars. The first is the Sky Crane that uses rocket thrusters to lower the robot to the surface of Mars.

Continue reading “NASA's latest Mars probe, Curiosity, a nuclear robot with science fiction abilities”

A profile of one of the best sculptors in the world – MacDonald

A piece I found in the Summer 2011 Edition of Pelican Hill Magazine that profiles the best peak-action sculptor in the world. I love sculpture as an art form and so I eat up stories like this.

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The Human Theater of Richard MacDonald

Richard MacDonald first noticed the small group of men and women gathered outside his hotel as he was leaving for one of his art openings about six years ago. MacDonald, one of the foremost figurative sculptors in the country, recognized an avid collector among the waiting entourage.

When he arrived at his gallery in downtown Laguna, which was packed with more than 1,000 people to see his latest work, MacDonald spotted the same group again.They were all dressed in black tie attire, although the opening was not a formal affair.This time one of the women, wearing an evening gown, approached him.

She whispered in his ear, “He’s dying. He has only days to live and flew all of us out here. It was one of the last things he wanted to do was see your art.”

Continue reading “A profile of one of the best sculptors in the world – MacDonald”

Thanksgiving stuffing the Southern way – cornbread dressing

Thanksgiving has a knack for highlighting regional fault lines and exposing local prejudices. Consider stuffing, the holiday’s quintessential side dish. The very word invites conflict, since many Southerners call it “dressing,” whether it’s stuffed into a turkey or baked separately from the bird. But the vital controversy arises over substance: Depending on where you’re from and who your ancestors were, you might make it out of white bread, out of rice or other grains—even out of chestnuts.

In which cases you’d be sorely mistaken, because the correct way to make stuffing is out of cornbread. Cornbread is the only foundation for stuffing that provides real character

You’re Doing it Wrong: Stuffing

In my family nobody owns this sacred dish and next year I plan on making it my own.

I’m soaking up stuffing recipes like a sponge (err, like stuffing) in preparation. L.V. Anderson really sells cornbread but it may not be enough to take me away from Religious Rolls (aka my favorite bread lady at the farmers market).

Best Breaking Dawn review – two fembots raging

Word to the wise, this is full fembot, at times NSFW, but hilarious…

Natasha: You know who the hottest person at the wedding was though? CHARLIE SWAN.

 

Mary: SO HOT IN A TUX. OMG. With an old fashioned bowtie.

Natasha: WITH HIS MOOOOSTACHE AND COP HANDS!!!

Mary: Total cop hands: calloused, intuitive yet still warm.

Natasha: STOP IT, IM GOING TO BREAK THE BED.

Mary: You could light a match off of them jawns.

Natasha: We need to address how HYSTERICALLY pale they made Edward Sparkles McDead look for this installment.

Mary: He was POWDERED. He looked like funnel cake.

Natasha: Undead funnel cake.

…

Read the full piece at The Awl