Astronaut Asks Congress to Investigate Threatening Asteroid

Extracts:

A former NASA astronaut (Russell Schweickart) will call on the U.S. Congress to evaluate an asteroid with a small chance of hitting Earth in 2036 and suggest lawmakers consider a space mission to monitor the object.

The odds of a collision in 2036 are about 1-in-10,000.

There are no formal plans in place, at NASA or elsewhere, for destroying or deflecting an incoming asteroid. But if it needs to be nudged off course, you don’t wait until after 2029, Schweickart explained. By then it will take far more energy to deflect the rock, he said.

"Given the devastation that would occur, everyone would want to commit to a deflection mission," Schweickart said. In fleshing out his preliminary analysis, an estimated "path of risk" has been plotted out.

Since Earth is 70 percent ocean, any possible impact might logically be a splashdown. Schweickart lays out one scenario -- again, the odds of such a result are very small -- in which 2004 MN4 hits the Pacific Ocean, about 680 miles (1,100 kilometers) off the Southern California coast. The entire western coastline of the United States would experience a devastating tsunami, resulting in billions of dollars worth of damage, Schweickart says.

Given data from the radio transponder, scientists would be able to conclude by 2014 that the asteroid whether the asteroid has a decent chance of hitting or not, Schweickart figures.

"Either way…our course of action is clear," he said. "We either plan another series of cocktail parties to watch the asteroid go by in 2036 -- as we will have done in 2029 -- or we mount the most important space mission in human history."

All you have to do is to extract at least 11 pounds (five kilograms) of breathable oxygen from a volcanic ash-derived lunar soil substitute called JSC-1 within 8 hours. The competition expires June 1, 2008.

I should have become a scientist.

Check here, here, and here. My trigger finger sent 2 of the first. :p

Kaku joins the Kittenwar. We'll keep ya updated if she gets enlisted.

The 5 closest matches with #1 as the closest. A rather interesting analysis. More accurate than the last quiz I have to say, although as with quizzes, most cover the spectrum. Fascinating thing is that the potential careers I might have ended up in are found in each of the categories: scientist, programmer, mathematician, programmer, lawyer, forensic pathologist (yup!), and photographer.

Your #1 Match: INTJ

The Scientist You have a head for ideas - and you are good at improving systems. Logical and strategic, you prefer for everything in your life to be organized. You tend to be a bit skeptical. You're both critical of yourself and of others. Independent and stubborn, you tend to only befriend those who are a lot like you. You would make an excellent scientist, engineer, or programmer.

Your #2 Match: INTP

The Thinker You are analytical and logical - and on a quest to learn everything you can. Smart and complex, you always love a new intellectual challenge. Your biggest pet peeve is people who slow you down with trivial chit chat. A quiet maverick, you tend to ignore rules and authority whenever you feel like it. You would make an excellent mathematician, programmer, or professor.

Your #3 Match: ISTJ

The Duty Fulfiller You are responsible, reliable, and hardworking - you get the job done. You prefer productive hobbies, like woodworking or knittings. Quiet and serious, you are well prepared for whatever life hands you. Conservative and down-to-earth, you hardly ever do anything crazy. You would make a great business executive, accountant, or lawyer.

Your #4 Match: ISTP

The Mechanic You are calm and collected, even in the most difficult of situations. A person of action and self-direction, you love being independent. To outsiders yous eem impulsive, surprising, and unpredictable. You are good at understanding how all things work, except for people. You would make an excellent pilot, forensic pathologist, or athlete.

Your #5 Match: INFJ

The Protector You live your life with integrity, originality, vision, and creativity. Independent and stubborn, you rarely stray from your vision - no matter what it is. You are an excellent listener, with almost infinite patience. You have complex, deep feelings, and you take great care to express them. You would make a great photographer, alternative medicine guru, or teacher.

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you're told that you're loved.

You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic.

Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.

In this moment, you think of love as something you can get or discard anytime. You're feeling self centered.

Interesting analysis although somewhat contradictory.

You are 93% Scorpio

:O V, is it true? :O

To my absolute delight, I found the Hulk himself on the net blogging! :O

My green hero's day today wasn't too good though...:

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

HULK DID NOT MEAN TO SMASH THAT STUPID PINBALL MACHINE AT THE PIZZA PLACE THAT LETS HULK EAT HIS SLICES BUT THE OTHER HULK WAS IN THE GLASS THERE, MAKING FUN OF HULK!!!

Hulk will catch you, Other Hulk.

Hope for my Dad.

Extracts:

"Our approach represents a novel approach in tissue engineering," Dr. Ferber said. "It allows inducing a developmental redirection of adult fully differentiated tissues, allowing these tissues to acquire a new identity and function, without altering the original genetic information."

"In our application of converting liver to endocrine pancreas, it allows the diabetic patient to be also the donor of his own therapeutic tissue," Dr. Ferber explained. "A similar approach could be implemented in treating additional degenerative or metabolic diseases that involve other tissues."

Dr. Ferber said that additional studies will examine whether transdifferentiated cells resist autoimmune attack, as in type 1 diabetes, and will simulate autologous implantation in larger animals. She anticipates initial experiments in humans in several years.