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NASA's HETE Coming Down
terrymr writes "NASA expects the High Energy Transient Experiment spacecraft which failed to successfully detach from the third stage of its launch rocket in 1996 to fall to earth within the next few days. While most of the spacecraft will likely burn up in the upper atmosphere there is a good chance that the spacecraft's batteries (weighing 33lbs each) may reach the ground intact. Current predictions put re-entry at 4:41 EDT Sunday April 7 (+/- two days)."
There it lay.. a thing of beauty. Little puddles of water shimmered on the surface, and small shapes of moonlight reflected off the soft yellow form of the toilet. I stood back and admired my work as the roaches scurried about. Then it hit me... I'm going to die for my sin.
.. the fall into madness that leaves me here in this severely disturbed state, in this bathroom... the daemons which torment my poor soul on this awful night... My gaze settles on the creeping mold behind the toilet as the dank room blurs out of view.
... but I was going to have my revenge. I kicked down the back door and dragged all the stuff upstairs to the bathroom near his room. There I went to work, mixing the thick concrete in his dingy toilet like a bowl of slowly petrifying hot grits. My foul, evil mixture began to harden as the night passed. Soon, all the toilets, sinks and bathtubs in the house had suffered the same fate. Even the mighty washing machine was filled with the thick stone. I prayed to god that this act of pure evil would free me from the daemons that laughed at me, the same horrible trolls that forced me to commit this terrible crime. I chuckled to myself as I imagined that cretinistic moose lugging a concrete filled toilet down a flight of stairs. I hoped that he'd break his fucking spine...
Allow me to explain what has transpired here tonight
--
It was earlier in the evening. I had just finished getting dressed. The rented tux was stiff and uncomfortable, not to mention expensive. The happiest night of my sixteen years of life was about to take place. It was almost 8:00, and she was going to be there soon. I couldn't wait to go to the prom.
Jen was an interesting girl, generic though interesting in many ways. She wasn't the prettiest girl in my history class, but she was the only one willing to go out with someone like myself. She was only in ninth grade, though she was not much younger than me. The relationship between Jen and I was not as important as how this night was going to go.
My parents were upstairs yelling and fighting next to my room as the doorbell rang. I jumped off my bed and ran downstairs. As I threw open the door, the biggest ogre I've ever known was at the door. He lived a few houses down, and he has bullied me since I was in second grade. I looked around his massive hulk to see his large, noisy, black chevy nova idling in my driveway. I did a double take as I saw Jen sitting in the passenger seat, looking in the mirror and primping. She looked down a little bit and our eyes met for a split second. She gave me a wry smile and a little wave, then glanced away. It was obvious that she was not going to be my date this night.
I sat in the garage and cried for an hour or so, sitting on a large sack of cement mix. Fine powder had poured out of a small tear in the bag, my tears mixed with the powder on the floor. This gave me an idea. I grabbed the wheelbarrow in the corner of the garage and loaded up the materials for my dirty deed.
Nobody was home at Jason's house, the big brute had my date
... but me. Was I going to live to see the sun rise in the morning?
Kathy is pregnant !
Will that be a boy or girl ?
American StupidityAmerican Stupidity
(without permission)Associated Press
Herald-Leader
Friday, May 24, 1996
WASHINGTON - Less than half of American adults understand that the Earth orbits the sun yearly, according to a basic science survey. Despite flubbing such questions, there is enthusiasm for research -except in some fields such as genetic engineering and nuclear power that are viewed with suspicion.
Only about 25% of American adults got passing grades in a survey by the National Science Foundation of what people know about basic science and economics. Even fewer of those surveyed felt they were well-informed about technical subjects.
The worst showing came when those surveyed were asked to define scientific terms. Only about 9% knew what a molecule was, and only 21% could define DNA.
But even more fundamental questions stumped man: Less than 1/2 knew that the Earth orbits the sun annually. In a test of environmental understanding, 1/3 of Americans surveyed understood the effects of a thinning ozone layer, 14% could identify locations of ozone holes, and only 5% could give a scientific explanation of acid rain.
Even money questions stumped most Americans. A 10-point quiz on economics showed that only 22% could correctly answer 7 or more of the questions. "Only 10% feel feel very well informed about science and technology, and studies show that only a small segment of the population has a strong grasp of basic scientific ideas," according to a report released yesterday by the foundation. On a 10-part quiz testing scientific understanding, only 27% of the American adults surveyed could answer 7 or more questions.
Despite a fundamental lack of understanding, the survey found that 72% of American adults think science research is worthwhile. Only 13% took the opposite view. Among college graduates, 90% thought the benefits of research outweighed the risks, while only 48% of those who did not complete high school felt that way. The survey, however, found many Americans fearful of some aspects of science. Support for nuclear power was about evenly split, with 43% saying its benefits were greater than its risks, and 42% taking an opposite view; 14% were uncertain. Genetic engineering fared only slightly better. 43% saw it as beneficial, but 35% said the dangers outweigh benefits. About 20% were undecided. Medical discoveries were rated the most interesting science topics in 69% of those who took the survey. Space exploration scored the lowest - just 25%. About 40% of those surveyed expressed high confidence in scientists and medical workers. The rating was only 25% for leaders in education, religion, and corporations.
GO AHEAD; CHECK YOURSELF OUT
1. The center of the earth is very hot. (True/false)
2. The oxygen we breathe comes from plants (true/false)
3. Electrons are smaller than atoms (true/false)
4. The continents on which we live have been moving their location for millions of years and will continue to move in the future. (true/false)
5. Human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals. (true/false)
6. The earliest human beings lived at the same time as the dinosaurs. (true/false)
7. Which travels faster: light or sound?
8. How long does it take for Earth to go around the sun: one day / one month / or one year?
9. Tell me, in your own words, what is DNA?
10. Tell me, in your own words, what is a molecule?
Answers, along with the percentage of correct responses:
1. True - 78% 2. True - 85% 3. True - 44% 4. True - 79% 5. True - 44% 6. False - 48% 7. light - 75% 8. one year - 47% 9. DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is a large molecule in the chromosomes which contain the genetic information for each cell. 21% 10. Molecule is the smallest unit of a chemical compound capable of existing independently while retaining the properties of the original substance. 9%
It would be interesting to add a webpage containing a list of hardware that is compatible with this SDR out-of-the-box or is planned to be supported.
can i lay in bed next to you
If it was at all possible, would NASA consider forcefully bringing the satellite down, eg: over an unpopulated area of an ocean?
Or would this have unfortunate legal issues: international airspace, colateral damage.
* 2002-04-05 19:01:34 Uncontrolled Re-entry of Spacecraft to Occur This Weekend(articles,space) (rejected)
Fuck you!