| Uncontrolled fires destroy 'paradise of diversity' Scientists say many native animal species in Northern Australia are "plunging towards extinction". abc.net.au |
In praise of … space clippers | Editorial Robot windjammers laden with instruments could scud out on the gentle breeze from the sun to Europa or Titan and then tack back to EarthThe solar wind is a violent burst of charged particles that creates magnetic storms in the Earth's upper atmosphere. But the sun's light, too, has pressure: Nasa scientists calculated 30 years ago that in the vacuum of space, the impact of sunlight on a gossamer-thin mirror would be enough to get it moving with an acceleration of a millimetre per second per second. This doesn't sound much, but within 24 hours a space sailing ship could be travelling at 100 metres a second, and still be accelerating. It could reach Mars in 400 days. The US Planetary Society has twice tried to launch a prototype space sailing ship; in May this year the Japanese space agency sent its experimental "kite" Ikaros floating towards Venus. And today the European Planetary Science Congress in Rome will hear the case for a fleet of "data-clippers" – robot windjammers laden with instruments, scudding out on the gentle breeze from the sun to Europa or Titan and then tacking back to Earth to download vast quantities of scientific data stored in flash memory. The biggest costs in space are rocket fuel and data transmission across epic distances. A fleet of automaton solar-wind-powered ships would greatly cut the costs and thereby multiply the returns. But beyond this ultimate economy drive, think of the beauty: of a fleet of silent windjammers, riding on radiation alone, literally making light work of charting the planets and their many satellites – all the way to the very last outposts of the empire of the sun.Space technologySpaceguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Western lawmakers turn sights on endangered wolves By MATTHEW BROWN 2010-10-04T01:19:24ZBILLINGS, Mont. (AP) -- Two decades after the federal government spent a half-million dollars to study the reintroduction of gray wolves to the Northern Rockies, lawmakers say it's time for Congress to step in again - this time to clamp down on the endangered animals.... hosted.ap.org |
Malaysia to use lab mosquitoes to fight dengue By 2010-10-11T10:00:39ZPUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysia could be the first country in Asia to use genetically modified mosquitoes to battle a rise in dengue fever, government authorities said Monday.... hosted.ap.org |
Vital Signs: Aging: Unsteady on Your Feet? Try Moving to Music A music and exercise program lowered the risk of falling in elderly participants, a study found. feeds.nytimes.com |