HoustonChronicle.com – Famed Houston scientist Richard Smalley dies
Richard Smalley, who won a Nobel Prize for the discovery and study of the peculiar carbon atom molecule arrangements called “buckyballs”, has died of cancer.
The use of buckyballs and carbon nanotubes is only beginning, so the legacy and impact Smalley has on science and engineering has not yet come to full fruition.
Monthly Archives: October 2005
Current Reading List 10/28/05
Unreservedly highly recommended books are, as always, in bold.
Book Reviews 2005 (51)
Our next book is a sequel to Ill Wind, Book number 39 of this year.
The second volume of Rachel Caine’s Weather Warden Series, Heat Stroke.
Mars will be spectacular this weekend, really
CNN.com – Skywatchers await Mars close-up – Oct 27, 2005
I’ve seen a variation on the “Mars will be spectacular soon.” meme float around emails for some time. This has been inaccurate, a leftover from 2003 when it really was bright and spectacular.
This weekend, Saturday to be precise, Mars will be a relative maximum in brightness and relatively close–although, again, not as close as in 2003.
I hope the skies are clear Saturday Night. The closest approach will be at 11:25 PM EDT. (So, 10:30 for us here in the Midwest).
UPDATE: This morning, at 5 am, as I walked out to my car to go to work, what should I see, not far away from Orion, but the bright red dot of Mars. I wished I had my binoculars handy, for it really did blaze in its portion of the sky, to the exclusion of everything else. The reddish glow was definitely evident.
Miers out
CNN.com – Miers withdraws Supreme Court nomination – Oct 27, 2005
Unsurprisingly, given its broad opposition, Harriet Miers has withdrawn from being a nominee for the US Supreme Court.
While the reason given I think is a fig leaf, I think the real reason is that the “Darth Vader” wing of the Republican Party wasn’t convinced she was completely on their team.
Me, I didn’t like her because she was plainly unqualified to sit with the other eight justices. I’d rather have someone smart, and completely at odds with my philosophy than someone who can’t pull their weight on the most important Bench in the land.
Another year, another World Series curse broken
White Sox win first World Series since 1917 – Baseball – MSNBC.com
Last year, the Red Sox ended their World Series curse with a sweep of the Cardinals.
This year, the White Sox, who have not gone to the World series since 1959, and not won since the Black Sox scandal back in 1919, have swept the Astros.
Four very different games and wins for the Sox, too. A compleat and dominant victory.
Maybe next year, Cubs fans will get their own relief at long last, too.
A Pro Evolution Guinness Ad
Best Ads On TV
Via, Liz, who pointed it out to me, a pro-Evolution Guinness Ad, apparently aired in Britain.
Here, it would get protests from the Creationists.
Just go watch it, its a good ad.
Rest in Peace, Wellington Mara
NFL.com – New York Giants Team News
Wellington Mara, co-owner of the NY Giants for 70 years, has passed away.
Rest in Peace.
If there are buses in heaven, she won’t be sitting in the back
Rosa Parks, civil rights heroine, is dead
Rosa Parks, civil rights heroine, has passed away.
NYG 24 Denver 23
NFL.com – Denver at New York Game Recap
Aka, Who are you and what have you done with my New York Giants?!?
A Game winning touchdown drive running the two minute offense–against the Denver Broncos?
I thought they were toast after missing a field goal and getting intercepted in two consecutive drives in the 4th quarter, but in the end, they managed to come back and win it.
And despite all of that, winning isn’t everything, its the only thing.