Miscellaneous Space and Science Stuff

The kids at OpenNASA.com have a white paper out on "participatory exploration." It's probably worth a read. Participatory exploration basically means incorporating user-driven web applications that allow citizens to affect the direction of future space missions.

The University of Colorado at Boulder has begun a "Center for Space Entrepreneurship." This is a necessary incubator of the future space economy. Some of this Center reminds me of my "Starfleet Academy" school proposal. The school system in Colorado has some interesting things going on. I've met some folks from the Colorado School of Mines who also have a great interest in space exploration, particularly their Center for Space Resources.

If you're looking for the latest images of the Ares I-X flight test, check out this site: http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=166

Jerry Pournelle on the greatest threat to America. Short version: we're providing an inadequate education to the top 25% of our students, we're not accepting the fact that half of the population is below average, and we're not educating the rest according to their abilities, but according to the democratic notion that "Everyone deserves a world-class prep school education" (Bill Gates).

And finally, a fun commercial for getting kids interested in engineering: