Potpourri CI

The Ares Projects were supposed to have the first static (ground) test of the five-segment solid rocket motor. Unfortunately, the computer shut down the countdown 20 seconds before firing due to a problem with the auxiliary power unit in the thrust vector control system. If that sounded like Greek to you, it doesn't really matter. The test was stopped because of a problem, which can happen when it's a test, but of course NASAWatch's Keith Cowing will probably be working overtime tonight, wallowing in the "joy" (for him) of a perceived problem with Ares.

Oh, yes: and the Ares Projects Manager, Steve Cook, is resigning from the agency. Interesting times indeed. One wonders what tomorrow will bring.

Some articles/podcasts from the National Academies Press on communicating about science:

• Science for All Seasons: Communicating Science to Diverse Audiences
• Information and Misinformation at the Speed of Light
• Science and Hollywood: Education Through Entertainment

Florida Today has a good summary of the most likely options the Augustine Panel is going to offer to President Obama regarding human spaceflight. It's focused on its impact on Florida's "Space Coast" (Kennedy Space Center), but is still a useful read.

From my NASA PAO feed, an academic scholarship opportunity:

NASA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR AERONAUTICS SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate will begin accepting scholarship applications on Sept. 1, 2009, for the 2010 academic year. The application deadline is Jan. 11, 2010.

"These scholarships are a fantastic way to support our brightest students and encourage them to finish their education, expose them to NASA's research programs and inspire them to pursue a career in aeronautics," said Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

NASA expects to award 20 undergraduate and five graduate scholarships to students in aeronautics or related fields. Undergraduate students entering their second year of study will receive up to $15,000 per year for two years and the opportunity to receive a $10,000 stipend by interning at a NASA research center during the summer. Graduate students will receive up to $35,000 per annually for up to three years, with an opportunity to receive a $10,000 stipend interning at a NASA research center up to two consecutive summers.

Students who have not committed to a specific academic institution or program still may apply. However, if accepted, they must be admitted by fall 2010 into a suitable aeronautical engineering program or related field of study at an accredited U.S. university. All applicants must be U.S. citizens. Scholarship money may be used for tuition and other school-related expenses.

NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate conducts cutting-edge, fundamental research in traditional and emerging disciplines. The intent is to help transform the nation's air transportation system and to support development of future air and space vehicles. Goals include improving airspace capacity and flexibility; aviation safety and aircraft performance; reducing overall noise, engine emissions and fuel usage.

For details about this scholarship program, including how to apply, visit: http://asee.org/nasaasp

From Lin:

• Newt Gingrich on why government can't and shouldn't run health care.
• The Democrats are going to use the death of Senator Ted Kennedy to push through nationalized health care.

Dominick Dunne, an astute and clever writer with a unique niche--crime and punishment among America's upper class--has passed away. A shame. His abiding sense of justice, fueled by his daughter's murder, gave his fiction a fierce quality quite at odds with his restrained, upper-crusty characters. A great writer.

Popular Mechanics has an article about SpaceX.

Want to know the average internet connection speed in your neighborhood? Check this out.

A story from my old home town of Lombard, Illinois: a little "incident" at the fire department. Whups!

From Gwen: a story by CNN that beer prices are likely to go up due to "commodity" prices. Reading between the lines, beer prices are going up because energy (petroleum) prices are going up, and you need petroleum/hydrocarbons to make fuel for tractors and chemicals for fertilizer. This is why we need to pump more oil.

Did you know Cheryl Ladd (of Charlie's Angels fame) had her own web site? Well, jeez, who doesn't?

Oh yeah--and score one more for the Science Cheerleader! Darlene was profiled on her local (Philadelphia) CBS affiliate. Gooooo Dar!

Energy and Its Opponents

NASA "scientist" (the quotes are on purpose--he shifted from serious scientist to advocate years ago) has been arrested along with actress Darryl Hannah and others for obstructing traffic in a protest against coal power. Hansen is upset about global warming and its potentiallly catastrophic effects on the planet (ignoring the catastrophic effects brought about by another Ice Age).

We need a little rationality on the energy debate, which we are unlikely to get, because the two "sides" of the issue are at serious cross-purposes:

1. Global warming is happening! It's serious, deadly, and we need to act NOW to prevent an even greater catastrophe!
2. Climates are changing all the time via "weather." Why don't we collect more data before we make a bad decision that does more harm than good?

Then there's the fact that global climate change advocates' solutions for the problem lead inevitably to a contracting of the Western way of life. Consider their treatment of the primary forms of energy used today:

1. Petroleum: A finite resource that is the primary creator of pollution and global warming.
2. Nuclear: Too dangerous due to potential meltdowns (even though Three Mile Island, the worst nuclear power accident in American history, never hurt a single human being).
3. Coal: It's "dirty," and must be eliminated.
4. Natural gas: A finite resource, essentially a form of petroleum, and so must be subject to restrictions or rationing.
5. Hydroelectric: Dams can drown or destroy animal and plant habitats (human habitats are conveniently ignored).
6. Ground-based solar: Ideal (even though it produces less than 1% of U.S. energy needs and is essentially useless on cloudy days, at night, and at higher latitudes with lower amounts of sunlight).
7. Geothermal: Okay (but limited to places where geothermal vents are present).
8. Wind: Ideal (even though the wind doesn't blow all the time, and if we want to keep our economy functioning at the current levels, we'd need hundreds of thousands of them--oh, and where are we going to get the energy and petrochemicals necessary to manufacture these windmills?).

These sources haven't been used yet, but protests can't be far away...

1. Space-based solar power: No organized lobby against SBSP, though I can imagine it will be objected to on public safety and military grounds ("It could be used as a weapon to fry people!").
2. Helium-3 fusion: Another energy source so far lacking an enemy. However, it is nuclear power (you know--like that sun that's providing solar power?), and so must be evil, even if it hasn't been accomplished yet.
3. Tide and Ocean-thermal electric conversion (OTEC): Tidal energy hasn't gotten a lot of attention, but would probably get negative points for cluttering up rich people's beachfront property. OTEC would require very large, oil derrick-like structures over the deep places in the ocean. You run a cable down to the cold regions of the deep ocean, and the temperature difference creates a potential difference, and thus electrical current. No doubt these structures would be protested for being ugly in the middle of nowhere.

Anyhow, I can only assume that those who protest all useful energy production must have a death wish. The internet takes energy. Creating plastic computers (you know: Macs) requires energy and petrochemicals. Creating high-productivity fertilizers to improve crop productivity and feed the hungry millions of the world requires energy. Creating new pharmaceuticals to keep everyone healthy requires energy plus complex chemistry, often found in petrochemicals. CAT scans, MRIs, and other medical wonders require energy to operate and energy to manufacture. Coffee makers require energy to manufacture and operate. Even bicycles and basic garden tools require energy to be produced--energy often provided by hydrocarbons (aka petroleum). Trucks, trains, and aircraft require fuel to transport necessary goods to stores.

We cannot cut ALL of the high-density energy resources from our economy, or millions, nay, billions of human beings will starve for lack of food, transportation, and medicine. The upcoming "cap and trade" legislation is simply a tax on energy, and it will hurt everybody in the name of a cause that has yet to close its scientific case. When are we going to say "Enough!"?