Новости за 04.11.2010

This morning, NASA’s EPOXI mission whizzed by the comet Hartley 2, coming as near as 450 miles to the comet at 8 a.m. and snapping pictures all the while. The icy comet is less than a mile in diameter and has an irregular shape that one NASA researcher recently described as "a cross between a bowling pin and a pickle." The images are already streaming in: Head to Bad Astronomy for more pictures and a discussion of what these snapshots tell us about Hartley 2. This is the second cometary encoun

MIT may have found the answer to astronauts' bone loss in space: really, really tight suits. The new suit -- the Gravity Loading Countermeasure Skinsuit -- aims to mimic the effect of gravity on the body. The tight catsuit wouldn’t look out of place in a superhero comic. It features stirrups that hook over the feet and it is purposefully cut too short so that it stretches over the body when worn, pulling the wearer’s shoulders down. The aim is to make sure the legs experience greater force than

When we last left Washington's attempt at climate and energy legislation this summer, the House of Representatives had narrowly passed its bill, but the Senate's crashed and burned. With the dust settling from from Tuesday's midterm elections and Republicans preparing to assume majority in the House, what's next? Congressional gridlock Yesterday President Obama conceded that legislation to limit greenhouse gas emissions is not going to happen under the incoming Congress. "Cap-and-trade was jus

Among post election stories, this reaction at Politico really left something wanting in the correlation-is-not-causation department: House Democrats who voted for last year’s cap-and-trade bill took a beating last night. Nearly 30 (and counting) who cast ‘aye’ votes for Waxman-Markey were swept away on Tuesday’s anti-incumbent wave. The casualties ranged from 14-term Rep. Rick Boucher to freshman lawmakers like Betsy Markey, Mark Schauer and Tom Perriello. The implication here is that in an elec

Circus debuts on PBS tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern (though you should check local listings to confirm when it's airing in your area).

Is 3D technology the next big wave in video? Or should we skip right ahead to holography? New research is developing ways to stream almost-live video to holographic display, providing a three-dimensional, realistic image without the need for those dorky plastic 3D glasses. And before you ask--yes, this does bring us one step closer to living in a Star Wars world, where holographic princesses deliver desperate pleas for help. This is the first time researchers [have demonstrated] an optical mat