Overview

Link: "Clyde’s Spot" on Jupiter [NASA.gov]

Link: Lunar Crater Radio Telescope (LCRT) on the Far-Side of the Moon [NASA.gov]

Link: A lot of the periodic table is a result of neutron stars colliding [The Economist]

Link: Bizarre shape of interstellar asteroid - BBC News

Link 1: Antimatter atom trapped and measured with a laser for first time While there is more work to be done these latest findings support the Standard Model of Particle Physics. Link 2: Standard Model [Wikipedia]

Link: Catalog of Earth Satellite Orbits : Feature Articles

Link: Largest Structure In Universe, Large Quasar Group, Challenges Cosmological Principle The Large Quasar Group is so large that light takes 4,000,000,000 years to cross from one side to the other. A̶m̶a̶z̶i̶n̶g̶!̶ Stellar!

Ever wanted to see a subway style map of the course of science, this guy has made it possible: Science, Reason and Critical Thinking: Modern Science Map http://www.crispian.net/ScienceMapv0.37.png

A Single Molecule Computes Thousands of Times Faster than Your PC | Popular Science Looks like quantum computing is still making incremental steps foward which will eventually make for some very quick computers and open up a whole new field of research that it simply to computationally intensive to do now.

Link: Molecules with "Silly" or Unusual Names Note: Use the link with caution as although the chemical names are genuine some might be misconstrued if seen on your screen out of context.

Link: Scientist eyes 39-day voyage to Mars Journey to Mars in 39 days? Sounds incredible!

Link: The Universe In Colour Astrophotography by Robert Gendler. Some of these pictures could be suitable as desktop wallpapers?

We had been using this at the last school I was Network Manager for. I doubt that they use it now. Now you have reminded me of it I will 'relaunch' it at my current school. Thanks.

Ran across this site in a Microsoft breifing oddly enough but it seems to good science search engine. From the MS point of view it also uses a Sharepoint backend Scirus - for scientific information

Their site appears to be down for me too and the 2000 character limit in these group forums is annoying. Here is the slashdot story but it does not provide many more details Slashdot Technology Story | Using EMP To Punch Holes In Steel here is a way better link Electromagnetic Pulse Cuts Through Steel In 200 Milliseconds | Popular Science

The page referenced in the post does not load for me [RSS feed?]

It turns out that EMPs are useful for more than cooking your appliances wirelessly. EMP metal shapeing has been in manufacturing use for a while now where an EM pulse is used to induce a current in a bit of sheet metal, this current makes the metal magnetic and the force of the primary magnet pulls the metal into the desired shape. This technology has been supercharged in a way that would make Clarkson prowd by tweaking the existing coils making them take more current and discharging the electricity faster a much stronger feild is created. This is actually able to toolessly punch specific sized holes in metal much faster than lasers, as there is not physical contact the 'punch' never wears out and there are no burs on the resulting holes. The EMP cutter applies the force of 3500 atmosphers onto a section about 1cm square. Link

Interesting, oh and I'd probably attempt metaphore. Start by describing how they found the circumference of the earth with two sticks and a guy pasing a measured distance then convey that it is the same kind of thing. Little measurements from a long way away along with the best understanding and ideas of the time. Either that or get him the box set of the Cosmos tv series which is a good watch if you are into science.

My Father-In-Law often asks me how scientists can 'experiment' on stars if they are indeed so far away. I can't get over to him how things work. May be I shouldn't even start with this news: Astronomers simulate how white dwarf stars merge and become a supernova

That is impressive. I think I stumbled over this a month or so ago on PhysOrg.com Scientists Image the 'Anatomy' of a Molecule (w/ Video) which has a little more detail on their methods. I think that the truely massive breakthroughs will come when they perfect the manufacturing of metamaterial lenses for sub wavelength optics that should allow actual sharp images to be taken of the structures rather than the less precise use of a force based probe to obtain the imaging.

I had thought that imaging atom-to-atom bonds would not be possible. Atomic-bond resolution microscopy Amazing.