Category: science

Not good.
Much much worse.

Mars news:
Mars probe returns colour images. The BBC server has been struggling a bit lately with the Mars probe pages – you might find that the NASA pages are more reliable.
D-Day approaches for Beagle 2 – at least, the BBC would like you to think that. In truth, tomorrow is the first of several D-Days, although if there is no success tomorrow, it will be very disheartening.

Spirit lands safely on Mars. Related: NASA Mars rovers homepage.

Some science stories for you:
Stardust probe rendevous with comet – related: NASA Stardust homepage.
Millenium Seed Bank nears complete collection of UK plant species – related: MSB homepage.
Plans drawn up for solar-powered aerial circumnavigation – related: Solar Impulse homepage.

A reminder that there is more to space exploration at the moment than missions to Mars: Sino-European mission, Double Star, prepares for launch.
Related: European Space Agency news page on Double Star.

Old Japanese documents confirm warnings of future North American earthquakes.

Also: Magnitude 6.5 earthquake shakes California, roughly 70 miles from Santa Barbara. My friends in SBA report a "rolling motion" that made them feel dizzy. Apparently, the contents of the whisky cupboard were undamaged, to the relief of all concerned.
More news reports: San Luis Obispo Tribune.

More wooing and yaying: Beagle 2 successfully detaches from Mars Express.

Related: Beagle 2 official homepage.

Privately built aircraft breaks the sound barrier. If I was very rich, I’d have one of these. Just think of the time saved for getting to meetings!

Related:
Scaled Composites.
The X Prize.
Bristol Spaceplanes.

Mars probe Beagle 2 enters crucial phase. Fingers crossed.

A couple of interesting science and technology stories from the BBC:
Oldest evidence of photosynthesis found – "Life may be older and more robust than we thought".
Bendy lampposts may save lives – or may provide endless fun for vandals.