Avatar photoPettiness Toward IAEA Undermines International Security

Does Bush dodge photo ops with ElBaradei? Even more pettiness? Bill Broad and David Sanger have must reading in The New York Times today. They report that the Bush Administration has essentially no relationship with the IAEA, stifling investigation of the A.Q. Khan network. Broad and Sanger open with a fascinating story of a petty …

Avatar photoMore on Asteroids

On the subject asteroids and other near eath objects, Slashdot has the best coverage on 2004 MN4. JPL has a nice fact sheet replete with animations. 2004 MN4 has a 1/63 chance of hitting the earth, with the damage depending on the asteroid’s composition. Let’s focus on the real threats. The worst case is “if …

Avatar photoAsteroids and Arms Control

Final NEAR Shoemaker Descent Images of Eros from February 2001 at 1,150 meters. Nothing says holiday cheer like the reminder that total planetary annihilation is a statistical fact of existence in our universe. Astronomers spotted an near earth object after it passed about 36,000 km by the earth. The asteroid—2004 YD5—was about 5 meters wide …

Avatar photoVirtual Visit from the USAF Office of Special Investigations

Someone from Air Force Office of Special Investigations googled “counterspace AND SAP”—as in “Special Access Program”—and then clicked on my post about the Microsatellite Payload Experiment. (Bet you didn’t know I logged all visitors like that, eh?) 10:29 on December 24. Merry Christmas from Big Brother. Wonder what’s goin’ on here … Is somebody angry …