Topic: NATURE - on July 22, 2009 at 11:02:00 AM CEST
July 22, 2009 we will witness the longest solar eclipse of the 21st century
The eclipse will last exactly 6 minutes and 39 minutes, being the longest of the 21st century and will only be surpassed on June 13, 2132. After those from the Gulf of Khambhat, also Chinese and Japanese will be able to see the solar eclipse.
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Topic: NASA - on July 22, 2009 at 11:02:00 AM CEST
How powerful was the Apollo 11 computer?
With all the buzz about the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing I got to thinking, how powerful were the computers that "took us to the Moon?" It turns out, they were nothing short of amazing. If you've never had a nerdy bone in your body, feel free to skip this post. But, if you ever laid on your back under the stars and thought about Mercury, Gemini, Apollo or the Space Shuttle, read on and see if you're as geek-struck as I was researching this.
Comparing the Apollo Guidance Computer to an IBM PC XT
My first thought was how did the Apollo computer compare to the iPhone? It turns out that's a really tough comparison to make. The iPhone is so advanced compared to the computer used in Apollo's guidance system that it's hard to believe they both came from the same planet -- at roughly the same period in time when viewed in contrast to man's time line on Earth. To really make a comparison that makes much sense it's much easier to look at the home computers of the late 1970's and early 1980's.
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Topic: DRUGS - on July 22, 2009 at 11:01:00 AM CEST
Marijuana Is Gateway Drug for Two Debates
Joyce, 52 and a writer in Manhattan, started smoking pot when she was 15, and for years it was a pleasant escape, a calming protective cloud. Then it became an obsession, something she needed to get through the day. She found herself hiding her addiction from her family, friends and co-workers.
“I would come home from work, close my door, have my bong, my food, my music and my dog, and I wouldn’t see another person until I went to work the next day,” said Joyce, who like most others in this article asked that her full name not be published, because she does not want people to know about her past drug use.
“What kind of life is that? I did that for 20 years.”
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Topic: DRUGS - on July 22, 2009 at 10:59:00 AM CEST
Why we say yes to drugs
Not long ago, I was talking with a couple of friends who are about a decade younger than I am. We got onto the subject of recreational drugs and how my friends had recently sworn off Ecstasy. "I know a guy who used to love it, and he's quitting, too," one of them explained. "He's learned a lot about it and says it's just too hard on your body." I remarked that since Ecstasy is the sort of drug most people take only very occasionally, it probably wasn't as dangerous as something like cocaine, which can be addictive, expensive and lethal. "Oh, cocaine's not that bad," said my friend, looking puzzled and leaving me surprised. Hadn't he ever worked for someone who'd gotten so tweaked on coke that he burned out his septum, emptied his bank account and triggered a heart attack? Hasn't every journalist worked with someone like that?
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