ScienceMaster - March 2003 Newsletter

WEB SITE NEWS AND COMMENTARY

Tribute To The Columbia Astronauts

We had the misfortune of having our newsletter for February go out just a few hours before the tragic destruction of the Columbia Space Shuttle. We watched with our families that Saturday morning and were again reminded of how fragile we are and small we seem in the face of the infinite universe. We offer our prayers to those who had the passion to discover, to learn and to explore. They are, and will remain the true Science Masters. Image courtesy Kennedy Space Center

As NASA mourns the loss of seven family members, visit this page for information about the crew, the mission and the investigation into the tragedy. --> http://www.nasa.gov/columbia/index.html

The Science of Matter and Time - JumpStart Science

This six (6) part series from the Fermi Lab explores the weighty subject of matter and time. It touches on the composition of the world, finding the smallest particles and the standard model. This is a goo starting off point to explore a very cosmic subject.
--> http://www.sciencemaster.com/jump/physical/fermi_01.php

ScienceIQ Looking For Science Writers

ScienceIQ.com is looking for science teachers and science writers to help us by contributing to our Cool Science Fact of the Day service. If you like to write about science topics and want to promote your own website please send us an email and we'll sign you up for a FREE complimentary subscription and we'll tell you how to get started. Just send an email with your first and last name and your email address to: info@scienceiq.com

SCIENCE NEWS AND LINKS

Snow Gullies On Mars

When NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft photographed what looked like fresh rain gullies on Mars three years ago, researchers were baffled. The surface of Mars is extraordinarily dry. What could have carved the curious features? Now, thanks to data from the 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft, there's a new answer: melting snow.

The gullies were created by trickling water from melting snow packs, not underground springs or pressurized flows, as had been previously suggested, argues Philip Christensen, a professor at Arizona State University and the principal investigator for Odyssey's camera system. The water melts and could flow beneath snow packs where it is sheltered from rapid evaporation in the planet's thin atmosphere, Christensen explains in the Feb. 19th electronic issue of Nature. [Full Story]

Image: Inside Newton Basin on Mars, narrow channels run from the top down to the floor. These and other "gullies" were first discovered in high-resolution pictures taken by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft.

Text and image courtesy NASA

California Geotour

You will be interested in a new website developed by the Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey. The California Geotour is an interactive index of Web page links to online California geologic field trip guides and geology related sites. Browse The California Geotour at http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/geotour/. And for more information on California geologic, this site has a lot of other resources.

Image Courtesy California Geotour Website

Except for eggs, sperm, and red blood cells, every cell in our bodies has 23 pairs of chromosomes 40 Years of Discovery: From Molecules to Medicines
The NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GENERAL MEDICAL SCIENCES GOT ITS START in 1962 as the "basic research institute" of the National Institutes of Health. Forty years later, the Institute's investments have paid off in major advances in many fields of science, including genetics, cell biology, structural biology, chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology, and physiology. Breakthrough discoveries made by NIGMS-funded scientists have led to 51 Nobel Prizes and countless other prominent scientific honors. Learn More --> http://www.nigms.nih.gov/anniversary/discovery/index-noscript.html

Text and the Image Courtesy NIFMS

Wright Again Explores The Birth of Flight

Our good friends at Cislunar Aerospace, Inc. have come up with a site that commemorates the Wright Brothers and the centennial of the birth of flight. Join Wright Again as it recreates one of history's greatest adventures in science!

You can start from the very beginning when Wilbur and Orville are small boys. Or check the calendar to see what the Wright Brothers were doing 100 years ago today? Or explore some of the wind tunnel tests recreated with the help of NASA.

[Not to be missed]

Image of the Kitty Hawk Courtesy NASA

Quote of the Month
" The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth; yet we can pray that all are safely home. "
President George Bush speaking on the Columbia tragedy.
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