Sëx in the space ?

Sëx in space is distinguished mainly by the absence of gravity (unless artificial gravity is created in the space ship) which leads to some difficulties surrounding the performing of most sëxual activities.
Because no certain sëxual intërcoursë in space is known to have occurred, the topic is hotly disputed to clarify its potential impact on human beings in the isolated, confined, and hazardous environment of space.

Zero Gravity sëx in fiction:
Science fiction and popular science writer Isaac Asimov made conjectures in writing about what sëx would be like in the weightless environment of space, in 1973. He anticipated some of the benefits of engaging in sëx in an environment of microgravity. Zero-gravity sëx is a common topic in science-fiction.
Zero Gravity sëx in movies :
*In the James Bond film Moonraker, James Bond (played by Roger Moore), who is typically amorous, and the Bond girl, Dr. Holly Goodhead, have sëx in the cargo bay of the Moonraker 5 Space Shuttle in one scene.
*The Sci-fi horror Supernova (2000) featured sëx between several of the characters in zero-gravity areas of the Medical Ship.
What about NASA :
A new book written by a French astronomer, however, alleges NASA studied the feasibility of 10 sëx positions in space during a space shuttle mission in 1996, though this claim has been discredited, and has been vigorously denied by NASA. (Six of the positions required the aid of an elastic belt to hold the partners together, the author writes in the book, "The Last Mission.")
NASA does not ban sëx between crewmembers.
"We depend and rely on the professionalism and good judgment of our astronauts," said NASA spokesman Ed Campion. "There is nothing specifically or formally written down about sëx in space."
A must and complete reading : http://www.rfreitas.com/Astro/SexxxInSpace.htm

The space elevator

A space elevator is a proposed megastructure designed to transport material from a celestial body's surface into space. The term most often refers to a structure that reaches from the surface of the Earth to geosynchronous orbit (GSO) and a counter-mass beyond.
Current technology does not make available, in engineering quantities, materials that are sufficiently strong and light to build a space elevator for the most interesting case, from the Earth's surface to GSO. The Earth's effective gravitational potential well is simply too deep. However, the total mass of material needed to construct such a structure is an extremely strong function (exponential) of the strength and density of the supporting cable material. Carbon nanotubes appear to be interestingly close to making this possibility practical. Recent proposals for a space elevator are notable in their plans to incorporate carbon nanotubes into the tether design, thus providing a link between space exploration and nanotechnology. Because the Moon's gravitational potential well is approximately 20 times less deep than Earth's, a lunar cable, over the Earth-Moon Lagrangian point, L1, appears to be feasible even with current commercial materials, and could revolutionize the economics of the space use of lunar materials.
Despite all the daunting problems that face them, the space elevator enthusiasts say with research, time and money, they'll find a solution.
They insist that one day there will be lots of elevators ferrying satellites, prospectors and even tourists into space. They say the benefits of having them in space will be worth all the efforts.
Right now the cost of getting into space is one of the major blocks to more exploration. Mervyn Kellum has done studies on the cost of transportation comparing rockets to the space elevator.
Further reading :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/space/spaceelevator.html

Fern feature !

Ferns do not produce seeds, but they do produce spores on the underside of their leaves. To grow new ferns from your existing one, you can simply plant the spores. Carefully collect spores from a mature leaf frond by shaking the leaf over a piece of white paper. Sprinkle these spores on to moist potting soil in a glass jar. Cover the jar with clear plastic and keep it in a warm, lighted area. Wait until your ferns mature and grow (about 12 inches) to transplant them into your garden

• SOIL: Ferns prefer well drained sandy or humus rich soil. Elevated beds work well, providing good aeration and drainage

• LIGHT: Indirect light is best for healthy growth of ferns. Avoid direct afternoon sunlight. Filtered sun or early morning and late afternoon sunlight will produce a healthier, stronger plant

• FERTILISING: Ferns that are growing in humus rich soil, will require very little fertiliser. Use a fertilise that is high in nitrogen, about once a month during the growing season

• WATERING: Good watering practices are crucial for healthy ferns. During the growing season, you may have to water often. Depending on the weather, this may mean watering every few days. Most ferns prefer a moist, humid environment. Good drainage is also necessary to prevent drowning the plant

• CARING: The leaf of a fern is called the frond. Remove dead fronds periodically to ensure they look fresh and healthy

Sun is slimmer !

A new study suggests that the Sun may be 300 kilometres smaller than previously thought.
If the latest study carried out by a team led by Margit Haberreiter of the World Radiation Centre in Davos, Switzerland, turns out to be correct, then other properties of the Sun such as its internal temperature and density may be slightly different than previously calculated.
Because the Sun has no solid surface, its atmosphere merely gets thinner and more transparent farther from its centre. So, the Sun’s “surface” is defined to be the depth in its atmosphere where it becomes opaque to light.
Scientists generally measure this by observing the Sun with telescopes and measuring the distance between the centre of the Sun’s disc and its edge (the place where its brightness suddenly drops off). This gives a radius of 695,990 kilometres, or about 109 times the radius of Earth. But a second, completely different way to measure the Sun’s size by using surface gravity waves called f-modes that ripple across the surface of the Sun like water waves on the ocean, reduces the Sun’s size by 300 kilometres.

Earth rises and sets !

VIEW FROM THE MOON:

This combo picture, observed by Japanese lunar explorer ‘Kaguya’, shows the earth setting to the horizon near the moon’s south pole (L to R).

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) released the world's first high definition image of the earth rising and setting .