In The News

“Sulu” gets an asteroid named after him. How cool is that?

From Wired News:

Asteroid Named for `Star Trek’ Actor

By SAMANTHA GROSS
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — A piece of outer space named for George Takei is in kind of a rough neighborhood for somebody who steers a starship: an asteroid belt.

An asteroid between Mars and Jupiter has been renamed 7307 Takei in honor of the actor, best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in the original “Star Trek” series and movies.

“I am now a heavenly body,” Takei, 70, said Tuesday, laughing. “I found out about it yesterday. … I was blown away. It came out of the clear, blue sky – just like an asteroid.”

The celestial rock, discovered by two Japanese astronomers in 1994, was formerly known as 1994 GT9. It joins the 4659 Roddenberry (named for the show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry) and the 68410 Nichols (for co-star Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura). Other main-belt asteroids have been named for science fiction luminaries Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov.

link to article

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WTF is going on with Shrub? If anyone needed to take Prozac, he should be given it via IV until he either croaks or wakes up to pull his head out of his ass. At least someone has said aloud what so many Americans have already said or thought. Sad that the someone happened to be the one Shrub wants to “strike”.

From BBC News:

Iran says US too tied up to fight

Washington’s military commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan would hamstring an attempt to wage war on Iran, the Iranian foreign minister has said.

“Our analysis is clear: [the] US is not in a position to impose another war in our region, against their taxpayers,” Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters.

He warned Washington against making such a “mad decision”.

Iran rejects accusations that it is seeking to build atomic weapons under the cover of a nuclear power programme.

Despite its conviction that the US would find launching another military assault extremely taxing, Iran was making preparations for such an attack, Mr Mottaki said on the fringes of a UN General Assembly session in New York.

He said information had been received which gave specific details of planned strikes.

The US says it is pursuing a diplomatic resolution but has refused to rule out a strike against Iran.

link to article

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Back to science and away from madness…

Wired News was chuck full o’ Sputnik articles.

Sputnik’s Grandchildren: Satellite Technology 50 Years Later

Sputnik Stunned the World, and Its Rocket Scared the Pentagon

Secrets of 1957 Sputnik Launch Revealed

The BBC News site also had a Sputnik article:

Russia marks 50 years of Sputnik