Guest: Michelle Kovacevic, undergraduate science student at the University of Melbourne, and spirited EAGG volunteer. Michelle has been writing more in-depth articles for the webpage (see ‘Science Student Shelly’ under Categories).
Phoenix has landed – The Phoenix spacecraft has successfully landed in the northern polar region of Mars. It is the first time a spacecraft has successfully landed on this area and the first successful soft landing on Mars, using rockets to control its final speed, since the Viking landers in 1976. Launched in August of 2007, Phoenix has now made the northernmost landing and is intended to explore the Martian arctic’s potentially ice-rich soil.
See also the ongoing Phoenix coverage from Astronomy Picture of the Day:
Unusual Light Patch Under Phoenix Lander on Mars
Descent of the Phoenix
Phoenix at Mars
A New Horizon for Phoenix
Phoenix Lander Arrives at Mars
Plastic Lasers – Imperial College London researchers have come one step closer to finding the ‘holy grail’ in the field of plastic semiconductors by demonstrating a class of material that could make electrically-driven plastic laser diodes a reality. (ScienceDaily)
Extinct tiger gene resurrected in a mouse – DNA from the extinct Tasmanian tiger has been successfully extracted and used to resurrect a functioning version of a gene fragment in a mouse, Australian scientists have announced. This is the first time anyone has been able to transfer genetic material from an extinct species into a living animal. (There are many media reports covering this story. Here are two of the better ones; they convey the science more accurately than many of the others – MSNBC, Cosmos)
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Direct podcast download: Einstein-A-Go-Go-20080525.mp3
