Falling For Fullerenes

Getting Closer

Dawn Falls Toward Mars

Artists concept of Dawn approaching Mars

The Dawn spacecraft that was launched in 2007 is now using the gravitational field of Mars to help counteract the pull of the Sun on it's way to Ceres and Vesta, in the asteroid belt.

The team at JPL is very excited;

"Not only are our thrusters off and we are dropping in altitude, we are plunging toward Mars," said Marc Rayman, the Dawn project's chief engineer from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "And everybody here on Dawn could not be happier."

The spacecraft shut off it's Ion propulsion system in November, last year, to begin this fuel saving maneuver.

Getting It Write

This pen remembers what you write, draw, or say!

Use this pen on special paper, (You can print your own), and your writing, doodles and drawings can be uploaded to your computer. I also has a microphone to record audio!
New High Tech Pen
The possibilities are endless. I will wait while the 3,000 developers develop more stuff for it to do before I think about buying one. but I can see how it would be useful to me.

Breakfast at Phil's

I enjoy breakfast. Thank you Sandi, it was great. 2/19/09

Now that my activities in the kitchen have been reduced to prevent further damage to my spine, I am so fortunate to have Sandi Taylor to assist me. I think that a breakfast, like the one pictured above, enjoyed twice a week, is essential to my health and well being. The eggs are cage free, natural feed, happy hen, brown and tasty.

Nano Tubes To The Rescue

Dr Zhu at University of Queensland lab.

I have been trying for some time now, to get someone in our country to pick up the Buckyball and run with it, but at least the rest of the world has an eye on the future.

Dr. Zhu has developed a membrane using NanoTubes, that will separate the carbon from the oxygen in Co2 emissions from industrial smokestacks. I have written him, suggesting that he use a similar process to reclaim the fullerenes from the carbon molecules. This would pave the way to having tons of fullerenes as raw material to manufacture everything from micro circuits, to stronger than steel bridges. Read full article HERE

Here in Redding

Today's blogging conditions...Great! 2/20/09

There is more exciting content for today, but in the interest of keeping the file small enough for iPhones, Blackberries, and dell computers, you will just have to come see me again, tomorrow.

Todays Relatively Appropriate Song;
Mister Sandman
-Chet Atkins

Free To Be Happy