] A tiny fossil of a creature that lived some 425 million
] years ago has entered the record books as the oldest
] unequivocally male animal. The organism, which resembles
] a cross between a shrimp and a clam, sports a large penis
] which has been perfectly preserved in three dimensions.

News

]
] CAPE CANAVERAL -- NASA is considering a plan to retire
] its aging space shuttles around 2010 and convert any
] remaining orbiters into unmanned cargo carriers.

Not much new here ... but good to hear that NASA is trying to do something about this...

NASA may automate shuttles to haul cargo

] A tropical fish that fluoresces bright red is set to
] become the first genetically modified pet to go on sale
] in the US. Alan Blake and colleagues at Yorktown
] Technologies LP say the GloFish will be available from
] January 2004.

Glowing red GM fish to sell in US

] A new species of baleen whale has been discovered. The
] stunning find, made after researchers studied the body
] shape and genetics of a few leviathan skeletons gathering
] dust for the last 25 years in a Japanese museum, brings
] the total number of known species in the main genus of
] baleen whale to eight.

Japanese discover new whale species

] LONDON (Reuters) - Face transplants are technically
] possible and could arguably be less difficult than
] reattaching a severed finger, surgeons said on Wednesday,
] but they called for more research into the risks involved
] before they are attempted.

Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage

I think this is a bad piece. But then "popular cosomology" often tends to be.

If the article is portraying the issues accurately, then these scientists are saying that the constants of physics are what they are so that life can exist. This is utter nonsense.

] The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems
] pointless.

Why should the universe be anything other than pointless?

Zillions of Universes? Or Did Ours Get Lucky?

House Science Committee wants to put the space plane on hold.

IF we're going to keep up manned spaceflight, the shuttle needs to be retired. I'm not sure what I think about arguments that we give up on manned spaceflight -- if we don't keep at it, how will it ever get faster/cheaper/safer?

Not So Fast, Lawmakers Say of Plans for a Space Plane

]
] WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 — NASA is accelerating development of a
] space plane to take crews to and from the International
] Space Station, but the aging space shuttles could remain
] in use for many years, the agency administrator, Sean
] O'Keefe, said on Wednesday.

I hope they actually come through on this. The shuttle is a major clusterfuck.

NASA Is Speeding Work on Space Plane for Some Shuttle Tasks

] WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 — All nine members of an expert panel
] established by Congress to advise NASA on safety resigned today,
] with several citing frustration over a lack of influence.

Whoa!

All 9 Members of a NASA Safety Panel Resign

] Humans can be trained to crave food in response to
] abstract prompts just like Pavlov's dogs, reveals new
] research.

But then junk food advertisers have known this for years :P

New Scientist