Monthly Archives: December 2004

Tectonic activities create beautiful landforms that can be captured by cameras (like many of the images found in The Frontier Channel’s planetary science entries) but on a planet teeming with life forms such activity can be devastating. During the morning … Continue reading →

On December 24, 2004 the Huygens probe separated from the Cassini spacecraft and began a three week journey to Titan, when it will parachute through the moon’s thick atmosphere and snap images on its way to the surface. Cassini recently … Continue reading →

According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in the U.S., making up over half of the 2,443,387 deaths that occurred in 2002. Could the … Continue reading →

Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity is heading south after spending the better part of its mission inside “Endurance Crater” on Meridiani Planum. Within the crater, Opportunity observed bedrock and discovered strong evidence for past surface water over an extended period of … Continue reading →

Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is climbing into the Columbia Hills and up the slope of “Husband Hill”. Spirit has also discovered possible evidence for water in the region during the distant past, though the water was likely not as extensive … Continue reading →

One of the highlights of the recent Cassini flyby of Titan was a detailed analysis of the moon’s atmosphere. New images reveal a complex atmosphere filled with distinct haze layers, each layer possibly composed of a different hydrocarbon. During a … Continue reading →

Sony recently released a new Clie PDA in Japan with a 3.8-inch OLED display. OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) displays require less energy, do not require a backlight, are cheaper to produce, and can provide more vivid colors and deeper … Continue reading →

Cassini recently flew by the Saturnian moons Titan and Dione and sent back some beautiful images. In the background image Dione is seen against the background of Saturn. What a remarkable vista if one could stand on the tiny moon … Continue reading →

CORRECTION posted Sunday, December 19, 2004: Dr. Aubrey de Grey, mentioned below, is not in fact a gerontologist. He is a computer scientist and research associate in the Department of Genetics with an interest in biogerontology. He and his ideas … Continue reading →

A compound called AMN107 has been found to cause remission in 86 percent of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia who do not respond to the other wonder drug Gleevec (in use since 2001). The human trial is only in Phase … Continue reading →