NASA to Launch Planet-Hunting Kepler Spacecraft Tonight

NEWSFLASH:

In a related news story, scientists working at the Very Large Array have received what appears to be the first ever message from the stars.

It took the coordination of several teams, each with a dozen or more members and located in various countries around the world, to translate the message. An official spokesman for the effort released the text of the message:

"Uh-uh. No peeking!"

Scholars are still debating the meaning of this message.

I'm really excited about this NASA mission. I look forward to the results. I also hope they try and apply spectroscopy as well to get an idea about the composition of the atmospheres of these exoplanets.

Totally forgot to go outside and watch it!

Anyway, I won't miss the night launch of the Shuttle.

Stuff like this should be on the news every night, not entertainment news on the nightly news. at least i know to come here for the good stufff.

Welcome to Pop Culture. People stopped caring about the space program two years after the Moon landing (unless a space craft blew up).

I caught 10 seconds of a reality show last night before I could find the remote and change the channel. It was an incredulous experience. I understand that the appeal to the plebs is the shock value involved, but hasn't that gotten old yet? I'm mean, seriously, this reality tv fad has to have jumped the shark by now (just like the phrase "jumped the shark"). Give me a sitcom with a laugh track and a nice moral lesson at the end and I'm satisfied. Let's get back to that.

I have a better idea. Just turn the TV OFF.

1) Sorry, but the actors, technicians, and Hollywood are just not as important as they think they are.

2) It is a huge waste of electricity and carbon credits.

3) Has little or no social redeeming value.

4) Shown to have negative effects on brain chemistry.

5) Shown to cause narcissistic delusions for running for public office in actors and comedians.

6) Programming contains >89% crap, which is good news for the toilet paper industry.

I actually gave my TV away a decade ago and never missed it since. When the TV is in in the off position, which is only about 1/2 of its life for the average household, people actually get to spend time with their families doing what scientists call "interacting". However, police sometimes call it murder.

Read a good book lately?

Hi AH,

Yeah, I read all the time. Right now I'm reading a book on Alexander Hamilton and his conflict with Thomas Jefferson, which is pretty good. Still, sometimes I just need to diffuse and TV does it for me. I like watching a show like 30 Rock or The Office to get a few laughs and slow me down before bed.

There's probably some truth to what you're saying and who knows, if I threw out my TV I might not miss it (and would save myself $50 a month). I'm just not ready. I agree with all your points though.

Roger