NRC Planetary Decadal Survey

I thought Steve Squyres did an amazing job presenting the National Research Council Planetary Decadal Survey at the 42nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference

The people of the Mars Program have really shown that they have been working hard to keep the program alive for the coming years. (A personal shout out to Phil Christensen of Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) Tiger Team III (RAWRRR!!!) for all the hard work he has done!)

*Check out the Top Ten Discoveries of the Mars Exploration Program! http://mepag.jpl.nasa.gov/science/index.html

It is a clever thought that the cache produced by the rover MAX-C could sit on the surface of Mars for a period of time while other missions take place. I have lived in the UK for six months now and know that the engineers and scientists really want and have been waiting for a long time to have a robot of their own land on Mars and do science (my visits to the Mullard Space Science Laboratory and Astrium are my biggest data points). The idea is to have NASA's MAX-C rover sit next to ESA's EXOMARS rover during the journey to Mars. Sky Crane would then lower both rovers at the same time to the surface. So lets hope that we can get those cost projections down.

The Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM - they're still trying to think of a better name) is an awesome flagship mission that I continue to look forward to. This is another instance where NASA and ESA would be working together to do exciting science. Squyres mostly talks about the NASA-led Jupiter Europa Obiter. The other partner in this choreographed exploration is the ESA-led Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter. Looking forward to the exploration of Europa a moon with a geologically young surface and a icy brine/ocean subsurface and Ganymede, the largest moon in our solar system (that's right even our own large moon) with its whispy terrain and magnetosphere producing geo-dynamo.

Learn more about this Outer Planet Flagship Mission
http://opfm.jpl.nasa.gov/europajupitersystemmissionejsm/

The mentioned Uranus orbiter mission would be interesting to see if we decided to go there when both hemispheres are receiving the sun light. This is when there is more atmospheric activity (i. e. white ammonia/methane clouds and dark spots). Uranus does also have its interesting moons: Miranda (chevron features), Ariel, Umbriel (dark surface - carbonaceous material), Titania, and Oberon. I am however extremely interested in Neptune's Triton. Triton is geologically (cryovolcanism) active with its geysers producing a tenuous atmosphere. It has young and interesting cantaloupe terrain. It is also thought to be a captured Kuiper Belt Object and its retrograde orbit supports this idea.

Much more information and exciting times to come can be gathered by watching the presentation.

Watch live streaming video from 2011lpsc at livestream.com

Have you looked at Blogger lately?

Looks like it may have been a good time to switch and start blogging again. I look forward to all the new improvements!

update and switch

Greetings and Salutations to whomever may read this, 


I have decided to switch back from Wordpress to Blogger after a couple of years of messing around and not really blogging at all. I just have been using Twitter (@KalofXeno) to "microblog."


I chose to switch because Blogger is more simple and I want this blog to be about the content written/displayed and not about what theme I am using. 


Quick Update:
I am an android powered MacBook Pro carrying planetary geologist doing a masters in space sciences at University College London. A Cambridge <=> London train commuter on the fast track through a one year masters program. 
Currently looking to do a PhD at Open University or Imperial College. I choose not to apply to UCL because geology would be somewhat of a second thought and I do not want that. 
Looking forward to seeing my girlfriend when I visit Orleans, France later this month. 


Topics likely to be posted here:

• climate change
• science in general
• space news
• humanist views
• my American views
• other views and news about this lovely pale blue dot
• and really random thoughts

iPhone in dream

I am so accustomed to carrying my iPhone everywhere I go that I recently have been taking it with my into my dreams.

In my dreams it does not have any super abilities. It is just as it is in reality.

Am I obsessed with Apple's iPhone?

I don't care, I love it. Anyone who has one or even an iPod Touch knows what I mean.

I hope I do not have anymore nightmares about dropping it into pools.

I leave you with this quote:

"So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."
-Christopher Reeve

Where's Waldo Where's Jesus

Growing up I always loved the Where is Waldo books that were fun and maybe a little educational.

I would like to see a Where is Jesus book. The book could have biblical settings with a hard to find Jesus H. Christ among the many other characters. Each set of pages could have all kinds of historical events from his birth to today.

I forget how I came upon this idea. All I remember is that I was walking around campus.

I will try to work on a prototype soon.

Reaching for Interstellar-Hope

Gattaca, a futuristic fable where most people are genetically engineered to be perfect. This movie is well performed and completed. I watched this movie in wonder and as the credits scrolled upward I thought about the future and the many tangents one could discuss relating to this brilliant film. The director, cast, and plot made this movie a sci-fi cinematic masterpiece. This collaboration was sculpted by Andrew Niccol.

As one of the first of Andrew Niccol’s sophisticated movies, Gattaca strengthened his writing and directing abilities. Many of his movies have been futuristic and intelligent. Niccol wrote and directed Simone (2002) and Gattaca (1997). Simone premiered nation-wide in 2002. Andrew Niccol also wrote The Truman Show (1998). The scenes of escape and exposition are artistic throughout the movie.

The formation of the cast portrayed a believable story set in the not too distant future. Ethan Hawke played character Vincent Freeman with a sterile style of a navigator. Ethan Hawke has played diverse roles throughout his career, from the “good cop” in Training Day to the villain in Taking Lives. Actress Uma Thurman plays Irene, another employee of Gattaca. Uma has starred in movies such as Kill Bill, Paycheck, and Batman & Robin. Loren Dean plays Vincent’s superior younger brother, Anton. Loren Dean has similar sized roles in Apollo 13, Enemy of the State, and Space Cowboys. Jude Law takes part in the role of Jerome Morrow. The character Jerome is a crippled ex-swimmer who was born with a perfect combination of genes. Jude law is spreading into numerous roles in films such as Alfie and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

Vincent Freeman was conceived by the way of odds and probability. He is a “God-child,” a child not genetically engineered but formed with an inferior combination of genes. His younger brother is a product of a combination genes selected by his parents. Vincent grows up with the dream of becoming a space navigator. To get accepted, he assumes the identity of a crippled ex-swimmer with perfect genes. His ploy is going smoothly until a murder occurs in the Gattaca office. The police and detectives find some DNA of an “in-valid” and start to suspect an inside job. Vincent is supposed to leave for Titan, a moon of Saturn, in a week and must remain a step ahead of the authorities to not get caught before reaching his dream of navigating a ship through space.

This movie stimulates the brain and stirs the heart. The success of this movie can be credited to the dazzling cast, ingenious plot, and superb director. This movie shows with will and determination one can fight the odds with ordinary genes, reach for the stars, and achieve self-actualization. The future is not set in stone and destiny can be changed by the variable known as choice. To what I know, this film is inspiring.

Looking for a Camera?

There is a lot to look for besides the usual color and design. The first thing you should do, ask yourself, “What am I going to use the camera for?”
If you are going to use your camera for basic use at social gatherings, vacations, documenting products for eBay etc. You might want to take a look at a “point and shoot” camera.
“Point and shoot” cameras have evolved a great deal over the past few years. In 2007, the 7.0 mega pixel was the common/standard. The year before that was the 6.0 mega pixel. Lately I have noticed that newer models are moving to make 8.0 mega pixels the new standard. I think that anything higher than an 8.0 or 10.0 mega pixel camera is excessive for a “point and shoot” camera and a basic consumer. With more mega pixels one can do more editing and cropping on the computer. The one thing that has not really changed over the years for digital “point and shoot” cameras is the optical zoom.
The average optical zoom for them is 3.0x. Some very low-end digital cameras do not even have an optical zoom and only carry a digital zoom. There is a number of high-end new models that carry an optical zoom up to 5.0x. If you are looking for a camera with more zoom you should look at “high zoom” or Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras.
“High Zoom” cameras are always larger than “point and shoot” cameras. These cameras will carry an optical zoom anywhere from 8x to 15x. Most models you will find in an electronics retail store will not have the ability to interchange any lens. The size of the camera can range from a small SLR to the size of a four-year-old “point and shoot” camera.
Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras have the benefits of having the ability to manually adjust aperture, shutter speed, and many other advanced features. The larger lenses can capture more light and thus have a greater resolution. SLR cameras are all about the feature of interchangeable accessories, whether they be zoom lenses or advanced flashes.
There are two other things to look at when looking for a camera. One is the feature of a high ISO and the other is the type of battery the camera uses. An ISO is a sensor that deals with three different aspects when taking a picture. New cameras have the ability to shoot at high ISO or higher ISOs than their predecessors. The lower the ISO the better the camera will be for taking pictures in darker settings. The sensor in the camera will help so that dark pictures do not turn out grainy. The ISO on a camera will also help with shutter speed and image stabilization as well. For the topic concerning what type of battery the camera takes depends on personal preference. Cameras with Li-ion batteries have the ability to be much more sleek and compact. If lost, they are not cheap to replace and can very difficult to find. There is often confusion of the difference between lithium and lithium-ion batteries. The difference is that lithium batteries are one time use and are not rechargeable like lithium-ion batteries. However, both can last up to many times longer than standard batteries.