:
RNEE
FOSUTT
t
-
IfiZSd
DSHelFellowWekif
VS
By
Jack
Davis
January
was
a
good
month
for
science.
There
were
several
innovations
and
discoveries
that
promise
to
wallop
society
in
the
keemooch
with
their
magnitude
and
implications.
The
most
heralded
advance
was
the
landing
of
the
Huygens
probe
on
one
of
Saturn's
largest
moons,
Titan.
After
months
without
publicity
from
the
probe,
it
successfully
landed
on
Titan,
and
in
the
standard
NASA
fashion,
did
far
more
than
it
was
designed
to
do.
The
batteries
were
supposed
to
last
5
minutes,
they
stayed
alive
for
2
hours.
It's
been
weeks
since
the
landing
and
the
175
GB
(roughly
4
months
of
mp3
files)
of
data
is
still
being
processed,
but
what
has
been
worked
through
reveals
thunder
and
an
ocean
of
liquid
methane,
complete
with
its
own
methane
rain.
The
unique
thing
about
this
rain
and
this
ocean
is
that
Methane
doesn't
evaporate,
it
just
breaks
down
in
sunlight.
This
means
that
the
rain
and
ocean
must
be
fed
by
some
underground
source,
and
there
have
been
speculations
that
there's
a
chemical
reaction
involving
oxygen
behind
it
all.
Sending
the
probe
that
far
cost
an
unfathomable
$3300
million
US,
or
a
Pez
dispenser
for
almost
every
child
on
earth,
or
a
week-and-a-half's
worth
of
American
military
support
in
Iraq.
It's
a
lot,
but
let's
face
it:
any
day
on
Titan
is
worth
eleven
in
Iraq.
NASA's
already
started
their
next
big
project,
Deep
Impact:
sending
a
rocket
into
a
far
off
comet
to
see
whaf
s
inside
of
it.
Well
done
NASA!
?
.
t
uuulvi
111
vqiikuuici
ucvciucuancvv
uecu-
ment
for
tumors
and
diabetes
in
which
certain
J
drugs
are
made
magnetic
and
then
put
in
the
bloodstream.
These
drugs
are
essentially
the
same
ones
used
today,
with
the
iron
theoretical
ly
oeing
ine
oniy
ainerence.
ATter
tne
pills
or
shots
or
whatnot
are
taken,
a
magnetic
bandage
is
applied
over
the
required
area
of
the
body.
All
IIBrtsikr
f
"
!-'
-'4.
m
i-il-
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-It
the
drugs
rush
through
the
bloodstream
until
they
reach
that
spot
and
then
stay
there,
instead
of
spreading
all
over
the
body
and
causing
side
effects.
In
theory,
these
medicines
that
are
covered
in
a
ball
of
magnetic
material
will
be
more
effective
than
the
same
drug
of
the
same
dose.
Who
knew
the
technology
that
brought
us
sinking
plastic
fishing
lures
would
be
so
handy?
Roughly
1
in
300
diabetics
in
Canada
lose
a
limb
or
part
of
a
limb
because
of
damaged
nerves
and
blood
circulation.
Those
odds
could
improve
dramatically
very
soon.
Thousands
will
beat
cancer
to
survive,
and
thousands
more
will
be
able
to
continue
holding
sandwiches
and
walking
unaided;
assuming,
of
course,
that
the
grant
money
to
develop
this
treatment
ever
comes
in.
Well
done
Doc!
Third
breakthrough
in
a
month
I
say!
A
week
or
so
ago,
people
at
the
University
of
Toronto
invented
a
new
type
of
solar
panel
that
sucks
up
5
times
the
electricity
of
older
models
(30
of
the
light
is
turned
into
electricity
instead
of
6),
and
acts
like
a
paint
instead
of
rigid
panels.
It
is
panels,
mind
you,
but
panels
tiny
enough
to
be
woven.
The
developers
intend
to
use
it
on
clothes
and
make
shirts
that
run
portable
appliances
like
CD
players,
in
order
to
replace
the
batteries
in
all
our
gizmos.
Personally,
I
hope
that
not
all
the
clothing
comes
in
size
AAA
so
I
can
wear
some.
Given
the
right
applications,
something
like
this
on
buildings
could
dampen
the
effects
of
blackouts
in
major
cities.
Groups
as
diverse
as
cyclists
to
Mars
colony
enthusiasts
have
shown
interest
in
the
"solar
film",
proving
that
there's
an
immediate
market
for
the
stuff.
The
popularity
of
solar
film
could
expand
a
hundred-fold
in
a
few
years,
perhaps
finally
giving
the
electric
car
the
push
it
needs,
as
long
as
the
oil
industry
doesn't
catch
wind
and
put
a
stop
to
it
through
parliament.
Well
done
Toronto!
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February
2005
Science
13
Titan
and
the
H
uygens
Probe
-Titan's
peak
surface
temperature
is
95
Kelvins,
or
-178
degrees
Celsius,
which
is
one
reason
why
rain
is
so
puzzling.
;-j
II-THanJis
'larger'
than
the
planets
Merciryani
Pluto
and
is
the
largest
of
Saturn's
satellites.
V
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,..-.:'
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It
takes
about
1
hour
and
8
minutes
V
for
the
signal
from
the
Huygens
probe
to
travel
to
Earth.
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Cassini
Huygens
project
is
interested
In
four
broad
science
themes
concerning
Tjm;ftsinterior
structure,
.
surface
chairaterist:icsr
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So
thin
and
flexible,
these
new
panels
could
make
harnessing
the
sun
s
energy
as
easy
as
wearing
a
t-shirt
or
painting
;
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composite
of
quantum
dots
and
a
thin
polymer.
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plastic
solar
cells
that
can
ork;oricloudy
days
using
infrared
light;
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