Comment - "A welter of theories is now being taken up to help the investigators reconcile the confusing and conflicting evidence. Among the hypotheses is that a tiny meteorite hit the Columbia's wing on descent, knocking out sensors and leaving the craft unable to withstand the heat of re-entry, when temperatures reach 2,000 degrees."

Actually, a meteorite was what Jennifer suggested Saturday afternoon. She may be right after all.

News -- NASA to use more nuclear fuel in spacecraft. This article says it makes good sense: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,57555,00.html

Comment - It's especially a good idea for spacecraft that have to sail out to Jupiter and beyond. That far away from the Sun, there's just not enough light for solar panels to gather in and convert into electricity that sufficient to power a lot of spacecraft instruments.

News - This article says a dozen years of technological advances have transformed the entire U.S. military, not just its tanks, into a force that is much more lethal than anything Iraq has ever seen: http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/5103578.htm

Comment - The impact of laptop computers, GPS and night vision technology means the Iraqi army doesn't stand a chance. That doesn't mean there won't be U.S. casualties, just that there is no realistic way for the Iraqis to stop, or even slowdown, the U.S. onslaught.

The huge technological advantage is probably along the same lines as the Spanish using cavalry and cannons to fight the flint-arrowhead-armed Aztecs, or the British using repeating rifles to defend against hordes of spear-wielding Zulus.

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1:01:09 PM