Crystal Clear

Deep 'Cacka'

         At first I was going to title this post "You shouldn't mess with Mother Nature". Then I took a look at NASA's rendition of the comet Tempel 1and I couldn't help but think it looks a great deal like ...a...well...piece of cacka.

 I know NASA has assured the world there are no dangers involved in sending something similiar in size to Herbie the Lovebug loaded with explosives into a comet the size of Washington D.C.,but I still keep coming back to, Why?

  I read through the NASA site and the information I present for you below and I am still not convinced this is going to leave the world a better place and increase our knowledge of the Universe in relation to the time and money expended. Crystal Clear to me, this endeavor is just because they can.

    Tonight we will be heading to view the impact here:

Sunset on the Beach: Overview by UH Institute for Astronomy researcher Jonathan Williams and live feed from NASA-TV prior to impact; regularly scheduled film "The Dish" screens at 8 p.m. but may be interrupted for updates. 4 p.m. at Queen's Surf Beach

    If there is anything interesting to note or anything worthy of capturing, I will be certain to follow up here later. 

Further Crystal Clear Clarity:

• NASA Deep Impact Probe on Target for July 4 Comet Smash.

• NewsHour with Jim Lehrer:Online Focus

• NASA: Deep Impact

• NASA to Blow Up Comet "Just Because"

• Just Because We Can 

Bryceton's Pop Can Hero Engine

I have goofed and goofed around trying to have this look a certain way and of course only served to make myself very frustrated. So here he is, standing so proudly in front of his science project.
Tomorrow and tomorrow night are the actual science fair. He is so excited. I really tried, at least at first, to have him do as much as possible on this project. I feel like I failed him m i s e r a b l y... His teacher Scott called tonight to check in and see how things stand. He tried to reassure me it is fine and that many parents will have done as much as I have done. I just had these terrible visions of Bryceton going to school and having all these kids with projects with their own handwriting and Bryceton either feeling embarassed, incompetent, or both.
He did come up with the idea of a Hero's Engine. In fact he was adamant and didn't even change his mind once.
He did learn a thing or two about a Hero's Engine and Newton's Third Law.
We did have a good time together, even if we did argue a great deal at points. So I guess I shouldn't feel so badly because this is his first science project and there will be many many more. I just wanted him to be excited about it and wanted him to learn something and to be proud of it too. Considering those outcomes, I would say it was a success. I may just be borrowing angst? Nevertheless, take a gander and please don't hesitate to ooh and awe....After all we are quite proud. .....