Archive for November 16th, 2008
Chandrayaan 1 lets Lunar impactor on the loose
Sunday, November 16th, 2008 | science, space, technology | No Comments
The Indian Moon probe Chandrayaan 1 has successfully entered into its operational orbit about 100km over the surface of the Moon.
On Friday the Moon Impact Probe was released for a crash landing near the Moon’s South Pole. While diving the impactor sent images and telemetry back to the orbiter, those will be relayed back to Earth at a slower pace. The descent took about 25 minutes and the data will be relayed in the next few days.
Instruments are beginning to be activated, and a new chapter in the lunar exploration is beginning.
The probe has already sent some very good images back, see link below.
Full story from
H.G. Wells, Orson Welles : “War of the Worlds” radio play
Sunday, November 16th, 2008 | scifi | No Comments
On 30th October 1938 a radio play caused mass panic in the U.S. I am, of course “talking” about the famous play “War of the Worlds” by Orson Welles based on H.G. Wells’ equally famous story.
Well, well, 70 years since that happened.
I have listened to the play a few times, and I find it fascinating story telling. OK – this is not a character piece, but the radio play is so well organised, as if a normal musical entertainment program is interrupted by news flashes, telling the story.
Some may ask, why the panic ? In order to understand that we must remember that at that time there was no mobile phones, no internet, no hundreds of tv (or radio channels) – even fixed telephones were not that common. What *was* available ? I should think one – maybe two radio programs. It was just not possible – like it is today – to go and check on the net, or CNN/BBC/whatever news channel you wanted. Information was just not there to find.
True, a radio play made in a similar way today simply could not have this effect. It is too easy to check news items for that.
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