On July 27, 2014, which corresponds to the Sol – as in Martian day – 3,735 of its mission, the Mars Rover Opportunity has set the record for the driving distance covered by a human vehicle on another world, reaching 40.25 km (25.01 miles). The previous record belonged to the Soviet Lunokhod 2 rover, which in 1973 covered 39 km (24.2 miles) on the Moon.
It was night when in Europe when, from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana, the space freighter ATV-5 (Automated Transfer Vehicle 5) was launched. It was named Georges Lemaître after the Belgian astronomer who was the first to propose the Big Bang theory and it was launched on an Ariane 5ES rocket. With a total weight of 20,275 kg, it’s the heaviest cargo spacecraft ever launched by ESA to the International Space Station, surpassing the previous ATV-4, Albert Einstein, by about 80 kg.
The news had already leaked a few days ago and now it’s official: Byron Scott (photo ©Erik Drost) is the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. The team policy is not to rleased the details of the agreement but according to rumors the contract is for four years for a total of $17 million. The native of Inglewood, near the old Forum where the Lakers played for several years, will have the difficult task of bringing the team back to a high level after the last difficult seasons.
The novel “Maske: Thaery” by Jack Vance was published for the first time in 1976. It’s part of a series of stories informally known as the Gaean Reach though it’s an autonomous novel.
Jubal Droad grew up in the Thaery continent on the planet Maske. When he reaches adulthood, he embarks on a rite of passage traditional among his people wandering the land. During one of the jobs taken in the course of his travels, the path he’s repairing with some workers collapses because of an arrogant nobleman who uses it despite his warnings, causing him serious injuries.
When he recovers, Jubal Droad go meet Nai the Hever, a very powerful man, with a letter from his uncle Vaidro. Thanks to that, he get a job that seems humble but he actually joins the local secret services. At the court, he meets Ramus Ymph and recognizes him as the nobleman who caused his accident and the clash between the two men is inevitable.
Google announced the Baseline Study project, a detailed study on the biological level of human beings to determine what a healthy person should be. The initial study includes 175 people of which an enormous amount of medical information will be collected. A team that includes dozens of specialists led by molecular biologist Andrew Conrad will use this information to create a portrait of a person in perfect health.
