Cool And Far Out

You're looking at the coolest, most far out objects ever photographed. 

These three planets, exoplanets orbiting a star 25 light-years away in the constellation Pegasus are the most distant cold-body objects you've ever seen with your very own eyes -- "the first pictures ever taken of planets outside our solar system."

The search for exoplanets has up to now depended on detecting either the wobble they induce on their parent star or, if their orbits are side-on to telescopes, watching them dim the star's light as they pass in front of it.

Being able to directly detect the light from these planets will allow astronomers to study their composition and atmospheres in detail.

(HT: Zatoichi)

How'd They Miss That?

Mind you, there's only about a hundred of them, but how do you miss a 66 foot tall palm tree with 16 foot fronds that only flowers once every 100 years?

It's pretty cool, but you'd think someone would have classified something this huge before now.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy
Hamlet, Act I, Scene V

Science Blog Exclusive Interview with Edwards

Coturnix at Blog Around The Clock scored an exclusive interview with John Edwards, to talk about science. Here are some highlights:

I do believe that science is the key to innovation in the American economy, the key to improving our standard of living. We see the impact of science everyday--from biotechnology to smart bombs, from satellite Global Positioning Systems to the Internet.

The Office of Science and Technology Policy will play a central role when I'm president. We need to encourage science, and do it honestly and openly. It's unfortunate the Bush administration hasn't shared that view. The censorship and suppression of science on climate change, on air pollution, on stem cell research--all to advance a political agenda--is wrong. Policy should be science driven; science shouldn't be politics driven.

For example, I support reductions of carbon emissions by 20 percent by the year 2020, and reduce it by at least 80 percent by the year 2050--because that's what the science tells us we need to do. If we don't listen to the science--if we continue to ignore it, as this administration has done--the results will be catastrophic.

Got that?

• Science is key to innovation in the economy.


• Policy should be science driven -- not politics driven.


• Reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2020, 80% by 2050

As they say, read the whole thing, then join one of the many the discussions at Daily KOS, MyDD, John Edwards' Blog, TPM Cafe, the Liberal Coalition, and Science & Politics Blog, or here of course.

Not only does the Candidate touch on global warming, giving his typical detailed and thoughtful approach we've come to expect from John Edwards, but also discusses the space program, science education, health care as it relates to a pandemic or bio terror attack, agriculture and food production and safety, ethanol, insulating the scientific process from political expediency, and addressing "brain drain" from our nation as qualified researchers find better and more open opportunities to explore all emerging technologies overseas when they find roadblocks here.

One thing that was clear to me after reading over the interview, Edwards understands that we cannot remain the most technologically advanced nation on the planet if we deliberately shut down specific avenues of discovery to appease either vested corporate interests or superstitious ignorance.

And of course, is there a more clear signal that John Edwards appreciates the power of new technology than giving an exclusive interview to a blogger? Great Job Coturnix!