Photonbelt

Though solar eclipses can happen two to five times a year, total solar eclipses with the Sun fully covered by the Moon are rare. The total solar eclipse of 22nd July 2009 was a once-in-a-century event because it lasted so long – 6 minutes and 39 seconds; an event not to be surpassed until at [...]

Uranium exists on the moon, according to new data from a Japanese spacecraft.
The findings are the first conclusive evidence for the presence of the radioactive element in lunar dirt, the researchers said. They announced the discovery recently at the 40th Lunar and Planetary Conference and at the Proceedings of the International Workshop Advances in Cosmic [...]

Doctors completed an autopsy on the body of Michael Jackson on Friday but said they could not immediately establish a cause of death for the “King of Pop” as speculation centered on his use of prescription painkillers.
“The cause of death has been deferred, which means that the medical examiner has ordered additional testing such as [...]

President Nicolas Sarkozy lashed out Monday at the practice of wearing the Muslim burqa, insisting the full-body religious gown is a sign of the “debasement” of women and that it won’t be welcome in France.The French leader expressed support for a recent call by dozens of legislators to create a parliamentary commission to study a small but [...]

For 15 years, scientists have benefited from data gleaned by U.S. classified satellites of natural fireball events in Earth’s atmosphere — but no longer.
A recent U.S. military policy decision now explicitly states that observations by hush-hush government spacecraft of incoming bolides and fireballs are classified secret and are not to be released, SPACE.com has learned.
The satellites’ [...]

Some researchers believe that the solar cycle influences global climate changes.  They attribute recent warming trends to cyclic variation.  Skeptics, though, argue that there’s little hard evidence of a solar hand in recent climate changes.
Now, a new research report from a surprising source may help to lay this skepticism to rest.  A study from NASA’s [...]

Sometimes, even a great firewall isn’t enough. China has apparently ordered PC makers to bundle access control software—ostensibly to protect its citizens from porn—that may allow it to remotely update a blacklist of sites.
Late last month, China quietly ordered PC manufacturers to bundle Internet access control software with all computers sold in the country. The [...]

The Venezuelan government of U.S.-critic President Hugo Chavez on Wednesday ordered Coca-Cola Co <KO.N> to withdraw its Coke Zero beverage from the South American nation, citing unspecified dangers to health.
The decision follows a wave of nationalizations and increased scrutiny of businesses in South America’s top oil exporter.
Health Minister Jesus Mantilla said the zero-calorie Coke Zero [...]

Even by the standards of the Pentagon fringe science arm, this project sounds far-out: “” that can be ordered to “self-assemble or alter their shape, perform a function and then disassemble themselves.” But researchers back by Darpa are actually making progress on this incredible goal, Henry Kenyon at Signal magazine reports.
One day, that could lead [...]

Business as usual: Shell is trying to suppress the truth.
For over thirteen years, multinational oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has done everything in its power to stop a trial from taking place at which the company must answer to charges that it colluded with the Nigerian military to commit serious human rights abuses to quell [...]