Christ on the cross, Bartolome Esteban Murillo, 1665
“Certainly, God has given a sign of himself in the greatness and power of the cosmos, from which we may dimly perceive something of the power of the Creator. But the real sign that he chose is hiddenness, from the wretched people of Israel to the child at Bethlehem to the man who died on the Cross with the words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
- Pope Benedict XVI (What it Means to Be a Christian)
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The three final members of ISS Expedition 35 are set to launch to the space station today from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, aboard a Soyuz capsule. Launch is currently scheduled for 4:43 p.m. EST. This launch will be the first attempt at a new, faster trajectory that will get the crew from the ground to docking at the space station in a mere six hours. Previous missions have taken a paced, two-day trip to get to the station. The new procedure, while more hectic, will save on fuel and supplies and will more quickly get the astronauts out of the cramped Soyuz and into the roomier, more comfortable ISS.
More information, including launch coverage, is available from NASA and from Spaceflight Now .
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Image: NASA
The American Society of Human Genetics is hosting an essay contest for students in grades 9-12 for “DNA Day”, which marks the 1953 discovery of the DNA double helix and the 2003 completion of the Human Genome Project. Prizes are offered for first, second, and third place, and honorable mentions. The contest is open to classroom and homeschooled students. The essay submissions should address the following question:
2013 marks the 60th anniversary of the discovery of the double helix of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick and the 10th anniversary of the first sequencing of the human genome. Choose either of these breakthroughs and explain its broader impact on biotechnology, human health and disease, or our understanding of basic genetics, such as genetic variation or gene expression.
Justify your answer in detail and be sure to include one or more specific examples of broader impact. Use reliable references and citations to support your argument, for example, research published by experts in scientific journal articles and books.
Go here for more information about the contest and the submission site. Deadline for entries is March 15th.
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Video: NASA/JPL
