Today in history. In 1957, a study in England discovered a “direct link” between smoking and lung cancer, the tobacco industry replied that was “matter of opinion”. In 1940, the Germans first began using their Enigma machine. In 2003, the telemarket “no-call list” was establish and 758,000 people signed up the first day. You’d think that would send a message to DC, but no.
Apparently I stayed home and read something called “Glory Road”. Not the basketball book that stole the title from Heinlein, but the mercenary for the Empress of Twenty Universes. I cannot today (2014) even recall this novel.
Today in 2008, the Phoenix landed successfully on Mars. Not to be confused with Viking, the Phoenix landed near the Martian north pole. Like many such missions, it actually landed a month ago but is just beginning to send back data now. And within two months, it went dead. Later photos from Mars orbit showed the solar panels had been damaged, probably by a windstorm.
The only important finding was trace elements of metals needed for life and the soil was more alkaline that expected. It is a difference in acidity, not the mere presence of it, that is believed to be a condition for life to begin. Here is evidence of the wind on Mars.
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