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Science In Action: 07/07/2011

07/07/2011

BBC World Service - Science In Action, 07/07/2011

A look behind the scenes as NASA's shuttle program draws to a close

Behind the scenes as NASA's shuttle program draws to a close; A giant raging storm on Saturn; The science behind Tibetan singing bowls; Vast deposits of rare earth minerals on the Pacific Ocean bed

NASA's last shuttle launch
The weather in Florida this time of year is frequently stormy, and it has made no exception for the end of NASA's shuttle program. The Atlantis Orbiter's mission to the international space station is the final time we will hear the famous countdown for a shuttle launch, and a chance to watch this historic event has drawn huge crowds to what is known as "Space Coast".  Local police expect up to three quarters of a million people trying to get a good vantage point for when weather conditions are just right and the Shuttle blasts off for a final time. Amongst them, is the BBC's Jonathan Amos, who reports from Kennedy Space Center.

A monster storm on Saturn
NASA's plan is to focus less on near earth manned space flight, and more on science missions deeper into our solar system, and even beyond. One such mission, the Cassini Spacecraft in orbit around Saturn, has sent back some stunning pictures of a storm raging right around the plant, which covers around eight times the surface area of the Earth.  

We only see storms like this once every Saturn year – that is once every 30 earth years.  Astronomers like Dr Ricardo Hueso, part of the Planetary Science Group at University of the Basque Country, are trying to work out exactly what causes these dramatic storms. As he describes to Jon Stewart, the storm built and built until it had left a trail right around the giant gaseous planet. 

Tibetan singing bowls
Sooner or later, physicists turn their attention to just about everything, and this week we learn about the intriguing physics going on in Tibetan singing bowls.  These ceremonial vessels are known for their haunting sound, but thanks to the efforts of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, we know more about the spectacular dance of the water within them.  BBC Science reporter Jason Palmer tells us more.

Rare earth minerals
This week Japanese researchers reported that they have discovered vast deposits of rare earth minerals in the mud that makes up the Pacific Ocean floor.  These are elements we may have never heard of but cannot live without.  For example if you use a computer or a TV or are a fan of green technologies like solar panels and wind turbines, then you are relying on these rare earth minerals like Hafnium, Indium, and Neodymium. Science in Action delves deeper with the help of Professor Frances Wall, head of the Camborne School of Mines at the University of Exeter.

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