Spirit (Mars Exporation Rover-A, or MER-A), is the first of two rovers which are part of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Mission. Today marks the 5-year anniversary of Spirit's successful landing on Mars.  Of the hundreds of engineers and scientists who cheered at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA when Spirit landed safely on January 4th, 2004, - and 21 days later when its twin Opportunity (MER-B) followed suit - none predicted the team would still be operating both rovers in 2009.

The winter chill is upon us, and holiday songs put us all in the mood to snuggle by a warm fire with our loved ones... but in this new "environmental age", what should we be using to fuel our roaring fires?  Tradition generates images in our minds of a large stone fireplace, ablaze with a fiery tower of wood - casting heat and light into the room where family and friends gather.  It's warm, it's natural, it traditional... why should we consider anything else?

I had this video forwarded to me, and have to say that initially I was stunned.

"Man!  This pilot is one lucky guy!" 

But then I immediately began to wonder, why didn't I see this on the news - like a billion times?  I mean, if a camera happens to capture a horse running loose on the highway, all the major networks seem to carry it on the 5:00 news.  But this?  I hadn't seen it on a single channel.

'Tis the season for the local supermarkets to feature delicately balanced displays of gravy, stuffing mix, and cranberry sauce. Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and the centerpiece of the upcoming meal for 95% of families will be the traditional roast turkey.

Americans gobble up a lot of turkey: 267 million­ turkeys are sold in the United States each year. Considering all those turkeys, it may surprise you to hear that there's one that dominates the competition at the supermarket: the broad-breasted white turkey. Most of us have never eaten anything else.

Archaeologists have made a discovery in Egypt, which fills in a missing piece of history in the Old Kingdom ancient burial ground of Saqqara.  The newest discovery, found in the sand south of Cairo about two months ago, most likely housed the remains of Queen Shesheshet.  Shesheshet, the mother of King Teti, ruled from 2323 BC to 2291 BC and founded Egypt's Sixth Dynasty -- over 4,000 years ago.

Scientific happenings on this day in history…

But first: today’s quiz.  Not all inventions are cold and scientific… some are more on the “delicious” side of the scale.  And some inventors don’t even have to create a particular invention, yet can still be the reason behind its fame.  Such is the case with the answer to today’s quiz.

John Montagu, born on this day in 1718, was a well-known British politician, inventor, and explorer.  What tasty, well-known invention (which he is the namesake of) -- did he make famous?

On to other historic happenings:


EVENTS

1664

It may begin as a feeling of unease that overtakes you as you cautiously make your way inside a long-abandoned house.  The air is thick; musty and stale.  Yet somehow it is laced with the underlying scent  of a burning fire… even though the cold crumbling fireplace hosted its last fire long ago.
 
As your eyes adjust, you begin to notice the stillness. There is absolutely no noise.  In fact, the silence is so oppressive, it presses in on your eardrums like the weight of an ocean… seeking to snuff out the sound of anything that should trespass upon it.  You get the distinct feeling it would like to quiet even the uneven sound of your shallow breaths… and then move on to silence the thump of your increasingly racing heartbeat.

Making a selection at a sushi bar used to simply be about deciding how adventurous you wanted to be, and making sure to steer clear of the deadly poisonous puffer fish (unless you really trusted your sushi chef).  But now a whole new list of selection criteria has come into play --  based less on which fish is most appetizing, and more on which fish is most sustainable.

Okay, now I'm really upset. I've been watching the news, and hearing all about the financial crisis hitting our country, and spreading throughout the world. AIG begs for a handout, and then goes on a $400K week-long retreat. (I'm not happy.) The Dow Jones that was above 14,000 a year ago is hanging on by its fingernails to stay in the 8000's this morning. Over 60% of the homeowners out there have mortgages that are higher than their current home values.

As the global demand for air travel increases, so too does the demand to decrease the environmental impact of flight. The answer may lie in the technological advances made by the next generation of short-haul commercial aircraft currently in development by British low-cost airline, EasyJet. The unique design of EasyJet’s “EcoJet” promises a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2015.

The aircraft will incorporate the latest research by airframe and engine manufacturers around the world – all of which can be incorporated into an aircraft that should be in operation by 2015. The projection for the 50% CO2 reduction is based on the findings from the latest research by industry leaders and will come from the engines (25%), the lightweight airframe (15%) and from improvements to air traffic control technology and design (10%).

In the fall of 2006, a strange design mysteriously appeared amongst the rows of crops in a farmer’s field. And this time, there was some serious product placement.

The large Firefox logo appeared in a farmer’s oat field outside of Amity, Oregon. But far from being a mysterious extraterrestrial communication, the design was carefully planned and executed by a group of Oregon State University students.

Two Mozilla video interns came up with the idea. Supported by the enthusiasm of fellow Mozilla staff members, things really started to take shape when the idea was presented to members of the Oregon State Linux Users Group (OSLUG). A local farmer offered up his field as the “canvas” for the creation, and the stage was set.

Wile E. Coyote has nothing on this guy.

Yves Rossy, aka Jet Man, zoomed into the record books this morning, flying across the English Channel strapped to a single jet-powered wing, with only a helmet and flight suit for protection.


To Infinity And Beyond!

The 22-mile (35-kilometer) France-to-England journey took 13 minutes. Bad weather had twice postponed the event this week. But this morning—with clear blue skies and a nice tailwind—turned out to be an ideal flight day for the Swiss airline pilot.

Scientific happenings, big and small, on this day in history

But first: today’s quiz. What inventor, who died on this day in 1902, developed and patented a highly popular (and much beloved) item of clothing in 1873? Trust me, you most likely have this item of clothing in your wardrobe, and in fact may be wearing it right now – especially since it’s Friday. The answer can be found at the end of this article.

On to other historic happenings…

What happened to my jugs? They’re huge! I’m talking about my milk jugs, of course. No, seriously -- those large, plastic, gallon-sized jugs that you buy at the store that are filled with milk. It seems that they’ve gone through quite a growth spurt all of the sudden.



Why the sudden design change? Transitioning to the new “squared off” jugs saves money, materials, time, and fuel… all things that are good for businesses, consumers, and the environment. The new-fangled jugs started showing up in selected Costco, WalMart, and Sam’s Club stores last fall. But because of the savings they represent, they are certain to start appearing in grocery stores all around the country before long.

Scientific happenings, big and small, on this day in history

First, let’s get started with today’s quiz:

What common household item, used in more than 90 percent of American homes, was developed on this day in 1930 by Richard G. Drew? As a little hint, despite its name it did not originate in Scotland. The answer can be found at the end of this article.

In the meantime, here are some other significant happenings that have occurred on this day:




1504
Michelangelo's David is unveiled in Florence

In autumn 1504 the citizens of Florence, Italy witnessed an exceptional event. After four days of traveling around the city inside a wooden cage running on greased beams, Michelangelo’s David finally reached its destination: the Piazza della Signoria.

A new age for air travel is dawning; at least if you’re one of the lucky few in the market for supersonic luxury travel. Lockheed Martin's advanced Skunk Works unit is designing a small, 12-seat passenger jet that would travel at 1,200 mph (Mach 1.8) but which would produce only a whisper of the annoying crack once emitted by the retired Concorde.

Aimed at business executives and diplomats, the QSST will fly at nearly twice the speed of conventional business jets and have a range of 4,600 miles nonstop -- Los Angeles to New York in just over two hours. The sleek, 130-foot-long QSST (for "quiet supersonic transport") aircraft is being designed for a Nevada consortium called Supersonic Aerospace International, or SAI, at an estimated cost of $2.5 billion. According to the company, it could be ready for boarding by 2013.



It seems that this is a technology that is long overdue, and it may seem curious that domestic supersonic travel doesn’t already exist. But it’s been the pesky sonic boom that accompanies supersonic flight that has prevented development in this area -- until now.

Scientific happenings, big and small, on this day in history

But first, today’s quiz:

The answer may seem obvious, but don’t be fooled – it’s not what you think. On this day in 1886, the first earthquake on record with significant human consequence (over 100 deaths) took place. In what U.S. state did it occur? Just to confirm, it’s NOT California. You can discover the answer at the end of this article.

Now on to other events:

Scientific happenings, big and small, on this day in history…

But first, today’s quiz:
What event, which took place on this day in 1883, produced the most violent explosion known in human history? You probably know the answer; it’s just a matter of thinking about it for a moment. But just to be sure, you can check the answer at the end of the article.

And on to other historic happenings…

Scientific happenings, big and small, on this day in history.

For today’s quiz you’ll not only need to know a bit about science history, but need to have some familiarity with our military history as well. Which American aeronautics pioneer, born on this day in 1834, is the namesake for the Virginia military base that houses the United States Air Force’s 1st Fighting Wing? It’s not that hard really. Seriously, how many Virginia military bases do you know? But just to be sure, you can check the answer at the end of this article.

And more on this day in science…

Scientific happenings, big and small, on this day in history

But first, today’s quiz:

What famous inventor, born on this day in 1871, will forever be famous for something he did for only 12 seconds? Think you know…? You might be right. To be sure check out the answer at the end of the article.