The cost of curiosity

Gary McKinnon is no terrorist – he's a UFO nerd. And the US would be wise to give him a job

• 
  • Duncan Campbell
  • guardian.co.uk,
  • Thursday July 31 2008

So Gary McKinnon, the hacker who cracked the computer systems of the Pentagon and Nasa from his bedroom in north London more than seven years ago, is to be extradited to stand trial in the US. That was the ruling this week of the law lords as they departed on their summer holidays.

They brushed aside the arguments of McKinnon's distinguished legal team that he could not be guaranteed a fair trial there. "The difference between the American system and our own is not perhaps so stark as the appellant's argument suggests," said Lord Brown of Eaton-under-Heywood, in his ruling. "It is difficult to think of anything other than the threat of unlawful action which could fairly be said so to imperil the integrity of the extradition process as to require the accused to be discharged irrespective of the case against him."

Well, who knows what news gets through to Eaton-under-Heywood these days, but if Lord Brown and his four colleagues had done some cursory research on the current state of the US criminal justice system they would know there is a very stark difference between the way he could be treated by the US courts and how he would be treated here.

There may be much wrong with the British criminal justice system but, compared to the lottery that is the American judicial process, there are a number of sober differences. For a start, here you would not find yourself in jail for 50 years for stealing $160 worth of video tapes, or for 25 years for smoking marijuana. Nor does the UK operate a Guantánamo Bay where the most basic legal principles have been abandoned as part of a post-9/11 panic. And there is no guarantee that, if tried in the US, McKinnon would not be confronted by some grandstanding, publicity-seeking judge deeply offended that a chap in a flat in north London can leave a message saying "your security is really crap" on the Pentagon computer, as McKinnon did. After all, one American official in this case has already said that he would like to see him "fry".

Gary McKinnon started his hacking long before the events of September 11 and his offence has nothing to do with terrorism. In fact, much of his exploration was in pursuit of information about UFOs. But, because of the embarrassment he has caused the Pentagon, he is being pursued as if his offence was in some way connected to US national security. He will not, in reality, face 60 years in jail, but he could well receive a grossly disproportionate sentence for an offence that would be dealt with in this country with a fine and community service. Maybe he would have to pay some compensation, although the real financial cost to the Pentagon and Nasa systems is small, certainly nothing like the fanciful, inflated claim of $700,000 being made by the US authorities. The real loss is one of face.

What McKinnon did was expose a faulty security system in a mischievous fashion. Previous hackers in this country who have transgressed in this way, out of curiosity rather than for financial gain, have been rewarded with jobs as security consultants by the very firms whose systems they cracked. McKinnon himself has been congratulated by some members of the US military for showing up the failings of their system. If the US authorities had been smart, they would have invited McKinnon into the embassy and asked him for advice rather than seeking to make him a scapegoat for their own inadequacies.

This week, the law lords had a wonderful opportunity to assert our independence from the US and to make a point about the abandonment of legal principles there since September 11. They have failed to do so. We must now hope that the European court of human rights will step in to prevent a great injustice to a man whose real offence was to tell the Pentagon a blunt truth.

Judge bans brain-damaged boy from suing over bouncy castle accident

By Sophie Borland
31st July 2008

A couple ordered to pay £1 million damages after a boy was left brain damaged on their bouncy castle have won their appeal.

Timothy and Catherine Perry were held responsible for the accident in which 13-year-old Sam Harris was kicked in the head by an older teenager two years ago.

But today the country's top judge overturned a High Court ruling in May that the couple had not played close enough attention to the children's party.

 

Tragic: Sam Harris's mother Janet (right) was hoping for £1million in damages but the Court of Appeal ruled Timothy and Catherine Perry (left) were not to blame

Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips, sitting with Lord Justice May and Lord Justice Wilson at the Court of Appeal, yesterday overruled Mr Justice Steel's decision by declaring that it was a 'freak and tragic accident'.

Legal experts have hailed the decision a victory for bouncy castles which had been left open to compensation claims by parents even if minor accidents were to occur.

Sam Harris, then aged 11, suffered a fractured skull after he was kicked in the head by a 15-year-old performing a somersault on the inflatable.

As a result he sustained what doctors described as a 'very serious and traumatic brain injury' and now needs round-the-clock care.

The accident happened at a 10th birthday party the Perry's were holding for their triplets in a playing field in Strood, near Rochester, Kent, in September 2005.

Sam, who had seen the bouncy castle during football training with his father, asked Mrs Perry if he and another boy, Sammy Pring, 15, could have a go.

The Perrys had also hired a bungee run and while Mrs Perry had her back turned, Sammy accidentally kicked Sam in the head when performing a somersault.

Accident: Sam was kicked in the head by an older child (file picture)

Initially the Perrys had blamed the tragedy on Sam's father claiming that he had not been looking after his son properly.

But the boys parents, Janet and David Harris, who are now separated went on to sue the couple and the High Court ruled that Mr and Mrs Perry should compensate the seriously brain-damaged boy.

The couple had to pay an immediate £100,000 to the family and were liable to pay up to as much as £1 million more in damages.

But yesterday the High Court ruling was dramatically overturned and Perrys will no longer have to pay the remaining £900,000.

Sam will not receive a penny in compensation and his parents are now expected to take their case to the House of Lords.

Commenting on the case, Neil Addison, a barrister specialising in civil law, said: 'This appeal simply marks common sense.

'If the couple had been forced to pay compensation it could have had implications on the general public being able to have fun.

'Parents would have been unwilling to hire bouncy castles in case there was an accident and councils would have stopped hosting fetes.

'It is a tragic accident and one obviously feels very sorry for the boy and his parents but I am not at all surprised at the outcome.'

During the appeal hearing, Lord Phillips said Mrs Perry was under no obligation to keep the bouncy castle under continuous observation, and it was not 'foreseeable' that it posed a 'significant risk of harm'.

Lord Phillips added that Mrs Perry had acted 'reasonably' in believing she could supervise the bouncy castle and the bungee run at the same time.

'The case does not turn on expert evidence or special knowledge,' he added.

'Essentially we have had to place ourselves in the shoes of Mrs Perry and consider the adequacy of her conduct from the viewpoint and the knowledge that she had.'

Source:www.dailymail.co.uk

The shape of space to come

 

Posted: Wednesday, July 30, 2008  by Alan Boyle

Virgin Galactic

An artist's conception shows passengers in the SpaceShipTwo rocket plane.

Millions could afford to take such flights by 2020, the craft's designer says.

---

Leaders of the "Old Space" effort and the "New Space" effort laid out separate visions for the next 15 years on the final frontier at the world's biggest experimental air show this week. It turns out that their visions are not all that separate - and that the current space frontiers are not anywhere near that final.

The bottom line? If you think space is cool now, just wait.

By the year 2020, about 100,000 people will have taken a suborbital ride into outer space, said Burt Rutan, the designer of the SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo rocket planes. He said such a trip will be within the reach of millions more, at a cost substantially less than the current going rate of $200,000 - and tourists should be able to buy trips into orbit and around the moon as well.

"All the fun stuff, I think, will be available to the public sooner, because we took the time right now to develop a high-use, affordable, fly-a-lot-of-people space system," Rutan told an overflow crowd Tuesday night at the EAA AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wis.

Meanwhile, NASA will be setting up permanent bases on the moon by 2023, and laying out plans for getting to Mars by 2033, Mike Griffin, the space agency's administrator, told a different AirVenture gathering.

Neither of those visions are set in stone, of course: For Rutan and his fellow private-sector rocketeers, it all depends on proving that space tourism is a viable business. Despite the occasional encouraging market study, that proposition still has to be proven in the real world. Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo is still more than a year away from starting commercial service, although a significant step forward was taken this week with the rollout of the rocket plane's mothership.

For Griffin, the predictions about the moon and Mars depend on politicians maintaining the current level of funding for NASA - and "not jerking us around" on space policy.

"It is within our capacity to do it," he said. "It is within our budget capacity to do it, if it remains within our will to do it."

The 'why' of space travel
So why do it? In Oshkosh, leading lights of "Old Space" and "New Space" both cited physicist Stephen Hawking's recent comment about the necessity of space travel. Hawking said spreading out into the cosmos would be the only way to guarantee against the effect of a planetwide catastrophe - and that view got an "amen" from Will Whitehorn, president of Virgin Galactic, as well as from Griffin.

"In the long run, space exploration is about the survival of our human species," Griffin said.

Kathy Barnstorff / NASA

NASA Administrator Mike Griffin, at center in the dark red shirt, has his picture

taken Tuesday with girls from the World Group Home School in Monona, Wis., who

helped name one of the international space station's modules "Harmony."

---

Whitehorn went even further, arguing that without the benefits of the past 50 years of satellite sensing, Earth would be in a world of hurt today. He pointed out that satellite monitoring has given a big boost to global agricultural production - and said "we'd literally have half a billion people starving right now" if those space assets didn't exist.

"What people don't understand is that space is absolutely crucial to our survival right now," he said.

Old vs. New? The line gets fuzzier
Going forward, it won't be so easy to separate "New Space" from "Old Space." Sure, Virgin Galactic is counting on the revenue from space tourism. "You are the large-volume payload that's been missing," Rutan told Tuesday's appreciative audience.

But Rutan and other New Spacers are hoping NASA will buy some rides as well. That's what Griffin hopes, too: "I've said repeatedly that when commercial human spaceflight opportunities exist, NASA will be a purchaser of those services, whether for astronaut training or for scientific flights," he said.

NASA is in the market for orbital services as well: Two companies, SpaceX and Orbital Sciences, are getting millions of dollars in development funds to build spaceships capable of resupplying the international space station once the shuttle fleet retires in 2010. Griffin said the space agency's recent request for station resupply bids drew proposals from more than a dozen companies.

"I'm very confident that we're going to find some [orbital space services] that we're going to want to purchase," he said.

Pushing out the frontier
Griffin is fond of saying that NASA is involved in the same sort of exploration that sailors on Viking ships or clipper ships took on centuries ago - and is facing the same sorts of challenges. (For example, just as the British voyagers figured out how to beat scurvy, voyagers to Mars are going to have to figure out how to beat deep-space radiation.)

If you extend that metaphor, you'll find that settlers and salesmen almost always followed in the footsteps of the explorers. Rutan slyly referred to that phenomenon during one of his talks in Oshkosh, when he looked right at Virgin Galactic's rebel billionaire, Richard Branson, and observed that innovators "tend to look like a swashbuckler."

If the visions voiced by Rutan and Griffin come true, the explorers will have pushed far beyond Earth orbit by 2023 - leaving plenty of open space for sightseers and settlers. And maybe swashbucklers as well.

Bits and pieces
Tuesday's sessions were mostly devoted to questions and answers, and here are some of the miscellaneous nuggets that came out of the give-and-take:

• White Knight Two, the plane that will carry SpaceShipTwo up to 50,000 feet for an air launch, has extra seats for ride-alongs, and Rutan said those riders could get an experience much like a spaceflight - complete with a zero-G float, followed by a jolt of acceleration that could briefly go as high as 6 G's. That could serve as a shakedown cruise for would-be spacefliers. Still more seats could eventually be put in White Knight Two's left-side cabin, and Whitehorn said "we would hope that the tickets for that side of the hull would be $900 to $1,000 at the most."
• Whitehorn promised that the White Knight Two / SpaceShipTwo would be flown to Oshkosh next year if at all possible. That would be an on-the-ground display opportunity, with SpaceShipTwo remaining firmly attached to its mothership. But Oshkosh also might get first crack if and when Virgin Galactic takes its launch operation on the road. "The first place we'll bring it, commercially, is going to be Oshkosh," Whitehorn said, sparking applause from AirVenture attendees.
• NASA's Griffin acknowledged that he wasn't happy about the five-year gap between the shuttle fleet's retirement in 2010 and the planned debut of the Orion-Ares launch system in 2015. That gap means NASA will have to purchase rides to the space station from other countries or private providers. But Griffin said the agency couldn't afford to keep the shuttles in operation while it was developing their successors, based on Congress' current funding formula. "I admit, on the face of it, that seems silly," he told the crowd. "But ... I don't want to shock anybody, sometimes in Washington we do think of silly things."
• Griffin downplayed media reports about vibration problems with the Ares 1 rocket, saying that there were "half a dozen means to mitigate that" and that two top strategies would be selected for further study next month. "Let me put it this way: I hope this is the worst problem we have in developing a new system," he said.
• He said NASA was working out a deal to send a small, experimental VASIMR engine to the space station for testing. Boosters of the VASIMR plasma technology say such engines could be used on spacecraft bound for Mars and beyond.
• Griffin said "NASA can technically fly" a shuttle mission to deliver the $1.5 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the space station, but he noted that no money has yet been appropriated for such a flight. Until the funding is provided, "AMS won't fly, because it can't fly for free," he said.

Source: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/30/1234682.aspx

NASA Says Scientists Find Liquid Lake on Saturn's Biggest Moon

 

By Ed Johnson

July 31 (Bloomberg) -- Scientists have found liquid on Saturn's largest moon, Titan, making it the only body in the solar system other than Earth known to have fluid on its surface, NASA said.

The discovery was made using data from an instrument on board the Cassini spacecraft, which traveled more than 2.2 billion miles before entering orbit around Saturn in 2004.

``This is the first observation that really pins down that Titan has a surface lake filled with liquid,'' said University of Arizona scientist Bob Brown, team leader of Cassini's visual and mapping instrument. At least one of the lakes on the moon contains liquid hydrocarbons, NASA said in a statement yesterday.

Titan, with a diameter of about 3,200 miles (5,150 kilometers), is the second-largest moon in the solar system after Jupiter's Ganymede. It orbits at a distance of about 745,000 miles from Saturn and is one of at least 56 moons of the ringed planet.

The lake, Ontario Lacus, in Titan's south polar region, was spotted during a flyby in December, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said. It is about 7,800 square miles in area, slightly bigger than North America's Lake Ontario.

Scientists concluded the area is liquid by studying the way it absorbed and reflected infrared light.

Saturn's moons have long been of interest to scientists, who say Titan may resemble an early version of Earth, providing clues to how the planet developed. In 2005, scientists detected a ``significant atmosphere'' on another moon, Enceladus.

Cassini was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in 1997, bearing the Huygens probe. Huygens was sent down through Titan's atmosphere in 2005, gathering data on the moon's physical, chemical and electrical properties.

The $3.2 billion Cassini-Huygens mission is a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ed Johnson in Sydney at ejohnson28@bloomberg.net.

source:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=ab8tWfRz.8YU&refer=africa

50 years, 50 giant leaps: How Nasa rocked our world

 

Today, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration marks its first half-century of exploration and discovery. But missions to the Moon and beyond are only part of the story. Without Nasa's scientists, life on Earth would be very different indeed. Rob Sharp chronicles a technological revolution

Tuesday, 29 July 2008

 

 

1.The hand-held vacuum cleaner

The cordless miniature vacuum cleaner was born after Black & Decker developed a self-contained portable drill for the Apollo Moon landings between 1963 and 1972. The machine used a specially developed computer program, meaning it used less power to extract core samples from beneath the Moon's surface. That computer programme helped the company develop more battery-powered gadgets, among them, the cordless mini vacuum cleaner.

 

2.Air-cushioned trainers

In the early 1980s, a process known as "blow rubber moulding" was used to produce space helmets. Using this technology, former Nasa engineer Frank Rudy pitched an idea for an in-trainer shock absorber to the Nike Corporation. He envisaged a trainer with hollow soles filled with shock-absorbing material to cushion the impact of running. Rudy's idea included a pad of interconnected air cells and the resulting trainer was called the Nike Air.

 

3.Firefighter breathing apparatus

Before 1971, the average weight of breathing apparatus was more than 30 pounds. Carrying the extra weight was so physically gruelling that some firefighters opted to attack flames without any equipment. However, engineers at Nasa adapted the life-support systems used in spacesuits for use by emergency services. Four years later, experts had designed apparatus that weighed a third less and offered better fit and visibility.

 

4.Blankets for marathon runners

In 1964, Nasa developed a material capable of reflecting heat very effectively – a thin sheet of plastic coated with a metallic reflecting agent, usually gold or silver in colour. Used as a blanket, it reflects about 80 per cent of the wearer's body-heat back to them. It's used to keep accident victims warm, and by marathon runners after the finish.

 

5.Safer runways

Nasa researchers discovered that cutting thin grooves across concrete runways reduces the risk of an aircraft aquaplaning after landing. Excess water drains along the grooves, increasing tyre friction in wet conditions. The expertise has been adopted by airport operating authorities around the world.

 

6.Pill transmitters

Pill transmitters swallowed by astronauts to check their temperature and blood pressure are undergoing trials to be used as a way to monitor the health of foetuses in the womb. These pill-shaped gadgets can be used to monitor body temperature, pressure and other vital signs.

 

7.Faster racing cars

Carbon fibre was invented by the British in the 1960s (at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough), but was given a boost by its use in space flight. Carbon-fibre-reinforced graphite is used in the nose cone of the Space Shuttle. Strong, light and heat resistant, it is found in everything from tennis rackets to Formula One racing cars

8.The roof of the Millennium Dome

A flexible yet durable Teflon-coated fibreglass material was developed in the 1970s for use on astronauts' spacesuits. Teflon-coated fibreglass is now used for the roofs of many buildings worldwide, including the Dome in London.

 

9.Greenliving

It may seem strange, but the green movement owes a debt of gratitude to the rockets that blasted off into space. Efficient solar-power technologies – in which silicon crystals grown in a laboratory convert light into electrical energy – were first developed by Nasa in the early 1980s. The same technology is now widely used by companies manufacturing solar panels.

 

10.Personal storm warning system

The personal lightning detector is popular with boaters, golfers and those flying private planes, but this low-cost spin off was developed using Space Shuttle expertise. After being pointed at a cloud, the device detects the formation of lightning by analysing subtle changes in light level. The invention is now popular around the world.

 

11.The most impressive soundbite of all time

Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon on 21 July 1969 was one of the most historically important moments of the 20th century. His proclamation, which was heard by radio audiences around the world – "that's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind" – remains one of the most famous statements ever uttered.

 

12.Better sunglasses

Nasa invented a special coatingusing a form of diamond-like carbonto protect its astronauts’ helmetsfrom being scratched by space particles. A modified form of this substance – which decreases surface friction and therefore reduces scratching – has since been used by many sunglasses manufacturers, including Ray-Ban, since 1988.

 

13.First detailed map of another planet

In 1971, the Mariner 9 probe arrived at Mars and beamed a total of 7,329 images of the planet back to Earth. It provided the first global map of the surface of the Red Planet, including detailed views of its system of canyons and volcanoes, Valles Marineris.

 

14.The potential to preserve priceless art

After being first tested by Nasa, "polyamides" – incredibly strong and heat-resistant polymers – have been researched by the J Paul Getty Trust, which has discovered that one in particular may protect bronze statues from corrosion.

 

15.Car crash technology

"Explosive" bolts that can be remotely detonated to destroy them were used to free the Space Shuttle from its rocket boosters on blast-off. The technology has been adapted to create quicker and more powerful equipment to cut people out of car crashes. The cutters employ the same pyrotechnic "power cartridges" used on the Shuttle.

 

16.Longer golf shots

Wilson – one of the world's biggest golf ball manufacturers – has improved the performance of its golf balls by implementing technology used to test the aerodynamics of the Space Shuttle's external fuel tanks. These balls have a variety of specially configured dimples, which the company claims makes them travel further than conventional balls.

 

17.Plane wing-tips

Ever seen the vertical tip at the end of an aeroplane wing and wondered what it is? It's a called a winglet and was originally developed at Nasa's Langley Research Centre. The winglet produces a degree of forward thrust (to help the plane in take-off and flight), operating much like a boat sail, and reduces wingtip drag. The winglet has been in service since the 1970s, and is found on all types of aircraft.

 

18.Freeze-dried meals

Nasa developed freeze-drying technology for the food carried by the Apollo missions. After the process, the product retains 98 per cent of its nutritional value and weighs just 20 per cent of its original weight. Snacks based on this technology are exported by Nasa to many countries, with sales running to several million pounds a year.

 

19.Baby food

Through Nasa research on algae (which it was hoped could generate oxygen in space through photosynthesis), it was found that certain algae contain two essential fatty acids present in human breast milk. These acids play an key role in infants' mental and visual development. A synthetic ingredient that contains these acids is now added to baby food in 66 countries.

 

20.Warmer feet

Battery-powered thermal boots used by skiers are adapted from designs developed to keep astronauts warm during the Apollo space programme. Rechargeable batteries are worn inside the wrist of a glove, or the sole of a ski boot, and heat is generated by a small electrical circuit.

 

21.Increased understanding of the beginning of life

In 1995 the Hubble Space Telescope beamed images of the "Pillars of Creation" – columnar clouds of gas found in the distant Eagle Nebula – back to Earth. As well as being some of the most impressive images of space, these pictures changed scientists' understanding of the beginnings of life in the universe.

 

22.'Anti-gravity' treadmill

British marathon runner Paula Radcliffe has a stress fracture to her left leg, but aims to compete in the Beijing Olympics. She hopes to achieve this by training on a special "anti-gravity" treadmill developed by Nasa to help astronauts exercise in space. The machine operates in a high-pressure chamber which, in effect, cuts the weight of the user.

 

23.Hang gliders

In 1957, Nasa began testing various forms of wing for its Gemini space capsules. The wings' simplicity of design, ease of construction, along with their capability of slow flight and gentle landing characteristics, was picked up by hang-gliding enthusiasts. The hang glider the enthusiasts designed became the most successful in history and formed the basis for the more streamlined hang gliders used today.

 

24.Straighter teeth

Nitinol, an alloy used by orthodontists to wire teeth braces, was tested in satellites that needed to spring open after being folded into a rocket. Nitinol is durable and springs back into shape after bending.

 

25.Heat-absorbing sportswear

Athletes can perform more strenuous activity without becoming overheated, thanks to new sportswear inspired by the cooling systems used in astronauts' spacesuits. The clothes have packets of heat-absorbing gel positioned near parts of the body where the most heat is emitted.

 

26.Heart surgery

Bypass surgery is not the only means for doctors to deal with a blockage in the coronary artery. Nowadays, precise lasers can be used to clean arteries with extraordinary accuracy, while not damaging the walls of blood vessels. The lasers were originally developed by Nasa to monitor gases in the atmosphere of the Earth.

 

27.Life support for patients

Project Mercury, the first US human spaceflight programme, which ran from 1959 to 1963, developed sophisticated monitoring systems to track the physiological status of its astronauts. The same technology is used today in intensive care units and specialist heart units.

 

28.Medicinal light- emitting diodes

The light-emitting diode (LED) technology used in plant growth experiments on board the Space Shuttle has led to the development of hand-held LED units used for the temporary relief of muscle and joint pain, as well easing the symptoms of arthritis, stiffness, and muscle spasms. It is that hoped use of LED technology will spread to aid bone-marrow transplant patients in the near future.

 

29.Artificial limbs

Robotic technology has been used to create more dynamic artificial limbs. New foam technology – used as a shock absorber by Nasa – has brought about more natural-looking prostheses and has helped reduce wear and tear.

 

30.Intelligent underwear

A new bra developed as a space spinoff aids the detection of breast cancer by employing water flowing through tubes to cool the skin surface. When used in conjunction with thermography – a heat-detecting technique used to detect tumours – this adapted clothing, improves image resolution and makes it easier to pick up any cancers.

31.Detection of forest fires

Nasa fire-detection wizardry developed in the early 1990s is now used by the authorities in the USA to detect forest fires that might not be spotted soon enough on the ground, and pinpoint their location. Infrared technology identifies the extent of a fire so firefighters can be sent to the right places to tackle it.

 

32.Plant research

Nasa research into possible bases on the Moon and Mars is looking into the use of plants to provide food, oxygen and water, reducing the need for outside supplies. The research is based on hydroponics, in which plants grow in a liquid instead of in soil. It could be used in food production on Earth.

 

33.Chromosome analysis

Using Nasa image-processing technology, human chromosomes are being photographed via cameras mounted on microscopes. The images can then be digitised, allowing doctors to enhance the pictures. The technique can be used to detect infant abnormalities.

 

34.Less rubbish

Derived from technology on the Space Shuttle, a waste compactor that needs no electrical power has been developed for boats and recreational vehicles. The device has hand-operated ratchets that drive a pressure plate with a compressive force of 2,000 pounds – a more than ample amount to crush cans, for instance.

 

35.Better skiing

Nasa developed the know-how to keep spacecraft windows clear of condensation before launch by applying two thin coatings of a special detergent oil mix to them. This has since been applied to stop ski goggles, deep sea diving masks, spectacles and vehicle windows from steaming up.

 

36.Better brakes

Studies of high-temperature space materials allowed the development of more resilient and cheaper materials for brake linings. These substances are now found in truck brakes, cranes and passenger cars and make for better and more reliable braking at high speed.

 

37.Improved air quality

A US firm has created an air-quality monitoring system based on a Nasa scheme. The monitor can analyse the gases emerging from chimneys and determine the amount of individual gases present, helping to ensure that buildings meet emission standards.

 

38.Life-saving heart technology

One benefit of Nasa's work in telemetry – wireless control of devices – has been the creation of a heart pacemaker that can be controlled remotely. With no invasive procedures, a physician communicates with the pacemaker via a wireless device held over the patient's chest.

 

39.A possible end to water shortages

Research into using bacteria as a means to remove impurities and purify water is being still being undertaken by Nasa. The system makes use of scant resources by turning waste water from respiration, sweat and urine into drinkable liquid and it's hoped that this could help poorer communities in developing countries.

 

40.More competitive swimming

Some of the swimsuits favoured by professional swimmers utilise technology found in spacesuits. The rubber is covered with barely visible grooves that reduce friction and aerodynamic drag by modifying the flow of water over an athlete's body. These suits are 10 to 15 per cent faster than conventional swimsuits and could give an athlete the winning edge.

 

41.The self-righting life raft

Developed for the Apollo programme, the raft fully inflates in 12 seconds and is stable during extremely adverse weather conditions. The craft are now used by coastguards around the world.

 

42.Home blood pressure kits

When Alan Shepard became the first American to fly in space some 37 years ago, Nasa scientists had to invent an automatic measuring device to find out how blasting off affected the astronaut's blood pressure. Blood-pressure kits based on this design subsequently went mainstream.

 

43.Hydraulic rescue cutters

A rescue tool used by fire departments across America uses battery technology first employed by Nasa. The cutting technology – used to free accident victims from wreckage – employs a miniature version of the power cartridges first used on the Space Shuttle and is 50 per cent lighter (and 70 per cent cheaper) than previous rescue equipment. The cutters work more quickly than conventional ones and were used in the aftermath of the 1995 Oklahoma Federal Building bombing.

 

44.Satellite television

On 10 July 1962, a television transmission showed the American flag fluttering outside a communications centre in Andover, Maine. It was made possible after Nasa launched its Telstar satellite, the world's first active communications satellite, at 4.35 that morning.

 

45.Voice-controlled wheelchairs

Voice-controlled wheelchairs make use of Nasa robot voice recognition technology and are fitted with microcomputers that can respond to oral commands. The chairs help people with severe disabilities to perform daily tasks such as turning on appliances.

 

46.Mine-clearing technology

A type of surplus rocket fuel favoured by Nasa has been used to create a device that can destroy land mines safely. The gadget uses the fuel to burn a hole in the mine's casing and to burn away the explosive contents, making it easier to clear land of mines.

 

47.Long-life tyres

The technology used to make parachutes to land exploratory probes was adapted by tyre companies to create tyres five times stronger than steel. Such technology, pioneered for use in tyres by Goodyear in the late 1970s, employs long-chain molecular structures to increase tread lives by 10,000 miles, meaning that we can all drive further for less.

 

48.Eye screening

Nasa image-processing techniques are used to detect eye problems (errors in refraction, or the bending of light on to the retina) in children. An electronic flash from a 35mm camera sends light into the child's eyes, and an image of the patient's optical reflexes is then produced.

 

49.The personal alarm system

The pen-sized ultrasonic transmitters used by prison guards, teachers and the elderly and disabled to signal for help is based on technology derived from space telemetry. The pen transmits a silent signal to a receiver that will display the exact location of the emergency, enabling help to be sent.

 

50.The first photos of Saturn's rings

In 1977, the probe Voyager 1 took almost 16,000 images of Saturn, its moons and its rings. The resulting photographs detected the presence of "spokes" within the planet's ring patterns, which led scientists to reconsider theories about their formation.

Source:www.independent.co.uk