http://watchmojo.com/space/blog Pushing Mankind's Envelope: Space, Science, Research & Knowledge Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:28:13 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en  "Almost 40% of small and midsize public biotechnology companies in the U.S. are in danger of running out of cash within a year and government help is needed to encourage investment, industry leaders say. "We're at the most difficult time in the history of our industry," says James Greenwood, chief executive ... http://watchmojo.com/space/blog/index.php/2008/11/26/biotech-firms-face-cash-shortages/ A colossal black hole nestled in the center of a distant galaxy controls its own growth and the growth of surrounding stars by pumping out energy at regular intervals, a new study says. "It looks like a beating heart," said study team member Mateusz Ruszkowski, an astronomer at the University ... http://watchmojo.com/space/blog/index.php/2008/11/24/black-hole-with-a-heart/   Astronauts Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper and Steve Bowen completed the first of four spacewalks scheduled for Endeavour’s mission to the International Space Station yesterday. This spacewalk was the 115th in support of ISS construction. The majority of the six hour and 52 minute spacewalk was spent focusing on one of the station’s Solar ... http://watchmojo.com/space/blog/index.php/2008/11/19/115th-spacewalk-in-support-of-iss-construction/ Combining refurbished machinery and modern day technology, NASA was able to take a restore photographs of the Earth rising above the lunar surface in 1966. This time with better resolution. "The Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project, located at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., is taking analog data ... http://watchmojo.com/space/blog/index.php/2008/11/18/nasa-restores-historic-lunar-orbiter-image/   Astronomers were able to capture, for the first time ever, planets that were outside the solar system. Read more. http://watchmojo.com/space/blog/index.php/2008/11/14/first-pictures-of-new-planets/ Instead of global warming, some experts are now warning that the world may soon plunge into the next Ice Age.  They predict most of Scotland, Northern Ireland and England to be covered in ice 3,000 feet thick.  These same experts blame global warming on falling greenhouse gas levels.   Read more... http://watchmojo.com/space/blog/index.php/2008/11/13/experts-warn-were-headed-to-the-next-ice-age/ The Phoenix Mars Mission is officially over. The lander was powered by solar panels, and the approaching Martian winter has basically cut off its power supply. The craft is not expected to last through the winter. But Phoenix lasted two months longer than anticipated, so the $475 ... http://watchmojo.com/space/blog/index.php/2008/11/11/phoenix-is-done/   "She has been seen by every junior doctor and nurse in paediatrics at St Mary's Hospital, London. She has had breathing difficulties, meningitis, malaria, head trauma and asthma. Thankfully baby Gertrude is not real, but a simulated nine-month-old baby used to train medical staff how to deal with a seriously ill baby. The ... http://watchmojo.com/space/blog/index.php/2008/11/06/the-baby-used-to-train-medics/  ...and the winner is Einstein! In Forbes’ latest ranking of the highest earning dead celebrities, Albert Einstein beat out the likes of John Lennon, Andy Warhol and Marilyn Monroe to take the fourth spot behind Elvis Presley, Charles Schultz and Heath Ledger.  Greenlight says they receive 400 applications a year to ... http://watchmojo.com/space/blog/index.php/2008/11/04/einstein-versus-lennon/ The long and short of this story is scientists can now grow diamonds that are bigger and better than natural ones.  If you'd like to read about the scientific processes used for this feat, I suggest you read this.  Otherwise, just sit back and wait for diamond prices to drop ... http://watchmojo.com/space/blog/index.php/2008/10/28/science-is-a-girls-best-friend/