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Iran Unveils Flying Saucer Using Old B-Movie Stock Photo
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/03/iran-unveils-flying-saucer-using-old-b-movie-stock-photo/72696/
Mar 18 2011, 2:15 PM ET 18
I'm starting it right here: TG;HTB -- Too good; had to blog (I know, it needs some work). But look at this: The image seen at right is the image that actually accompanied a press release sent out by the Fars News Agency, a state-run news service. "Iran unveiled a home-made unmanned flying saucer as well as a light sports aircraft in an exhibition of strategic technologies," the release opened.
Zohal, as the saucer has been named -- Persian for Saturn -- "can be used for various missions, specially for aerial imaging," according to the release. The country clearly considers it an important development: Zohal was unveiled at a ceremony attended by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei. No word, though, on why it looks like something out of an old sci-fi movie. If you look closely, you can almost see Richard Dreyfuss standing among the trees.
The saucer, which Fars claims was designed and developed by the Iranian Aviation and Space Industries Association (IASIA) and the Farnas Aerospace Company, "is equipped with an auto-pilot system, GPS (Global Positioning System) and two separate imaging systems with full HD 10 mega-pixel picture quality and is able to take and send images simultaneously." All of those features could comfortable fit inside something the size of a shoebox -- with room leftover for a nice pair of shoes.
Chavez says capitalism may have ended life on Mars
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Chavez-says-capitalism-may-rb-3915449179.html?x=0&.v=1
On Tuesday March 22, 2011, 2:47 pm EDT
By Eyanir Chinea
CARACAS (Reuters) - Capitalism may be to blame for the lack of life on the planet Mars, Venezuela's socialist President Hugo Chavez said on Tuesday.
"I have always said, heard, that it would not be strange that there had been civilization on Mars, but maybe capitalism arrived there, imperialism arrived and finished off the planet," Chavez said in speech to mark World Water Day.
Chavez, who also holds capitalism responsible for many of the world's problems, warned that water supplies on Earth were drying up.
"Careful! Here on planet Earth where hundreds of years ago or less there were great forests, now there are deserts. Where there were rivers, there are deserts," Chavez said, sipping from a glass of water.
He added that the West's attacks on Libya were about water and oil reserves.
Earlier this month, the U.S. National Research Council recommended that NASA's top priority should be a robot to help determine whether Mars ever supported life and offer insight on its geological and climatic history.
It would also be the first step in an effort to get samples from Mars back to Earth.
A NASA team recently tested a space suit in a setting with extreme conditions akin to some of those found on Mars -- an Argentine base in Antarctica -- for possible use on a visit to the Red Planet.
(Writing by Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
