Space, the Final Frontier. This digest is the musing of a man who wishes he had the eyesight and mathematical skill to have been an astronaut, and who is still a huge space nerd even though most of the underlying scientific and mathematical concepts make me dizzy. Since humans became human we have been fascinated by the stars and relied on them for survival. They inspire us to chase something, and perhaps the thrill of that chase is the very thing that makes us human.
As always, happy Wednesday and happy reading.
This Day in History
1974 - The unmanned Mariner 10 space probe visits Mercury, becoming the first - and still only - spacecraft to visit the planet. Much of what we know about Mercury came from this decades-old trip. For example, Mercury experiences extreme temperatures shifts depending on which side is facing the sun, and while a year on Mercury is only 88 Earth days, it rotates on its own axis very slowly, a day on Mercury is 58 Earth days!
Mariner 10
Pioneering Probes
Everything that goes up, must come down. Unless that something is a deep space probe like Mariner 10, or Cassini, a probe that has been orbiting Saturn for 20 years, collecting valuable information, but will shortly drop into the planet, collecting more information and transmitting it home on a final scientific suicide mission (from Medium). Exploration has always been a dangerous endeavor, and too many have lost their lives pursuing the knowledge of the unknown. But only recently have pioneering probes pushed into our solar system, and beyond, shaping our view before crashing into planets or drifting into the unknown.
Goodbye, Pluto. Hello, ?
Hello, Name-TBD. Actually, planet-TBD, but it does seem very likely that the solar system does indeed have a 9th planet, and it's not Pluto (from NYTimes). Poor Pluto. Fun tangent: the rise of Facebook coincided with the removal of Pluto from the planetary pantheon. The first group I ever liked on Facebook was "When I was your age, Pluto was a planet."
Anyhow, while the classification of planets may seem a trivial matter in the vast cosmological scheme of things, such definitions help us determine where and how we search for our future home.
Where Will Home Be Next?
So where will that next home be? Well there are plenty of options. Seemingly more each day, in fact. Problematically, they're all very, very, very far away (from the Guardian). Whether we kill ourselves or not, Earth will one day be consumed by the death of our sun. That's a long way off, but of course we have a lot of figuring out to do when it comes to getting to...wherever, and then surviving there. So we need the time.
Life on Mars
Getting to the next planet is hard enough. Surviving there...well, who knows. Literally no one. As far as we may be from reaching another Earth - or even Mars for that matter - it's not worth making the trip only to die upon arrival. Which is why we are already training for extra-planetary colonization (from Aeon) and considering off-world architecture (from How We Get to Next). If you are interested in space exploration then these reads are worth your time.
Meet Mabel
Meet Mabel, a lovely lady with a semi-permanent look of guilt on her face. Perhaps it's because she loves cheese so much. Hailing from Texas where she lives with her human Calinda, and her feline brother, Fritz, Mabel's day are largely spent playing with Fritz and waiting impatiently form her human to come home and rub her belly. Mabel is also a big fan of walks, but only if a belly rub is to follow. Big thanks to Calinda for sharing Mabel!!
Will's Weekly Trivia - Spread the Word!
My goal in 2017 is to increase readers by 100. If you know someone who you believe might enjoy the digest, the dogs, or the trivia, please be sure to share Willful Intent's new opt-in form! And don't forget to submit any thoughts and dog pics via the feedback form!
IF you choose to answer the question, respond to staton.will@gmail.com with your answer. Please note that by competing you are giving me permission to publish your first name in the trivia leader board each week.
Last Week:
1. Which President signed the first federal income tax? HINT: It was to raise money during war time ONE POINT
2. Which branch of government levies taxes? ONE POINT
3. Which famed anti-tax advocate has gotten many Republicans to sign a pledge to never raise taxes? ONE POINT
Answers:
1. Although it did not become permanent law until 1913, the first income tax was levied by President Lincoln to pay for the Civil War effort.
2. Congress or the legislative branch is responsible for taxation.
3. Grover Norquist is the anti-tax crusader who asks Republican legislators to sign his pledge for no new taxes.
This Week:
1. What is the name of the "body of water" on the moon where Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the lunar surface? ONE POINT
2. Who are the following planets named after: Mercury; Venus; Mars; Jupiter; Uranus; Neptune; Pluto? ONE POINT APIECE
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