Jobs vs. Callings

Here's a gem that examines the difference between a job and a calling:

The distinction is artificial but worth drawing. A job will never satisfy you all by itself, but it will afford you security and the chance to pursue an exciting and fulfilling life outside of your work. A calling is an activity you find so compelling that you wind up organizing your entire self around it -- often to the detriment of your life outside of it.

(via A. Sullivan)

Atlantis Heads for Space

At about 1:30 local time this afternoon Atlantis and her crew successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida:
We were fortunate to be able to watch the launch live during my 6th period class.

Atlantis Set to Launch

Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-129) is scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida later this afternoon. The 11 day mission to the International Space Station will deal primarily with the task of delivering spare parts that could be used to repair the ISS in the future. NASA plans to retire its shuttle fleet next year, and since the shuttle is the only vehicle capable to delivering large pieces of equipment to the space station, making sure that the ISS is well stocked with spares in the event of breakdown has become one of NASA's top priorities. As far as what sorts of spare parts are going up, NASA has this to say:

The spares are going up on two platforms – called external logistics carriers, or ELCs – to be attached on either side of the station’s truss, in hopes that wherever a failure happens, the necessary spare won’t be too far away. The ELCs carried up on STS-129 will be chocked full with two pump modules, two control moment gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, an ammonia tank assembly, a high-pressure gas tank, a latching end effector for the station’s robotic arm and a trailing umbilical system reel assembly for the railroad cart that allows the arm to move along the station’s truss system. There’s also a power control unit, a plasma container unit, a cargo transportation container and a battery charge/discharge unit. In all, that’s 27,250 pounds worth of spares to keep the station going long after the shuttles retire.

Atlantis will carry a crew of 6 astronauts and will dock with the ISS on flight day 3 (Wednesday). Astronaut Nicole Stott, currently a member of the ISS crew, will be returning to Earth aboard Atlantis after spending over two months in space.

How beautiful the enemy

This incredible piece of art is actually a 3-dimensional model of the H1N1 "swine" flu virus. It was designed by artist Luke Jerram as part of a series of microbial pathogens. Jerram has this to say about this collection:

Its great to be exploring the edges of scientific understanding and visualisation of a virus. Scientists aren't able to answer many of the questions I ask them, such as how the RNA is exactly fitted within the Capsid? At the moment, camera technology can't answer these questions either. I'm also pushing the boundaries of glassblowing. Some of my designs simply can't be created in glass. Some are simply too fragile and gravity would cause them to collapse under their own weight. So there's a very careful balancing act that needs to take place, between exploring current scientific knowledge and the limitations of glassblowing techniques.

A video of HIV being "made":
(Via Freakonomics)

Wasps

And then there's this:

CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) — More than two dozen students and teachers at a Cranston middle school were stung by wasps during a fire drill, and one child was taken to the hospital.

Cranston Schools Superintendent Peter Nero said about 30 students and teachers at the Western Hills Middle School were stung Monday morning — some multiple times — when a yellow jacket nest was disturbed as students were walking outside.

He says the school contacted the parents of all children who were stung and recommended out of caution that they be sent home for the day.

Nero said the school has canceled all physical education classes for the day, and that exterminators applied a non-toxic chemical spray on the hive.