Free Republic

USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences has uncovered how tiny microorganisms work together as a living electrical network to consume some of this gas before it escapes, acting as a powerful living filter. By revealing how these microbes naturally reduce methane emissions, the findings could lead to innovative strategies to better control methane release in both natural and engineered environments. The study, published in the journal Science Advances, sheds light on a unique partnership between two very different microbes: anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Alone, neither microbe can consume methane. When ANME break down methane,...

NASA's latest five-segment solid rocket development motor (DM-2)   (Source: NASA) DM-2 awaits its first test fire Rocket will see first action in 2015 delivering new rescue capsule (Orion) to the ISS The U.S. space program is about to go through some dramatic changes.  President Barack Obama has moved ahead with plans to retire the Space Shuttle in 2011.  U.S. missions to the International Space Station will be provided by Russia's aging Soyuz modular spacecraft. Meanwhile, the U.S. government will work to fill its manned spacecraft needs with more permanent replacements from private sector companies like SpaceX and will fill in the...

4/10/2009 - CLEVELAND (AFNS) -- Retirees and annuitants may see a change in the amount of money they receive May 1 thanks to a new tax credit. Public Law 111-05, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, was signed into law by President Obama on Feb. 17. This act authorized a tax credit for most workers including recipients of retired and annuity pay, and will reduce federal withholding tax rates. These new federal tax rates were in place April 1 for the retired and annuity pay due May 1. The new tables can be found at www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/n1036.pdf. People wanting...

CAPE CANAVERAL -- Discovery's planned launch next month will mark the beginning of the end of the space-shuttle program, but parts of the rocket could help propel astronauts to the moon and beyond long after the current fleet of ships is retired.