Space and adventure

What's more important, water on the moon or on Mars?

On Christmas Eve in 1968, three Americans became the first humans to travel to the moon. AstronautsJim Lovell, Bill Anders and Frank Borman traveled to within 68 nautical miles (125.9 kilometers) of the lunar surface aboard Apollo 8. The trio stayed in lunar orbit for 20 hours and made 10 revolutions [source: NASA]. They snapped photos including the now famous photo of "Earthrise" which stands as a lasting image of space exploration.

This famous photo, taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft in December 1968, shows the Earth rising over the moon's surface.See more moon pictures.

Seven months later, three more Americans made a return trip while two men -- Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin flew the lunar lander down to the moon's surface and became the first men to walk on the moon.

Ten men would follow in Armstrong and Aldrin's footsteps. By 1972, the Apollo program, and with it the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, came to an end. From 1957-72, beginning with the launch of the Sputnik satellite, the two countries had gone toe-to-toe in claiming superiority beyond the Earth's atmosphere.

In the years since, space exploration has changed. The space shuttle makes frequent trips to the International Space Station and ferries space travelers from many nations. Scientists on the ground have changed their focus, too. Now, in addition to the efforts underway to return to the moon, people are eyeing a trip to Mars. NASA and other space agencies have sent probes and even planetary rovers -- small robotic vehicles -- to the red planet's surface. In order to make any trip to Mars, scientists must first understand what astronauts would be up against. Probes have gathered valuable information about the Martian surface but one discovery may have changed the game forever -- the presence of ice. But the same discovery was made on the moon. So which is more important, wateron Mars or the moon?

This article discusses the findings and significance of water on both the moon and Mars and will answer which finding is more significant. Here's a hint to the answer: Both are major discoveries and significant in their own right. But one has the potential to pave the way to something only imagined in science fiction movies.

Water on the Moon

The moon has no atmosphere to hold in moisture. However, that doesn't mean there isn't water there to harvest. By all accounts, the moon is a dry and desolate place, void of color and life. In 2009, though, a sensitive spectrometer on the Indian probe Chandrayaan-1 discovered the presence of water molecules embedded in the lunar soil. Scientists from Brown University have also been able to detect water molecules in regolith, or loose pebbles, retrieved during the Apollo missions. So what does this mean for humanity?

First of all, the water on the moon would need to be mined, then refined. The process of extracting the water is similar to cooking it out of the soil. Scientists have been able to extract two grams of water in the form of ice per minute using a one-kilowatt microwave. At that rate, astronauts would be able to extract about a ton of water per year [source: NASA]. It would take an estimated one ton of lunar dirt to extract one quart or liter of water. While that would make water a scarce commodity, if resourced responsibly, it could be used to grow plants and for drinking and maintaining a moon colony. Mining water would also eliminate the need to transport blocks of ice from Earth, a difficult and costly proposition.

At its closest possible point, the moon is 225,622 miles (384,104 kilometers) away from Earth, and at its furthest point the distance increases to 252,088 miles (405,986 kilometers). That's relatively close compared to Mars. The moon could serve as a hopping point to deeper space exploration. With the technology currently available, any colonization would have to be indoors. But greenhouses and other bio-dome technologies could someday make for a very habitable environment. As it stands, the moon is well within the habitable zone which lies between Venus and just on the inside edge of Mars. Unfortunately, the lack of gravity, which is one-sixth that of Earth's, severely inhibits the moon's ability to ever have an atmosphere. Without an atmosphere, you can forget about creating an outdoor environment capable of sustaining terrestrial life.

Mars, on the other hand, does have an atmosphere. As you'll learn about in the next section, the Red Planet is perhaps more livable than once thought. Does that mean there might actually be Martians gallivanting about? Turn the page to find out

Water on Mars

This photo, taken by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera in May 2000, shows gullies created by liquid water.

While water on the moon is a significant discovery, water on Mars may turn out to be the ticket for humans to leave Earth and live on another planet. But Mars suffers from the same problem as the moon in terms of atmospheric pressure limitations. While Mars does have an atmosphere, it's too thin and light to trap water vapor. Mars is essentially a dead planet, both geologically and with regard to terrestrial life. It's also too cold to contain liquid water on its surface. But that doesn't mean the prospect for future life is hopeless.

The Mars rover Spirit has discovered sulfate-rich soil beneath the ground, which suggests the past presence of liquid water. Similar samples of soil on Earth are found exclusively in wet dirt [source: Than]. Evidence has also led scientists to believe ice on Mars has and will continue to sublimate during a period of time when the planet tilts in just a way that its poles face the sun. In other words, the water vapor turns directly into a solid in the form of snow. When this snow accumulates, the lowest layer could be warm enough to melt into liquid water. In addition to the snow theory, NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbit probe revealed water ice in areas further away from the polar caps.

These discoveries provide hope that Mars could someday sustain life. At the very least, they set up nicely for a manned Martian mission. Humans could harvest this water much like they could on the moon. But they'll have to get there first, and traveling to Mars will be no easy feat. Let's crunch some numbers. At 36 million miles (57.9 million kilometers) away at its closest point, Mars is roughly 145 times as far away as the moon (using the average distance of 238,855 miles, or 384,400 kilometers) [sources: Dutch, NASA]. If NASA's Orion spacecraft were to travel similar speeds as the service module used in the Apollo missions to the moon (24,500 mph or 39,429 kilometers per hour), a trip to Mars would take 1,420 hours or roughly 59 days [source: Smithsonian]. The problem is, both Earth and Mars are in elliptical orbits around the sun. Because it takes Mars 687 days versus Earth's 365 days to complete a year, that "shortest" distance only works out once in every 25 months. So, in reality, it would take closer to 214 days [source:Cain].

Could this water lead to terrestrial life? To answer that, you have to think outside the box for a moment. Humans could attempt to transform Mars into a liveable planet. It's already been pointed out that Mars' atmosphere isn't suitable to sustain liquid water or water vapor. But what if we heated it up? Could we produce a thick layer similar to Earth's ozone layer?

Mars is on the edge of the habitable zone, so even if it was able to somehow obtain an atmosphere similar to Earth's, the temperatures would vary greatly at the poles and night and winter would borderline on inhabitable. Nevertheless, the discovery of water on Mars is a significant step in further space exploration. It also may be the key to whether scientists can ever determine if life in any form ever existed on the dead planet. But that's a discussion for another day.

For more information on space exploration and other related topics, see the links on the next page.

AUTOMOBILE

Interesting Facts about Automobile


1)The fuel mileage of an IndyCar Series car is less than 2 miles per gallon. That means that a car burns approximately 1.3 gallons of fuel per 2.5-mile lap at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway


2)Austin, Herbert (1866-1941), Baron Austin of Longbridge, designed and built some of the first automobiles in the United Kingdom.


3)Sometime around the year 1478, Leonardo da Vinci drew out his plans for the world's first self-propelled vehicle. More than 500 years later (in 2004), the Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence, Italy, built a working model of Leonardo's invention.


4The fuel pump in a NHRA Top Fuel Dragster has a flow rate of about 65 gallons of fuel per minute. To give you a better idea of how much fuel that is, just think of eight bathroom showers heads running simultaneously.


5)Air bag is an inflatable automobile safety device that helps protect a driver or passenger in a collision. An air bag is most effective used with lap and shoulder belts.


6)The Acabion GTBO can reach a top speed of 342 mph (550 kph). If it were able to sustain that driving speed, the Acabion GTBO could cover the approximately 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) between Atlanta, Ga., and New York City in slightly more than two and a half hours.


some more facts will be published shortly................

How to Detect if Someone's Stealing Your WiFi

It may be hard to imagine, but just a mere 20 years ago, the Internet was nothing more than a novelty -- a way for incredibly smart college professors and researchers to share information, and for a few people to network across the newly developed World Wide Web. E-mail was nothing like it is today. The primitive e-mail systems found at universities or even through accounts offered with the first Internet service providers (ISPs) such as Prodigy and America Online were often difficult to use.

Fast forward to 2009 and things have changed significantly. Back in the day, you paid for Internet access by the minute. That's not the case anymore. Like virtually every technology, changes occur quickly and often for the better. On top of that, the technology becomes cheaper and easier to use. The Internet has certainly gone through this transformation. The most recent advance in digital communication is wireless internet or WiFi. Found in coffee shops, airports, libraries and airports throughout the world, WiFi has made using the Internet almost as common as using your cellular phone -- which in itself is technology that exploded over the past decade. Unfortunately, unsavory activities inevitably find a way to enter even the most benign settings like the Internet, and that's (probably) why you're here.

Chances are you're reading this article because you suspect someone is piggybacking or using your WiFi without your permission and you want to learn how to determine if you're correct. When wireless squatters steal your WiFi, they slow down your bandwidth and what's worse, they can even steal information off your computer or infect machines on your network with a virus. Fear not, this article will give you the ammunition to fight back. Let's begin by taking a quick look at what makes up your WiFi network so you can prepare yourself to take control of the Internet connection you pay for.

Understanding Your WiFi Network

Before you can detect if someone is ripping off your wireless Internet connection, it's important to understand some basic computer networking lingo. For more information on how to set up a wireless network, take a look at How WiFi Works. Now, let's look at a few of the areas in a wireless network that will give you a baseline for determining if your WiFi signal is being sapped unexpectedly.

A wireless network is comprised of a broadband Internet connection from a DSL, cable or satellite modem. You attach the modem to the wireless router, which distributes the signal and creates a network.

This is what's called a local area network (LAN). This LAN is where you set up computer peripherals such as your desktop or laptop computer and printer. Your router will have what's called a dynamic host client protocol (DHCP) table. In essence, your DHCP table is your guest list of every allowed piece of computing equipment.

Each device has its own media access control (MAC) address. Think of this as its signature. MAC addresses are assigned by the manufacturer, but can be changed by users, if they know how. Your router uses these addresses to assign each machine on your network an Internet protocol or IP address. The MAC and IP addresses of your equipment will be useful in a moment when we look at ways to detect whether or not someone is stealing your WiFi. For a more in-depth understanding of IP addresses.

If you're confused by some of this computer rhetoric, don't be. What's important is that you know what to look for when we get ready to diagnose your WiFi connection. Speaking of which, let's get to it in the next section. After all, that's what you came here for.

Detecting Wireless Piggybacking

Okay, it's time to get down to it. Is your wireless network running slowly? Do you have intermittent losses in Internet access and you can't figure out why? Chances are, you've already detected a WiFi squatter and didn't even know it. If you regularly experience these problems, maybe you have something wrong with your wireless connection. But if you're suddenly having intermittent problems with your Internet performance, especially at the same time each day, it's a red flag that someone is piggybacking off your wireless connection and it's time for you to diagnose your WiFi network.

The first and simplest thing you can do is check out your wireless network connection and see if it's secure. When you install your router, you're given the option of setting a wireless encryption protocol(WEP) key. Basically this is a password-protected method for you to log on to your own wireless network. If you don't have one, you're operating an open network. That means anyone within range can use your wireless for free. While it's not hacking, it is debatable as to whether this is actually stealing. In any case, if you don't have a WEP key, you're vulnerable to WiFi squatting and certainly not deterring squatters.

Even if you have a WEP key, that doesn't necessarily mean your neighbor hasn't bypassed it. To determine if he or she is logging onto your wireless network, you can do so by checking your wireless network log. To do this, click your Start Menu in Microsoft Windows, then double-click My Network Places. Next, double-click View Entire Network. If there are more devices connected than you have allowed on your network, you have WiFi thieves.

A similar method to determining the status of your WiFi user list is to check your router's DHCP client table. Much like viewing your network, your DHCP client table will list the machines on your network. If the number exceeds what you've set up, you have someone stealing your WiFi.

Nobody wants to be taken advantage of. What's more, you certainly don't want illegal information flowing through your wireless network. That's why you need to take matters in your own hands. The final section will give you the power to thwart off Internet thieves and protect your wireless connection. Are you ready to fight back? Turn the page to learn how.

Stopping Digital Thieves

A WEP key is an absolute must for any wireless network; however, even those are vulnerable. While WEP protection will stop the guy parking in front of your house, it may not stop a more determined user like your neighbor. In that case, you can use a security protocol such as WiFi protected access (WPA). This route is more secure but can still be hacked by a determined WiFi thief.

You can also use manual DHCP assignment. To do this, simply set your router's DHCP to the manual setting and enter in each of your computer's physical addresses. This will restrict your network to allow only those computers recognized by the router.

If the manual DHCP route isn't comfortable for your level of computer expertise, you may want to consider generating a MAC access list which usually can be created through the browser interface of the router. Unfortunately, MAC address lists can also be bypassed by savvy WiFi thieves; nevertheless, when used in conjunction with other security methods, they're probably enough on a small home network.

Internet monitoring software is also a viable option. Monitoring software will walk you through some of these methods and is user friendly for those who aren't as comfortable setting up wireless security methods. In addition, monitoring software makes it easy to see what is going on with your wireless connection. Your WiFi router may have some built-in software that will help you monitor your network. Explore the user guide and help section to see if there's a built-in application that will help.

Finally, turn off your router's SSID broadcasting. This effectively makes your network invisible. It's much harder to steal WiFi from a network that doesn't appear on anyone's radar.

Next time you suspect WiFi theft, peek out the front window and see if an unfamiliar car is parked in front of or close to your home. If so, you'll probably find someone in the car sapping your Internet. It sounds simple, but it could be just that easy to determine if someone is stealing your WiFi.

For more on wireless networking and related topics, steal a glimpse of the next page.

Computers

How Netbooks Work

Computer manufacturers are constantly tweaking their laptop designs to grab the attention of consumers. For years, these companies have been making portable computers smaller, lighter, and more powerful -- and they've been particularly successful with a new category of ultra-portable PCs called netbooks.

Netbooks are tiny laptop computers. Or are they just a larger version of a smartphone? They resemble miniature laptops, with small displays and keyboards, but they don't have some of the features that come standard on full-blown laptops. They're not made to help you communicate via voice, as with a smartphone, but they can help you complete many of the same on-the-go tasks.

Regardless of the comparisons you choose to make, netbooks are, quite simply, a hot item. As of this writing, they account for more than 20 percent of all new portable computer sales, and most pundits predict those numbers will only grow stronger [source: Schonfeld].

The sagging global economy means consumers and their corporate employers have less cash to blow on technology, so full-blown and pricey desktop-replacement laptops topping $2,000 suddenly seem more expensive than ever. And with portability and efficiency always top of mind, big laptops can be awfully unwieldy, anyway.

The extreme cost-effectiveness of netbooks (roughly $300 to $500) means they're cheaper than almost any brand-new laptop you'll find at retail outlets. Popular models that start around $300 include the ASUS Eee, Toshiba Mini, Acer Aspire One and HP Mini. Their portability means you can throw them into a small carry bag and take your work with you anywhere you go.

As their name implies, netbooks primarily help you connect and complete work on the Internet. In a nutshell, this probably explains why netbooks are catching on with so many people. No one really wants to use a tiny smartphone's keypad or touchscreen to compose a lengthy e-mail or write a business report. But few people want to blow a month's salary on a powerhouse laptop brimming with features they don't need.

Read on to see more about the specs that constitute a netbook and how these nifty niche PCs are beginning to revolutionize the world's digital workflow.

Typical Netbook Specifications

Netbooks vary a bit depending on the manufacturer you select, but these devices share a lot of similarities. Your eyes will immediately note visible traits that separate netbooks from their laptopbrethren.

Most obviously, netbooks are downright tiny compared to laptops loaded with modern components. Netbook video displays are typically only around 10 inches diagonally (about 25.4 centimeters), with a resolution of 1,024 x 600. The keyboards are small, too, at about 80 to 90 percent of the size a regular QWERTY keyboard.

Netbooks' internal components are less powerful than those in regular laptops. Many as of the time of this writing come equipped with Intel's 1.6GHz Atom processor, a low-voltage CPU specifically designed for portable devices, which offers its users solid performance in a smaller form factor.

Internet capabilities are of paramount importance for netbooks. That's why these devices come standard with components that allow both wireless 802.11b or 802.11g and wired Ethernet connections.

Hard drives are one component that varies widely between netbooks, in both capacity and design. Some netbooks are nicely equipped with 160GB hard drives, while others have less than half of that storage space. And manufacturers sometimes substitute solid-state flash memory drives for traditional spinning-platter drives. Although solid-state drives are very compact and aren't as prone to mechanical failure or breakage due to rough handling, they're generally more expensive and may noticeably slow down the computer depending on the software you use.

Most netbooks also come standard with USB ports, microphone and headphone jacks, 1 to 2 GB of RAM and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. VGA output for larger external displays is also common.

Yet netbooks are also defined by features they lack. Perhaps most noticeably, netbooks aren't equipped with optical drives for CD and DVD media. Because these disc drives are on the bulky side, this is primarily a space-saving move on the part of manufacturers. Netbooks also lack dedicated graphics cards that accelerate video performance. Instead, they use less-powerful graphics chips integrated into the motherboard.

And somewhat ironically, although most netbooks have fast Internet connectivity capability via Ethernet and wireless Internet features, there are models that lack telephone jacks and modems for landline Web access. For some users, that's a factor that may affect their purchasing decision.

One of the best things about netbook specs is that in spite of all of these features, they're not at all hefty in your briefcase. These well-equipped machines rarely top 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms).

Apple's Just Not That Interested

If you think netbooks seem exactly like the kind of product that Apple would refine and dominate, you're not the only one. But so far, Apple isn't biting. Why not? Apple's leaders don't seem impressed by this product category. During one financial conference call, Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook made an extra effort to dispel any notions whatsoever that Apple has plans for a netbook. He also used the word "junky" to describe netbooks in general. Cook's opinion was that netbooks' small screens and keyboards detract from the computer experience. He also said he believes netbooks' software and hardware are simply inferior by contemporary standards. And finally, he suggested that for people who want a very small computer with basic Internet, an iPhone or iPod Touch might suffice.