...every Greek government for the last five years.

"I'm absolutely willing to do anything it takes to get my finances in order, except spending money I don't have."

Five years to get from no rockets to an interplanetary orbiting probe. The video they produced clearly shows the launch from somewhere near UAE, so they're not just going to hire an existing launch-proven company/state to give their satellite a ride. Ambitious. Highly collaborative with the existing science community. Aces. There's a woman as Co-I on the project - well done. They're not going to try and land, good idea. And the not-landing part will fill in some pretty significant gaps in mars atmospheric science. The only true unknowns are how many freshman US legislators will become outraged and demand a congressional hearing.

Plus one return-to-me email tag made at Petco.

Research protocols and IRB rules are built to allow research on children, through minor assent and parental permission. Happens all the time. In this case, for most circadian studies, it would mean using / not using the same screen-based devices that the children already use and then checking melatonin in saliva which is minimally invasive and poses no significant risk. "Lab rat" is hardly an accurate image. Your charge of only poor people cooperating in research when paid is also inaccurate. How do I know this? From serving for a number of years as an educator on a major research hospital's IRB panel, where we approved research involving children when properly designed, and proposed modifications when not. Also from conducting circadian rhythm research on children beginning 30+ years ago, when IRBs were just being developed. We erred on the side of safety at any decision point, and in one early study of 1,300 students (in a balance of urban, suburban and rural towns) had over 90% consent students overall.

And that's all it says about you. Next question..

The program was cancelled by the Bush II administration in 2004. The last flight happened while Obama was president, following a 1 year funding extension of funding authorized by congress in 2009 that made the last flight in 2011 rather than the originally scheduled 2010. If enough Americans told their senators and reps "I'll only vote for you if you get us another crew vehicle" we would have one in less than six years.

backlash. You know, the one where people grab pitchforks for being forced to pay for walking into a cinema and viewing a movie with their own legs and eyes.

They're the closest next best backup for the Russian flights. Also they're not run by a government with a national leader who does bizarre things even by national leader standards. Yes, I understand that's not a tremendously high bar, but it's worth a look.

And a dart board. Doesn't someone do that annual thing where a monkey and a dart board beat the average fund manager? Heck, just buy the broadest index fund there is and you can sleep at night.

...because the Tea Party took scalps . They defeated Republican incumbents in primaries. They ended political careers. That's what forced Republican office-holders to take them seriously.

As far as I can tell, an Occupy-backed candidate (if there even is such a thing) hasn't defeated a single Democratic incumbent. As such, the Democratic Party can continue to ignore them the way they ignore black voters.

People want to remain in a political bubble. It helps convince them they're right.

Don't worry.

everyone knows they broadcast the fake moon landing from Parkes, bouncing it off the moon so it would LOOK like it was coming from the moon.

out of old VW beetles and surplus train track. But why would you?