science

Forty-two years ago yesterday, Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin ascended from the surface of the moon and rendezvoused with Michael Collins in the command module Columbia for their trip home from mankind’s maiden voyage to the moon. All three men are now in their 80s, and no human being has been on the moon since each of them was 42 — and now even the space shuttle has had its last liftoff.

Remember the headline from a few days ago about the impending supernova from "nearby" recurring nova T Pyxidis? T Pyxidis is a star which goes boom every 20 years, but hasn't had an event since 1967. This week some astronomers suggested T Pyxidis is headed for supernova, one of the aftereffects of which would be the stripping away of the Earth's ozone layer, massively increased gamma radiation, the creation of millions of Incredible Hulk-like monsters, and the eventual destruction of life on earth .