Astronomy: the sweet science

In the Milky Way, of course: Astronomers in Germany say that have detected a sugar molecule near a star 400 light-years from earth. The glycolaldehyde molecule is needed to form RNA and was probably created by radiation hitting simpler molecules floating through space.

That or Glork spilled his can of Mountain Dew when he left it on top of his space pickup again.

That should do it: Among the lesser-known effects of economic sanctions against Iran was Blizzard Activision’s recent move to freeze out Iranian players of “World of Warcraft,” a popular sword-and-sorcery multiplayer video game.

The move was especially maddening for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who’s level 8 pandaren had just got the hang of flying its dragon turtle and was planning an attack on Hakkar the Soulflayer.

Curiosity killing time: NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity drove 52 feet on Tuesday on its way toward a site a quarter-mile away where it will use its robotic arm to drill into Martian bedrock. It’s expected to take weeks for the rover to reach the site. Eventually, Curiosity is expected to travel 100 yards a day.

The rover actually can move faster, but NASA engineers driving the rover from Earth would rather check their map every 10 feet than stop and ask a local for directions.

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