Here’s an incredibly economical depiction of the relationship between evidence, experiment and theory swiped from Three Quarks Daily. It shows both the process and the uncertainty. It’s a little on the long side, so I’m placing it below the fold.

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Pursuit of Light is a NASA produced video mixing “data visualizations,” poetry, space imagery and Mobi tunes to tell stories about the solar system. It’s a feature for the hyperwalls that are apparently cropping up around the country, but here’s a smaller version:

Via Open Culture

A group conservative/libertarian group called the Heartland Institute posted this billboard in Chicago:

The billboard has been taken down. The CEO of Heartland explains: “The Heartland Institute knew this was a risk when deciding to test it, but decided it was a necessary price to make an emotional appeal to people who otherwise aren’t following the climate change debate.”

Emotional appeal. Because that’s exactly the way to help people make an informed decision on a factual matter.

I heard rumors about this, and I honestly thought it was a joke. But according to the good folks at io9, James Cameron, some Google executives and other backers are forming Planetary Resources, Inc. The goal of Planetary Resources is asteroid mining:

Planetary Resources is establishing a new paradigm for resource discovery and utilization that will bring the solar system into humanity’s sphere of influence. Our technical principals boast extensive experience in all phases of robotic space missions, from designing and building, to testing and operating. We are comprised of visionaries, pioneers, rocket scientists and industry leaders with proven track records on—and off—this planet.

Back to io9:

This is big news on several fronts, not the least of which being the fact that this venture stands to reinvigorate the world’s passion for space exploration. Money can be a powerful motivating factor, and all indications suggest that there a LOT of it to be made mining resources like water and precious metals from near-Earth asteroids. [...]

“If you look at space resources, the logical next step is to go to the near-Earth asteroids,” Planetary Resources co-founder and co-chairman Eric Anderson told SPACE.com. “They’re just so valuable, and so easy to reach energetically. Near-Earth asteroids really are the low-hanging fruit of the solar system.”

Well, damn. I didn’t think I’d see a serious bid to mine near Earth asteroids in my lifetime. Of course, it still remains to be seen how serious this is, and then how successful it is.

Still, I’m excited. That’s your cue to tell me why this is all going to end in tears.