Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 11, 2012

18

THE WORLD AROUND US

Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 11, 2012 


SPACECRAFT RETURNS FIRST VIDEO FROM

MOON’S FAR SIDE

 A camera aboard one of NASA’s twin Gravity 
Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) 
lunar spacecraft has returned its first unique 
view of the far side of the Moon. MoonKAM, or 
Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle school 
students, will be used by students nationwide 
to select lunar images for study.

 GRAIL consists of two identical spacecraft, 
recently named Ebb and Flow, each of which is 
equipped with a MoonKAM. The images were 
taken as part of a test of Ebb’s MoonKAM on 
Jan. 19. The GRAIL project plans to test the 
MoonKAM aboard Flow at a later date.

 View the 30-second video clip: http://go.nasa.
gov/zZXAPs

 In the video, the north pole of the Moon is 
visible at the top of the screen as the spacecraft 
flies toward the lunar south pole. One of the 
first prominent geological features seen on the 
lower third of the Moon is the Mare Orientale, a 
560-mile-wide impact basin that straddles both 
the Moon’s near and far sides.

 The clip ends with rugged terrain just short of 
the lunar south pole. To the left of center, near 
the bottom of the screen, is the 93-mile-wide 
Drygalski crater with a distinctive star-shaped 
formation in the middle. The formation is a 
central peak, created billions of years ago by a 
comet or asteroid impact.

 “The quality of the video is excellent and 
should energize our MoonKAM students as 
they prepare to explore the Moon,” said Maria 
Zuber, GRAIL principal investigator from 
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 
Cambridge.

 The twin spacecraft successfully achieved 
lunar orbit last New Year’s 
Eve and New Year’s Day. 
Previously named GRAIL-A 
and GRAIL-B, the washing-
machine-sized spacecraft 
received their new names 
from fourth graders at the 
Emily Dickinson Elementary 
School in Bozeman, Montana, 
following a nationwide naming 
contest by students.

 Thousands of fourth- to 
eighth-grade students will 
select target areas on the lunar 
surface and send requests to 
the GRAIL MoonKAM Mission 
Operations Center in San 
Diego. Photos of the target 
areas will be sent back by the 
satellites for students to study. 
The MoonKAM program is 
led by Sally Ride, America’s 
first woman in space. Her 
team at Sally Ride Science, 
as well as undergraduate 
students at the University of 
California, San Diego, will 
engage middle schools across 
the country in the GRAIL mission and lunar 
exploration. GRAIL is NASA’s first planetary 
mission carrying instruments fully dedicated 
to education and public outreach.

 “We have had great response from schools 
around the country—more than 2,500 signed 
up to participate so far,” Ride said. “In mid-
March, the first pictures of the Moon will be 
taken by students using MoonKAM. I expect 
this will excite many students about possible 
careers in science and engineering.”

 Launched in September 2011, Ebb and 
Flow are periodically performing trajectory 
correction maneuvers that, over time, will 
lower their orbits to near-circular ones with 
an altitude of about 34 miles above the lunar 
surface. During their science mission, the twin 
spacecraft will answer long-standing questions 
about the Moon, and will give scientists a better 
understanding of how the Earth and other 
rocky planets in the solar system formed.

 You can contact Bob Eklund at: b.eklund@
MtnViewsNews.com.


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“WHEN THE HEADLINE HITS HOME” 

 Earlier this month news outlets and computing 
security sources reported a major security 
breach at Symantec Corporation and the theft 
of valuable source code that has left millions of 
its users possibly vulnerable to the internet and 
network security threats that the software claims 
to provide protection against. Source Code is the 
basis for modern computer programs and as such 
is protected under Intellectual Property legislation 
in this country and around the world.

 A computer programs’ source code is what makes 
it unique among other similar programs in the 
marketplace and contains proprietary secrets as 
to how a program works. Often the source code is 
replicated through multiple versions of a software 
program and among different products from the 
same software manufacturer. 

 If you get your hands on the source code and 
know what you’re doing, you have an effective tool 
for use in developing software and techniques for 
neutralizing security softwares’ effectiveness. In 
the world of computer security the name Symantec 
is as big as they come. They’ve been around since 
the early 80’s and they have long enjoyed a large 
consumer and business customer base numbering 
in the millions. 

 As the nature of personal and business computing 
has changed over the years, Symantec has adapted 
their products to match industry needs and earned 
a degree of trust that many modern business 
would do well to match. Earlier this month that 
trust was put to the test as the company was forced 
to admit that they themselves had been the victims 
of a security breach which resulted in the theft of 
the source code for several of their best-selling 
computer security and remote access products

 News of this breach hit particularly close to home 
for your humble columnist as I have installed 
several of the affected products for various home 
and business users, including the company that I 
currently work for now. 

 Symantec’s public response didn’t do much to 
allay my fears about the depth and breadth of 
the possible damage done by the security breach. 
Symantec began its PR response to the rumors by 
denying that anything of real concern had taken 
place at all and ended up by participating in a 
police sting to catch the perpetrators and shelving 
one of its flagship products – all over the course of 
two weeks. Many, including myself, are beginning 
to believe that things are far worse than we’ve been 
told. 


KATIE Tse..........This and That


WHO’S AFRAID OF 
THE 

BIG BAD WOLF?

THE DENTAL SIDE OF FEBRUARY

Happy Tails

by Chris Leclerc.

Canyon Canine Dog 

Walking & Pet Sitting Services

 Besides the familiar 
cultural and religious 
holidays, February is also 
the month to promote 
children and pets’ dental 
care! With eleven other 
months to choose from, 
you’d wonder why children and pets have 
to be lumped together into the shortest 
month of the year. Surely our offspring and 
loyal best friends are important enough 
to warrant their own months. Online, I 
found a resoundingly greater number of 
references to dogs and cats than to children. 
One hopes that this discrepancy is due to 
parents’ ongoing concern for 
their children’s hygiene, and 
not the lowering of children 
to pet status or the elevation 
of pets to human status.

 Perhaps another reason 
pet dental care is highlighted 
above that of children’s is 
because, if you can achieve 
brushing your cat or dog’s 
teeth without losing a digit, 
your toddler’s little tooth 
buds will be a piece of 
cake! One video I watched 
explained the methodical 
steps necessary for getting 
Fido from tolerating the 
smell of canine toothpaste, 
to loving enthusiasm of 
having your hand stuffed 
in his mouth. It’s a painstakingly gradual 
progression. The first objective is your 
dog’s acclimation to the sight and smell of 
the doggy toothbrush. 

 Then, slowly introduce the concept of 
toothpaste by smearing a bit on his nose for 
him to lick off. Apparently it comes flavored 
as bacon, fish, or mint. The first two might 
even be popular with some adults I know. 
Tell me, however, how many dogs are drawn 
to the scent or taste of mint? But I digress. 
Some pet brushes are rubber bristled things 
that fit on your finger. These are for people 
who have faith that their pet won’t take the 
opportunity to clamp down on their hand. 
Others brushes are nearly identical to their 
human counterparts. Needless to say, it is a 
long tedious road leading from your dog’s 
sniffing to brushing tolerance.

 Though the video stressed the importance 
of feline dental hygiene as well, there were 
significantly fewer videos of cats getting 
their teeth buffed than dogs. Most of the 
clips of cats were very short, suggesting that 
Fluffy only put up with a minute or so of 
brushing before resorting to violence. Come 
to think of it, in the longest continuous 
segment of a cat getting it’s teeth brushed, 
the victim looked somewhat catatonic (Ha 
ha! CAT-atonic!). I think perhaps the vets 
gave it a “happy cat” shot 
before attempting to pull 
back its lips.

 All said, if you master 
the art of brushing your 
pet’s teeth, you’re bound 
to at least feel confident 
attempting to brush your 
children’s. Of course, 
one must consider some 
of the main differences 
between the two groups. 
Unlike your dog or cat, 
your kid doesn’t have 
fangs or claws. (If they 
do, they might be one of 
the X-Men, switched at 
birth with your biological 
child.) It’s safe for your 
pet to ingest toothpaste 
(although it is not a food product), but 
swallowing too much may send your kid to 
the E.R. 

 Finally, regarding both humans and 
animals, be sure to keep your toothbrushes 
and toothpastes separate. You might not 
gag after using your kid’s toothpaste, but 
you’ll probably retch if you mistake Fido’s 
brush for your own. Of course, considering 
the bacon-flavored toothpaste, it’s hard 
to predict owners’ reactions one way or 
the other. Some might retch, while others 
might entertain the thought of squeezing 
it over nachos. And you thought February 
was all about heart-shaped chocolates!

In August, 2011 a tragic turn of events took place 
on Washington D.C.‘s capital hill, resulting in the 
maniacal massacre of countless Northern Gray 
Wolves residing in the wilderness across three 
states. Through an underhanded, un-scientific, 
politically manipulated bit of legislature that is 
sure to render the Gray Wolf population sparse 
at best, and cause an unpredictable ripple of 
wild animal population imbalance, our nation‘s 
loving leaders ordered the aerial killing of 
thousands of gray wolves at the tax payer‘s 
expense. Three questions came to my mind 
when I heard the news of this gruesomely grim 
development. The first was “Why?”, followed 
immediately by “How?.. on earth could such an 
irrational injustice be imposed on an indigenous 
animal that has survived so many human attacks 
in the past, and has been tenacious enough to 
repopulate and continue to do their part in 
keeping some semblance of balance in the 
natural food chain on our continent?” The third 
and most blatantly obvious question came to me 
with a sense of vengeance; “Who are the idiots 
behind this hair-brained idea?” Or, to put it 
more politically-friendly terms, “Who is afraid 
of the big bad wolf?”

Apparently there are 2 interest groups who 
harbor a virtual vendetta against the American 
Gray Wolf , a top-pier predator with an 
environmentally important mission. Mainly to 
blame are the livestock & agriculture lobbyists 
who have managed to convince our nation’s 
most powerful legislators that wolves have posed 
a threat to their livestock, causing irretrievable 
profit losses. The other groping, grappling 
group of would-be wolf haters are gun-packing 
hunting enthusiasts who approached the issue 
from another asinine angle, purporting a 
significant lack of “game” during open hunting 
season due to the wolf‘s natural need to prey in 
order to survive. I say to both of these special 
interest groups, the arguments you’ve made are 
nothing but pure poppy-cock!

First of all, the wolf is only accredited for 1% of 
lost livestock over the past several years, which 
can hardly equate to a major profit loss or a 
significant reduction in our nation’s marketable 
meat supply. Let’s face it, considering the mass 
over production of food in our country, where 
one could just as easily dine by diving in a 
garbage bin behind a grocery store at closing 
time, versus shopping inside, 1% is a drop in 
the bucket, and certainly no excuse for the mass 
murder of a beautiful beast we nearly caused to 
be extinct just a couple of decades ago. Secondly, 
to the hunters I wish to say, anyone who 
considers the act of killing a “game” might not 
even deserve the right to vote, much less lobby 
on the hill! I know, that’s a narrow-minded 
opinion, but I’m just saying, think about! You’re 
telling me that because there aren’t enough elk to 
kill, to satisfy your blood thirsty need for “game”, 
we have decided to start killing the wolf as well? 
Something about that logic just does not add up 
in my mind. But, that’s just me.

I view this new legislation as yet another example 
of the human’s narrow-minded negligence to 
think globally and responsibly on behalf of the 
whole. Somewhere along the line, we Americans 
lost our way. The fact that our country’s leaders 
have declared what I call “open season” on the 
American Gray Wolf just to satisfy the needs and 
greed of folks who have learned to pull the right 
strings on ‘the hill‘, sets a precarious precedent 
for annihilating any ole species that might get 
in the way, which brings to mind yet another 
final question; When will the killing end? How 
far along the food chain must we go before we 
realize the damage we have done?

If you have similar sentiments to mine, 
regarding this legislation, please take the time 
to log on to The Animal Rescue Site at: www.
theanimalrescuesite.com and sign the petition 
asking President Obama to stop the aerial 
killing of American Grey Wolves in Idaho. 
Although this initiative impacts only one of 
the states effected, at least it is a start. If you get 
on board and do what you can to help save the 
American Grey Wolf from being shot down 
in cold blood by gun-runners in the sky, you 
will also be playing a part in helping maintain 
a healthy balance among wildlife populations 
on our continent. Sometimes a little loss (1% 
in this case) is worth it, to allow some time for 
nature to heal from previous wounds caused by 
the human’s need to intercede and satisfy their 
greed.