Sightings
"Fly Me to the Moon": LADEE, a Robotic Probe Via a Minotaur Rocket
In an attempt to answer prevailing questions about our moon, NASA plans to launch a probe on Friday, Sept. 6. The small car-sized Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer will orbit the moon to gather detailed information about the structure and composition of the thin lunar atmosphere. While at the NASA site, ask an expert about Climate Change, such as how scientists know changes seen in recent decades are the result of human activities, not natural causes? more »
An Interested Party Presents: For Whom the Troll Dwells
Trolls are symbolically linked to the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Replacement Project in many ways. The statue, designed by local blacksmith Bill Roan, was affixed to the upper deck of the old bridge by a team of ironworkers who helped repair the East Span after the Loma Prieta earthquake. The Bay Bridge troll appeared in secret, without Caltrans’ approval but the troll has garnered considerable local popularity. Renowned for their protective powers, longevity and superhuman strength, trolls represent a history and spirit that deserve to be both commemorated and continued. more »
OMCA Exhibits: Inspiration Points, Peter Stackpole's Bridging the Bay and Vintage Car Last Over the Old Bridge
Oakland Museum of California opened the vaults to showcase the very best in California landscape art from the museum’s holdings, including works by Ansel Adams, Thomas Hill, David Hockney, William Keith, Arthur Mathews, Richard Misrach, Thomas Moran, and more. Peter Stackpole: Bridging the Bay
features stunning black-and-white photographs chronicling the original San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge construction in the 1930s by a famed American photographer. more »
Disaster Declaration Denials Exasperate Governors
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is supposed to follow specific guidelines when it advises a US President on whether to approve federal disaster aid for a state or individuals. But experts in the field say the disaster standards are unclear — and often ignored. The result is that disaster decisions can seem arbitrary or politically motivated. FEMA’s public explanations typically do not shed much light on its rulings, leaving governors to wonder why they missed out on federal help. more »
