This isn't directly related to children's literature, but anyone who grew up reading science fiction like I did can't help but be excited by two news stories that I saw today. The first one is that photographs from Mars indicate that there might actually be liquid water on Mars! NASA has release some kind of before and after photographs showing sediment deposits where there were none seven years ago. Scientists think that the deposits were caused by liquid water from below the surface coming up, flowing down, and then evaporating or freezing. (Apparently the atmosphere on Mars is too thin for there to be liquid water). And indeed, the deposits, which appear as white streaks on the photos, are shaped exactly like a stream of water running downhill. The implication is that there could potentially be life on Mars. Life on Mars!!! Admittedly, we're not talking sentient life here, but even microscopic life on another planet would be revolutionary.
Read the story about water on Mars here and view more photographs here. (Be sure to go to the image gallery and look at the close ups).
The other story is that NASA is considering the possibility of a manned settlement on the moon! Read an article from the Baltimore Sun here and view NASA's moon page here.
We live in exciting times! Science fiction is becoming reality.
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