Life-giving chemicals have been discovered in isolated water believed to be 1.5 billion years old, raising hopes of scientists finding surviving microscopic organisms from a prehistoric age.
With photos shared on social media and down-to-earth video interviews, Commander Chris Hadfield is surely inspiring many young people to become astronauts and to work in other areas of the space industry, writes Colm Quinn.
The inspirational Canadian is into his first full day as Commander of the International Space Station – the first from his home country to take on the role.
Many of the finer details of the Inspiration Mars project – initially funded by the world’s first space tourist Dennis Tito – have yet to be worked out but it is hoped it will allow for zero-gravity sex.
Engineer, Norah Patten, has always been fascinated with space and has even made a career out of it. Now she wants to be Ireland’s first female astronaut. Here she tells us why.
Almost 35,000 people had signed a petition asking the US government to build a Death Star – but the White House says it does not support blowing up planets. Boo.
A MOTION OF no confidence in the Minister for Justice will be debated in the Dáil next week with Fianna Fáil claiming Alan Shatter’s position is now “untenable”.
The opposition party has been fiercely critical of the Fine Gael deputy’s handling of an ongoing row with Independent TD Mick Wallace.
“The Minister has shown extremely poor judgement of late. In particular, he used private information he received from the Garda Commissioner to undermine an opposition TD on Prime Time last week,” Niall Collins charged.
Shatter is currently facing two investigations by the Data Protection Commissioner and the Standards in Public Office Commission over his actions. He was also forced to clarify the nature of an incident where he was breathalysed by gardaí but could not complete the test because of asthma.
Although the motion of no confidence is unlikely to pass (as the government can table a counter-motion), TheJournal.ie wants to know what you think. Is Alan Shatter’s position as minister untenable?
Partly sunny
Max: 15 °C
Min: 7 °C
A brief shower or two in the afternoon
Max: 16 °C
Min: 9 °C
