RIP Sir Arthur C. Clarke

RIP dear Sir Arthur C. Clarke.
Writing sci-fi you had made your mark.
May you now find your place
In that great outer space,
As on new odyssey you embark.


AFP 19/03/08: Sci-fi guru Arthur C. Clarke dies in Sri Lanka aged 90. Read about him here

A matter of gravity

The Atlantis has come back to base,
Having finished its mission in space.
"I'll be wobbling a while,"
Said 'Suni' with a smile,
"For in gravity I'm out of place!"

The Hindu 24/06/07: Sunita Williams reunited with family, trying to get used to gravity. Get the story here

Viagra: lifting spirits

Has traveling long hours left you miffed?
Does your body feel jet-lagged, adrift?
Groggy and weary?
Well cheer up my dearie,
Here comes Viagra to give you a lift!

The male impotence drug Viagra may aid jet-lagged travellers, say Argentine researchers. Read about it here

A fool's paradise

A shrink tells a boy, "you are slow,
Your IQ is simply too low.
But this ain't a hitch,
For in life you'll be rich,
As this research goes on to show!"

Yahoo News 24/04/07: Intelligence has nothing to do with wealth, according to a US study published Tuesday which found that people with below average smarts were just as wealthy as those with higher IQ scores.

Of Earth and Super-Earth

If you feel that of space there is dearth,
On this Planet that we call the Earth,
Get over your grouse,
And go build a house,
On the New Earth discovered, with mirth!

BBC News 25/04/07: New 'super-Earth' found in space. Astronomers have found the most Earth-like planet outside our Solar System to date, a world which could have water running on its surface. Get the story here

{**Photo from BBC}

No longer sci-fi - kryptonite's here!

When the Serbian asked him to fight,
I saw Superman turn deathly white.
In a voice low and meek,
He complained, "I feel weak,
Where on earth did he find kryptonite?"


Yahoo News 23/04/07: Scientists unearth Superman's "kryptonite". Get the story here

A polar bear's tale of woe

A polar bear, feeling quite blue
Said, Bush hates us, why I've no clue
These days I fear
Our end is now near
For we have been declared taboo!

Yahoo News 09/03/07: Polar bears, sea ice and global warming are taboo subjects, at least in public, for some U.S. scientists attending meetings abroad, environmental groups and a top federal wildlife official said on Thursday. Read more about it here