Happy 50th birthday, NASA.

And next time some jackass says to you "Why the hell are we spending money on the space program," point them at this article listing 50 NASA technology contributions to the world. Okay, they snuck one or two non-tech items onto the list, but for the most part it's a list of technology spinoffs that have benefited non-space industries and average people on Earth for decades.

But hey, if you still think half a cent per tax dollar is a ripoff, you're entitled to your opinion.

"It was unclear how close the satellite will be to the space station when it is shot down"

Sometimes, the media reports on science topics very well. Other times, it assigns a complete idiot to the science story, and hilarity ensues.

A shining example of the latter (from an AP reporter, posted on CNN): http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/02/16/shuttle.ap/index.html

The gist: There's a damaged spy satellite that the Pentagon wants to shoot down, right? The satellite is in Space, in this place called Orbit. It occurred to an intrepid AP reporter that there's something else up there in Space, and also located in Orbit...the International Space Station! Oh no, thought this reporter. What if the Pentagon misses with their missile and hits the International Space Station instead?!? Oh the humanity! I need to break this story!

So the reporter dutifully asked NASA and the astronauts currently on-board the station if they were concerned about being accidently shot down by the Pentagon. To which they responded, because they're not complete idiots, "Um, no. We are not worried."