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The Cosmic Log has gone through many incarnations, starting with Weird Mystery Tales #1, a 1972 DC comic in which Destiny documented the "follies and mysteries of mankind." Since 2002, Alan Boyle has documented quantum fluctuations in space, science and society in Cosmic Log.
Cosmic Log has appeared on the websites of MSNBC and NBC News, but the current CosmicLog.com is not associated with those websites or any other NBC Universal ventures. Many Cosmic Log items still appear on NBCNews.com, but many of them do not. Here's an attempt to bring together all the available archives going back to the origin story in 2002. Because of the limitations of the archiving process, some videos and interactives may be missing or non-functional.
If you're looking for archived items since August 2015, scroll down to the Archives dropdown menu at the bottom of this page (or at the end of every page on the Cosmic Log website).
May 2002 to November 2003
These posts were originally created using a now-defunct authoring tool, then moved to the now-defunct MSN Spaces, then moved to the now-defunct Multiply archive. Many of the posts were lost in transition, but click on this link for a 306-page Word document that offers a selection of writings we managed to save from the ether:
Download the Word document for Cosmic Log Archive 1.
We'll flesh out the early entries and republish them as month-by-month Web pages in an upcoming update of the archives.
December 2003 to June 2006
The Internet Archive preserves a week-by-week Cosmic Log Archive for this period. Here's the full lineup, presented in reverse-chronological order for now because it's easier to do it that way:
Cosmic Log: June 2-5, 2006
Andromeda Galaxy shines in a new infrared portrait … Fire your sasers.
Cosmic Log: May 27-June 2, 2006
Space Adventures' CEO discusses the acquisition of a spaceship-building company. Plus: Egyptologists strike gold … Footprints on Mars … Bigelow's big move … Seismic setback … Invisibility unmasked.
Cosmic Log: May 20-26, 2006
Readers weigh in on both sides of the longevity debate. Plus: A prize for Mr. X Prize … Name that rocket plane … Russia's SpaceShipOne … Quasar quintuplets … Infrared eye in the sky.
Cosmic Log: May 13-19, 2006
A scriptural scholar says 'The Da Vinci Code" raises interesting authority issues. Plus: An army of planet hunters … Time for Humans 2.0? … One-way trips to Mars … Worlds on your desktop.
Cosmic Log: May 6-12, 2006
The topic of rogue waves makes a big splash in "Poseidon." Plus: Must-see comet TV, musings on Mars, the potato chip galaxy, Nigeria's space program, "Idol" update, Hollywood rockets.
Cosmic Log: May 1-5, 2006
X Prize backer Anousheh Ansari surfaces as a backup cosmonaut in Russia. Plus: The future of space sails … Inside the rocket factory … Carl Sagan's spiritual quest … H Prize on fast track.
Cosmic Log: April 22-30, 2006
A 6.5-ton robotic combat vehicle called Crusher gets a Hollywood-style rollout. Plus: Off-season ghost stories … A masked ball for galaxies … Broken-hearted comet … Hubble's sweet sixteen.
Cosmic Log: April 15-21, 2006
Which robotic TV star is the People's Choice? Plus: Inconstant constant … Regolith rush … "Idol" update … Space station test fizzles … Liftoff for space challenges … Spaceport setback in California … Watching for the Little Ones.
Cosmic Log: April 8-14, 2006
Readers weigh the promise and peril of nanotechnology. Plus: Iranian in space? … Good Friday feedback … Paparazzi at Mars … Small step for a space hotel … DARPA linked to rocket prizes … Remembering the shuttle's first day.
Cosmic Log: April 1-7, 2006
The military X-37 plane lands autonomously after its first free flight but goes off the runway. Plus: "Idol" predictions 2.0 … More shuttle delays? … SpaceShot's first stage … Religious science on thin ice … Dark matter of a different kind … Blue Origin update … Zero-G at KSC … Science in high-def … and more.
Cosmic Log: March 25-31, 2006
Researchers go beyond the oohs and ahhs in the eclipse zone. Plus: Blue Origin on the move … When black holes collide … Pros and cons of hydrogen … Silver linings in space.
Cosmic Log: March 18-24, 2006
Congressman calls for a $100 million "H-Prize" Plus: Countdown for SpaceX … Science "Idolized" … Mystery of the missing moon.
Cosmic Log: March 11-17, 2006
The Pentagon picks 10 technologies for rapid deployment. Plus: Your views on the problem with programming … Galaxy on fire … Starry river found … The science of office pools … See Mars on your desktop.
Cosmic Log: March 4-10, 2006
There are plenty of places to look for extraterrestrial life, but why should we bother? Plus: SpaceX raises its sights … The MPG Prize and other ideas for the auto industry … Mars of a different color.
Cosmic Log: Feb. 25-March 3, 2006
Colorized galaxy cluster rattled by sonic boom. Plus: Jupiter's Little Red Spot … Proofs for pickup lines … See the 3-D sea … Round-the-moon rescue? … Visions of Venus … A grand galaxy … Asteroid alert … The Altair era … Olympic gold for economists … Deals in the space race.
Cosmic Log: Feb. 21-24, 2006
SpaceX's fourth attempt to pull off its first launch is tentatively scheduled for March. Plus: Search engines for shapes … Take me to your funder … Rules for lunar landers … The neutrino hunters … GloveSat and more.
Cosmic Log: Feb. 11-20, 2006
Space Adventures confirms planned spaceport network will extend to Singapore and an Arab emirate. Plus: Kliper's wings clipped … Play it again, SuitSat … The science of pickup lines … Next floor for the space elevator.
Cosmic Log: Feb. 4-10, 2006
NASA rocket contest planned for X Prize Cup. Plus: NASA and the Olympics .. Geeks bearing gifts … Predicting the Olympics … Olympics from space … Galaxy-go-round … Big Bang politics … Microscopic Mars.
Cosmic Log: Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2006
Readers share insights on ethanol and other alternative-energy futures. Plus: The science of hibernation … Latest chapter in small-fish story … Microfossils mapped … Three years after Columbia.
Cosmic Log: Jan. 21-27, 2006
Maybe NASA's next spaceship is deserving of the name from the space effort's glory days. Plus: Mars movie update … Prime time for Saturn … A deal for Rocketplane … Spots on space shots … Feedback on methane and native languages.
Cosmic Log: Jan. 14-20, 2006
How a linguist reconstructed a language for "The New World." Plus: Rocket home on the range … Powered by methane … Do astronauts and alcohol mix? … Testing the space hotel … Rocketplane's pacts … Pluto's lighter side.
Cosmic Log: Jan. 7-13, 2006
Take a virtual tour of the Saturnian moon's surface. Plus: Agony and ecstasy, triskaidekamania, Pluto's planethood, new constellations, galactic glories, hyperspace hype and "Survivor" spaceman.
Cosmic Log: Jan. 1-6, 2006
Hyperspace hype … Pluto pros and cons … Visit a celestial cavern … Farewell to a sea-watching satellite … The politics of stem cells … Still dry in space … Getting set for SpaceShot … Mummy mystery tour … Real sea monsters.
Cosmic Log: Dec. 24-31, 2005
NASA's twin-rover mission to Mars gets the big-screen treatment in "Roving Mars." Plus: Scientific hit parades for 2005, and a time-warp book list.
Cosmic Log: Dec. 17-23, 2005
A winter wonderland on the Web … E really does = mc2 … Feedback on intelligent design … The expanding podiverse … Our galaxy's center in focus … Supernova hunters wanted.
Cosmic Log: Dec. 10-16, 2005
'Tis the season for name-a-star schemes. Plus: Stem cell snafu … Orbital movie review … Assessing the year in science.
Cosmic Log: Dec. 3-9, 2005
Snags could well rule out shuttle launch in May. Plus: Literary adventures … Dark matter in detail … Orbital prize studied … Moonstruck meteors … Rules for space winners … Seeing space storms … Hearing science.
Cosmic Log: Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 2005
Denizens of the hurricane zone strike back at those who think New Orleans is sunk. Plus: Crab feast for the eyes … Einstein-a-thon … Santa-tracking season … Science re-Seeded.
Cosmic Log: Nov. 19-25, 2005
Einstein's "biggest blunder" may be the right answer to dark-energy riddle. Plus: Is New Orleans sunk? … Spirit's Martian birthday … Moonrock memories … 3-D delights.
Cosmic Log: Nov. 12-18, 2005
Use those 3-D glasses to explore Mars. Plus: Lord of the Einstein rings, Deja vu spaceship, kids make space contact, Newton renewed, and more.
Cosmic Log: Nov. 5-11, 2005
How the Net helps vets … Plus: Silver space salute … Strange science explained … Watching the elections … Space dreams deferred … and more.
Cosmic Log: Nov. 1-4, 2005
A galactic supergroup gets rowdy…Look for meteors and Mars … The dunes of Titan … Sex and science … The tree of alien life … Ghost stories.
Cosmic Log: Oct. 22-31, 2005
Ghosts on the rise … Spooky space sounds … A telescope is born … Visit a virtual moon … It's just a string theory … Getting mad isn't that bad … Dispatches from the evolution debate.
Cosmic Log: Oct. 15-21, 2005
Titanic weather studied on Saturn's moon … The road to Pittsburgh … Space station snags … A black hole's banquet … Visual tricks and treats.
Cosmic Log: Oct. 8-14, 2005
Evolutionary turnabout … China's place in space … Mars makeover … Galactic lady in red … Mining the moon … Tips for space tourists … Einstein in prime time.
Cosmic Log: Oct. 1-7, 2005
"Liftoff" for Interorbital venture … A sharper sunspot … Rocket reaction … Ghost of a supernova … To zap or not to zap?
Cosmic Log: Sept. 24-30, 2005
Debating intelligent design … Intelligent-bleep theory … How to zap a hurricane … Partying with Einstein … Questions about the space lift.
Cosmic Log: Sept. 18-23, 2005
"Cosmos" reborn at 25 … Unnatural disaster … Techies stand up to the storm … Brane food … A contest for robo-diggers … Re-creating the moon.
Cosmic Log: Sept. 10-17, 2005
Making sense out of a 10-dimensional puzzle.
Cosmic Log: Sept. 3-9, 2005
Solar activity on the upswing, forecasters say.
Cosmic Log: Aug. 27-Sept. 2, 2005
Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath spark questions.
Cosmic Log: Aug. 20-26, 2005
After three years off, rocket plane gets back in the game.
Cosmic Log: Aug. 13-19, 2005
PlanetSpace aiming to start escape-tower tests in fall.
Cosmic Log: Aug. 6-12, 2005
$100 million ride sounds 'fantastic' … or 'absurd.'
Cosmic Log: Aug. 1-5, 2005
Aerodynamic effects add to space shuttle spectacle.
Cosmic Log: July 23-31, 2005
Rocket scientists test prototype for Red Planet flight.
Cosmic Log: July 16-22, 2005
Building a better space glove … and much more.
Cosmic Log: July 9-15, 2005
As NASA struggles, thoughts turn to SpaceShipOne.
Cosmic Log: July 2-8, 2005
Cometary crash created cloud of 'talcum powder.'
Cosmic Log: June 25-July 1, 2005
125 questions reveal what scientists don't know.
Cosmic Log: June 18-24, 2005
Scientists call for wind-hydrogen power play.
Cosmic Log: June 11-17, 2005
Statistics can be reassuring in wake of California's quakes.
Cosmic Log: June 4-10, 2005
Trace Arlene's path from hundreds of miles above.
Cosmic Log: May 28-June 3, 2005
Do-it-yourself DNA bank may be the best option.
Cosmic Log: May 21-27, 2005
Trainee may have had trouble with G-forces.
Cosmic Log: May 14-20, 2005
Definitions can be a matter of life or death.
Cosmic Log: May 7-13, 2005
How will the debate over Darwin evolve?
Cosmic Log: May 1-6, 2005
How consensus plays a role in research.
Cosmic Log: April 23-30, 2005
Blend old hands and new faces for success.
Cosmic Log: April 17-22, 2005
1927 footage shows scientific meeting of the minds.
Cosmic Log: April 9-16, 2005
Space telescope's 15th birthday nears.
Cosmic Log: April 2-8, 2005
Enjoy a double dose of outer-space celebration.
Cosmic Log: March 26-April 1, 2005
Readers weigh in on big-screen science.
Cosmic Log: March 19-25, 2005
Your views on an unorthodox Easter.
Cosmic Log: March 12-18, 2005
Would you pay to send messages into space?
Cosmic Log: March 5-11, 2005
Rover spots whirlwind on Red Planet plain.
Cosmic Log: Feb. 26-March 4, 2005
Saturn probe captures close encounter.
Cosmic Log: Feb. 19-25, 2005
How to get the coolest cosmic images on the Web.
Cosmic Log: Feb. 12-18, 2005
Hubble scientists compared to Old West romantics.
Cosmic Log: Feb. 5-11, 2005
Maybe we should keep our interstellar mouth shut.
Cosmic Log: Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2005
Beyond the Super Bowl, there's plenty to watch online.
Cosmic Log: Jan. 22-28, 2005
Some casualties don't show up on NASA's list.
Cosmic Log: Jan. 15-21, 2005
Could space telescope be fixed? Should it?
Cosmic Log: Jan. 8-14, 2005
Ruling on textbook stickers reignites discussion.
Cosmic Log: Jan. 1-7, 2005
'White Noise' focuses attention on spooky sounds.
Cosmic Log: Dec. 25-31, 2004
Rocket scientists help assemble space float for Pasadena pageant.
Cosmic Log: Dec. 18-24, 2004
Take a look at some modern Christmas 'stars.'
Cosmic Log: Dec. 11-17, 2004
Professor campaigns for day-and-date switch in 2006.
Cosmic Log: Dec. 5-10, 2004
SPIRIT would use space railway to study cosmic origins.
Cosmic Log: Nov. 28-Dec. 4, 2004
Red-nose alert: NORAD on heightened holiday status.
Cosmic Log: Nov. 21-27, 2004
Suggestions for fans of the final frontier.
Cosmic Log: Nov. 14-20, 2004
Private spaceflight legislation moves on to Senate.
Cosmic Log: Nov. 7-13, 2004
Darwin's doubters and defenders have their say.
Cosmic Log: Oct. 31-Nov. 6, 2004
Alternative-energy prize could be a winner.
Cosmic Log: Oct. 24-30, 2004
Homegrown ghost stories for Halloween.
Cosmic Log: Oct. 17-23, 2004
Vote for your favorite political future.
Cosmic Log: Oct. 10-16, 2004
Cosmic Log: Oct. 3-9, 2004
Cosmic Log: Sept. 26-Oct. 2, 2004
Cosmic Log: Sept. 19-25, 2004
Cosmic Log: Sept. 12-18, 2004
Cosmic Log: Sept. 5-11, 2004
Cosmic Log: Aug. 29-Sept. 4, 2004
Cosmic Log: Aug. 22-28, 2004
Cosmic Log: Aug. 15-21, 2004
Cosmic Log: Aug. 8-14, 2004
Cosmic Log: Aug. 1-7, 2004
Cosmic Log: July 25-31, 2004
Cosmic Log: July 18-24, 2004
Cosmic Log: July 11-17, 2004
Cosmic Log: July 4-10, 2004
Cosmic Log: June 27-July 3, 2004
Cosmic Log: June 20-26, 2004
Cosmic Log: June 13-19, 2004
Cosmic Log: June 6-12, 2004
Cosmic Log: May 30-June 5, 2004
Cosmic Log: May 23-29, 2004
Cosmic Log: May 16-22, 2004
Cosmic Log: May 9-15, 2004
Cosmic Log: May 2-8, 2004
Cosmic Log: April 25-May 1, 2004
Cosmic Log: April 18-24, 2004
Cosmic Log: April 11-17, 2004
Cosmic Log: April 4-10, 2004
Cosmic Log: March 28-April 3, 2004
Cosmic Log: March 21-27, 2004
Cosmic Log: March 14-20, 2004
Cosmic Log: March 7-13, 2004
Cosmic Log: Feb. 29-March 6, 2004
Cosmic Log: Feb. 22-28, 2004
Cosmic Log: Feb. 15-21, 2004
Cosmic Log: Feb. 8-14, 2004
Cosmic Log: Feb. 1-7, 2004
Cosmic Log: Jan. 25-31, 2004
Cosmic Log: Jan. 18-24, 2004
Cosmic Log: Jan. 11-17, 2004
Cosmic Log: Jan. 4-10, 2004
Cosmic Log: Dec. 28, 2003-Jan. 3, 2004
Cosmic Log: Dec. 21-27, 2003
Cosmic Log: Dec. 14-20, 2003
Cosmic Log: Dec. 7-13, 2003
Cosmic Log: Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2003
June 2006 to June 2013
The Internet Archive retains most of these posts in their various forms. Some individual posts have been listed to fill gaps, and there is some overlap between archived items. If a picture or video doesn't work in one file, it may work in the overlapping file. And if the version you find isn't up to snuff, do a search on the headline or a key phrase in the text and you may find a different version more to your liking.
Many of these archived files are twitchy, in that you have to wait for the full file to flow into your browser window … and then "stop" your browser (as in hitting the red X button) to follow links. If there's a "Read More" link, you may want to click on that rather than clicking on the headline to read the full item.
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
- 10/1/2009 to 10/15/2009
- 10/15/2009 to 10/31/2009 (Pluto tour and rockets)
November 2009
- 11/1/2009 to 11/6/2009 (Lunar Lander Challenge)
- 11/6/2009 to 11/30/2009
December 2009
January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010
June 2010
July 2010
August 2010
September 2010
October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
- 12/1/2010 to 12/6/2010
- 12/6/2010: Daily dose of science on the Web
- 12/6/2010: Space skipper vs. the world
- 12/6/2010: SpaceX gets set for next giant leap
- 12/7/2010: 'Weird life' claims spark a backlash
- 12/7/2010: Help scientists go to the dark side
- 12/7/2010: Holiday calendar: Pearl Harbor from the heavens
- 12/7/2010: Viruses in your batteries?
- 12/8/2010: Holiday calendar: Listening for E.T.
- 12/8/2010: SpaceX gets set for Dragon launch
- 12/8/2010: First Dragon launch delayed
- 12/8/2010: SpaceX tracks down launch glitch
- 12/8/2010: Dragon capsule takes first space ride
- 12/8/2010: SpaceX success: 'Dragon is in orbit'
- 12/8/2010: Dragon spaceship begins descent
- 12/8/2010: Dragon spaceship splashes down
- 12/8/2010: Splashdown! A sense of space deja vu
- 12/8/2010: Something wonderful happened here
- 12/8/2010: Dragon could visit space station next
- 12/8/2010: Will climate change change us?
- 12/8/2010: Real-life twist for sonic screwdriver
- 12/9/2010: Evolution book survives in Louisiana
- 12/9/2010: Mice created from two dads
- 12/9/2010: SpaceX success saluted
- 12/9/2010: SpaceX's mystery payload revealed
- 12/9/2010: Holiday calendar: Blast from the past
- 12/9/2010: Must-see science on the Web
- 12/9/2010 to 12/16/2010
- 12/16/2010 to 12/23/2010
- 12/23/2010 to 12/31/2010
January 2011
February 2011
March 2011
April 2011
May 2011
June 2011
July 2011
August 2011
September 2011
October 2011
November 2011
December 2011
January 2012
February 2012
March 2012
April 2012
May 2012
- 5/1/2012 to 5/11/2012
- 5/11/2012: $1.5 million NASA rover contest set for robo-showdown in June
- 5/11/2012 to 5/31/2012
June 2012
- 6/1/2012 to 6/18/2012 (Venus transit)
- 6/18/2012: Feds file lawsuit to get tyrannosaur skeleton sent back to Mongolia
- 6/18/2012 to 6/30/2012
July 2012
- 6/29/2012 to 7/4/2012 (Higgs discovery)
- 7/2/2012 to 7/6/2012 (Higgs aftermath)
- 7/6/2012 to 7/12/2012
- 7/12/2012 to 7/20/2012
- 7/20/2012 to 7/25/2012
- 7/25/2012 to 8/2/2012
August 2012
- 8/1/2012 to 8/7/2012 (Curiosity lands on Mars Aug. 5)
- 8/8/2012 to 8/20/2012
- 8/21/2012 to 8/31/2012 (Neil Armstrong dies Aug. 25)
September 2012
October 2012
- 10/1/2012: Northern lights shine with the moon
- 10/1/2012 to 10/9/2012
- 10/9/2012 to 10/11/2012
- 10/11/2012 to 10/18/2012
- 10/18/2012 to 10/24/2012
- 10/24/2012 to 11/1/2012
November 2012
December 2012
- 12/2/2012 to 12/6/2012
- 12/6/2012 to 12/12/2012
- 12/12/2012 to 12/15/2012
- 12/15/2012 to 12/19/2012
- 12/19/2012 to 12/21/2012
- 12/20/2012 to 12/21/2012 (Maya doomsday)
- 12/21/2012 to 12/27/2012
- 12/27/2012 to 1/4/2013
January 2013
February 2013
March 2013
- 2/27/2013 to 3/4/2013
- 3/4/2013 to 3/8/2013
- 3/9/2013 to 3/15/2013
- 3/15/2013 to 3/21/2013
- 3/21/2013 to 3/27/2013
April 2013
- 3/27/2013 to 4/2/2013
- 4/3/2013: Space station's antimatter detector finds its first evidence of dark matter
- 4/3/2013: Internet takes education to new level: Will universities make the grade?
- 4/3/2013 to 4/9/2013
- 4/9/2013 to 4/14/2013
- 4/15/2013 to 4/19/2013
- 4/23/2013 to 4/30/2013
May 2013
- 4/30/2013 to 5/2/2013
- 5/3/2013: Air Force's X-51A hypersonic aircraft sets record during its final test
- 5/4/2013: Solar-powered plane completes first leg of American odyssey
- 5/3/2013 to 5/10/2013
- 5/14/2013: In Dan Brown's 'Inferno,' numeric riddles and controversial science mix
- 5/14/2013 to 5/21/2013
- 5/21/2013: Solar Impulse airplane set for trip to Dallas, if weather allows
- 5/22/2013: Pizza printouts? NASA funds project to make space meals with 3-D printer
- 5/23/2013: Cicada bugfest closes in on the East Coast's cities: How loud will it get?
- 5/27/2013: Aloha, Mars! What we'll eat, wear and play with to ease boredom in space
- 5/27/2013: Scientists identify the mystery killer behind Ireland's potato famine
- 5/27/2013: Biotech meets DIY hacker culture, sparking new wonders and worries
- 5/28/2013 to 6/2/2013
June 2013 to February 2014
Posts from this period are hit-or-miss, so we're providing links to every item as preserved by the Internet Archive and NBCNews.com. Some of the associated YouTube videos are hidden in the Internet Archive versions, but if you're quick enough, you can figure out how to get to them on YouTube.
June 2013
- 6/1/2013: Cicadas can survive a superstorm – but not changes wrought by humans
- 6/2/2013: Watch the northern lights dance in these surprising time-lapse videos
- 6/3/2013: Stratolaunch firms up its relationship with Orbital for air-launch system
- 6/3/2013: What is time? These grade-school explanations take the prize
- 6/3/2013: Cute or spooky? Underwater pictures earn seal of approval in contest
- 6/3/2013: Solar Impulse plane flies toward another first in storm-hit St. Louis
- 6/4/2013: 10 years after launch, missions to Mars just keep going and going
- 6/5/2013: With so many nice planets out there, why would aliens attack Earth?
- 6/5/2013: Missing link? Oldest primate skeleton tells new tale of our origins
- 6/5/2013: Turning point on Mars: Curiosity rover sets sights on mountain at last
- 6/6/2013: Justin Bieber signs up for trip to space, Virgin Galactic's founder says
- 6/6/2013: Baby apes and humans teach lessons about evolution of language
- 6/7/2013: Opportunity rover finds traces left by 'water you can drink' on ancient Mars
- 6/7/2013: This 'invisibility cloak' could conceal satellites – or hide your kids
- 6/8/2013: Innovation vs. cheating on the battleground of golf science
- 6/10/2013: Watch for the comeback of Gamma Delphinid meteors after 83 years
- 6/10/2013: Cicadas hit their prime up north, but leave 'stench of death' down south
- 6/10/2013: This is how a lone rock rolls on Mars
- 6/11/2013: Science and sex: Everything you wanted to know about 'doing it'
- 6/11/2013: Mystery meteor shower disappoints skywatchers, but wait till next year
- 6/12/2013: Duhh-WHAT-cho? Find out how a derecho packs its windy punch
- 6/13/2013: China's Shenzhou 10 spaceship brings crew to orbital lab for practice
- 6/13/2013: Solar-powered plane set for D.C. trip (with Cincinnati stopover)
- 6/13/2013: From Superman saga to real-life science: It's not an impossible leap
- 6/14/2013: Asteroid 1998 QE2 gets a close look from the world's widest radio dish
- 6/15/2013: This is your brain on fatherhood: Dads experience hormonal changes too, research shows
- 6/15/2013: How duct tape patched up the world – and why we're sticking with it
- 6/16/2013: Solar-powered plane lands in Washington after 'pit stop' in Ohio
- 6/18/2013: NASA wants you … to join Grand Challenge to hunt down asteroids
- 6/18/2013: Space station crew opens Europe's Einstein cargo ship after fungus flap
- 6/19/2013: House GOP: Don't grab an asteroid – let's put bases on moon and Mars
- 6/19/2013: Take a billion-pixel tour of Curiosity rover's surroundings on Mars
- 6/19/2013: Bill Nye the Science Guy brings his smarts to your smartphone
- 6/21/2013: 'Human pollination'? Sting operation uses social media to benefit bees
- 6/21/2013: Happy Supermoon! Celebrate lunar largeness as a planetary holiday
- 6/21/2013: UFO over Stonehenge? Britain releases its last big batch of X-Files
- 6/21/2013: Bits of Arthur C. Clarke and 'Star Trek' celebs will sail in deep space
- 6/21/2013: Go to Mars! Neil Armstrong's moonshot crewmates sound the call
- 6/21/2013: Suborbital rocket sends experiments – and ashes – into space and back
- 6/22/2013: Zombies roam the animal kingdom – and some of them may be after us
- 6/23/2013: Supermoon makes a big impression: Share your super snapshots
- 6/24/2013: Look back at the supermoon – and look forward to future sky wonders
- 6/25/2013: Beetles to blame for Colorado's fires? Blame climate change instead
- 6/25/2013: Fusion energy dreams smash into hard economic realities
- 6/25/2013: Alpine observatory provides a peak experience
- 6/27/2013: Space bucks: PayPal begins work on an off-world monetary system
- 6/27/2013: How lemurs and monkeys exploit the social wisdom of crowds
- 6/27/2013: Glittering, unlooted 1,200-year-old royal tomb found in Peru
- 6/28/2013: Creature features: Add weird science to your summer reading list
- 6/30/2013: Month in Space: How to experience the overview effect
July 2013
- 7/1/2013: Planetary Resources raises $1.5 million, commits to asteroid hunt
- 7/1/2013: In wildfires, shelters provide last resort – but not fail-safe protection
- 7/2/2013: Sorry, Trekkies: Pluto moons dubbed Styx and Kerberos (and not Vulcan)
- 7/2/2013: Future fireworks: Movie trailer previews 'the comet of the century'
- 7/4/2013: NASA readies its rescue plan for planet-hunting Kepler probe
- 7/4/2013: A fireworks dynasty shoots for redemption after one bad blowup
- 7/5/2013: E.T., old chap? British astronomers launch SETI network to seek aliens
- 7/5/2013: Will forests flourish after fires? In a warming world, not always
- 7/6/2013: Solar Impulse plane ends American odyssey with fears, tears and cheers
- 7/7/2013: Antarctica's hidden Lake Vostok found to teem with life
- 7/8/2013: $320,000 lab-grown burger due for a high-profile tasting in August
- 7/8/2013: After 66 years, the Roswell UFO incident belongs to the ages
- 7/9/2013: 2020 rover will look for signs of past life on Mars and store up samples
- 7/9/2013: Videos take a deep dive into our future worries about water
- 7/10/2013: Inscription dates back to King David – but what does it say?
- 7/10/2013: Scientists trace the payoff that moms get from 'choosing' boy vs. girl
- 7/11/2013: Bizarro in blue: Alien planet's color detected for the first time
- 7/11/2013: Shampooing in outer space will make your hair stand on end
- 7/11/2013: Pluto and its biggest moon grow larger in NASA probe's windshield
- 7/12/2013: New Yorkers hope the sun shows up for a Manhattanhenge encore
- 7/14/2013: Space for all: Small, cheap satellites may one day do your bidding
- 7/15/2013: Astronomer discovers Neptune's smallest moon … on a whim
- 7/15/2013: Engineers juggle objects with levitating sound waves
- 7/15/2013: Double delight! Giant panda gives birth to twins at Atlanta zoo
- 7/16/2013: When spacesuits go wrong, it's deadly serious in orbit
- 7/16:2013: Comet ISON gets its day in the sun
- 7/17/2013: Ancient monument adds spicy twist to Maya 'Game of Thrones' saga
- 7/17/2013: With Neil Armstrong gone, how will moonshots be remembered?
- 7/18/2013: Martian atmosphere points to an early, brief opening for life's rise
- 7/19/2013: Wave at Saturn (and Mercury): Space probes are taking snapshots of Earth
- 7/19/2013: Amazon's Jeff Bezos confirms: We got an Apollo 11 rocket engine!
- 7/19/2013: 3,000-year-old palace in Israel linked to biblical King David
- 7/20/2013: So long, Swarmageddon: The last cicada ends its 17-year run
- 7/20/2013: 44 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing: 'We all miss you, Neil'
- 7/21/2013: Did you smile for the camera? Earth glitters in a new view from Saturn
- 7/22/2013: Scientists show off Earth and moon, as seen from Saturn and Mercury
- 7/23/2013: NASA telescope spots CO2 fizzing away from a 'soda-pop comet'
- 7/23/2013: Bezos' Blue Origin joins billionaire battle for NASA shuttle launch pad
- 7/31/2013: Month in Space: Check out these UFOs (unworldly fantastical objects)
- 7/31/2013: A piece of Jesus' cross? Relics unearthed in Turkey
August 2013
- 8/1/2013: The trouble with teleportation: It could take quadrillions of years
- 8/1/2013: Beyond Hollywood: How a real-life mission to Europa would go down
- 8/2/2013: Curiosity rover celebrates a year on Mars – and surprising successes
- 8/4/2013: It's (not) alive! Franken-meat lurches from the lab to the frying pan
- 8/5/2013: 'Intense flavor': The $330,000 burger that was built in a lab hits the spot
- 8/5/2013: Mathemagician conjures up birthday tributes to Neil Armstrong
- 8/5/2013: Google's Sergey Brin explains why he paid $330,000 for lab burger
- 8/6/2013: One year later, NASA looks back at Curiosity rover's scariest moments
- 8/7/2013: Inside a Maya pyramid, mysterious carvings hint at superpower struggle
- 8/7/2013: Relive Curiosity rover's triumphs … and find out what's next on Mars
- 8/8/2013: MAVEN mission team / picks haiku for Red Planet / We're green with envy
- 8/9/2013: 'Mona Lisa' skeleton and her kin's remains are due for DNA testing
- 8/9/2013: Perfect Perseids: How to take advantage of a prime meteor show
- 8/12/2013: What is the Hyperloop? Billionaire Elon Musk is finally telling us
- 8/12/2013: Hyperloop revealed: Elon Musk foresees rapid transit in a tube
- 8/12/2013: Flash! Catch the Perseid meteors' encore performance
- 8/13/2013: For dining on Mars, the couscous gets the most stars
- 8/13/2013: Why the Hyperloop transit system is far from a sure thing for Elon Musk
- 8/13/2013: Your parting shots from the Perseid meteor shower
- 8/14/2013: Elementary, my dear Fluffy: Cat DNA solves another homicide
- 8/14/2013: Bee-killing pesticide found in garden store plants: What does it mean?
- 8/14/2013: SpaceX's Grasshopper test rocket flies sideways successfully
- 8/15/2013: Planet-hunting Kepler probe can't be fixed, but alien search continues
- 8/15/2013: EPA issues new pesticide labels to warn about hazards to bees
- 8/16/2013: In love with olinguito? Feast your eyes on more cute new species
- 8/16/2013: Millionaire seeks an assist for Inspiration Mars mission
- 8/16/2013: Area 51 and its purpose declassified: No UFOs, but lots of U-2 spy planes
- 8/16/2013: Goodbye, midnight sun … hello, northern lights!
- 8/19/2013: Drones take to the air for archaeology in Peru
- 8/19/2013: Ancient wall in Israel matches up with Bible's tale of Assyrian attack
- 8/19/2013: Astronaut spots UFO outside space station – but then it's identified
- 8/20/2013: A new year every four hours? It's possible with exoplanets
- 8/20/2013: NASA's newest astronauts face the press – and the great unknown
- 8/21/2013: Top astronomers shift position in the planet-naming war
- 8/21/2013: Picture this: Thousands of Earthlings waving at Saturn
- 8/21/2013: 'Blue moon' makes a big impression
- 8/23/2013: One-way Mars trip attracts 165,000 would-be astronauts … and counting
- 8/23/2013: That horned sea monster? It's 'definitely a shark skeleton'
- 8/23/2013: Will Mars look as big as the moon? Sorry, that's just a Facebook hoax
- 8/23/2013: $10 million Genomics X Prize canceled: 'Outpaced by innovation'
- 8/26/2013: 'Devastating': California's biggest wildfire of the year seen from space
- 8/26/2013: Yosemite blaze sparks burning questions about fast-moving fires
- 8/27/2013: Mind meld? Scientist uses his brain to control another guy's finger
- 8/27/2013: NASA's Curiosity rover finds its own way on Mars for the first time
- 8/28/2013: 'We are all Martians': Chemist's otherworldly claim stirs debate
- 8/29/2013: Addicted to Facebook fame? Blame your brain's nucleus accumbens
- 8/29/2013: 'Cosmic caterpillar' is getting squashed by starlight
- 8/30/2013: How Tomahawk cruise missiles may send messages to (and from) Syria
- 8/30/2013: A shark that walks! Discovery is a good sign for Indonesia
- 8/30/2013: Month in Space: Glowing reports are coming in from the aurora zone
September 2013
- 9/3/2013: How Japan's ice barrier will seal off Fukushima's nuclear ruins
- 9/4/2013: Experts get set to write the next chapter of the climate change saga
- 9/4/2013: Reality check on King Solomon's mines: Right era, wrong kingdom
- 9/5/2013: SpaceShipTwo goes supersonic, flips its wings in second powered flight
- 9/6/2013: Watch NASA's LADEE moon launch on the East Coast – or online
- 9/6/2013: Is Comet ISON a UFO? Hubble's scientists do a reality check
- 9/7/2013: Rocket launch lights up East Coast, sends NASA probe on moon trip
- 9/8/2013: Cuddly kitty or killer? Evolution explains why cats are grumpy
- 9/9/2013: More than 2,700 pay up for a chance to take a one-way trip to Mars
- 9/9/2013: NASA's LADEE probe streaks over NY skyline on its way to the moon
- 9/10/2013: How Ground Zero's supertower rose above New York's 9/11 nightmare
- 9/10/2013: Six-clawed mutant lobster goes viral – and goes on display in Maine
- 9/10/2013: Jewish medallion found amid golden treasures near Temple Mount
- 9/11/2013: Bob Geldof wants to be first 'rock astronaut' and Irishman in space
- 9/11/2013: Toxic task: How to destroy Syria's chemical weapons
- 9/12/2013: Ig Nobel Prizes put 'beer goggle' research in silly scientific spotlight
- 9/12/2013: Where does the solar system end? Voyager isn't officially there yet
- 9/13/2013: Ancient Chinese tomb adds to tale of scandalous 'female prime minister'
- 9/16/2013: Ice-blasting test proves that comet impacts can spark life's ingredients
- 9/16/2013: Northern lights cast alien glow over Scandinavia
- 9/17/2013: Behold! Jerusalem dig turns up priestly bathtub from Jesus' time
- Cygnus cargo ship set for its first trip to space station: Watch the skies
- Cygnus cargo ship flies for first time, heading for space station
- Mamma mia! 'Bohemian Gravity' turns string theory into a viral video
- Billionaires' battle for historic launch pad goes into overtime
- Why Jerusalem still hangs onto ancient archaeological mysteries
- Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter suffers stroke; full recovery expected
- DNA pioneer James Watson's genetic prescription: Have kids early
- Archaeo-diplomacy: US gives million-dollar cup back to Iran
- Milky Way stars in 2013's top astronomy photos
- 9/28/2013: The next big ideas from 'Idea Man' Paul Allen: A.I. and cell biology
- 9/30/2013: UFO over Indian Ocean? SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sparks sightings
- 9/30/2013: Plastic stuff in space! Cassini probe finds propylene on Titan
- 9/30/2013: How astronomers mapped the patchy clouds of an alien world
- 9/30/2013: Month in Space: Slide through the space station's coolest scenes
October 2013
- 10/1/2013: SpaceX knocks down claim that Falcon 9 rocket exploded in orbit
- Ancient supervolcanoes on Mars? Claims set off a scientific rumble
- How to detect pseudo-science B.S.
- NBC teams up with Virgin Galactic for 'Space Race' reality TV show
- NASA's Maven mission to Mars is back on track after shutdown holdup
- Movie tech: How 'Gravity' threw Sandra Bullock into zero gravity
- Archaeologists uncover a scene of horror at 'Swedish Pompeii'
- High hopes for Higgs boson: Nobel Prize could set new precedent
- Green vs. red: Auroral views are a study in contrasts
- Scientists discover scores of species in Suriname's 'Tropical Eden'
- Space station life imitates art of 'Gravity' movie
- Nobel physics prize spotlights Higgs boson, plus Drs. Higgs and Englert
- How science-minded tweeters are getting around the #shutdown
- Green light for ISON: Comet blazes in stunning shots
- After the Nobel, what's next for particle physics? Supersymmetry!
- Archaeologists want you to solve this 1,200-year-old Pictish puzzle
- 10/9/2013: Astronomers say they've spotted lonesome planet without a sun
- How Pluto found its five-moon mojo
- Godspeed: Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter dies at age 88
- Videos set the northern lights in motion
- Spaceflight experts work on alternate vision for Mars trips
- Fusion milestone reached, but shutdown stymies further progress
- Must-see video: SpaceX Grasshopper rocket makes a half-mile hop
- UFO? Astro ghost? Find out what that spooky space cloud really was
- Solar eclipse fans donate spectacles for Africa's young spectators
- Scientists say Otzi the Iceman has living relatives, 5,300 years later
- Wildlife photographer captures elephants – and wins a prize
- Why the odds of spotting E.T. are so slim: It's the economy
- Saturn's mysterious hexagon shows its true colors
- Yeti mystery solved? Geneticist links Abominable Snowman hairs to bears
- Did the human family tree just get simpler? Skull stirs up debate
- Tilt-a-whirl planets throw astronomers for a loop
- Asteroid threat in 2032? Don't panic, but don't brush it off
- Lunar eclipse! Comet! Meteors! See this weekend's sky highlights online
- Rivers of northern lights flow over Swedish lake
- Herpes virus genome traces the ancient path of human migration
- How a teenager beat out the pros to find a weird baby dinosaur
- World View balloon aims to give you an outer-space view for $75,000
- NASA's Jupiter-bound Juno probe fills out its portrait of planet Earth
- What's the weather like on Titan? 'Salt flats' provide new clues
- Genomics pioneer Craig Venter warns about biohacker boo-boos
- 10/25/2013: Astronauts point to next frontier: Stopping killer asteroids
- 10/27/2013: Genetic quest by a descendant of slaves leads to African apology
- 10/27/2013: Dream Chaser prototype spaceship damaged after first free-flying test
- 10/29/2013: Dream Chaser mini-shuttle to be fixed after first free flight
- 10/29/2013: Why aliens won't look like Flipper: The science of extraterrestrial tales
- 10/30/2013: Photographers celebrate the weirdness of the micro world
- 10/31/2013: Time for an exorcism? Demons are on the rise for Halloween
November 2013
- 11/1/2013: Watch for Sunday's strange solar eclipse on the East Coast – and online
- 11/4/2013: Virgin Galactic gears up for SpaceShipTwo's next blastoff
- 11/5/2013: Super-snake ahead! Warming makes mammals smaller, reptiles bigger
- 11/6/2013: Russian meteor's terrifying trek detailed in new studies
- 11/6/2013: Maven's mysteries: An inside look at NASA's next Mars mission
- 11/7/2013: Six-tailed comet or self-destructing asteroid? It's a comsteroid!
- 11/7/2013: How loud does it hurt? Professor pushes alternative pain scale
- 11/8/2013: NBC to air Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson's trek to space
- 11/8/2013: First family of space: Richard Branson and kids will blaze new trail
- 11/9/2013: Were first dogs our best friends, or mutant vermin? The tale wags on
- 11/11/2013: GOCE satellite falls to its fiery doom in South Atlantic Ocean, experts say
- 11/11/2013: Typhoon Haiyan pushed the limit, but bigger storms are coming
- 11/11/2013: Feast your eyes on a fake Martian iguana – and a brand-new panorama
- 11/12/2013: What are you doing for 11/12/13?
- 11/12/2013: Planets galore! Saturn probe's big pic finally unveiled
- 11/12/2013: Astronaut Chris Hadfield airs his dirty laundry on late-night TV
- 11/13/2013: To the moon? NASA passes the torch for space commercialization
- 11/13/2013: Such deep roots you have: How Little Red Riding Hood's tale evolved
- 11/14/2013: Ancient DNA suggests European hunters tamed the first dogs
- 11/14/2013: Looking for the 'comet of the century'? Watch ISON online
- Cave women unearth skull of unknown human ancestor
- Inspector Feynman: 'Challenger Disaster' stars scientist-sleuth
- How to make the most of a low-key Leonid meteor shower
- Wow! Snapshot captures great detail in Comet ISON's tail
- NASA launches Maven orbiter to probe mysteries in Mars' air
- Comet ISON looks fantastic in latest pictures – maybe too fantastic?
- Crowdfunded nanosatellites unleashed in orbit
- NASA outlines the final steps in plan for next manned spaceships
- Hidden dinosaur fossil re-created with X-ray scanner and 3-D printer
- Millionaire revises plan for Mars flyby in 2018: Now it's up to NASA
- Alien neutrinos reveal new frontier in astronomy at Antarctica's IceCube
- Dancing chicken sperm take the prize in 'Dance Your Ph.D' contest
- NASA and Planetary Resources partner on asteroid-hunting contests
- Skywatchers excited as Comet ISON approaches its big day in the sun
- Religious roots of Buddha's birthplace traced back 2,600 years
- Traffic tie-up: SpaceX's landmark launch scrubbed until Thanksgiving
- Will Comet ISON beat the odds? Watch a superstar's climactic scene
- Got geek? Sharing your gift ideas could earn you geeky glory
- Comet ISON is in solar probe's sights – and a storm is coming
- Comet ISON brightens as it closes in on Thanksgiving's solar climax
- Comet ISON leaves a mystery behind as it goes around the sun
- Only mostly dead: Astronomers puzzle over zombie Comet ISON
- Holiday gift guide: Science books for all sorts of tables (plus tablets)
- Endangered Species Act turns 40 years old – and faces midlife crisis
- 11/30/2013: Comet ISON's leftovers fade away, right before a satellite's eyes
December 2013
- 12/1/2013: Holiday calendar: Farewell, Earth … Hello, Mars!
- 'Angel of 9/11': Steel visage tricks the eye – and touches the heart
- Holiday calendar: Where the rain in Spain goes
- Why did some dinosaurs have beaks? All the better to eat food with
- Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space venture touts its new rocket engine
- Wolves can also be man's best friend, scientists say
- Third time's the charm: SpaceX launches big commercial satellite
- Holiday calendar: Syria's medieval marvel marred
- 400,000-year-old human DNA adds new tangle to our origin story
- What's dark matter? Find out about the new frontiers of physics
- Holiday calendar: Twin volcanoes act up in the Pacific
- It's the Great Hexagon! Storm system shines in Saturn pictures
- How whales lose their way: Toxins, tides and other troubles
- 12/5/2013: Holiday calendar: NASA salutes Nelson Mandela
- 12/5/2013: Geek gift guide: Add a scientific twist to your holiday list
- 12/6/2013: Holiday calendar: Grand Canyon, seen and unseen
- 12/6/2013: Venus has its brightest night of the year
- 12/7/2013: Holiday calendar: Staring down into Mount Vesuvius
- 12/8/2013: Holiday calendar: Mount Etna makes its mark on Sicily
- 12/8/2013: Astronaut Mark Kelly joins World View's near-space balloon team
- 12/9/2013: Holiday calendar: 'Starry Night' at sea
- 12/9/2013: Martian microbes? Ancient lake could have held life, rover team says
- 12/9/2013: A winter-proof cockroach!? It's just New York's latest invader
- 12/10/2013: Mars One unveils plan for private Red Planet robotic mission in 2018
- 12/10/2013: Holiday calendar: London and Paris light up the night
- 12/10/2013: NASA's Juno video shows a starship's view of Earth and the moon
- 12/11/2013: Space station's coolant system crippled, but crew stays safe
- 12/11/2013: Holiday calendar: A fractal puzzle, seen from space
- 12/11/2013: Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo shows off its shine in gliding test
- 12/12/2013: Bezos' Blue Origin space venture loses protest over NASA's launch pad
- 12/12/2013: Holiday calendar: The island of love needs healing
- 12/12/2013: Space station's coolant problem casts a cloud over cargo craft's launch
- 12/13/2013: SpaceX wins NASA's nod to take over historic Launch Pad 39A
- 12/13/2013: One giant leap for Kerbalkind: Spaceflight sim wins geek gift award
- 12/13/2013: Holiday calendar: Happy St. Lucy's Day, from space
- 12/14/2013: Holiday calendar: A space farewell to Nelson Mandela
- 12/15/2013: Holiday calendar: Snaky Colorado River tricks the eye
- 12/16/2013: It's a trap! Micro monster takes Olympus BioScapes photo prize
- 12/16/2013: Holiday calendar: Where the Middle East snow shows
- 12/17/2013: Holiday calendar: A child's face, visible from space
- 12/18/2013: Holiday calendar: Red and green lights glow in space
- 12/19/2013: Holiday calendar: Japan's baby island is here to stay
- 12/20/2013: Real-life 'Gravity'? Drama builds over spacewalks to fix space station
- 12/20/2013: Holiday calendar: Christmas tree? No, it's Iceland
- 12/21/2013: Holiday calendar: A scientific slant on winter's start
- 12/21/2013: Spacewalkers do repairs more quickly than expected – and stay dry
- 12/22/2013: Holiday calendar: Alien-looking clouds swirl on Earth
- 12/23/2013: Joy to the world! Cassini probe delivers holiday goodies from Saturn
- 12/23/2013: Spacewalkers gear up for Christmas Eve wrapup on repairs
- 12/23/2013: Holiday calendar: 'Earthrise' updated, 45 years later
- 12/24/2013: Holiday calendar: Santa never had a view like this!
- 12/24/2013: Spacewalkers finish crucial space station repairs in time for Christmas
- 12/25/2013: Holiday calendar: A Christmas portrait of the planet
- 12/26/2013: Year in space: Meteor blows up, comet dies – and rovers are on a roll
- 12/27/2013: Sharks with frickin' tweets set off alerts for swimmers – but how much good will they do?
- 12/27/2013: Year in science: Old bones yield new revelations about kings and genes
- 12/30/2013: Political divide over evolution is growing, new Pew survey shows
- 12/30/2013: How icebreakers work – and why they sometimes don't work
- 12/31/2013: Bat sex? Doomsday bosons? Help us pick the year's weirdest science
- 12/31/2013: Scientist shares secret formula for long-lasting bubbly: Keep it on ice
- 12/31/2013: Hubble spots hints of clouds in exoplanets' atmospheres
January 2014
- 1/2/2014: Internet search for time travelers turns up nothing … this time
- 1/2/2014: Bill Nye the Science Guy to debate evolution with creationist
- 1/2/2014: Watch a full-length blast for SpaceShipTwo's rocket engine
- 1/3/2014: Do dogs possess a poop compass? (And other weird science questions)
- Ten years after landing on Mars, Spirit rover's legacy lives on
- Physicist's weird reverse-causality experiment goes in a new direction
- Nosebleed seats: After dramatic spacewalks, astronauts savor Olympic view from orbit
- Alien blue dot spotted: Imager opens new window on exoplanets
- Sunspot goes wild! X-class solar flare blasts in our direction
- After weeks of delay, Cygnus cargo spaceship blasts off for space station
- Success! SpaceShipTwo hits new heights during rocket test
- Check out SpaceShipTwo's in-flight entertainment
- It's all work and no play for SpaceShipTwo pilot on virgin flight
- Chinese moon lander and rover wake up after weeks of sleep
- Videos turn the science of the Olympics into smooth skating
- Dig this! Now is the time to plan your excavation expedition
- Planets are piling up in star clusters – and one orbits a 'solar twin'
- Send your name to an asteroid on NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe
- Genes suggest dogs descended from a now-extinct breed of wolf
- UFO over Arabia? It's just the flash from Chinese space junk
- One week after blastoff, SpaceShipTwo flies free again
- Scientists create anti-atom beam – but use it for good, not evil
- China's lunar rover takes a star turn in wide-screen extravaganza
- Is there life on Ceres? Dwarf planet spews water vapor into space
- Scientists add a plant virus to the causes of mass honeybee die-off
- Marvelous mosaics revealed inside 1,500-year-old church in Israel
- Who's favored in $1 billion bracket challenge? That's an easy bet
- Hello, Newton: Virgin Galactic unveils its 'other' rocket engine
- Opportunity rover finds fresh signs that ancient Mars was life-friendly
- How does a Mars rover last 10 years? The answer is blowin' in the wind
- Ghost-ship cannibal rats are swarming over the Twitterverse
- 1/24/2014: Sierra Nevada strikes deal to put space plane in orbit in 2016
- 1/24/2014: Outer space is hazardous to your health, especially if you're a fly
- 1/26/2014: Dark skin, blue eyes: Genes paint a picture of 7,000-year-old European
- 1/27/2014: Stephen Hawking shakes up theory (again): Black holes are actually gray
- 1/28/2014: How locked-in weather spreads woe from Alaska to Alabama
- 1/29/2014: Which parts of us are Neanderthal? Our genes point to skin and hair
- 1/31/2014: Why Chinese citizens are banned from buying SpaceShipTwo tickets
- 1/31/2014: Babylonian tale of round ark draws ire from some Christian circles
February 2014
- 2/1/2014: Will evolution debate blow up in the Science Guy's face? It's debatable
- 2/3/2014: These northern lights get so bright they're overexposed
- 2.4/2014: Evolution debate plays out on creationism's home turf
- 2/4/2014: Who won Bill Nye's big evolution faceoff?
- 2/5/2014: Bill Nye wins over the science crowd at evolution debate
- 2/6/2014: Visualization contest celebrates science's stars of the show
- 2/10/2014: Virgin Galactic helps build the new space age in the Mojave Desert
- 2/11/2014: Faster, higher, smarter: Olympic inventions win gold medals
- 2/23/2014: China's crippled lunar rover starts two-week-long snooze
February 2014 to July 2015
This period covers the unveiling of SpaceX's Dragon 2.0 capsule, the buildup over SpaceShipTwo and the tragedy of its destruction, the weird flash on Mars, NASA's mission to Pluto and lots of posts about "Game of Thrones." The Cosmic Log Google+ page links to it all, if you're willing to scroll down far enough.
To save you some effort, we're adding links to postings, working backwards from Cosmic Log's last day at NBC News on July 18, 2015. This is going to take a while…
- 6/12/2015: Study proves it: Dogs don't like people who are mean to their owners
- 6/16/2015: NASA's Dawn probe focuses on a different mystery spot on Ceres
- 6/17/2015: UrtheCast's Ultra HD views shift space station videos into high gear
- 6/18/2015: Case closed? DNA links 8,500-year-0ld Kennewick Man to Native Americans
- 6/19/2015: Scientists build case for 'sixth extinction' … and say it could kill us
- 6/20/2015: Scientists say 8,500-year-old Kennewick Man still has much to teach them
- 6/20/2015: 'Inside Out' reflects the realities and fantasies of neuroscience
- 6/22/2015: NASA's New Horizons probe gives us our first look at the 'Person in Pluto'
- 6/22/2015: Astronomers discover hundreds of weird galaxies filled with dark matter
- 6/24/2015: Spaceport America launches a tourist operation that's down to Earth
- 6/25/2015: OneWeb wins $500 million in backing for internet satellite network
- 6/28/2015: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket breaks up after launch with space station cargo
- 6/29/2015: Asteroid Day takes aim at our cosmic blind spot: threats from above
- 6/29/2015: SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket failure adds to the pressure on space station
- 6/30/2015: Who's your daddy? This worm injects itself with sperm to get pregnant
- 7/1/2015: Rocket Lab selects New Zealand site for low-cost orbital launches
- 7/1/2015: Pluto's black spots and Charon's dark pole grow in New Horizons view
- 7/1/2015: A drone airplane for Mars? Way-out Red Planet ideas are taking flight
- 7/2/2015: 'Nominal!' Russia launches crucial Progress cargo ship to space station
- 7/3/2015: After Virgin Galactic's tragic setback, Spaceport America goes to Plan B
- 7/6/2015: Russian Progress ship makes space station delivery
- 7/6/2015: Pluto-bound New Horizons is getting back to normal after glitch
- 7/6/2015: Alien life on a comet? Microbe musings about Philae spark skepticism
- 7/6/2015: Glitch-B-Gone: All systems go for New Horizons' final approach to Pluto
- 7/7/2015: It's Tombaugh time: New Horizons mission thrills Pluto's first family
- 7/7/2015: Mount Spock? New Horizons' Pluto name list will please 'Star Trek' fans
- 7/7/2015: New Horizons mission team cheers official start of Pluto encounter
- 7/8/2015: Wendiceratops: Horned dinosaur fossil adds hooks to evolutionary tale
- 7/9/2015: NASA picks four astronauts to train for commercial U.S. spaceflights
- 7/9/2015: Bumblebees are being bumped off by climate change, scientists say
- 7/9/2015: New Horizons' latest views hint at more mysteries on Pluto and Charon
- 7/11/2015: Pluto's spots turn into weird splotches in new view from New Horizons
- 7/12/2015: New Horizons probe focuses on Pluto's moon Charon … and Vader Crater?
- 7/13/2015: Prime time for Pluto: New Horizons probe closes in for historic flyby
- 7/13/2015: New Horizons probe finds out Pluto's bigger (and icier) than we thought
- 7/14/2015: New from New Horizons: 5 things we just found out about Pluto and Charon
- 7/14/2015: NASA's New Horizons probe phones home after historic Pluto flyby
- 7/15/2015: TV shows capture the story behind New Horizons' Pluto discoveries
- 7/15/2015: New Horizons photos show Pluto's ice mountains and Charon's huge crater
- 7/16/2015: Will Pluto join the water worlds? New Horizons' views spark speculation
- 7/16/2015: New Horizons team shares a fresh slice of Charon, Pluto's biggest moon
- 7/18/2015: New Horizons' latest: Fly over Pluto's ice mountains and alien plains
July to August 2015
After the end of the MSNBC/NBC era, Cosmic Log became a clearinghouse for Alan Boyle's contributions to GeekWire, Universe Today, Forbes and Science News. Here are GeekWire offerings from mid-July to the beginning of August 2015, when Cosmic Log was relaunched.
- 7/20/2015: Stephen Hawking and Russian tycoon Yuri Milner kick off new search for E.T.
- 7/20/2015: SpaceX's Elon Musk traces Falcon 9 rocket failure to busted strut
- 7/28/2015: NTSB issues findings in Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo tragedy
- 7/29/2015: NTSB's SpaceShipTwo findings put more pressure on FAA in commercial space
- 7/30/2015: NASA mission's leader calls B.S. on Pluto haters: Will it make a difference?
- 8/4/2015: Three years after Mars landing, Curiosity rover faces new mysteries
- 8/4/2015: Seattle's Museum of Flight to show off Apollo moon rocket parts recovered by Bezos Expeditions
August 2015 onward …
Cosmic Log postings since August 2015 are available by clicking on the month-by-month archive links at the bottom of this page.


text:
|Project Plan
|Unique Requests of
Participating Mentors:
We request that mentors help us support students who are making critical decisions about their options during and after high school. The goal is to help students make informed, self- determined choices about their transition to adulthood. Participating students have a wide variety of interests and will access a great variety of resources during and after high school, including pre- GED programs, community and technical college programs, 4 year college programs, and on-the-job training. The fundamental goal is that students learn that they can make make plans for the future and get support putting those plans into action.
This Career Exploration and Education Planning project will provide students with the chance to develop near and long term plans for the transition from high school to post- secondary education and the work force.
High School Language Arts Grade Level Expectations Addressed in Career Exploration and Education Planning Project Reading and Responding Standard 1: 4. Draw conclusions and make inferences in oral and written responses about ideas and information in texts, including: • nonfiction works • consumer/instructional materials (ELA 1 H3) 5. Explain ways in which ideas and information in a variety of texts (e.g., scientific reports, technical guidelines, business memos, literary texts) connect to real life situations and other texts (ELA 1 H4) Standard 7 12. Solve problems using reasoning skills, including: • using supporting evidence to verify solutions • analyzing the relationships between prior knowledge and life experiences and information in texts using technical information in specialized software programs, manuals, interviews, surveys, and access guides to Web sites (ELA 7 H2) 14. Analyze information within and across grade appropriate texts using various reasoning skills, including: • identifying cause-effect relationships • raising questions • reasoning inductively and deductively • generating a theory or hypothesis • distinguishing facts from opinions and probability (ELA 7 H4) Writing Standard 2: 15. Develop organized, coherent paragraphs that include the following: • topic sentences • logical sequence • transitional words and phrases • appropriate closing sentences • parallel construction where appropriate (ELA 2 H1) • clear voice (individual personality) (ELA 2 H2) 18. Develop complex compositions using writing processes, including: • selecting topic and form (e.g., determining a purpose and audience) • prewriting (e.g., brainstorming, clustering, outlining, generating main idea/thesis statements) • drafting • conferencing (e.g., peer and teacher) • revising for content and structure based on feedback • proofreading/editing to improve conventions of language • publishing using technology (ELA 2 H3) 21. Write for various purposes, including: • formal and business letters, such as letters of complaint and requests for information • job applications (ELA 2 H6) Writing/Proofreading Standard 3: 22. Apply standard rules of sentence formation, avoiding common errors, such as: • fragments • run on sentences • syntax problems (ELA 3 H2) 23. Apply standard rules of usage, including: • making subjects and verbs agree • using verbs in appropriate tenses • making pronouns agree with antecedents • using pronouns appropriately in nominative, objective, and possessive cases • using adjectives in comparative and superlative degrees and adverbs correctly • avoiding double negatives • using all parts of speech appropriately (ELA 3 H2) 24. Apply standard rules of mechanics, including: • using commas to set off appositives or parenthetical phrases • using quotation marks to set off titles of short works • using colons preceding a list and after a salutation in a business letter • using standard capitalization for names of political and ethnic groups, religions, and continents (ELA 3 H2) 25. Use correct spelling conventions when writing and editing (ELA 3 H3) 26. Use a variety of resources, such as dictionaries, thesauruses, glossaries, technology, and textual features (e.g., definitional footnotes, sidebars) to verify word spellings (ELA 3 H3) Speaking and Listening Standard 4: 27. Use standard English grammar, diction, and syntax when responding to questions, participating in informal group discussions, and making presentations (ELA 4 H1) 28. Select language appropriate to specific purposes and audiences when speaking, including: • delivering informational/book reports in class • conducting interviews/surveys of classmates or the general public • participating in class discussions (ELA 4 H1) 29. Listen to oral instructions and presentations, speeches, discussions, and carry out procedures, including: • taking accurate notes • writing summaries or responses • forming groups (ELA 4 H2) 30. Organize and use precise language to deliver oral directions and instructions about general, technical, or scientific topics (ELA 4 H2) 31. Deliver oral presentations that include the following: • phrasing, enunciation, voice modulation, verbal and nonverbal techniques, and inflection adjusted to stress important ideas and impact audience response • language choices selected to suit the content and context • an organization that includes an introduction, relevant details that develop the topic, and a conclusion (ELA 4 H3) 32. Use active listening strategies, including: • monitoring messages for clarity • selecting and organizing essential information • noting cues such as changes in pace • generating and asking questions concerning a speaker's content, delivery, and attitude toward the subject (ELA 4 H4) 33. Deliver clear, coherent, and concise oral presentations about information and ideas in texts (ELA 4 H4) 34. Analyze media information in oral and written responses, including: • summarizing the coverage of a media event • comparing messages from different media (ELA 4 H5) 35. Participate in group and panel discussions, including: • identifying the strengths and talents of other participants • acting as facilitator, recorder, leader, listener, or mediator • evaluating the effectiveness of participant's performance (ELA 4 H6) Information Resources Standard 5: 36. Identify and use organizational features to locate relevant information for research projects using a variety of resources, including: • print resources (e.g., prefaces, appendices, annotations, citations, bibliographic references) • electronic texts (e.g., database keyword searches, search engines, e-mail addresses) (ELA 5 H1) 37. Locate, analyze, and synthesize information from a variety of grade appropriate resources, including: • multiple printed texts (e.g., encyclopedias, atlases, library catalogs, specialized dictionaries, almanacs, technical encyclopedias, and periodicals) • electronic sources (e.g., Web sites, databases) • other media sources (e.g., community and government data, television and radio resources, and other audio and visual materials) (ELA 5 H2) 38. Analyze the usefulness and accuracy of sources by determining their validity (e.g., authority, accuracy, objectivity, publication date, and coverage) (ELA 5 H2) 39. Access information and conduct research using various grade appropriate, data gathering strategies/tools, including: • formulating clear research questions • gathering evidence from primary and secondary sources • using graphic organizers (e.g., outlining, charts, timelines, webs) • compiling and organizing information to support the central ideas, concepts, and themes of formal papers or presentations (ELA 5 H3) 40. Write a variety of research reports, which include the following: • research supporting the main ideas • facts, details, examples, and explanations from sources • graphics when appropriate • complete documentation (e.g., endnotes, parenthetical citations, works cited lists or bibliographies) (ELA 5 H3) 41. Use word processing and/or other technology (e.g., illustration, page-layout, Web- design programs) to draft, revise, and publish various works, including research reports documented with parenthetical citations and bibliographies or works cited lists (ELA 5 H4)
|Grade Level:
|Content Area:
Transition Planning
|Student Outcomes:
Students will complete interest inventories, investigate career fields, communicate with local and regional workforce and education representatives, create 5 year plans, and develop portfolios.
|Evaluation of
Student Outcomes:
Students will create education and transition plans that will be reviewed by mentors and community partners representing post-secondary education and the regional workforce.
|Teacher Role:
Teachers will implement the project plan and make adjustments as needed during this pilot project.
|Mentor Role:
Mentors will correspond with students twice per week, providing and modeling the use of information resources. Mentors will help students develop effective planning skills and help them communicate those plans effectively to people who can help them implement those plans.

subset: commoncrawl


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text:
The Deal: Part #3 Wudu'
"We don't make deals with Allah," Kadija said. "Making a deal implies that each side needs something from the other, and they're coming to an accommodation.
This is part 3 of a 6 part post. Click here for Part #1 and Part #2
Jamilah made a quick stop at her apartment on Post Street, where she iced her injured wrist and swallowed two ibuprofen tablets. Shamsi was still at work, of course.
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Jamilah wondered if she should tell Shamsi what had happened. Shamsi would tell her family, and it would get back to Jamilah's mother. She didn't know if she wanted her mom imagining her daughter chasing down bike thieves. She'd think her Jamilah had lost her marbles. She already does, Jamilah thought.
Jamilah grabbed her spare lock – a flimsy cable that she'd bought before she became a messenger – and headed downtown.
When she walked into Low Ball, the young receptionist looked up and exclaimed, "I was wondering what happened to you! I'm sorry about your bike, hon. I've got your stuff right here."
"Oh, I got the bike back," Jamilah said casually.
"You're kidding! That's amazing. You have to tell me about it."
"I can't right now," Jamilah said. "I need to get back to work. Tell you what, buy me lunch tomorrow at the Flying Spaghetti and you'll hear the whole riveting tale." A girl has to survive somehow. I'm down to my last twenty bucks for the week.
"You're on," the receptionist said.
Jamilah finished out the day, her wrist throbbing. She could have taken the day off, but she hadn't gone through all that hassle only to sit around at home. She ran some blueprints from SOMA to an architectural firm at Battery Point, made a dash to the Wharf, a pickup in North Beach coming back, and then a pickup at a restaurant in Chinatown. She hated Chinatown jobs because the locals always treated her like a foreign invader, and no one ever wanted to sign for anything. Finally she had to lug a little envelope all the way up Potrero Hill, her legs straining, arms pulling on the handlebars, sweat dripping from her brow.
As she rode, she thought about the deal.
The Deal. She could hardly believe it had worked. It was like her own personal miracle. Was it possible that she would have found the bike anyway, without this bargain? There was no way to know, but Allah had come through for her, and she owed Him.
She wasn't afraid. When she had made the deal she had felt trepidation, but now she was strangely excited. Somehow in her heart she had been expecting this change; maybe she'd even been contemplating it subconsciously. Whatever the case, it was time for a sea change, and this was it.
Her biggest worries centered around work. There were no messengers wearing hijabs in San Francisco. What would Jen say? What about the clients? And what about law school? Would this make it more difficult to get a scholarship? Was she shooting herself in the foot, sabotaging her own ambitions? What were her options?
And what was the story with Hassan? What Muhammad had told her had changed her perspective. She wondered what sort of hardships Hassan had been through to make him so introverted. She thought of him practicing martial arts alone in the park, and saw it in a different light. Maybe he was not disdainful of others as she had thought. Maybe he cut himself off from human interaction because he was going through inner turmoil. Or maybe he didn't know how to speak to others. It was kind of sad, when you thought about it.
The ride to Layth and Kadija's place in Bernal Heights was uphill all the way – a tedious trudge after a long day. Jamilah's wrist radiated pain up her arm; her feet ached; and the cut on the inside of her mouth throbbed. She'd been worried that she wouldn't be able to keep up with Muhammad and Hassan, but they slowed their pace to hers. She was glad for that.
"Hassan," Muhammad said, "let Jams ride the Krypton."
"She's had a hard day."
Jamilah was annoyed. "I didn't ask for help. I'm fine."
"Too big for her anyway," Hassan said.
"Then let me ride it," Muhammad said.
Hassan shrugged and braked to a stop. "Okay." He and Muhammad switched bikes and resumed riding.
"Kryptoooooooon!" Muhammad hollered into the night air, reaching up with both hands, and weaving Hassan's racing bike back and forth across the right lane. "Take me away, baby!" A car swerved and sped past him, honking.
Jamilah focused on her breathing as they climbed up Mission Street. The street name was appropriate, she thought. She was going up Mission, on a mission.
Jamilah could smell the tortillas and beef from the Mexican taquerias and Salvadoran pupusa restaurants that lined Mission Street. They rode past a grand old movie theater that had been turned into a church, roadside stands selling fruits, vegetables and clothing, vegan cafes, alternative bookstores, and brightly colored wall murals depicting farm workers breaking their chains and raising their fists. On one street corner an old man in a poncho stood, playing the guitar and singing "México lindo y querido" in a tremulous and sad voice. Jamilah knew enough Spanish to translate the song: "beautiful and beloved Mexico." She understood the sadness in the man's voice. For her it was "Palestine lindo y querido", and unlike the old man, she could never go home.
Muhammad was his usual talkative self. He was so skinny that the uphill slog hardly bothered him. "You guys want to hear a joke?" he called out.
"Oh, please no," Jamilah groaned. But Hassan said, "Sure."
"Alright," Muhammad continued blithely. "A Palestinian, an Israeli and a supermodel are riding in a train car. Suddenly the train enters a tunnel. It's an old style train with no lights in the carriages so it goes totally dark. Then there's a kissing noise and the sound of a slap.
The train comes out of the tunnel, and the Palestinian and the supermodel are both sitting there like nothing happened, but the Israeli has his hand on his cheek like he's just been slapped.
The Israeli is thinking: the Palestinian must have kissed the supermodel and she tried to slap him but missed and slapped me by mistake.
The supermodel is thinking: The Israeli fellow must have tried to kiss me but actually kissed the Palestinian and got slapped for it.
And the Palestinian is thinking: This is great. Next time the train goes through a tunnel, I'll make another kissing noise and slap the Israeli bastard again."
Jamilah laughed despite herself, then said, "That's racist, Mo."
"Why? Because I said bastard?"
"No, because… I don't know. Never mind."
"Okay," Muhammad said. "Then make it an alien, Mother Theresa and Fu Manchu."
"That doesn't even make sense," Jamilah protested. "Hey Hassan," she said, "don't you ever laugh?"
"He's a stoic," Muhammad said. "I have never seen that brother laugh. But I'm trying. Five nine, tell us a joke."
They rode in silence for a full block, then Hassan said, "What happened to the fishing boat that sank in piranha-infested waters?"
"They turned into fish food," Jamilah said between breaths.
"No," Hassan said. "The boat came back with a skeleton crew."
Muhammad laughed. "That's funny, dude! But that joke you told last week was about fish too. What's up with the fish?"
"I like fish," Hassan said. "The downtown suits envy us messengers because we seem free, right? But no human being was ever as free as a fish."
The riders dismounted in front of Layth and Kadija's apartment. It was a comfortable one-bedroom flat on a quiet street.
They were mounting the steps when Hassan stopped.
"What's up, five nine?" Muhammad asked.
Hassan was looking at a silver Lexus parked across the street. The license plate read, "PLSTNGRL". Jamilah recognized it – she'd seen it parked in front of the Hammerhead Courier garage often enough. It was Sahar's car. Palestine Girl. Daddy's little sweetheart, Jamilah thought sourly.
Sahar was a customer service rep at Hammerhead. Most customer service reps didn't drive luxury cars, but Sahar's father Adel happened to own the company. They were moneyed Palestinians who had been expelled from Kuwait in 1991, after the first Gulf War, and had promptly started a profitable business here in SF. What did they know of deprivation? Sahar's customer service job couldn't pay much, but somehow the tall, fair-skinned beauty always wore the latest brand-name clothing, and her lustrous black hair was impeccably styled.
Jamilah, on the other hand, was short, olive-skinned, and had frizzy brown hair that wouldn't stay in place. She wore no makeup because she was out in the wind and the rain all day. By five thirty – quitting time – she was either dried out by wind and sun, or waterlogged, weary and bruised. At times like that she hated being in the same room as Sahar, beside whom she felt like a savage.
"So what if Sahar's here?" Muhammad said. "She's cool."
"Did you invite her?" Hassan demanded.
"Not really," Muhammad said. "She asked me after work if you and I were doing anything, and I told her we were coming up here. She knows Kadija from work, I guess – she knows all the clients. She must have invited herself."
Jamilah wondered what that was about. Was there something going on between Hassan and Sahar? She felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought, strangely enough.
Hassan reached for the doorbell, then paused. "Can I talk to you guys for a sec?"
"Sure, dude," Muhammad said. "What's up?"
"You know what you said about me not laughing? You're right. I used to have a sense of humor, but…" Hassan gazed at the dark street. "Well, life shut it down. I'm trying to get back to the person I used to be, but it's hard. And I appreciate you, Muhammad, because when I'm around you I feel normal again. So jazak Allah khayr, may Allah reward you for that. And I'm glad to get to know you too, Jamilah. I've been wanting to meet you properly, but it's hard for me to approach people."
Jamilah was stunned. The words were not what she would have expected to come out of Hassan's mouth. She was beginning to realize that she had misunderstood this powerful man. She had thought him arrogant, but at this moment he seemed more vulnerable than any man she'd met.
Muhammad gave Hassan a hug. "It's alright, dude. I like you just how you are. A bad-ass Arab, daily eating carob."
"I don't like carob," Hassan said.
"It's the only thing I could rhyme with Arab."
Jamilah felt like a voyeur, witnessing this moment of candor between the two men, but she said, "It's alright, Hassan. I appreciate you helping me out today. But would you really have cut off that gangster's thumb?"
Hassan smiled. "Nah. I'm nonviolent."
"Whatever! I saw the look on your face. You were going to kill that guy."
"Looks don't kill," Hassan said.
"Well… how could you go after a guy with a knife? And what if he'd had a gun?"
"If he'd had a gun, he wouldn't have pulled a knife," Hassan said. "I knew he'd back down. The talkers always do. It's the quiet ones you have to worry about."
"Like you," Jamilah said.
Hassan smiled and shook his head, then rang the doorbell.
They were greeted by an elegant looking African-American woman. Jamilah had expected Layth's wife to be white, for some reason. Wrong assumptions, again. Kadija gave Jamilah a hug and said, "It's nice to meet you. Louis told me what happened to you today. How exciting."
"Oh, sorry," Kadija said. "Layth. I knew him before he converted and I'm still not used to the new name."
Jamilah noticed everyone shedding their shoes at the door. Her socks had holes at the heels and smelled of sweat. Embarrassed, she removed them and stuffed them into her shoes.
As she stepped into the apartment, wonderfully familiar food aromas flooded her nostrils. It smelled like her mother's Middle Eastern cooking.
"It smells delicious in here," Jamilah told Kadija.
"Oh, you can thank Louis," Kadija said. "He's preparing some of his secret Iraqi recipes."
"Iraqi? That's cool. You are so lucky to have a husband who cooks."
"I know it," Kadija agreed. "Why don't you men go into the kitchen and keep Louis company? Jamilah, let's sit in the living room."
The living room was attractively furnished. The hardwood floors gleamed, and a large bay window looked onto the street. African prints and a framed poster of a mosque hung on the walls. A large bookshelf in the corner was crammed with books and CD's from top to bottom. Kadija led Jamilah to a large leather sofa.
The Quran played softly on the stereo. It was a good, familiar sound.
Jamilah's gaze came to rest on Sahar. Sitting on the loveseat facing the window, she looked like a celebrity in her black jeans and designer leather jacket, with her hair perfectly coiffed as usual, and her nails manicured and polished. Two gold bangles graced her wrists.
Jamilah was acutely aware of her own appearance. Strands of hair had slipped out of her ponytail and projected in odd directions like broken bicycle spokes. Her clothes smelled of sweat, her cheek was slightly swollen and she had blood stains on her pants. She must look like a refugee from a war zone.
"Hey Sahar," Jamilah said. "How's it going?"
"Hey kiddo," Sahar said. "Busy day today, huh? I heard about the thing with your bike."
Kiddo? Jamilah felt a furious desire to grab Sahar's gleaming hair with one hand and smack her across the cheek with the other, but instead she forced a smile. "Yeah," she said. "It was something else. But I actually came up here for another reason." She turned to Kadija. "You look familiar."
"I work at Janey-Bass," Kadija said. "We use Hammerhead for deliveries. I've seen you come in for pickups."
"Oh, right! What do you do there?"
"I'm a copyeditor," Kadija said. Jamilah noticed the pride in Kadija's tone. She wondered if Kadija had faced many challenges to get where she was.
"That's so cool!" Jamilah said. "You have to tell me all about your job sometime. But the reason I came tonight is that your husband said you might be willing to teach me some things."
"I'd be happy to try," Kadija said.
"Well, the thing is…" How was Jamilah going to do this with Sahar listening? Ignore her. She doesn't exist. "My bike got stolen, and I was panicked, and… I made a deal with Allah."
"What kind of deal?"
"I promised Allah that if He helped me get my bike back I would pray, and fast, and wear hijab. And He did. So now I need to learn."
"Are you serious?" Sahar interrupted. "That's crazy. I mean, it's great that you got your bike back, but you don't have to get all religious and start covering up like an old lady. I mean – sorry, Kadija. I didn't mean you."
Jamilah always tried to be nice to Sahar, partly because she was a fellow Palestinian girl and work colleague, and partly because her father was the company president. But now Jamilah's temper boiled over and she said, "Listen, bimbo. What I do and wear is none of your business."
Sahar's face twisted into amazed indignation. "Excuse me?" she exclaimed.
"Whoa," Kadija interjected, putting her hands out. "Both of you take it easy. Sahar, I think Jamilah wanting to wear hijab is a good thing. It's about being modest and obeying Allah, no matter what age you are. And Jamilah, we don't talk to people like that in this house. You're both my guests, and I want you to show respect. Now apologize to each other."
Jamilah's face flushed. She felt like a grade schooler who'd been chastised by the teacher. "I'm sorry, Sahar," she mumbled. "Truly. It's been a rough day, that's all."
Sahar waved her hand toward Jamilah as if brushing her away. "Whatever." She stood and traipsed into the kitchen. Jamilah heard her exchanging words with Hassan, but couldn't make out what was said. A minute later Sahar stormed out of the kitchen, put on her designer shoes and left.
Jamilah reclined into the sofa cushion and put her hands on her forehead. "Great," she said. "Just what I need. I have to work with her tomorrow. I get so angry sometimes, and I end up hurting people."
"Sahar is alright," Kadija said. "She can work your nerves, but she has a good heart. She'll be fine tomorrow. Listen, there's something I want to explain. Don't take it as a criticism. Think of it as your first lesson."
"What is it?" Jamilah said warily.
"We don't make deals with Allah," Kadija said. "Making a deal implies that each side needs something from the other, and they're coming to an accommodation. But Allah needs nothing from us. He is free of all wants. Our 'ibadah, our worship of Him, is for us, to bring peace to our souls, and guide us through life, and bring us closer to Allah. So I'm happy that things worked out for you today, but I wouldn't want you to start doing these things – praying and such – because you feel trapped or obligated. It has to come from your heart, or it won't stick."
"That makes sense," Jamilah said. "But I don't feel trapped. I feel good about it."
Kadija smiled widely. "Okay, ma-sha-Allah. Let's go in the bedroom and I'll show you some outfits."
Kadija had Jamilah try on a lovely olive pintucked dress and something called an Amira hijab – a two-piece fitted blue scarf that circled her face and draped over her shoulders and chest. The scarf fit perfectly, but the dress was too long in every respect.
"No problem," Kadija said. She went to the closet and brought out a sewing machine. "I can adjust the dress in five minutes."
"Hold on," Jamilah said. "I can't let you do that. That's a beautiful dress, I can't let you ruin it."
"Lesson number two," Kadija said. "Accept a gift graciously. I have other dresses, don't worry. And I'm certainly not going to ruin it."
Kadija set up the sewing machine on a small desk and began working. Jamilah sat in a stuffed chair and rested her head on one arm. She felt comfortable in this place. There was something motherly about Kadija.
"What do you know about Hassan?" Jamilah asked.
"Very little," Kadija replied, not looking up from her sewing work. "He's Louis's friend. They go out to dinner sometimes. Louis says that Hassan is an expert in four different fighting styles, and that they mostly talk about Islam and martial arts."
"What about his past?"
"I can't help you there, honey," Kadija said. "Louis has never spoken about that. Either he doesn't know, or doesn't want to say."
When the dress was ready, Kadija said, "Now let me show you how to do wudu'."
Under Kadija's guidance, Jamilah began the ritual ablutions for prayer. She washed her hands three times, then mouth, nose, face, right arm, and left arm. She felt some strange and powerful tide of emotion rising from her gut. Her hands began to tremble and her legs felt weak. She passed her wet hands over her hair, and cleaned her ears as Kadija showed her. By the time she washed her right foot then left foot she had begun to weep. Kadija wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said, "That's it honey, you're done."
Jamilah broke into open sobs, to her own mortification. She felt she would collapse, but Kadija caught her around the waist and helped her to the bedroom. They sat on the edge of the bed, Kadija stroking Jamilah's shoulders as she continued to make moaning and choking noises. She felt unbearably embarrassed. It was as if something immense inside her, something roiling under pressure, were being released. She heard Layth say, "Is everything alright in there?"
"Fine, Louis," Kadija called. "Give us privacy."
"We'll be praying 'Ishaa' in a minute, are you joining us?"
"No, we'll pray in here. You go ahead."
Jamilah sat up straight and composed herself. Kadija fetched a box of tissues and Jamilah blew her nose and wiped her face.
"I'm so sorry," Jamilah said between gasping breaths. "I don't know what that was about."
"Wudu' is a powerful thing," Kadija said. "It purifies you, wipes away all your sins."
"I don't have sins," Jamilah said. " I've never been with a man, I don't drink or do drugs…"
"That's all good," Kadija said. "Maybe you've been feeling a gulf between you and Allah, and the wudu' has closed that gulf, and what you are feeling is that inner tension letting go."
Jamilah nodded her head. It did feel like that. She'd been holding so much anger and fear. Fear of failure, fear of losing her mother's love, fear of not living up to her father's ideals.
Jamilah put on the hijab and the dress. It fit perfectly – Kadija was quite a seamstress. There was a full length mirror on the closet door and Jamilah examined herself. She looked like a different person. She could almost see herself in an earlier time, standing on the land of her ancestral home in Bethlehem, looking out over the rocky hills and olive trees. A time before the Nakbah, the catastrophe of 1948 in which Palestine was lost to the Zionists. That version of her was not alienated from her own mother. That version of her was bright eyed and composed, and knew where she fit in the universe. That version of her was strong as the land itself.
I'm strong too. Me, as I am now. "The people of Palestine are under attack. What do we do? Stand up, fight back."
Kadija laid out two beautiful musallas. One prayer rug was green with tassels, and featured an image of the Dome of the Rock mosque in Jerusalem. The other had a geometric pattern of lines and stars. She laid them side by side, facing Makkah.
Jamilah followed Kadija in prayer, moving as Kadija moved. Kadija recited out loud, so all Jamilah had to do was listen. She didn't experience another wave of emotion, but the salat felt peaceful and comfortable. She was on the right track. What would her mother say if she could see Jamilah now? Would she be proud? Or would she think her daughter was playing games, or being brainwashed?
What about Shamsi, and Adel, and the clients, and the other messengers at Hammerhead…
Jamilah willed herself to stop thinking about all of that. Her spiritual life was between her and Allah. Everyone else would have to take care of themselves.
You can read Part 4 here: The Deal, Part 4 – Zanshin
Reader comments and constructive criticism are important to me, so please comment!
See the Story Index for Wael Abdelgawad's other stories on this website.
Wael Abdelgawad's novels – including Pieces of a Dream, The Repeaters, Zaid Karim Private Investigator, and Uber Tales – are available in ebook and print form on his author page at Amazon.com.
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18 Comments
I knew this usually comes out at night so I have been waiting for it…Now I have to wait a whole week :/
Good stuff alhamdulillah
Bismillaah! Wa-s-swalaatu wa-s-salaam alaa khayra khalqillaah:)(saas)
*salaamu alaikum wrwb….
sheer creative writing, interesting, suspense… and gripping as usual.. I hav been reading since…now am beginning to put the "pieces-of-dreams- together!:)
Keep it up akhy! Hope it comes out as a book/ novel that makes a difference in both muslims and non-muslims in-sha-Allah!
*cant wait for part 4..nxt week in-sha-Allah:)
May Allah forgive our mistakes, guide and grant us the hikmah of making dawah is allowable creative ways..til jannah. Ameeen
In all truth, if it were not for your installments I probably would've never ventured onto this site and read some of the other worth while and educational articles posted here. So your fantastic stories are not only a benefit unto themselves and you, but to your fellow writers masha'Allah.
Masha'Allah, what an emotional chapter. Kadija is such a beautiful character. I aspire to be like her =)
Awesome story Brother Wael, can't wait for the next part!
Awesome story Brother Wael, can't wait for the next part =)
as always, love it! and the joke, LOL.
I posted this on Part 2 by mistake!
"Assalamualaykum warahmatullaahi wabarakaatuhu,
Waiting for Part # 4!
Masha Allah awesome story.. The wudu' part had me in tears..
JazakAllah Khair!"
Still waiting! :)
Salam Alaikum! Nice to meet Khadija and Louis again – all happily married. Great work!
Waiting for part 5,gripping!
this is a beautiful chapter, and I like the friendship between Jamilah, Muhammad and Hassan. (going to read the next chapter)
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Manitoba Photographers: John Harry Chic (1918-1990)
Link to:
Born at Merridale on 7 May 1918, son of Harry Chic (?-1949) and Anna Chervinski (?-1951), he was educated at Timber School and Goose Lake School then moved to Winnipeg where he worked with his sister in a restaurant business. Eventually he returned to Merridale to help with the family farm before purchasing his own farm. He purchased the Roblin Photo Studio in 1948, located in Roblin, and operated it until his death, taking photos in a wide range of areas, including class photos of one-room schoolhouses in the region. On 31 July 1958, he married Lucy Wiwchar and they had three children. He was a member of the Holy Redeemer Ukrainian Catholic Church and Knights of Columbus. He played the drums in a group called the Rythym Rangers. He died at Roblin on 6 January 1990 and was buried in the Holy Redeemer Parish Cemetery. After his death, his wife continued to operate the photo studio until closing it in 2006.
Work location(s)
Obituary, Roblin Review, 16 January 1990, page 10.
We thank Lucy Chic for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 3 August 2019


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Running, Triathlon and Fitness over 40!
Getting ready for the big 4-0 and fitness over 40! Hello everyone. It's me and I am still 39 but only for one more week! It's time to start thinking ahead to what fitness over 40 will look like for me. Over the weekend I was talking with another woman about my upcoming 40th and … Read More »


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NEW YORK (CNS) — "Viva Cristo Rey!" "Long live Christ the King!"
Such was the rallying cry of the Cristeros — devout Mexican Catholics driven into open, sometimes violent, opposition to their government during the1920s by its policy of persecution against the church. This pious exclamation also serves as the stirring refrain of the powerful historical drama recounting those events, "For Greater Glory" (ARC Entertainment).
At the center of director Dean Wright's sprawling epic stand two remarkable figures: retired but restless military hero Gen. Enrique Gorostieta (Andy Garcia), a religious skeptic who becomes the unlikely commander of those taking up arms in the name of faith, and Jose Luis Sanchez (impressive newcomer Mauricio Kuri), a saintly adolescent volunteer in Gorostieta's forces who, decades later, was beatified for his role in the struggle.
As early scenes reveal, Jose's fervent belief was kindled by his interaction with his wise and venerable parish priest, Father Christopher (Peter O'Toole). When this forbearing clergyman falls victim to the anti-clerical campaign unleashed by President Plutarco Calles (Ruben Blades), Jose witnesses his spiritual mentor's coldblooded execution and is radicalized.
Out to defy the government by peaceful means is another real-life character, also since beatified, Anacleto Gonzalez Flores (Eduardo Verastegui). A pacifist lawyer, Gonzalez is sometimes referred to as "the Mexican Gandhi."
A few passages of dialogue are devoted to debating whether violent means should ever be employed by Christians, and some viewers of faith may be unsettled by the sight of an early 20th-century crusade. But if the Founding Fathers of the United States were justified in their rebellion against British rule when it infringed on their rights (and pocketbooks), the Cristeros' attempted overthrow of Calles seems, on the face of it, at least as well warranted.
The Mexican government's tyrannical interference with religious liberty, while obviously far more extreme than anything taking place north of the border today, nonetheless carries a sobering resonance with current events. If the film can be taken as a cautionary tale about where excessively zealous, overweening secularism can lead a nation, the warning is a stark one.
The wide-ranging saga requires quite a bit of exposition, so that the proceedings, it must be said, get off to a slow start.
But once the initially varied story lines laid out in Michael Love's script converge, their outcome packs an emotional wallop. In fact, moviegoers of a more sensitive disposition will be unlikely to escape without tears. It's no spoiler to say that the phrase "heroic virtue" takes on a new depth of meaning when applied to Jose, who did not gain the honors of the altar by being a coward.
The sufferings to which Jose is subjected find their occasional counterpart in the intensity of the battle scenes. But the fact-based, faith-quickening tale the movie tells is sufficiently valuable to justify a younger viewership than would normally be advisable for fare of this kind.
So, despite the elements listed below, "For Greater Glory" is probably acceptable for mature adolescents — and may, indeed, do them a world of good.
The film contains considerable action violence with some gore, the torture of a child and at least one mildly vulgar term. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
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