Out of this World!

I'm sort of a space geek.  I know that we don't really do the whole space thing anymore and it's pretty much blase.  But I'm of the opinion that it's pretty awesome nonetheless.  The fact that humans can build machines that can take you to other planets, is an unbelievable feat of engineering and creativity.  NASA's one of those organizations that people take for granted.  They take up millions of millions of dollars of the federal budget, and it's easy to think that the money could be better spent in medical research, or defense.  

But I think that the next big discovery is going to be in space.  Call me optimistic, but the universe is ginormous.  Who's to say that the cure for cancer isn't hanging out on Mars?  So why this sudden fondness for space you ask?  Well somehow I got lost in all the news and craziness at work last week and somehow forgot to mention the coolest space news of the last decade!  

Somehow after 10 years, the Philae lander has successfully landed on a comet - a COMET!  I can't even parallel park, but somehow the Europeans managed to land a small space probe on the surface of a comet traveling through space.  How is that not awesome!?  I'm not sure how or why this was done, but what an accomplishment!  

All I've done today was managed to successfully answer some email and set up a classroom or 2.  I'm feeling quite insignificant all of a sudden : )