NEAR mission, so far
Somewhere far out in our solar system, the NEAR spacecraft, developed, designed and built at the Applied Physics Laboratory, has been hurtling at a speed of 10 kilometers per second toward an asteroid that is roughly twice the size of Manhattan.
   But movie fans and those caught up in the threat of an asteroid impact eradicating all life on Earth need not worry. Unless you plan on living 1.5 million years, the earliest possible date the asteroid will come near the planet, this particular space rock isn't worth losing any sleep over. Full story...

New Biology chair discusses plans
When Victor Corces stares out his office window in Mudd Hall on the Homewood campus, he wishes he had a different view. In fact, he wished he had no view at all.
   Given the choice, the grass-filled courtyard at which Corces now looks would be the building's new wing, complete with an auditorium, several biology labs and additional classroom space.
   "The building is now a U," Corces says with a smile. "I'd like to see it a square."
   It's not that Corces has anything against open space, but he is concerned about the amount of space that students and faculty have as enrollment continually increases in the department. And although his concern is nothing new, these days he feels he's in more of a position to do something about it. Full story...

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