Monthly Archives: January 2014

Space.com Speaks with Space Station Astronaut Today: Watch It Live Online

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A NASA astronaut currently in orbit on the International Space Station will speak with Space.com today (Jan. 31), and you can watch the conversation live online. Astronaut Rick Mastracchio is scheduled to speak with Space.com Staff Writer Miriam Kramer about his life in space, the Olympics and the Super Bowl on orbit.

Mastracchio will chat with Space.com for 10 minutes beginning at 10:45 a.m. EST (1545 GMT), and you can watch the astronaut interview live online via NASA TV. We will ask Mastracchio about all things having to do with his life in the space laboratory, but we can also take your questions. Just leave your questions in the comments below this story or send them to Space.com on Twitter using @SPACEdotcom or @mirikramer.

This long-duration flight to the space station is the fourth spaceflight for Mastracchio, 53, who had previously flown on three shorter space shuttle flights. He was selected for astronauts training in 1996 after joining NASA in 1987. Before becoming a part of the station's Expedition 38 crew, Mastracchio clocks close to 40 days in space and had ventured out on six spacewalks. [See Amazing Photos from Rick Mastracchio on the International Space Station]

Quiz: The Reality of Life in Orbit

As an any astronaut will tell you, life in space is a lot like life on Earthwith some very important differences. On Earth, for example, if you leave your fork floating in air while you grab for your spoon, it will quickly hit the floor. Other difference

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Quiz: The Reality of Life in Orbit

As an any astronaut will tell you, life in space is a lot like life on Earthwith some very important differences. On Earth, for example, if you leave your fork floating in air while you grab for your spoon, it will quickly hit the floor. Other difference

Since launching to the International Space Station in November 2013, Mastracchio went on two spacewalks with fellow NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins to fix the orbiting outpost's vital cooling system during the Christmas season. Mastracchio now has 51 hours and 28 minutes of spacewalking time to his credit.

In May, Mastracchio is scheduled to fly back to Earth with fellow space station crewmembers cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin and Koichi Wakata of Japan. Hopkins and cosmonauts Oleg Kotov and Sergey Ryazanskiy round out the Expedition 38 crew.

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Space.com Speaks with Space Station Astronaut Today: Watch It Live Online

NASA Astronaut Brings Space Travel Down to Earth for Kids

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LOS ANGELES NASA astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson shared her experiences on the International Space Station with elementary school students in her home state on Jan. 23.

"Can you tell I really like being an astronaut?" she asked the third, fourth and fifth graders of La Crescenta Elementary in California. And they answered with a resounding, "Yes!"

"Everything I do as an astronaut are the things I enjoy doing," Caldwell Dyson said. "What you choose to do later in life needs to be what you enjoy doing because that's going to bring out the best in you. We want that. Every one of you has a best you. And you keep striving your whole life to be the best you." [8 Surprising Space Shuttle Facts]

The discussion began when a student asked her what inspired her to become an astronaut. It was a mixture of her parents asking her to list what she wanted to do (she enjoyed studying science, working with tools and learning to speak another language) and of inspiration resulting from Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher chosen to go to space on the Challenger in 1986.

Caldwell Dyson showed a video that detailed her time at the International Space Station. It included her shuttle launch, exercising, eating sushi, doing experiments, making repairs as well as having fun with the team on board (hide and seek, singing and participating in space shuttle Olympics).

There was audible wonderment when the video showed water in an open plastic sandwich bag and how the water remained in the bag when it was turned upside down. This was one of the "Kids in Micro-g"experiments where kids across the country develop experiments that get performed on board by astronauts.

Caldwell Dyson told the kids that she hoped some of them would participate in the space program; it's where they could use their talents and gifts. She explained she worked really hard in the space program because she believes in it.

"I believe that we as a country and a world need to keep exploring space," she said. "My experience, because of my age and where we are with our space program, I'm probably going to only see the lower orbit of Earth. My experience is going to be circling around the Earth."

She asked the students where they thought space exploration would advance to when they're her age. Among the responses: Another galaxy,Jupiter, Mars, and biggest world in the universe.

Every year Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) invites an astronaut to visit schools in his district. Dyson is the eighth participant. In honor of Dyson's visit, Congressman Schiff presented a flag to La Crescenta Elementary principal Kim Bishop. The flag was previously flown over the United States Capitol.

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NASA Astronaut Brings Space Travel Down to Earth for Kids

Best Space Music Videos Ever: A Rockin’ Chart Countdown

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Live, from Space!

Face it, space travel is cool. But space travel with a soundtrack? That just plain rocks.

Here's a look at some of our favorite space and space-themed music video from NASA and others through the years. Tip: Don't miss Chris Hadfield's amazing "Space Oddity" music video in here.

FIRST STOP: Best Venus Transit Moments

The rare astronomical event of Venus crossing the face of the sun on June 6, 2012, was caught by on video by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in different wavelengths of light. The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) took the images, which have 8x finer resolution than HDT. Video editors trimmed six hours of footage down to a quick 3 minutes, and added stirring music to the moving images. Watch the Video.

NEXT: Astronaut Plays Flute in Space

Astronaut Cady Coleman brought her flute aboard the International Space Station, where from 220 miles above the Earth, she played a tune about a seafaring vessel. The performance of Feb. 9, 2011, was recorded in an NPR interview. In addition to her own flute, she also brought instruments on loan from the Irish international folk superstars, The Chieftains, as well as Ian Anderson, flautist and lead singer of Jethro Tull. That long-running prog-rock band (of "Aqualung" fame) outstripped perhaps all of their contemporaries in spacy-ness when later Anderson and Coleman played an Earth-space duet during a Tull concert. Watch the Video.

NEXT: Moon Shadows

Ethereal music by Mark Peters accompanies videos of the annular eclipse that took place on May 20, 2012. NASA/JAXA (Hinode), ESA, Matt Hartman, Cory Pool and Alek O. Komarnitsky supplied the moving images. Watch the Video.

NEXT: Dance of Discovery

Ambient music by Jonn Serrie provides an atmospheric audio background for these images of space shuttle Discovery during mission STS-133, after the spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station. The flight marked the end of Discoverys life in space, and took place during Feb.-March 2011. Discoverys final flyaround of the ISS provided views of the Sahara Desert and the coasts of Africa and Europe. Watch the Video.

NEXT: Stars From Space Station

Music by London PM underscores captivating time-lapse imagery of stars as seen from the vantage point of the orbiting International Space Station. Auroras, airglow, lightning, clouds and electric lights also appear. Alex Rivest compiled the imagery. Star trails processed using StarStaX. Watch the Video.

NEXT: Rubber Chicken in Space

Internet celebrity Camilla Corona SDO flew to an altitude of 120,000 feet (about 36,500 meters) aboard a helium balloon with no protective gear other than a helmet and a knitted sweater, courtesy of the Members of the Earth to Sky student group at Bishop Union High School in Bishop, CA. Fortunately, Camilla suffered no ill effects, as she is a chicken made of rubber. Rock supergroup Chickenfoot appropriately supplied the music ("Up Next") for the video. The group includes members of Van Halen and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Watch the Video.

NEXT: Space Station Acrobatics

NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams demonstrates flying and floating techniques of getting around the International Space Station in this music video featuring footage taken during the Expedition 13 mission in 2006. Watch the Video.

NEXT: Stunning Time-Lapse Video

Astrophotographer Randy Halverson created this time-lapse video of the night sky above the northern United States, entitled "Temporal Distortion. Bear McCreary, who composed the original score for the video, has written music for television shows "Battlestar Galactica," "The Walking Dead," and "Eureka." Stunning meteors, the cloudy Milky Way, and even rainbow-colored auroras shine in the video. Halverson said of the video, "It is the result of 20-30 second exposures edited together over many hours to produce the time-lapse. See the full story.

NEXT: The Beatles 'Back In The...ISS'?

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Best Space Music Videos Ever: A Rockin' Chart Countdown

Space Foundation Teacher Liaison Program Expands International Outreach

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Jan. 30, 2014) -- The Space Foundation has selected 24 outstanding educators for its 2014 flight of Teacher Liaisons, including four educators in India and one in Australia. This expands the international reach of this elite program, and brings the total number of international Teacher Liaisons to six.

The educators were chosen for their active promotion of space and science education. The new Teacher Liaisons will serve as advocates for space-themed education, and will use Space Foundation-provided training and resources to further integrate space principles into the classroom.

The prestigious Space Foundation Teacher Liaison program has 300 active participants, including the 2014 flight. The teachers are selected by a panel comprising experienced Teacher Liaisons and representatives from the space industry and the military.

The 2014 Teacher Liaisons will be publicly recognized at the Space Foundation's 30th Space Symposium, which is being held May 19-22 at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA. In addition to the recognition activities, Teacher Liaisons also participate in the Space Foundation's virtual distance delivery education programs.

The 2014 flight of Teacher Liaisons includes:

New South Wales, Australia Neil Bramsen, Mount Ousley Public School, Fairy Meadow

Maharashtra, India Megha Gupta, Vidya Valley School, Pune Monika Mishra, Vidya Valley School, Pune Arati Patil, Vidyanchal School, Pune Nalini Sengupta, Vidya Valley School, Pune

USA Colorado Amy DeLarm, Manitou Springs Elementary School, Manitou Springs Julie Devore, Skyview Middle School, Colorado Springs Becki Elms, Manitou Springs Elementary School, Manitou Springs Nancy Garman, Scott Elementary School, Colorado Springs Maureen Moore-Roth, STEM Ventures, Highlands Ranch Machin Norris, Highland Middle School, Ault Linda Retting, The Classical Academy-Central Campus, Colorado Springs Kristina Stem, Erie Elementary School, Erie

FloridaRossana Chiarella, Palm Springs North Elementary School, Hialeah Micheal P. Floyd Jr., James Buchanan Middle School, Tampa Barbara Gosney, St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School, Coral Gables Baretta Wilson, Stewart Middle Magnet School, Tampa

GeorgiaClare Swinford, Museum of Aviation Foundation National STEM Academy, Warner Robins

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Space Foundation Teacher Liaison Program Expands International Outreach

Land transfer for proposed Red Wings arena clears council committee, heads for final vote Tuesday

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Construction of a new Red Wings arena near downtown cleared a hurdle with a City Council committee on Thursday, but the council president said the developers promises to hire Detroiters on the project are not yet strong enough to win her final support for the project.

Council President Brenda Jones said she still wants a guarantee that Detroit residents will receive jobs after the arena is built.

Related: New Red Wings arena project should mean jobs for Detroiters, groups say

At the meeting, representatives of the arenas developer Olympia Development of Michigan, an Ilitch company did not commit to changing the terms of the arenas work force requirements, but they insisted the Ilitch family, which owns the Red Wings, has a strong history of hiring Detroiters.

Jones said she wants more than a verbal commitment.

We can look at a history forever, but at the end of the day if something is not in writing, and you know as well as I know, it means absolutely nothing, she said. Thats my concern. Ive had that concern all along, and I still have that concern.

Ultimately, the councils planning and economic development committee on Thursday unanimously agreed to send legislation to transfer public land for the arena to the full council for a possible vote on Tuesday. Jones is not a voting member of the three-member committee.

There appeared to be some confusion after the meeting about whether the council committee sent the legislation to the full council with a recommendation for approval.

Councilwoman Mary Sheffield, a member of the committee, said the committee was not making a recommendation for or against the land transfer and that she has not decided how she would vote on Tuesday.

But Councilman Gabe Leland, chairman of the committee, had a different view of the committees vote.

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Land transfer for proposed Red Wings arena clears council committee, heads for final vote Tuesday

Johan Franzen pulls out of Sochi Olympics. Who draws in for Team Sweden?

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Johan Franzen will be tough to replace for Sweden, as his six goals and 15 points in 24 international games will attest. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Team Sweden will be short a Mule when it heads to Sochi next month.

Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen is suffering from concussion symptoms forcing his removal from the Olympic roster on Thursday afternoon.

Its a big loss for the Swedes, whose status among the favorites looks shakier every day as injuries (Henrik Sedin, Henrik Zetterberg) and slumps (Daniel Sedin, Loui Eriksson) slow their top forwards.

Johan is unique. Hes a tank who will stop at nothing, who has good hockey sense and great hands, Swedish coach Per Mrts said.

Mrts added that he wasnt sure yet who would draw in for the Swedes because of those other lingering injury issues.

No, I do not know yet, he said. I want to hear how Henrik [Sedin] and [Zetterber] are before we take the next guy.

There are a few NHL options for the spot:

Patric Hornqvist: The veteran winger has 10 goals and 27 points in 50 games for the Nashville Predators. He has a big body that allows him to play a similar role to what would have been asked of Franzen and he has considerable national team experience on his resume. The one problem: he has just one assist to show for his past 13 games with Tre Kroner. If hes slotted deeper on the depth chart, he might be the safest pick.

Marcus Johansson: The young Washington forward has never played for the national side, but does have experience at the World Juniors where he served as captain of the 2010 team. Hes quick, versatile and a terrific playmaker (26 assists in 53 games with the Caps) and has proven chemistry with teammate Nicklas Backstrom.

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Johan Franzen pulls out of Sochi Olympics. Who draws in for Team Sweden?

Concussion keeping Franzen out of Olympics

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Johan Franzen will be tough to replace for Sweden, as his six goals and 15 points in 24 international games will attest. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Team Sweden will be short a Mule when it heads to Sochi next month.

Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen is suffering from concussion symptoms forcing his removal from the Olympic roster on Thursday afternoon.

Its a big loss for the Swedes, whose status among the favorites looks shakier every day as injuries (Henrik Sedin, Henrik Zetterberg) and slumps (Daniel Sedin, Loui Eriksson) slow their top forwards.

Johan is unique. Hes a tank who will stop at nothing, who has good hockey sense and great hands, Swedish coach Per Mrts said.

Mrts added that he wasnt sure yet who would draw in for the Swedes because of those other lingering injury issues.

No, I do not know yet, he said. I want to hear how Henrik [Sedin] and [Zetterber] are before we take the next guy.

There are a few NHL options for the spot:

Patric Hornqvist: The veteran winger has 10 goals and 27 points in 50 games for the Nashville Predators. He has a big body that allows him to play a similar role to what would have been asked of Franzen and he has considerable national team experience on his resume. The one problem: he has just one assist to show for his past 13 games with Tre Kroner. If hes slotted deeper on the depth chart, he might be the safest pick.

Marcus Johansson: The young Washington forward has never played for the national side, but does have experience at the World Juniors where he served as captain of the 2010 team. Hes quick, versatile and a terrific playmaker (26 assists in 53 games with the Caps) and has proven chemistry with teammate Nicklas Backstrom.

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Concussion keeping Franzen out of Olympics

NASA shows 60 years of climate change in 15 seconds

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A new NASA video shows changes to temperature maps of the Earth from 1950 all the way to 2013.

When you put all the data together, it becomes pretty hard to deny that global temperatures are slowly but surely rising.

A new video released by NASA shows just over six decades of global temperatures, making it pretty clear that the world is getting warmer. In fact, according to NASA data, 9 of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since the year 2000 (the other was 1998), with the hottest years being 2010 and 2005.

According to the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), which analyzes global surface temperatures, the average temperature for 2013 was 14.6 degrees Celsius (58.28 degrees Fahrenheit), which is 0.6 Celsius degrees higher than the mid-20th-century baseline. The average global temperature has risen 0.8 degrees since 1880.

Long-term trends in surface temperatures are unusual and 2013 adds to the evidence for ongoing climate change," said GISS climatologist Gavin Schmidt. "While one year or one season can be affected by random weather events, this analysis shows the necessity for continued, long-term monitoring."

GISS attributes the rise in global temperatures to the increase in greenhouse gas levels, driven by man-made emissions, in the Earth's atmosphere. It notes that while successive years may not necessarily be warmer sequentially, overall trends will see a continued rise. The level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere -- over 400 parts per million -- is higher now than at any time in the last 800,000 years. In 1880, it was just 285 parts per million.

Watch the video below to see climate change in action. Yellows, oranges, and reds show higher-than-average temperatures.

(Source: Crave Australia)

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NASA shows 60 years of climate change in 15 seconds

NASA-Sponsored ‘Disk Detective’ Lets Public Search for New Planetary Nurseries

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NASA is inviting the public to help astronomers discover embryonic planetary systems hidden among data from the agency's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission through a new website, DiskDetective.org.

Disk Detective is NASA's largest crowdsourcing project whose primary goal is to produce publishable scientific results. It exemplifies a new commitment to crowdsourcing and open data by the United States government.

"Through Disk Detective, volunteers will help the astronomical community discover new planetary nurseries that will become future targets for NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope," said James Garvin, the chief scientist for NASA Goddard's Sciences and Exploration Directorate.

WISE was designed to survey the entire sky at infrared wavelengths. From a perch in Earth orbit, the spacecraft completed two scans of the entire sky between 2010 and 2011. It took detailed measurements on more than 745 million objects, representing the most comprehensive survey of the sky at mid-infrared wavelengths currently available.

Astronomers have used computers to search this haystack of data for planet-forming environments and narrowed the field to about a half-million sources that shine brightly in the infrared, indicating they may be "needles": dust-rich disks that are absorbing their star's light and reradiating it as heat.

"Planets form and grow within disks of gas, dust and icy grains that surround young stars, but many details about the process still elude us," said Marc Kuchner, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "We need more examples of planet-forming habitats to better understand how planets grow and mature."

But galaxies, interstellar dust clouds, and asteroids also glow in the infrared, which stymies automated efforts to identify planetary habitats. There may be thousands of nascent solar systems in the WISE data, but the only way to know for sure is to inspect each source by eye, which poses a monumental challenge.

Public participation in scientific research is a type of crowdsourcing known as citizen science. It allows the public to make critical contributions to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics by collecting, analyzing and sharing a wide range of data. NASA uses citizen science to engage the public in problem-solving.

Kuchner recognized the spotting of planetary nurseries as a perfect opportunity for crowdsourcing. He arranged for NASA to team up with the Zooniverse, a collaboration of scientists, software developers and educators who collectively develop and manage citizen science projects on the Internet. The result of their combined effort is Disk Detective.

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NASA-Sponsored 'Disk Detective' Lets Public Search for New Planetary Nurseries

Nanotechnology – www.Nanotechnology.com

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Nanotechnology, or nanotech, is the study and design of machines on the molecular and atomic level. To be considered nanotechnology, these structures must be anywhere from 1 to 100 nanometers in size. A nanometer is equivalent to one-billionth of a regular meter, which means that these structures are extremely small.

Researcher K. Eric Drexler was the first person to popularize this technology in the early 1980s. Drexler was interested in building fully functioning robots, computers, and motors that were smaller than a cell. He spent much of the 80s defending his ideas against critics that thought this technology would never be possible.

Today, the word nanotechnology means something a bit different. Instead of building microscopic motors and computers, researchers are interested in building superior machines atom by atom. Nanotech means that each atom of a machine is a functioning structure on its own, but when combined with other structures, these atoms work together to fulfill a larger purpose.

The U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative has large plans for nanotech. Mihail Roco, who is involved in this organization, explains the groups future plans by dividing their goals into four generations.

The first generation of nanotech is defined by passive structures that are created to carry out one specific task. Researchers are currently in this generation of the technology.The second generation will be defined by structures that can multitask. Researchers are currently entering this generation and hoping to further their abilities in the near future. The third generation will introduce systems composed of thousands of nanostructurers. The last generation will be defined by nanosystems designed on the molecular level. These systems will work like living human or animal cells.

As nanotech continues to develop, consumers will see it being used for several different purposes. This technology may be used in energy production, medicine, and electronics, as well as other commercial uses. Many believe that this technology will also be used militarily. Nanotechnology will make it possible to build more advanced weapons and surveillance devices. While these uses are not yet possible, many researchers believe that it is only a matter of time.

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Adept Armor Announces the Launch of Two New Products: Adept Armor (TM) Fabric Guard and Glass Guard

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Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) January 31, 2014

Adept Armor, a company that produces safe and effective solutions that help make products waterproof, has just announced the launch of two new products: Adept Armor (TM) Fabric Guard and Adept Armor (TM) Glass Guard.

From the day Adept Armor opened for business, they have strived to engineer some of the most amazing and innovative products that can help protect a variety of items. Over time, the company has earned a well-deserved reputation for creating solutions that do just that.

For example, for people who love to buy shoes, bags, hats, dresses, shirts and other clothes, Adept Armor Fabric Guard is an incredible product that is designed to keep fabrics stain-free and waterproof. Although a competitor of Adept Armor created a solution that can help give fabrics an anti-stick quality, it is for industrial use only and tends to cover material with an unattractive milky white coating. Thanks to the products SiO2 nanotechnology, the surface of fabrics that are treated with Fabric Guard will become anti-stick as well as hydrophobic, which means that it will repel both stains and water.

The Fabric Guard has TiO2 molecules for self-cleaning capabilities, preventing mildew and bacteria from growing, an article on the companys website noted, adding that it will also safeguard textile fabrics, keeping them intact against nearly every form of moisture damage.

The TiO2 nano-molecules also prevent UV damage to fabrics, which in turn, keeps the color vibrant as the day you bought it.

The new Adept Armor (TM) Glass Guard also features the same nanotechnology that is found in the Fabric Guard; once it is applied to glass, nothing will stick to the surface. From windshields that get fogged up easily to windows or glass display cases that are covered with fingerprints, Glass Guard will help to keep them oil, dirt and residue-free.

Another product that has been getting a lot of attention lately is the Adept Armor (TM) Circuit Guard; the 4-ounce spray bottle uses the same nanotechnology to help repel water and oil from electronic devices like phones, tablets and iPods.

Anybody who would like to learn more about Adept Armor and its newest products is welcome to visit the companys user-friendly website at any time; there, they can read about Fabric Guard, Glass Guard and more, and how these revolutionary products will help fabric and glass last longer while keeping them looking like new.

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Adept Armor Announces the Launch of Two New Products: Adept Armor (TM) Fabric Guard and Glass Guard

Popular small cars Alto, i10, Nano fail crash test: Global NCAP

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NEW DELHI: Some of the most popular small cars sold in India, including Maruti Alto 800, Tata Nano, Ford Figo, Hyundai i10 and Volkswagen Polo, have failed crash tests showing high risk of life-threatening injuries in road accidents, according to Global NCAP.

As per the tests done by Global NCAP, an independent charity based in UK focused on consumer orientated vehicle safety initiatives, these cars received zero for adult protection ratings in a frontal impact at 64km/hr.

The combined sales of these five cars account for around 20 per cent of all the new cars sold in India last year, Global NCAP said.

As per Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, total car sales in India stood at 18,07,011 units in 2013.

Global NCAP Chairman Max Mosley said: "Poor structural integrity and the absence of airbags are putting the lives of Indian consumers at risk. They have a right to know how safe their vehicles are and to expect the same basic levels of safety as standard as customers in other part of the world."

India is now a major global market and production centre for small cars, so it's worrying to see levels of safety that are 20 years behind the five-star standards now common in Europe and North America, he added.

When contacted, spokespersons of the companies named said their products met Indian safety norms.

According to the findings, in Maruti Alto 800, Tata Nano and Hyundai i10, the vehicle structures proved inadequate and collapsed to varying degrees, resulting in high risks of life-threatening injuries to the occupants.

"The extent of the structural weaknesses in these models were such that fitting airbags would not be effective in reducing the risk of serious injury," it said.

Ford Figo and Volkswagen Polo had structures that remained stable - and, therefore, with airbags fitted, protection for the driver and front passenger would be much improved, it added.

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Popular small cars Alto, i10, Nano fail crash test: Global NCAP

Sotomayor Presides Over Moot Court Raising Privacy Questions

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Washington, DC - infoZine - Scripps Howard Foundation Wire - The question of whether the charge of conspiracy to traffic illegal firearms was based on an illegal search that violated the Fourth Amendment rights of Alden and his co-defendant Betty Eddy was argued Thursday by George Washington University Law School students during the annual Van Vleck Constitutional Law Moot Court Competition.

Hundreds of spectators filled Lisner Auditorium to watch four finalists go toe-to-toe in oral arguments before Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Chief Judge Robert Katzmann of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York and District Judge Lee Rosenthal of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston.

After the competition, Sotomayor praised the students and expressed her delight at being part of the event.

Alden and Eddy are made-up people, as was their court case. But it echoed cases that have made it to the Supreme Court and others that are on their way.

Although the moot court was a fairly precise simulation of a court proceeding, fast paced with unforgiving lines of questioning, there were moments that threatened the illusion.

The final two teams from an original 52 were afforded an opportunity real-world attorneys would never expect - the justices promised not to be mean.

Amanda Nagrotsky, 24, from D.C., a third-year law student and part-time law clerk, argued for Alden and Eddy. Trying to ease her nerves, she recalled the encounter the four competitors had with Sotomayor, Katzmann and Rosenthal shortly before the competition.

The seven stood together in a circle for about 15 minutes sharing stories about their lives. The judges urged the teams to enjoy the experience.

Its really intimidating, so for them to be so nice and friendly it was just a reminder that theyre people, they have emotions, theyre not robots, so everything is going to be fine, Nagrotsky said.

Kyle Singhal, 28, from D.C., a third-year law student and LSAT tutor, argued for the governments right to collect the aerial photographs and location data without a warrant.

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Sotomayor Presides Over Moot Court Raising Privacy Questions

Group: Adult jail no place for juveniles

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It was a cold January day in 2012 at house along Moores Mill Road in Bel Air. Then 16-year-old Robert Richardson decided he had enough.

While his father watched TV, lying with his back toward the teen, Richardson fired a shotgun into the back of his lone parent's head, killing him almost instantly.

Eileen Siple never thought she would ever find herself defending an admitted killer.

"He told me that sometimes, there is no other choice," she said. "You can take that however you want to take that. I know how I took that. I took that as he had no other way to be safe."

After all, Siple never knew the boy. Neither did a group of other Harford County mothers who would rally around Richardson almost immediately after his arrest.

For two years, every Saturday, Siple would visit the young man at the Harford County Detention Center learning a story of consistent physical and verbal abuse by his father.

Richardson was a battered child, his defense argued, and the murder he committed was self-defense.

Siple led the charge to tell his story and figuratively adopt the child.

There are pictures on her wall as if he is her own, a bedroom he is welcome to call his own when he gets out, and a wardrobe ready for what would have been his trial next month.

Something horrible happened in January 2012, and I'm not making excuses for him and I'm not saying this is OK. But, he needed help before then, and he needed help after then. And, he spent the last two years not getting help," Siple said.

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Group: Adult jail no place for juveniles