fromological update: a science masterclass extra

The Beeb has the story:

Cheesemakers in space flight bid

Members of the West Country Cheesemakers group are to attempt to make the first space flight by a piece of Cheddar.

The group plans to launch a weather balloon 18.6 miles (30km) into the upper atmosphere carrying a capsule containing a piece of handmade Cheddar. [. . .]

The attempt is being made to mark the 40th anniversary of the moon landings. [. . .]

In 2007 the West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers put a traditional round of Cheddar onto the internet via a webcam which allowed people to watch the cheese mature live on the web over the course of 12 months.

important broadcast

The National Academies Press (perhaps my favourite publisher in the world, even though I can rarely afford their books) have written to tell me and perhaps a million others about an important upcoming webcast:

This week, the National Academy of Sciences will hold the first meeting to review the FBI investigation of the 2001 anthrax mailings. You can tune in to the live webcast by visiting the National Academies website at these times:

Thursday, July 30, 10:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST
Friday, July 31, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST

Here's hoping they've discovered CCTV footage of Darth Cheney and Scooter Libby -- the Bush Administration's very own answer to the Beagle Boys -- stuffing and mailing the packages . . .