Stuff you can see from space and another new article

Well, to amend my earlier post about things you can't see from space, apparently there are some manmade things you can see. For instance, in the desert near Las Vegas, there's a picture of Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria so huge, that yes, you can see it from space. If this kind of "Google earth" based advertising takes off, who knows what assortment of things we might soon be seeing from space. What will the aliens think?

In other news, you can check out my new article in American Scientist on getting around space for cheap. This one's different from others in that it's written by me. It kind of turns the public lecture I gave in 2004 into an article, but with some new pictures and a description of the motion using the idea of those funnel-shaped coin thingies at science museums, an idea suggested by my editor.

To get full access to the article, you have to a member of the research society Sigma Xi (which I'm not, by the way!). But if you want a copy, maybe I can send one your way.