Planet

Jeff Keating Some days I think I haven't learned much about life, the universe and everything during my 38 years on the planet, but when I really think about it, there's a few things I've picked up that are kind of useful. Here, then, are ... THE THINGS I HAVE LEARNED My son Colin, who is 9, is smarter than I am. I won't tell you the whole story about how the video camera, TV and VCR became an electronic film editing station overnight, but suffice to say I'm hoping to retire at 40 as one of the founding investors in colinkeatingvideo.

Just to follow up on a few recent columns … On global warming: Perhaps I overstated things. Not all scientists agree that it's a problem. One reader who didn't agree mentioned a list of 17,000 scientists who signed the "Oregon Petition", which cited a lack of convincing evidence linking human activity with a gradual heating of our planet. As it turns out, the Oregon Petition, cited as scientific in nature, was actually circulated to oppose America's participation in the Kyoto Project.

BURBANK — Step by step, fifth-graders at Shull Elementary School recorded the planting of trees and combating of pollution. Their scrapbook-like portfolio about green efforts in San Dimas was on display Tuesday afternoon as an example of environmental projects classrooms undertake in the Disney Planet Challenge, a national competition that promotes teamwork and real-world problem-solving skills. “It’s hands-on, it’s community involvement, what a difference it makes,” said Jack O’Connell, state superintendent of public instruction.

Robert Chacon Residents don't need special clearance from Jet Propulsion Laboratory or NASA to see up-to-the-minute pictures of Mars' bleak landscape. All they need to do is turn their televisions to Charter Communications Channel 15. The public-access channel began airing live coverage of the space mission Monday, and will continue to do so indefinitely, with limited interruptions. The space agency's Spirit rover landed Saturday on Mars' Gusev Crater, and within hours began sending back pictures.

Janine Marnien Ever since NASA decided in 2000 to send a rover to Mars, Peter Theisinger and about 600 other Jet Propulsion Laboratory employees have been working almost nonstop to build the unmanned explorers. More than two years later, their work is almost complete. The twin Mars exploration rovers are scheduled to be sent to Cape Canaveral, Fla., early this year. One is set begin its trip to Mars on May 30, and its counter- part is scheduled to follow June 25. One of the primary challenges for the crew was the scheduling, said Theisinger, a La Crescenta resident.

As the Fourth of July holiday winds down, and Americans head home and back to the office, one of the NASA Martian rovers managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory will continue the spirit of independence with a journey of its own. The rover, called "Opportunity," is scheduled to begin its descent into the massive Mars crater, Victoria, after July 13. In a press conference Thursday, June 28, NASA/JPL announced that the decision to take the aging...

For those who have been impressed with what scientists have learned about Mars so far ? scientists from JPL-NASA with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter think they haven't seen anything yet. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is due to arrive on Mars at 1:25 p.m. on March 10. This mission will provide information for a landing site for the Phoenix Mars Scout, a spacecraft that will land in an icy area of Mars near the north polar ice cap. Its...

For the seven "green-friendly" Daily High School students who hauled away old electronics from Muir Elementary School for recycling Thursday, saving the environment was second to being part of something positive. The high school's environmental science club — an energized subset of the class of the same name — made their final visit to Muir Elementary on Thursday to pick up recyclable plastics and electronics as part of the Cartridges for Kids program. Their booty included an old VCR, more than 100 batteries of various sizes, about 150 ink cartridges, two broken computers and more than 30 cellphones.

Two JPL managed missions are preparing for launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. One, the Phoenix Mars Lander, is on schedule; the other, the Dawn Mission, has been delayed. Phoenix has a three-week launch schedule beginning on August 3 at 2:35 a.m. PST. The launch is dependent upon the Florida weather, which has been fraught with thunderstorms in the past weeks, however the early morning launch time should be a benefit. The Phoenix will arrive on Mars in the spring of 2008.

When Walt Disney Co. 's "John Carter" opens in theaters this weekend, the science-fiction adventure may encounter obstacles as formidable as its hero faces on Mars. The film brings to the big screen a century-old fantasy tale, from Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs , that has inspired generations of filmmakers and science fiction writers including James Cameron , George Lucas , Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury . Its sweeping scope and $250-million budget suggest director Andrew Stanton 's ambition to create a cinematic adventure on a par with movies such as "Avatar" and "Star Wars" - works that were informed by Burroughs' original pulp fiction.