The most complete high-resolution topographic database of Earth came from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) in February of 2000. SRTM consisted of a specially modified radar system that flew onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour during an 11-day mission. There is an extensive on-line library of images of many countries. One of the more interesting items in this collection is an animation of what would happen to New O'rleans if a storm surge were to cause flooding. Go to this page and select Animation (Warning: It is a fairly large file).

What is Scientology? I do not recall very many accurate descriptions of my religion in the commercial media, and it is really rare to see an actual Scientologist describing Scientology in that media. So it is no surprise if there are some wild and sometimes hostile statements in the press. In my 30+ years in Scientology, I would summarize Scientology as a study of useful knowledge, in the broadest sense. I've never seen a critic of Scientology who had even the vaguest understanding of that basic fact.
One branch of Scientology addresses you, as a spiritual being. This is the religious aspect of Scientology, and is widely regarded by Scientologists as the most important part of their religion. There is an extensive technology to free you, as a spiritual being, from various traps and influences. I have extensive experience with this technology, and it is pretty good. The use of this technology is like breathing life back into your friends. See http://www.whatisscientology.org/ for more on this.
Other branches of Scientology address knowledge concerning other matters. Sophisticated study technology, effective communications, running effective businesses and organizations, etc. address your personal abilities in life. I mention these frequently in earlier posts because they give you the foundation you need for a successful career, which is the major theme of this weblog.
Scientology covers even more ground than this, however. Other branches of Scientology include: freeing people from the harmful effects of drugs, rehabilitating criminals (for real - at least one country has adopted this technology, and over the last few years it has seen recidivism drop to less than two percent), restoring the moral foundation that is necessary for peace on Earth, and so forth are addressing critical social needs.
Scientology is pretty extensive. The summary above is just an introduction. You can learn a great deal more at the web sites provided here and in many of my earlier postings. Have an adventure!
Bob

I met Tom Cruise last year, and I am very pleased to see him featured in Forbes as one of the most successful people in his field. When I met him, I saw that (1) he really is an extremely energetic person; (2) He is also a studious person (we were at a facility where very advanced materials are studied); and (3) I found him to be polite and curteous to others. I am pleased that he is a Scientologist, just like I am.
By the way, the article can be found on-line at Forbes.com.

The Mars Rovers are alive and well. They are in the midst of the Martian winter season, so they will not be getting as much sun light on their solar arrays as they would need for extended movement for awhile, but they are still operating and will resume their travels as soon as the seasons change.

The rover Spirit did find a possible meteorite a few weeks ago. The rock in the center foreground of this picture is suspected of being an iron meteorite. The panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit took this image during the rover's 809th Martian day (April 12, 2006). The foreground rock, informally named "Allan Hills" has a smoother texture and lighter tone than other rocks in the area. The texture and glossiness of this rock reminded some members of the rover science team of a rock called "Heat Shield Rock," which was observed by Opportunity, Spirit's twin, in the Meridiani region of Mars more than a year ago. Examination of that rock's composition confirmed it to be an iron meteorite. Observations of Allan Hills with Spirit's miniature thermal emission spectrometer indicate that it is very reflective, like Heat Shield Rock. They are the first likely meteorites found by Spirit.

Do you see more danger in your environment? Terrorism, computer hackers, criminals and all sorts of mayhem are featured in the news every day. This can have a profound effect on you, your enthusiasm for life, and on your career. There are things you can do to mitigate the effects of a dangerous environment. Here is an excellent source of ideas and encouragement for doing just that.

CloudSat flew over tropical storm Alberto as it spun over the Gulf of Mexico the morning of June 12, 2006. This image comparison shows how CloudSat "sees" such storms differently than conventional weather satellites. NEXRAD storm detection radar maps out precipitation patterns for up to 402 kilometers (250 nautical miles) from the coast. GOES satellites only sees the very top of the clouds, and cannot provide any detail about what is being seen beneath the cloud tops.



The CloudSat data show a smaller thunderstorm under the Alberto cirrus cloud cover. That storm is completely hidden from view in the GOES infrared image.

We finished ranking about 90 people in my Section at work. The top 10 people all have excellent personal communication skills, as well as excellent technical skills. The bottom 10 people have a lot of people with poor personal communication skills. This was a shame because if they had taken an appropriate course such as the Success Through Communication course, they probably would have done a lot better.

CloudSat peers inside Tropical Storm Alberto. Tropical Storm Alberto is dissected in this June 12 image from NASA's new CloudSat satellite.

You can get current images from CloudSat at the University of Colorado web site, too.

Bob

Here is a great web site for the Cassini Mission. Cassini is the largest deep space mission ever attempted. It will perform at least 40 encounters with the moons of Saturn during its prime mission, which will continue for approximately two more years.

CloudSat has transitioned to its operational mode. The radar is operating normally, which means it is providing weather data that is far more detailed and accurate than has ever been available before. Data is going to Colorado State University for scientific analysis. Quicklook data products are now posted at http://www.cloudsat.cira.colostate.edu/dpcstatusQL.php.
To find out where CloudSat is and where it will be for the next 16 days, check out this website:
http://www-angler.larc.nasa.gov/cloudsat. The tools on this website were developed by the Langley Research Center.

A job applicant did very well yesterday. He gave a great presentation. Not only did he have his technical skills in great shape, he was able to communicate well under challenging circumstances. The specific skill that he displayed was to communicate well while being 'bull-baited'. There were people in the audience who were giving him a hard time. He handled it very well, and ended up with a strong presentation without getting upset or flustered. This is a skill taught in the "Success Through Communication" course. I took that course myself, many years ago. In fact, I needed this one particular skill in order to survive my own job interviews. It is a skill that I have needed at work on many occaisions.

I will be getting a NASA Honor Award tomorrow. It's a team award, and I'm very proud of this.

Drugs can decrease mental sharpness. When I was young, I took antihistamines regularly. When I stopped doing this, my grades improved significantly, and it became possible for me to have a professional career. Sometimes you have to have medication. Sometimes you are told to take something and only later do you realize that you are slowing down. An important action you can take to protect your career is to get rid of residual drugs in your mind and body. This may be your only hope to reverse their effects on your ability to think. The Purification Rundown® is designed to accomplish this for you.

This rundown is available in Pasadena, California. There are seminars on Monday nights at 7 pm, at the Scientology Church at 1277 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Seminars are free. Other communities have Centers that can deliver the Purification Rundown as well.

CloudSat achieved the special orbit that follows directly behind the Aqua satellite. The CALIPSO satellite has also joined this special orbit. This constellation of spacecraft will enable the Science Community to obtain coordinated data on weather that was never possible before. The CloudSat radar has been tested successfully. There will be a little more work on this satellite before its instrument is turned on for normal operations, hopefully within the week.

CloudSat is regarded as a relatively small mission by JPL standards, but it is worth noting that it had a life cycle of six and a half years from project start to launch, and will continue in orbit for at least two more years.

One of my jobs is to redesign JPL's training courses for new managers, starting with how to plan work. I'm applying principles of learning that are embodied in the "Learning How to Learn" course. These are very effective with rocket scientists and engineers, as well as with kids. The first principal is that the student needs to have a reason for studing the material. In other words, courses should be designed to help the student (in this case a new manager in an aerospace organization) do something that is important to them. Another principal is that there needs to be a balance between learning theory and doing something with the information. My course materials are consistently rated as among the most effective available at JPL. If you have any concerns about the effectiveness of your continuing education, I encourage you to do the Learning How to Learn course.

I should add that opinions and recommendations expressed in this web log are my own, and do not represent positions of my employer or any customer of my employer.

I took control of a strange meeting at work yesterday, by using techniques that are taught in the Success Through Communication course. I had to work with four other supervisors to come up with a performance ranking, from best to worst, of all of the members of our Groups. Each supervisor wanted to support their own people, and we bogged down. I gradually took control of the conversation, using knowledge about the advanced uses of acknowledgements in a conversation, among other things. The meeting was successful -- we got our product and everyone left as friends.