How Did the Milky Way Get Its Name?
http://www.livescience.com/56756-milky-way-name-origin.html

The earliest mentions of the Milky Way can be traced back to the ancient Greeks (800 B.C. to 500 B.C.),
according to Matthew Stanley, a professor of the history of science at the Gallatin School of Individualized
Study at New York University. But it's unclear exactly when the name emerged, he told Live Science.

"The term was in common use in Western astronomy 2,500 years ago," Stanley said, referring to stargazers in
European countries. "So there's no way of knowing who first coined it and how it first came to be. It's one
of those terms that's so old that its origin is generally forgotten by now."

In fact, Stanley added, the Milky Way provided astronomers with the Greek root for the astronomical term "galaxy."

"'Galactos' literally means 'the milky thing in the sky,'" Stanley said.

James Webb Space Telescope Update
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWeg88PTg4s

A Pulsar and White Dwarf in an Unexpected Orbit
http://aasnova.org/2016/11/02/a-pulsar-and-white-dwarf-in-an-unexpected-orbit/
Astronomers have discovered a binary system consisting of a low-mass white dwarf and a millisecond
pulsar — but its eccentric orbit defies all expectations of how such binaries form.

ScienceCasts: 2016 Ends with Three Supermoons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWAN0FwfD5M


We’re about to see a record-breaking supermoon - the biggest in nearly 70 years - ScienceAlert
http://www.sciencealert.com/...ecord-breaking-supermoon-the-biggest-and-brightest-in-nearly-70-years

Are you ready to discover new worlds? Become a Planet Hunter. As a Planet Hunter, you can inspect stars'
brightness measurements called light curves to find planets missed by automated detection algorithms.
No training required is required -- all you need is your keen eyes and a web browser to join the hunt.

https://www.planethunters.org/

Top Ten Facts about the James Webb Space Telescope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku45hQrNpPw&feature=youtu.be

Supercomputer calculation suggests hypothesized particle may be heavier than thought.
Axion alert! Exotic-particle detector may miss out on dark matter : Nature News & Comment
http://www.nature.com/news/axion-alert-exotic-particle-detector-may-miss-out-on-dark-matter-1.20925

An ambitious supercomputer calculation has brought good and bad news for physicists hunting the ‘axion’ —
a hypothetical particle that is considered a leading candidate for dark matter.

The result shows that the axion, if it exists, could be at least ten times heavier than previously thought.
If true, that’s a useful clue on how to find the particle. But it also suggests that an experiment that has
been hunting the axion for two decades might be unlikely to find it, because the detector was designed to
search for a lighter version.

Here's how high you can jump on other planets and moons in the solar system
http://uk.businessinsider.com/high-jump-planets-solar-system-2016-2

It's scaring off animals. And no one can explain what it is
Canadian Community Tries To Solve Mystery of Sea Floor Noise
http://time.com/4558184/unknown-noise-sea-floor-canada/

A mysterious noise emanating from the sea floor in one of Canada’s northern territories
has been puzzling locals and officials, who have yet to identify its source.

The sound has been heard throughout Fury and Hecla strait, a channel of water in the Nunavut region,
and has proven to be a mystery for the local community. The remote area is located in the northernmost
territory of Canada, where some residents rely on hunting for their food supplies.

I-Team: Nuclear reactor test in Nevada could make a Mars trip
http://www.lasvegasnow.com/...s/i-team-nuclear-reactor-test-in-nevada-could-make-a-mars-trip-reality

This story may sound like the plot of a science-fiction movie.

Next year, a team of top scientists will hunker down inside a classified facility
in the Nevada desert so they can experiment with a piece of advanced technology.

The test will focus on a small nuclear reactor and if it works as planned,
it could be a huge step toward putting humans on Mars.

In the hit movie, "The Martian," stranded astronaut Matt Damon has one heck of
a time surviving and getting around in the harsh environment of the red planet.

Scientists and engineers think that getting to Mars, and establishing a base,
will require a better power system than what was shown in the film.

Nobel laureate Steven Weinberg says current debates suggest need for new approach to comprehend reality
Why quantum mechanics might need an overhaul | Science News
https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/context/why-quantum-mechanics-might-need-overhaul

Steven Weinberg used to be happy with quantum mechanics as it is and didn’t worry about the debates.
But as he has thought about it over the years, the 83-year-old Nobel laureate has reassessed.

“Now I’m not so sure,” he declared October 30 in San Antonio at a session for science writers organized by the Council for
the Advancement of Science Writing. “I’m not as happy about quantum mechanics as I used to be, and not as dismissive of its critics.”

One reason Weinberg thinks there’s a need for a new chapter in the quantum story is that those who think everything is fine with
quantum mechanics take different sides in the debates about it.

“It’s a bad sign in particular that those physicists who are happy about quantum mechanics, and see nothing wrong with it, don’t
agree with each other about what it means,” Weinberg says.

Beijing continues to suffer from heavy smog on Sat, large number of flights cancelled.
via People's Daily, China