A hundred and one years ago today, the first controlled, powered, heavier-than-air flight took place. There was a much bigger deal about it last year, centennials being much more newsworthy than hundred and first anniversaries, and it was spiced up by the first supersonic flight of SpaceShipOne on the same day. In fact, looking back now, that’s probably the event that started off a very remarkable year in space–2004, even though it was a couple weeks early. I’ll put together a year-end review of what happened in space this year. In very many ways, it was the most exciting year, and one more filled with hopeful portent, since the 1960s.

I had pieces on the Wright brothers’ accomplishment at National Review, TechCentralStation, and Fox News. Those who didn’t read them then might find them of interest today.

Here’s a debate on aging, and the prospects for eliminating it, between Aubrey De Grey and S. Jay Olshansky.

I find the latter unpersuasive. His argument seems to be “people in the past have predicted it, and it didn’t happen, therefore it won’t now either.”

Philip Chaston reports on a talk in London by Aubrey De Grey, in which he announced that the Methuselah Mouse prize is being extended to another one for best late-onset treatment, for those of us too old to benefit from breakthroughs that must be started early in life.

In seawater. Using techniques developed by abalones.

I suspect that this is a much bigger story than most people realize right now, if it works out.

[Via Virginia]

They’ve developed a mild habanero pepper.

What next? Flying cars?

If you’re looking for scientific or scholarly results. This has been necessary for a while, with all of the pr0n swamping some search results on regular Google.

I’m not sure just what the Texas officials’ problem is with this:

Hunters soon may be able to sit at their computers and blast away at animals on a Texas ranch via the Internet, a prospect that has state wildlife officials up in arms.

A controversial Web site, http://www.live-shot.com, already offers target practice with a .22 caliber rifle and could soon let hunters shoot at deer, antelope and wild pigs, site creator John Underwood said on Tuesday.

Texas officials are not quite sure what to make of Underwood’s Web site, but may tweak existing laws to make sure Internet hunting does not get out of hand.

Seems like a great idea to me. It would let you bag venison from the comfort of your own home, from anywhere in the world. It would be a good way to keep the deer from scenting you, and could reduce the overpopulation in many states.

It also sounds like just the ticket for John Kerry. He could crawl on his stomach in one of his own mansions, with his virtual shotgun, instead of having to go out in the cold and mud.

[Update on Thursday morning]

The deer aren’t going down quietly. It seems they’ve adapted the tactics of the Islamakazis, and are taking us with them.

[Update early Thursday afternoon]

For anyone who wants to give it a try (shooting over the internet, not crashing into deer), here’s the web site.

[Another update on Thursday night]

We’re under siege.

Of teevee dinners. Happy anniversary, Swanson.

Check it out. 3-D television.

Phil Bowermaster has an interesting post on what the future may hold in terms of information storage and processing.