'Aliens Are My Brother'.

{image courtesy of UFOBC, from Kevin's account of his alien abduction}

"Father Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory near Rome, is a respected scientist who collaborates with universities around the world. The search for forms of extraterrestrial life, he says, does not contradict belief in God...

Just as there are multiple forms of life on earth, so there could exist intelligent beings in outer space created by God. And some aliens could even be free from original sin, he speculates.

...Science and religion need each other, and many astronomers believe in God, he assures readers.

To strengthen its scientific credentials, the Vatican is organising a conference next year to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of the author of the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin."

By David Willey
BBC News, Rome

{thanks to Rachael for looking to the skies}

"A world map showing current sunlight and cloud cover, as of Apr 22 2008 14:00 UTC."

Great site that provides regularly updated views of Earth's interaction with the Sun. They call it.... a World Sunlight Map. Seems pretty accurate. It's sunny in Toronto. And sunny on the leftish side of this map.

Things like this are fantastic. I mean think about it, we are on this map! Somewhere! A speck, but a part of it in any case! Space is weird.

E is for...

Earth.

Which is perfect. Because today happens to be Earth Day.

So instead of sitting around moping about how sad the current state of our wonderful planet is, perhaps we should take this day to celebrate it for all the beautiful and wonderful things it has offered us. If we take this day to remind ourselves of how incredible it is that all these things around us can even exist simply via the power of nature and time, maybe it'll inspire all of us to play our part the other 364 days a year.

Here's hoping.

The Discovery Channel loves the world, and they know everything.


{via Coudal}