Topic: Tom Brown

NASA plans follow-up trek to Mars

The Mars rover Curiosity is four months into its 2-year investigative visit to Mars. Now NASA is planning another rover trip to bring samples from Mars back to Earth. 

Florida investigates GOP-backed voter registration consulting firm

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced it has opened a criminal probe to investigate Strategic Allied Consulting. The Republican-hired firm has been registering new voters in Florida, but some of its voter registrations forms have been called 'suspicious.'  

Sally Ride was gay. Should that matter? (+video)

Astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, never hid her 27-year relationship with Tam O'Shaughnessy. But she didn't advertise it either.

Spacecraft glitch means NASA will have to wait to learn if Mars rover lands safely (+video)

A glitch in a spacecraft orbiting Mars will make for a blind landing of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover, which is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet next month.

Hubble telescope reveals mysterious 'ghost galaxies' of ancient universe

Formed some 13 billion years ago, three bizarre galaxies captured by the Hubble telescope are thought to be 'fossils' of the early universe 

Trayvon Martin case draws celebrities, feds join investigation

Trayvon Martin's shooting death is attracting celebrity attention, including Spike Lee, Wyclef Jean, and Mia Farrow. The US Justice Department opened its own probe into the Trayvon Martin case in Florida. 

So a Russian, an American, and a Dutchman blast off in a rocket...

An international trio of astronauts blasted off in a Russian Soyuz rocket Wednesday, and are en route to the International Space Station.

Hurricane Irene heading for North Carolina, Washington, New York (video)

Hurricane Irene weakened to 110 m.p.h. winds, but Irene is expected to strengthen to a Category 3 hurricane again is it reaches North Carolina

Hurricane Irene hammers Bahamas (video) Where's she going now?

Hurricane Irene, with winds of 120 m.p.h., is now on a track to make landfall in North Caroline, then move toward New York and New Engalnd.

Hurricane Irene getting bigger, stronger

Hurricane Irene strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane Monday. Forecasts show it will miss Florida, but Irene may grow as it moves toward the Carolinas.

Harry Potter is just like ... what? Five leading templates for comparison.

Harry Potter fans just know they love the record-breaking series of books. But everyone from academics to mythologists, classicists to historians, and literary critics to, well, geeks have a special “template” they perceive at the heart of the tale.

From positing Albus Dumbledore as the infamous Richard III to taking us aloft the scaly back of St. George’s dragon, here are five of our top takes on what’s going on behind the scenes in the Harry Potter narratives.