nudge

Young, still able to do what he loves and can focus on that, mentally strong and has a strong support system. Everything contributes. I'm sure he has his lows every once in a while, but to be fair some people have remarkable resilience and can bounce back from pretty much anything.

Her crash footage still gives me the shivers... Got to admire her love and passion for racing; not everyone would be so enthusiastic about getting back into the car after such an experience. Most professional drivers have such a strong will power and determination in general though... I closely follow Wickens and his way to recovery after that horrific crash, and it's just unbelievable how optimistic and determined he is despite the extent of his injuries and uncertainty of full recovery. Same with Billy Monger. Or Alex Zanardi. Very inspiring.

Hehe you know it Just post the link to the pic...

For some reason I thought you were going in May Disregard all the nature suggestions then; it's going to be way too cold and too grey to enjoy it. Spring is the best for that for sure... I'd probably go to Rotterdam then; that's the next logical choice for that time of year I think.

Sigh. I'll post the next one then...

Yes, directly on the border. I only passed by a few times and that's a long time ago; so can't tell much about it to be honest. Would highly recommend Monschau as an alternative though; it's a small town but very beautiful...

Yep a great read; definitely nomination worthy

Depends on what you're looking for Chris... Rotterdam is not a particularly beautiful city (unless you like modern architecture), but I personally prefer it over Amsterdam. Good nightlife and friendly people. Less touristy. Haven't been to Alkmaar, definitely go there if you like cheese though Near Amsterdam, you could go to Haarlem and Volendam. Both beautiful and a very local experience. If you're going in May you might as well check Keukenhof gardens in Lisse. Haven't seen anything like that before. Zandvoort is quite nice too. I didn't really like The Hague. Maastricht is very beautiful but it's in the south so a bit longer journey. I spent about two years in North Holland and Friesland and loved it... Mostly for the nature and small towns/villages as there are no big cities there. Frisian islands are nice, but probably still a bit cold and windy in May.

Second that.

ESA's and Roscosmos' ExoMars mission is arguably more important and promising in terms of searching for traces of life as it's been specifically designed for that and is explicitly focused on searching for biosignatures. Nasa's Mars 2020 rover can detect potential organic compounds in rock samples by taking images and acquiring spectra at various scales, but it doesn't have the tools to perform any sort of biological analysis, so it will be basically collecting and storing interesting rock samples from the best possible sites for eventual sample return to Earth to be examined here (if such sample return mission ever happens). Also, its drill can only dig 6-10 centimeters deep (same as the current Opportunity rover), so it's just scratching the surface which is a very harsh environment for organic molecules to survive due to intense radiation and oxidants. Meanwhile, ExoMars rover has a completely different approach - it has been equipped with a drill that can go as deep as 2 meters (!) so the chances of finding preserved organic compounds are better; and it also has a diverse suite of instruments designed specifically for that, including the most advanced mass spectrometer to be sent to space ever and an analytic instrument called MOMA (Mars Organics Molecule Analyzer) that is able to detect organic molecules at extremely low concentrations and will directly target biomarkers and conduct sample analysis on site.

Not a football forum though...

Sorry... I followed it live yesterday on another forum haha.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo has successfully reached the edge of space and returned back yesterday... Beautiful aircraft; beautiful views

Scientists crack the CRISPR code for precise human genome editing https://phys.org/news/2018-12-scientists-crispr-code-precise-human.html

What a brilliant collaboration... Giger's work was amazing. They actually have a museum for him in Switzerland as well as two bars that are decorated true to his style. Here's the original article with some additional photos as well...