Was Sally Ride gay?
America’s first female astronaut, who died Monday of pancreatic cancer at age 61, was in a 27-year relationship with Tam O’Shaughnessy, though before her death, Ride kept the relationship private. Ride was married to astronaut Steve Hawley when she went into space in 1983, but they divorced in 1987. Hawley said in a statement that Ride was a “very private person” who was “never fully comfortable” with the public scrutiny to which she was subjected.
Why did paychecks suddenly get smaller in Maryland?
Marylanders earning more than $100,000 a year — or families earning $150,000 — started paying higher taxes on July 1, when a 0.25 percent increase kicked in. Those earning more than $250,000 a year saw an increase of 0.5 percent. Those earners also will be allowed to take fewer exemptions on their tax returns, potentially further increasing taxes they pay. State officials raised taxes to cover a budget shortfall of about $1 billion.
Why would anyone make an artificial jellyfish out of rat cells?
Researchers from Harvard University and the California Institute of Technology created their own jellyfish by joining silicone to heart cells from rats. Jellyfish pump water much as the heart pumps blood, and scientists want to learn more about how that pumping works. Their findings could lead to the development of new types of artificial hearts or devices to aid other kinds of muscular organs, the journal Nature Biotechnology reports.
