Carnivals!

So, um... if you’re wandering around outside the space station, it’s best to make sure you clip the toolbox in securely (and note that “in securely” is two words, not one):

Astronauts ventured outside the International Space Station to do repair work, but lost a bag of tools they had taken along. Capt. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper of the Navy, an astronaut on a mission to the station, was on the first spacewalk of the mission, which involves cleaning and greasing a balky rotary joint, when she discovered that a grease gun had erupted inside its tote bag. While she cleaned up that mess, the bag — containing two grease guns, scrapers and other equipment — floated irretrievably into space. NASA trains spacewalkers to tether and trap all objects they use, but it is not uncommon for the occasional bolt or single tool to be lost.

And hey, you, the guy from Alpha Centauri: those are our pliers. They cost our government $50,000, and we want them back.

Pointers to this fortnight’s blog carnivals:

• Skeptics’ Circle #100.
• Carnival of the Liberals #78, mentioning “Salt Lake City, in three acts”.
• Carnival of Feminists #68.
• Carnival of Education #197.
• Carnival of Education #198.
• Carnival of Mathematics #44, including “Möbius strip sesquicentennial”.
• Carnival of the Godless #105.