Why the Supreme Court decision on airlines compensating for delayed flights is bad news for short-haul low-cost airlines

The Supreme Court has considered two test cases brought by passengers who were badly delayed. The Appeal has taken years to get as far as the Supreme Court. The Court has said the airlines must payout on claims back dated by six years. This will cost billions of pounds and the future liability is enormous. What it will mean is that easyJet, Ryanair, flyby, WizzAir and so forth will need to have back-up aircraft available at something like one hour's notice in order to escape claims. And everyone will have to pay for that. It will likely add €15 to every single ticket price, and damage the low-cost business model.

Private rocket explodes

Has the USA lost the plot on space research? The explosion of the Antares rocket carrying 2500 kg of supplies for the ISS is surely a setback for the privatisation of launches. There was "disassembly" of the launch vehicle, followed a few seconds later by the range safety officer giving the self-destruct command to the rocket. That's standard procedure for a rocket that's going off-course: rather than potentially having a giant, out-of-control rocket packed with fuel crashing down into a populated area, NASA will send a signal to explode the vehicle, known as a 'destructive abort.' Maybe NASA should use ESA's Ariane rocket?

Read My Annual Report of activity

I just had to file an annual report of my activity to my department, History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge. It covers the period July 2012 - June 2013. It gives a very short account of books published, and reviews published. Plus a record of public speaking and lecturing on astronomy as an outreach activity. I give astronomy talks lectures and presentations to amateur astronomy societies, and to guests on Cunard liner Queen Mary 2 (their Insights lectures). I was a keynote speaker on 1 June 2013 at Hay Festival 2013 -- event 381.

This link will download a small pdf file of the Report

Just go there and there is a link at the top of the screen that downloads a small pdf file

Here http://bit.ly/txoXVX is the page for my edition of memoirs Thomas Gold FRS (1920-2004) You can read it online, order review copy

Here http://bit.ly/troXVX is the page for my edition of memoirs Thomas Gold FRS (1920-2004) You can read it online, order review copy

Here http://bit.ly/troVXV is the page for my edition of memoirs Thomas Gold FRS (1920-2004) You can read it online, order review copy

Ball Lightning possible sighting Coton Cambridge 2200 on 18/06/12 reliable witness Several not a single event Alert by http://bit.ly/TOTast

I can personally recommend the ballet La Sylphide at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden London ***** Hugely enjoyable

I'm looking for a publisher for book on GM food and Monsanto's inept handling of GM politics in Europe. Level: popular science / politics

Take a look at the update of my departmental webpage at History of Science University of Cambridge http://bit.ly/samHPS

Fab crescent moon sighted 1955 UT today, < 36 hrs old, <2% moon visible, distance 251910 miles (folks really close!) http://bit.ly/TOTast

My next popular level public lecture for Royal Astron Soc is on 8 May "Origin of Structure in Universe" See you! http://bit.ly/RAS8ma

My latest article on the Quest for Earthlike Planets via transit astronomy is published by Thomson-Reuters at http://bit.ly/p1an3t Enjoy!

Venus brilliant "Evening Star" worldwide right now Get out and enjoy. And see if you can spy red Mars Alert from http://bit.ly/TOTast

Today sent corrected proof to Springer of my edition of autobiography of Thomas Gold FRS. Publication maybe October. http://bit.ly/txoXVX

Night sky early evening Jupiter Venus and Mars are still easy to see and striking to observe - no telecope. Alert http://bit.ly/TOTast

Giant Magellan Telescope board declines NSF funding, opting for private partnership and philanthropy http://ping.fm/IgRhR

Correcting final proof of my edition of memoirs of Thomas Gold FRS (1920-2004) great cosmologist and radio astronomer http://bit.ly/txoXVX

Elections to Council Royal Astr Soc 2012. FRAS can vote by internet. Use your Vote! http://bit.ly/RAS012

Simon Mitton RAS@totalastronomy.com at NAMA2012 seeks proposals RAS-Springer astronomy book series: monographs advanced texts conferences