Below The Belt

A lot of sci-fi went out-of-date today when Pluto was downgraded to not-a-planet-just-a-big-lump-of-ice by the International Astronomer’s Union.

It was discovered in 1930 and its status has been hotly debated for the last decade – since we’ve had telescopes that can see as far as the Kuiper Belt, where dozens more “Plutonian” objects live. Several Kuiper Belt Objects are much larger than Pluto, which is only about the size of North America. I wouldn’t be surprised if half a dozen more actual planets are discovered within our lifetime, as technological advances lead to increasingly more powerful telescopes.

Here are two more good common-sense decisions from recent times: Herceptin will be available on the N.H.S. and stem cell research is funded by the European Union. Did I mention that I think I belong here?