The 10 Biggest Things Your Income Taxes Pay For
Now that tax season is over, it's natural to wonder exactly where the hard-earned dollars you paid in income tax over the past year actually went.
NASA
SpaceX Capsule Returns Safely From International Space Station
The SpaceX Dragon capsule returns to Earth with a full load from the International Space Station, splashing down in the Pacific five hours after leaving the orbiting lab.
Will SXSW Reveal the Next Technology Trend?
SXSW opened up big doors for Twitter, but do all businesses that get accolades at the festival go on to greatness? We look back at past award winners to see how they fared.
The Weirdest Things Your Taxes Pay For
Sen. Tom Coburn has released his Wastebook 2012, a look at over $18 billion in projects that are bizarre and hard to justify. Admittedly, that's just a drop in the federal budget. But ... Thoreau-based video games? Robot squirrels?! Take a peek at our gallery of weird government expenditures.
Pop Quiz: What's the Weirdest Stuff Your Tax Dollars Get Spent On?
Each year, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla) puts out his Waste Book, pointing out federally funded programs he considers especially absurd. They're the funniest -- and strangest -- things paid for with taxpayer dollars. Think you'll recognize the real weirdness? Take our quiz to find out.
The Dragon Has Landed: Private Craft Docks at Space Station
Private spaceflight is in business: In a big success for SpaceX, its Dragon capsule arrived at the International Space Station on Friday, making the first commercial delivery into the cosmos.
SpaceX Boldly Goes Where No Entrepreneur Has Sold Before
On Saturday, Elon Musk's SpaceX will make the first ever attempt by a private company to launch a spaceship and dock it with the International Space Station. Are we looking at the more affordable future of space flight?
The Government Reports Aren't an All-Clear for Toyota
The carmaker hoped findings from two federal studies would put to rest speculation about its electronics system as a source for unintended acceleration. But the results may not prove enough to give Toyota a leg up in its ongoing legal battles.
Electronics Didn't Cause Toyota Sudden Acceleration
In an affirmation of Toyota's claims, an exhaustive 10-month federal investigation has found no evidence of an electronic source for sudden unintended acceleration in companpy's vehicles. Indeed, human error was cited as the cause in many cases.
It's Getting Hot in Here: 2010 Temperatures Hit Record High
Global temperatures in 2010 tied 2005 for the warmest on record and are likely to increase further as developing countries expand their economies and produce more greenhouse gases, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said in a report Wednesday.
Hewlett-Packard Beats Out Lockheed for $2.5 Billion NASA Contract
Hewlett-Packard has won a contract worth up to $2.5 billion to supply computer equipment -- including hardware and software -- and information-technology services to NASA. HP's gain is Lockheed Martin's loss: Lockheed had been NASA's IT supplier until now.
NASA Discovers Microbe that Thrives on Toxic Arsenic
NASA has discovered a bacteria that can use arsenic -- which is toxic to most forms of life -- as a building block of its DNA. Scientists say the discovery may broaden our definition of what constitutes life and may revolutionize how we search for life beyond Earth.
NASA, Rackspace Join Forces in Cloud Computing Deal
Clouds float free, but customers using cloud computing services are often nailed down by proprietary software. Not for long: This week, No. 2 cloud services provider Rackspace Hosting said it will join forces with NASA to make their software open-source in an initiative called OpenStack.
Congress Accuses Toyota of Holding Back Information
A House committee continues to press Toyota about what it knew when regarding unintended acceleration in its vehicles. Lawmakers now suspect Toyota of being less than forthcoming about the "new" brake-override feature it's installing.
Should Your Teen Be Allowed to Buy a Real 'Lightsaber'
The Spyder III Arctic Pro is a hand-held laser that looks remarkably like a lightsaber. That wouldn't be a problem, if it weren't almost as much of a menace as the fictional weapon. And with lasers getting rapidly more powerful and less expensive, regulation is falling behind.
Free Market to Take Over Space Travel
President Obama's overhauled aerospace plan will mothball NASA's space shuttle program and put the future of human space travel squarely in the hands of private companies. The free-market approach to designing and operating spacecraft will mean big business for a handful of companies.
Obama's Plan to Scrap Moon Mission Blasted
President Obama's plan to scrap the Constellation space program designed to send U.S. astronauts to the moon is being blasted by senators from states with heavy space industries. The policy shift reignites questions about the mission of the U.S. space program and the role of private companies in that effort.
NASA Slashes Price for Used Space Shuttles
Need a ride to space, anyone? NASA plans to sell its fleet of space shuttles this fall, when the 30-year-old shuttles are retired in favor of a newer spacecraft program. But little buyer interest has forced them to drop the price from $40 million each to $28.8 million.
