First Scottish-built satellite to be launched into space in 2013
A satellite that's been built in Scotland is due to be launched next year.
The satellite is very small compared to most satellites and will be used by the UK Space Agency to test new technologies in space.
Called 'The underlying CubeSat concept' or UKube-1 for short, amazingly is only 10cm by 10cm by 10cm.
More than 600 CubeSats have been launched into space so far and 40% of the
components have been made in Glasgow by a company called Clyde Space.
The satellite was built by them in the West of Scotland Science Park in Maryhill, Glasgow.
Unknown to most, Scotland is a big player as a suppler to the space industry through technologies and components and several Scottish firms supply the space industry.
Clyde Space systems engineer Steve Greenland told BBC Scotland, "People often ask me what my job is and I tell them that I'm building satellites in Maryhill," he says.
"Sometimes they don't believe it. Sometimes they laugh at me."
Gone but not forgotten - Scotland's own school massacre 16 years on
Whenever someone says the name Dunblane to me, I don't think of the town - I think of one of the worst single things that's ever happened in Scotland's modern history.
Lone gunman Thomas Hamilton went on a shooting spree at Dunblane Primary School killing 16 children and their teacher.
Twelve more students, and three teachers were also wounded.
It's never been been fully clear why Hamilton did this though there are many theories.
I remember the day well, most Scots can. I was only 1 month into my working life, not long out of school myself. I was off work with a tummy bug watching TV on the couch and the breaking news came on.
I shouted my Gran through from the kitchen and the two of us watched the TV for the next few hours, as the true extent of the horror unfolded.
We as humans can take a lot, but not when our kids are killed.
They may be gone, but they'll never be forgotten.
Dunblane school massacre - 13th March 1996
Scottish Football Club Glasgow Rangers submits intention to court of session to declare an administrator
Scottish Football Club Glasgow Rangers have lodged legal papers to enter administration.
The club lodged papers at the Court of Session in Edinburgh on Monday, notifying an intention to declare an administrator to take over the club.
It now has five days to confirm whether administrators have been appointed.
If the club is formally put into administration it would be given an immediate 10-point penalty from the Scottish Premier League, in doing so that would place the club 14 points behind first-placed Celtic in the race for the championship.
The club currently awaits the outcome of a tax tribunal decision over a disputed bill plus penalties totalling £49m.
BBC Scotland's business and economy editor, Douglas Fraser said on the BBC website:
"Mr Whyte is the club's main secured creditor via a floating charge over its assets.
"This would allow him to pursue other avenues such as receivership or pre-pack administration to satisfy the debts which the club owes him.
"These would involve transferring Rangers assets out to another company or companies to satisfy outstanding debts to the floating charge holder and leaving the club behind with the debt.
"In such scenarios, it would be likely that Rangers FC - formed in 1873 - would be formally wound up."
American singer and actress Whitney Houston has died in Los Angeles at the age of 48.
Houston's family confirmed the news, saying: "Unfortunately, it is true."
Houston is one of the most celebrated female singers of all time, with hits including I Will Always Love You and Saving All My Love For You.
Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen said there were "no obvious signs of criminal intent" and that the cause of her death is being investigated.
In a massive career Houston sold more than 170 million albums, singles and videos.Houston, whose hits included "The Greatest Love of All," died on the eve of the 54th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
She had performed as late as Thursday night at a pre-Grammy event in the area.
__Rescue appeals continue as the world forgets the animals abandoned in Fukushima's empty exclusion zone
Everything happened very quick when the earthquake and tsunami struck Japan and the authorities ordered the evacuation of the population around the Fukushima nuclear plant .
Everyone, like you would expect quickly moved away as fast as they could.
One thing that no one would have thought about was the amount of animals left behind.
Dogs and cats abandoned in the Fukushima exclusion zone after last year's nuclear crisis have survived high radiation and lack of food only to face freezing winter conditions.
Coming up to a year since the evacuation and nothing much has been done to rescue the livestock and pets left behind.
Many of the animals have died but others have survived and are living off the land with their natural instincts kicking in.
In 2009 animal farming of dairy cattle, beef cattle, pigs and poultry made up $51.3 billion yen, or 21 percent of Fukushima Prefecture’s agricultural economy.
This was all abandoned.
The Japanese government has prohibited veterinarians from entering the exclusion zone and currently only researchers can enter the area.Animal rescue groups are also banned from entering the zone.
Fibres under the microscope released from washing
Fears of microplastic threat to world shores accumulating at high rate
Researchers have warned microscopic plastic debris from washing our clothes are accumulating in the marine environment.
Reports also say that these are also entering the food chain as animals consume the water.
It's warned that synthetic clothes release up to 1,900 tiny fibres per garment every time they are washed.
The report in the Environmental Science and Technology journal said that in order to identify how widespread the presence of microplastic was researchers took samples from 18 beaches around the world, including the UK.
Every sample contained pieces of microplastic.
Dr Browne who is a member of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in America said "Once the plastics had been eaten, it transferred from [the animals] stomachs to their circulation system and actually accumulated in their cells,"
"We found that there was no sample from around the world that did not contain pieces of microplastic."
"When we looked at the different types of polymers we were finding, we were finding that polyester, acrylic and polyamides (nylon) were the major ones that we were finding."
_SNP Reveals Scottish Independence Referendum Question and Unveils Consultation Paper
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has revealed the question that his government wants to put on ballot papers in a referendum on Scottish independence.
Scotland will be asked:
"Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?".
Mr Salmond said to MSPs in the Scottish Pallement that the question was "short, straightforward and clear".
A consultation paper has also been released making clear the rules and description of the referendum that should be held mid 2014.
The paper also asks if the voters want a second question asking if Scotland should get more or full powers for Scotland to govern itself.
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The paper says that the referendum will be regulated by the Electoral Commission.
Mr Salmond said that they still want 16 and 17-year-olds to be able to vote in the referendum.
He said: "If a 16-year-old in Scotland can register to join the Army, get married and pay taxes, surely he or she should be able to have a say in this country's constitutional future?,"
"Scotland's journey, our home rule journey, is clearly part of a bigger international trend. After all, independence is what we seek as individuals - whether it is buying our first car or our first home."
A Referendum Bill should be introduced to parliament early next year and may be passed towards the end of 2013 and the vote would be held after the European elections in June 2014.
The consultation ends on 11 May 2012.
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As Burns Day in Scotland approaches I will post some recites of Robert Burn poems by famous Scots and by some famous people outside Scotland.
Today it's Price Charles and he recites 'My Heart's in the Highlands'.
I'm sitting with my friend and my friend tells me what team won the cup final in 1980.
What? I say - no it's not. Time to prove my gleeful friend wrong.
I grab my laptop and Google loads up and I type in 'Scottish cup winner 1980 wiki' to take me to a Wikepedia page to find out.
Wham, big black screen with a sad message that Wikepedia is closed today.
Today is a bit like 1980, no free online encyclopedia. You'd need a book to find out.
It's not all bad realy you can still acess Wiki if you really want to - tells you how. Wikepedia is only trying to put a point accross. The point is that American Congress is considering legislation that will allow them to block US access to a website if the authorities think copyright infringement has been committed by a foreign web site.
For me, no thanks. It won't affect myself in the UK at this time but this is where it will begin.
It's something surelly all governments would want - ttThe option to block any website in the world for showing something that has copyright,.
This is a direct attack on free expression while harming the Internet making it into a shadow of its former self.
2012 is the year the duct tape is put over the mouth of the internet.
(btw the cup was won by Glasgow Rangers who defeated Dundee United in the Scottish Cup Final in 1980)
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