A comet is a small body in the solar system that orbits the Sun and (at least occasionally) exhibits a coma (or atmosphere) and/or a tail — both due primarily to the effects of solar radiation upon the comet's nucleus, which itself is a minor planet composed of rock, dust, and ices. Due to their origins in the outer solar system and their propensity to be highly affected (or perturbed) by relatively close approaches to the major planets, comets' orbits are constantly changing. Some are moved into sungrazing orbits that destroy the comets when they near the Sun, while others are thrown out of the solar system forever.

Most comets are believed to originate in a cloud (the Oort cloud) at large distances from the Sun consisting of debris left over from the condensation of the solar nebula; the outer edges of such nebulae are cool enough that water exists in a solid (rather than gaseous) state. Asteroids originate via a different process, but very old comets which have lost all their volatile materials may come to resemble asteroids.

The word comet came to the English language through Latin cometes. From the Greek word komē, meaning "hair of the head," Aristotle first used the derivation komētēs to depict comets as "stars with hair."

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NYT > Technology

EBay to Lay Off 10% of Work Force
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:47:21 -0000
The move to cut about 1,000 jobs is an attempt to improve the performance of its core marketplace division. EBay also said it is buying Bill Me Later, a Web-payment start-up.
The Future of Reading: Using Video Games as Bait to Hook Readers
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:24:46 -0000
Publishers, authors and even libraries are embracing video games to promote books to young readers.
Advertising: Google Deal With Yahoo Draws More Opposition
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:43:01 -0000
Resentment and fear of Google’s power is growing among some of the biggest players in the advertising industry.
Dawn of Low-Price Mapping Could Broaden DNA Uses
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:10:47 -0000
A start-up company called Complete Genomics says it will start charging $5,000 next year to determine a person’s complete genetic blueprint.
Cable Operator Sends Viewers to Web
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:44:31 -0000
The suggestion was meant as a slap at LIN TV, which owns 15 stations that were, until Thursday, retransmitted to Time Warner Cable’s customers.
Digital Domain: Can’t Open Your E-Mailbox? Good Luck
Sun, 05 Oct 2008 07:33:29 -0000
What would you do if you logged onto your e-mail and received an unfamiliar message: “User name and password do not match”?

NerdTV | PBS

NerdTV #13: Judy Estrin
Mon, 10 Apr 2006 12:00:00 -0700
Judy Estrin's career ranges from founder of Bridge Communications to CTO of Cisco to running Packet Design LLC. Quite the girl geek, eh?Download video:Entire Show:MPEG-4 | TorrentNerdy Bit:MPEG-4 | TorrentJuicy Bit:MPEG-4 | TorrentDownload subtitled video:Entire Show:With Subtitles | Torrent w/ SubtitlesNerdy Bit:With Subtitles | Torrent w/ SubtitlesJuicy Bit:With Subtitles | Torrent w/ SubtitlesDownload audio:Entire Show:MP3 | TorrentAAC | TorrentOgg Vorbis | Torrent
NerdTV #13: Judy Estrin - Transcript
Mon, 10 Apr 2006 12:00:00 -0700
For those who would rather read than watch or listen.
NerdTV Archives
Mon, 10 Apr 2006 12:00:00 -0700
Miss a past show? Check out our archives.Past guests include:#12: Bob KahnInventor of TCP/IP.#11: Doug EngelbartComputer mouse inventor.#10: Dan BricklinInventor of the Spreadsheet#9: AninaHigh Fashion Meets High Tech#8: Avram MillerCo-founder of Intel Capital#7: Dan DrakeCo-founder of Autodesk#6: Dave WinerFather of RSS and Web Logging#5: Tim O'ReillyOpen Source pioneer#4: Brewster KahleInternet Archive founder#3: Bill JoyCo-founder of Sun#2: Max LevchinCo-founder of PayPal#1: Andy HertzfeldThe first Macintosh programmer...ever

Reuters: Technology News

EBay to cut 10 percent of jobs
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:26:47 -0400
NEW YORK (Reuters) - EBay Inc plans to cut its work force 10 percent and sees third-quarter revenue hitting the low end of its forecast, though profit will exceed expectations, the online auction Web site said on Monday.
Ask revamps for faster Web search, better relevance
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:39:19 -0400
NEW YORK (Reuters) - IAC Corp's Ask.com is overhauling its Web search engine to deliver faster results and improved relevance as it bids to win share from market leader Google Inc.
D.Telekom seeks stolen data on 17 million mobile users
Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:11:43 -0400
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Thieves have hijacked sensitive data on millions of Deutsche Telekom mobile phone customers, the German company has acknowledged in its second major security scandal this year.

AP Top Technology News At 2:20 p.m. EDT

SAP says business turmoil hurting its revenue
By GEORGE FREY Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:20:05 -0000
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- Shares of SAP AG plunged Monday after the business software maker said it saw a sudden drop in business at the end of September as global financial turmoil escalated....
Ford feature will let parents set limits for teens
By TOM KRISHER Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:49:28 -0000
DETROIT (AP) -- So you think junior is a little too lead-footed when he drives the family car? Starting next year, Ford Motor Co. will give you the power to do something about it....
EBay to cut 1,600 jobs, 10 percent of work force
By RACHEL METZ Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:27:22 -0000
NEW YORK (AP) -- EBay Inc., which still reaps big profits but has been struggling to attract new users, said Monday it will cut its work force by 10 percent - about 1,600 jobs - in an attempt to streamline its business....

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