Discussion Divas

The little guy takes one for the team

Pluto got the punt Thursday. Kicked out of the planet club after 76 years of membership.

Why? For being too small, not big enough to push away nearby neighbors lurking in its orbit. The poor little guy is now a “dwarf planet,” leaving just eight planets in the solar system (can you name them?).

How does something like this happen?
Come to find out, there’s an official group that makes these decisions, called the International Astronomical Union. And after much debate among astronomers, they changed the definition of a planet this week with a vote at a meeting in Prague.

So what is a planet?
Used to be a planet just had to revolve around the sun and reflect sunlight. Now, it has to revolve around the sun, be massive enough to let its own gravity shape it into a round shape, and “clear the neighborhood around its orbit,” or own its space. Interestingly, planet is Greek for “wanderer;” planets moved while stars stayed in a fixed position.

The decision to uproot Pluto was under debate for some time, though one camp of astronomers had wanted a broader definition that would save Pluto and incorporate even more planets.

Discovered in 1930 by a man named Clyde Tombaugh, Pluto is still a bit of a mystery as no spacecraft has ever made it to this far-out planet, which is 3.7 billion miles from the sun. It’s thought to be quite icy.

What’s next?
For now some scientists simply seem relieved to have put the issue at rest and move onto more science. We will likely know more in 2015 when New Horizons – a spacecraft launched in January of this year – should arrive at this lonely dwarf planet. It’s the textbook writers and museum curators who will be scrambling now to change the books and exhibits.

With Pluto out, does it really change our lives? Probably not. Just seems like the universe has shifted.

One small step for womankind

Count ‘em: There will soon be 11 women at the helm of Fortune 500 companies.

The latest is Indra Nooyi, who will run PepsiCo, the soft-drink and snack giant that had $33 billion in annual sales last year. That’s a lot of Pepsi. J

Even so, 11 female CEOs out of 500 companies (ranked by amount of sales) equals just 2% of the pool. But there were just nine women at the helm in 2005 and only seven in 2004, the year Carly Fiorina was ousted from Hewlett-Packard.

The wage gap
It’s old news that full-time working women make just 76.5 cents on the dollar to men annually. But could it be in part because they’re more empathetic?

A new study shows females tend to prioritize relationships over fees, in some cases charging needy customers less. And a recent Forbes story says women may forfeit $500,000 during their career because they don’t ask for more.

On education
On the higher education front, women are trouncing men on college campuses – getting more bachelors degrees and making better grades. And while women make up about half of all law students, the number of women enrolled in business school programs is still stuck in the 30% range.

Moving forward
Speaking of women at the top, Katie Couric takes the reins at CBS Evening News on September 5, marking the first time a woman has led a national nightly news program alone. Let’s hope the critics focus less on her hair and makeup and more on the quality of the broadcast.

The big picture
Assuming a greater number of women do manage to achieve equal pay and executive positions in the coming years, demonstrating the quality of their strength and intelligence, the question remains whether the U.S. will be ready to accept a woman as Commander in Chief...and when?

So long, lip gloss

Better smear on the lip gloss before checking the luggage.

After the latest foiled alleged terrorist plot (yes, it’s a mouthful), anything that resembles a liquid is no longer allowed in your carry-on bags on airplanes.

We’re talking water, juice, even liquid mascara or foundation. If you’re headed on vacation, better check that sunscreen. Baby formula is still okay (just don’t forget the baby).

These latest restrictions stem from the arrests of 24 men in England who were reportedly planning to blow up 10 planes flying from England to the United States. The reports also say the plan was to mix liquids and ignite them while on the plane. Those arrested were British citizens of Pakistani descent, the New York Times reports. The plan was apparently thwarted by an undercover agent. U.S. officials point to Al Qaeda ties. 

Rough times for airlines
Aside from adding to the fears and woes of air travel, it remains to be seen what kind of impact this will have on an industry that’s already struggling – it hasn’t turned a profit since 2000 and lost $35 billion between 2001 and 2005. And only American, Southwest and Continental Airlines have avoided going into bankruptcy.

Some good news though
United Airlines recently came out of Chapter 11, and just this week cut air fares, prompting a fare war.

Hooray for lower airfares! Boo for chapped lips.

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Dancing in the streets

Organic farming may be trendy in the United States, but in Cuba it’s a necessity – not by choice but mainly because they can’t afford to buy pesticides. The State controls the media and you can’t leave the country without a permit. Welcome to Communist Cuba.

These are one of many reasons why people in Miami took to the streets this week, celebrating the news that Cuban leader Fidel Castro had handed over temporary power to his brother Raul before undergoing intestinal surgery.

Just shy of 80 years old, Castro has already surpassed the life expectancy of men in Cuba(75.1 years) and has been at the helm for 47 years, since he and a small army overthrew the previous dictator in 1959.

Shortly after he took power, the U.S.cut ties and trade with Cubaas Castro aligned himself with the Soviet Union, the U.S. Cold War nemesis. The Soviet Union supported Cuba financially for years but stopped when it broke apart in the early 1990s, sending Cuba into a recession.
> Timeline of U.S./Cuba relationship

Cigars, anyone?
After 44 years of an embargo it remains to be seen what will change if Raul, the current defense minister, takes the reins. Some analysts think Raul’s more committed to Communism, yet he embraces some capitalist ideals. Hey, even those coveted cigars may be legal to import one day soon.

Click "read and discuss" for more about Cuba.