Latest news with #Chandrayaan2
Time of India
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Why William Shatner (Star Trek's Captain Kirk) is tweeting about Chandrayaan-II
Captain Kirk, the legendary Starfleet captain from Star Trek, was brought to life by actor William Shatner . Known for his bold leadership, iconic one-liners, and deep-space diplomacy, Kirk became a symbol of space exploration in pop culture. Recently, Shatner posted about Chandrayaan 2 and this has sparked curiosity among his fans given the fact his iconic character Captain Kirk, never landed on the moon. It all started when William Shatner, our favorite Captain Kirk posted on X about a 'calendar glitch'. "If it's the end of the week; why does my phone's calendar have the first day start on Sunday?," he posted and this invited a series of replies, one among which was "This is why I'm never gonna believe you landed on the moon. How could you pull that off in 1969 and you still don't know that the first day of the week is Sunday?" Shatner's reply to this quirky comment was, "Well the Chandrayaan-2 ship took some amazing photos of the lunar surface including images of 2 of the Apollo modules that were left on the surface. That was before the ship crashed adding another crater to the surface." Now, as expected the post got viral and fans quickly asked "Did Shatner land on moon?". No, Captain Kirk did not land on the Moon. But let's be honest, if anyone should have landed on the Moon wearing a Starfleet uniform and dropping one-liners about boldly going where no man has gone before, it's Captain James T. Kirk. Now, when people say 'Captain Kirk,' they usually mean William Shatner, the actor who played the iconic starship captain on Star Trek: The Original Series. That show launched back in the 1960s, right around the same time NASA was launching actual astronauts into space. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo So it's easy to understand why some wires get crossed in people's minds. But while the Enterprise was out dodging Klingons and beaming down to alien planets, the real NASA team was doing something a little more down-to-Earth or rather, up-to-Moon. The actual Moon landing happened in 1969, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to step onto the lunar surface during the Apollo 11 mission. Shatner, meanwhile, was probably filming an episode where he was wrestling a lizard man or kissing a green alien. Groundbreaking in its own way, sure but not exactly NASA material. That said, Shatner has had quite the real-life space adventure of his own. In October 2021, he actually did go to space sort of. At age 90, he became the oldest person ever to fly into space aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard, a suborbital spaceflight owned by Jeff Bezos. So yes, William Shatner went to space, but no moon boots were involved. Just a quick 11-minute joyride that gave him a taste of zero gravity and a view of Earth from above. Still, pretty epic. And let's not forget the symbolic influence Captain Kirk has had on space travel. Shatner's portrayal of a brave, diplomatic, and occasionally shirtless space explorer inspired generations of scientists, engineers, and yes, even astronauts. NASA has openly acknowledged Star Trek's influence on tech and space culture, from real-life communicators (hello, smartphones) to actual mission names that nod to Trek. So, to wrap it up: Captain Kirk never landed on the Moon, but his legacy has absolutely orbited our collective imagination when it comes to exploring the cosmos. William Shatner may not have left footprints in lunar dust, but he did help kick-start the dream for a whole lot of people who one day might.
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Centre appoints Dr Abhijat Sheth as new chairperson of National Medical Commission amid allegations of bribery against the body
The Centre recently appointed Dr Abhijat Sheth as the chairperson of the National Medical Commission (NMC) — the apex medical education regulatory body in the country. Currently, Dr Sheth heads the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) that conducts the entrance examinations for the post-graduate and super-specialisation medical courses. Dr Sheth is yet to take over as the chairperson of NMC from Dr B N Gangadhar, who had resigned from his post in October, but continued to work in the position as his resignation was not accepted due to the unavailability of suitable candidates. According to sources, the health ministry had earlier sent at least a couple of shortlists of candidates to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, but nobody could be appointed then. Dr Sheth will continue to serve as the head of NBEMS for a few months, considering that the NEET-PG is supposed to take place in August. He will leave the body eventually, the sources added. The Indian Express had reported earlier in July that for nearly nine months, key posts on all four autonomous boards of the NMC had remained vacant, including the posts of three of the four presidents. In fact, the report stated that the chairperson and the only remaining president had also submitted their resignations, but they had not been accepted. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently registered a First Information Report (FIR) in connection with an alleged corruption scandal that manipulated the regulatory framework governing medical colleges. This included unauthorised sharing of classified information, such as upcoming inspections, allowing colleges to make fraudulent arrangements like getting ghost faculty and admitting fictitious patients, and widespread bribery to secure favourable treatment for private institutions. The FIR, however, does not name the NMC chairperson. Among the 34 persons named in the FIR are former University Grants Commission chairman Dr D P Singh, officials from the health ministry and NMC, members of teams that inspect medical colleges, and representatives of various medical colleges. Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government's management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country's space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University's Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor's Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More
