鈥淗e will fulfil in a way one of my fantasies as an astronaut鈥hich was always to 鈥榳alk back home鈥� from space.鈥�
French astronaut 闯别补苍-贵谤补苍莽辞颈蝉 Clervoy on plans by countryman Michel Fournier to skydive from an altitude of 40 kilometres next month (CNN, 14 July)
鈥淢ankind is dancing on the edge of a volcano.鈥�
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French President Jacques Chirac urges G8 leaders in St Petersburg, Russia, to stop talking about energy security until more progress is made on climate change (Reuters, 17 July)
鈥淪uch an asteroid capture would be one of the most remarkable achievements of mankind. It would provide us with a David鈥檚 stone against the potentially destructive giants which cruise above our heads.鈥�
French space agency scientists on a plan to capture a small asteroid in near-Earth orbit and fling it into the path of a larger asteroid on a possible collision course with Earth (The Guardian, London, 15 July)
鈥淚f your religious orientation is such that you can鈥檛 discharge your responsibilities, you should find other work.鈥�
Philosophy professor Ken Kipnis of the University of Hawaii at Manao, commenting on a trend for health professionals in the US to refuse on religious grounds to help patients seeking an abortion or the morning-after pill (Washington Post, 16 July)
鈥淐ompared to chimps, gorillas are totally boring. They spend the day just lolling about eating.鈥�
Primatologist Jane Goodall interviewed by The New York Times (16 July)
