Timeline; 2004

Microsoft finally have to accept the fact that they can't get cheaper than free, so they give away their unix tools for windows cd. They are still under the impression that telnet is a sensible protocol for remote administration over the internet, even though the unix community (and most other serious users) recognised the fundamental insecurity of transmitting passwords in clear text back in the mid 1990's.

At the same time, the company who make HyperOS finally include full Linux support for the first time.

Researchers at the Vienna University of Technology have used pulsed lasers to record images of electrons leaving atoms to within 100 Attoseconds, the smallest interval of time yet measured.

Researchers have spotted methane in the atmosphere of Mars, which disappears after 300 years, and must thus be being generated locally.

One of nasa's mars probes found the edge of a salty sea, proving that there must have been running water on mars at some point.

Fusion has finally reached the 100% mark, where it produces as much energy as it uses to start the reaction. This only leaves relatively minor technical problems to be overcome to get commercial exploitation of the technology.

Having 15 members in 1995, the European Union takes in 10 new members on the 1st of May, Cyprus, Hungary, The Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, making 25 in all with a combined poulation of 450 million people. A further expansion will occur in 2007.

Another funny effect has been discovered. It seems that particles of antimatter can join in as part of with molecules, partially getting around the Pauli Exclusion Principle. This potentially opens up a whole new set of possibilities for chemists to play with.

On June 6th, we had a transit of the sun by venus. We even have some .

On June 21st, SpaceShipOne, funded by Paul G Allen and designed and built by aviation pioneer Burt Rutan of Scaled Composites became the first privately funded spacecraft to leave the atmosphere, putting it's 62 year old pilot Mike Melvill into the record books.

There were also quite a few books and movies created this year.

last modified 17:55 2004/06/27