At Home: Underwater astronauts

Typically, the word astronaut conjures up the image of a cosmic setting: stars, planets, or, at the very least, a white spacesuit. Submarines and underwater exploration are the last things that come to mind, yet recently, that has been the reality for several astronauts, including Canadian Chris Hadfield.

As the CBC reports, for the past two weeks, astronauts and scientists have been working side-by-side in British Columbia’s Pavilion Lake, near Lillooet. Instead of spacecraft, astronauts ?have been flying tiny, one-person submarines among unusual rock formations called microbialites deep beneath the surface.?

The teams have been carefully manoeuvring the underwater craft to collect samples and data from the lake’s rare microbialite formations and transmitting them back to researchers. These skills will transfer easily to ?deeper space exploration,? where astronauts may encounter similarly ?unique geological samples,? Hadfield told reporters.

For the astronauts, the chance to investigate these particular formations is especially meaningful: researchers believe that the study of microbialites may give clues to the existence of life in other parts of the universe.

Although astronauts typically train in similar conditions, the exercises at Pavilion Lake are particularly satisfying because these missions have relevant results. As Hadfield told reporters, they add ?a whole layer of realism to the simulation.?

In Foreign News: Home comes the bride

For many couples, being married at home provides a level of intimacy that simply isn’t available at traditional wedding venues like halls and country clubs. Yet for those whose homes aren’t suitable for a wedding or reception, there’s still a way to capture that personal touch.

As The Telegraph reports, some couples are choosing to hold their weddings and receptions at the homes of wedding hosts, families who rent out their homes and gardens to the happy pair. It’s a win-win: for hosting homeowners, ?Weddings can bring in sparkle as well as an income.?

It’s a lower-key way to bring in a little extra cash, but wedding hosting is not all about the money. Belinda Cooper, who rents her 17th-century manor to a small number of couples each year, told reporters that a wedding at her home ?is a lovely thing to see because everyone is so happy.?

Wedding hosts need to ensure that they’re properly licensed and in ?compliance with fire and insurance regulations.? But after that, It’s up to the hosting couple as to how to best bring that personal touch. For David and Judith Adams, who hosted several weddings a year in their four hundred-year-old vicarage, it was all about the small details. As David told reporters, ?We use all the herbs and veg from our kitchen garden,? adding that even simple dishes were given a homey ?taste of The Old Vicarage.?