Having a seven-day week seemed strange to sociologists since there was no corresponding geophysical event as there was with the solar day or the lunar month. They tended to attribute it to our cultures and not to biology. However, other organisms also have a seven-day cycle, and a week is, after all, a quarter of a lunar circle. At the end of the French Revolution, the revolutionary government wanted to establish a ten-day week, but the attempt failed to work. In the former Soviet Union, the rulers also experimented with modifying the week by trying five-day and six-day weeks. Again, people rejected to change the length of their week. They seemed to need to have one day out of seven in order to rest their body clocks. Weekly rhythms show up most strongly during times of stress. For the body to fight off a cold, it needs about a week. The symptoms of chicken pox show up about two weeks after the patient’s being exposed to disease. Health care workers expect to see patients with pneumonia and malaria at greatest risk after one week of fighting these diseases. By these evidences, sociologists have had reasons to reconsider their previous ideas about the origin of the seven-day week.

    With spacecraft that can carry tourists into orbit and connect Paris to New York in less than two hours, the new heroes of space travel are not astronauts but daring captains of industry. This new breed of space pioneers are all using private money to push the final frontier as government space programs fall away. Times have changed. Once the space race was led by the likes of the U.S. space agency NASA that put the first man on the moon in 1969. 

    Today it is entrepreneur Elon Musk — the founder of Tesla electric cars and space exploration company Space—who wants to reach Mars in the 2020s. The furthest advanced — and most highly publicized — private space project is led by Richard Branson, the British founder of the Virgin Group. His shuttle, SpaceShipTwo, will be launched at high altitude from a weird-looking four-engined mother ship — which can carry two pilots and up to six passengers —before embarking on a three-hour suborbital flight. 

    Branson and his sons will be the first passengers aboard the shuttle when it is expected to launch late 2014. His company Virgin Galactic was given the green light in May by the U.S. Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) to carry passengers from a base in New Mexico, which is named “Spaceport America” — the stuff of science fiction. 

    The US$250,000 price of a ticket has not deterred more than 600 people, including celebrities such as actor Leonardo Di Caprio, from booking their seats.

Bringing a new pet into the home is like introducing a new member to the family. It is a wonderful, memorable event and if managed correctly will be the start of a long and happy home environment for both you and your puppy. Read on for some useful tips to help you prepare to welcome a puppy into your home.
       1. Firstly you should choose a breed that is suitable to your living situation. For example, a large dog will require a garden and wouldn’t be suitable for apartment living. Think about your lifestyle, the time you have available for a dog and the size of your home and garden. 2. Decide what room the puppy will sleep and eat in. Then make sure the room is secure and warm. 3. Contact the owner or kennel you are getting the puppy from and find out what it is being fed. It is important that the puppy gets the same food when it arrives in its new home. You can gradually change its food at a later date once your puppy has settled in. 4. A good suggestion is to get a small soft toy for your puppy to give to the owner a week or so before the puppy is collected. This way the puppy will have something familiar, in scent and texture, to keep it company. 5.Research your local vet and make an appointment to bring your puppy in for a check up and vaccinations. 6.Arrange your pet insurance. Pet health care can be very expensive, so insurance can help you with any unforeseen costs. For instance, many companies have a selection of pet insurance packages for you to choose from. 7. Put together your new puppy check list and get new items before your puppy arrives. Before you collect your pet, for example, make sure that you have your pet travel case in the car so you can then transport your new pet safely. Also, it is always a good idea to bring some wipers in case your new puppy gets car sick.