Reuters ZURICH | Sat Dec 15, 2012 7:36am EST

Commentary: What happened yesterday while all were busy with another story.  Convenient or planned timing for this announcement?

As seen on NBC News Space By Elizabeth Howell updated 12/14/2012 6:50:29 PM ET

Astronaut John Glenn (right) gets bloodwork done in his bunk aboard space shuttle Discovery in 1998. About half of astronauts require sleep medication at some point during their flights, NASA said.

NASA plans a new weapon in the fight against space insomnia: high-tech light-emitting diodes to replace the fluorescent bulbs in the U.S. section of the International Space Station.

About half of everyone who flies to space relies on sleep medication, at some point, to get some rest. For $11.2 million, NASA hopes to use the science of light to reduce astronauts' dependency on drugs.

As seen on You Tube

Janet Echelman found her true voice as an artist when her paints went missing -- which forced her to look to an unorthodox new art material. Now she makes billowing, flowing, building-sized sculpture with a surprisingly geeky edge. A transporting 10 minutes of pure creativity.

Source: The Extinction Protocol - 12/14/12

December 14, 2012 – GEORGIA – Over a period of two days last week, the Columbia County Emergency Management Agency was flooded with calls with reports from residents hearing loud booms. And as of Tuesday at 12:17 Monday afternoon, the calls poured in again. EMA Director Pam Tucker says some callers even say their house was shook by the blast. “Over the last 24 hours, we’ve had numerous reports. They come email, they call 311, they call to us, Facebook, different people,” Tucker said. Some point at quarry blasting for the noises, but Tucker says it’s a state law for them to notify her of a scheduled blasting and there wasn’t a demolition around the time the calls started Monday.

Source: Volcano Discovery - 12/14/12, By T

Batu Tara in 2001