Physicists sometimes study matter under extreme conditions. For example, think of the emptiness of interstellar space vs. the unimaginable crush of pressure at the center of a neutron star, or an object dipped in liquid nitrogen vs. the...

Dr. Thirsk is scheduled to be a member of Expedition 20 in 2009 to the International Space Station. He will live and work on the ISS for up to six months; an extended stay this is a Canadian first. His duties will include robotic...