When the space shuttle Endeavour lifted off last week, a piece of debris gouged a hole in few external tiles on the shuttle. After a battery of tests, NASA decided Thursday not to repair to the damage. The main concern was not about safety (NASA says the ding is too small to endanger the astronauts) but rather that the hole could cause major structural damage to the shuttle when it re-enters the Earth's atmosphere. This hour, we'll hear about what this decision may mean for the shuttle's future.

Then, a look at the technology of wiretapping. Earlier this month, President Bush signed the Protect America Act of 2007 into law. The new law, an amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA), broadens the government's authority to monitor calls and emails without a warrant. This hour, we'll talk about wiretapping in the digital age and why this law could create new security risks.

Finally, after a summer of big swings in the stock market, Ira talks with an investment strategist about the science of stocks. Can psychology explain what's happening on the trading floor?

Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Pat Duggins
Author, "Final Countdown: NASA and the End of the Space Shuttle Program" (forthcoming, University of Florida Press)
Senior News Analyst
WMFE
Orlando, Florida

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Susan Landau
Co-author, “Privacy on the Line: The Politics of Wiretapping and Encryption” (2007, MIT Press)
Distinguished Engineer
Sun Microsystems
Menlo Park, California

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Michael Mauboussin
Author, "More Than You Know: Finding Financial Wisdom in Unconventional Places" (2006, Columbia University Press)
Chief Investment Strategist
Legg Mason Capital Management
Adjunct Professor of Business
Columbia Business School
New York, New York

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Final Countdown: NASA and the End of the Space Shuttle Program" by Pat Duggins. University of Florida Press, forthcoming.

“Privacy on the Line: The Politics of Wiretapping and Encryption” by Whitfield Diffie and Susan Landau. and MIT Press, 2007.

"More Than You Know: Finding Financial Wisdom in Unconventional Places" by Michael Mauboussin. Columbia University Press, 2006. (New edition forthcoming)

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This segment produced by Karin Vergoth