At parties, some people are intimidated when I say I'm an astronomer (or, worse, astrophysicist).  They assume I'm a haughty ivory tower genius who laughs at little people like them.  It's so hard to reassure them that, no, I don't laugh, I merely chuckle.  But I do feel it's my duty to help make life easier for the non-astrophysicists out there.

So, say you're at a party and you meet a famous astronomer.  It doesn't matter which one, we're all famous (or at least published).  Here are 6 things not to say.

1. I'm an Aquarius, can you tell me my future?
2. I'm angry because Pluto isn't a planet anymore!
3. What will happen in 2012 when the Earth, sun and the center of our galaxy line up?

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, June 9 /PRNewswire/ --

The ongoing economic downturn will impact IPTV adoption and service revenue growth differently across Europe during the next year due to varied broadband penetration levels, the availability of cheaper alternatives, and telcos' response to competition, according to a new report from Pyramid Research (www.pyr.com), the telecom research arm of the Light Reading Communications Network (www.lightreading.com).

SAN DIEGO, June 9 /PRNewswire/ --

Accumetrics, Inc. announces today it has signed new distribution agreements for its VerifyNow(R) System in both Israel and Cyprus. Medtechnica, Ltd. will oversee distribution of all VerifyNow products in Israel, while Z.S. Curemed, Ltd. will be the sole distribution channel in Cyprus. These distribution agreements continue to expand Accumetrics' reach in both scope and geography, and add to the growing numbers of countries outside of the United States and Europe where physicians have access to the VerifyNow System.

REDWOOD CITY, California, June 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- Qik now available on Nokia Nseries flagship device

Qik, the leading live mobile video streaming platform, today announced their latest cooperation with Nokia, the world's largest mobile device manufacturer. After months of rigorous testing of all mobile video applications, Nokia has selected Qik as a live mobile video application to be pre-loaded on the Nokia N97.

Qik allows anyone to easily stream live video from their handset, sharing their moments in real-time with whomever they choose. Users may Qik in private mode or share videos with specific viewers of their own selection, for the ultimate offering in user-determined sharing with friends and family or the entire world.

 “May you live in interesting times!” So goes the ancient Chinese curse, and times certainly must have been interesting for Alexander Ivanovich Oparin, who was 23 years old when he graduated from Moscow State University in 1917. Lenin and the Bolsheviks had just seized power, the Czar and his family were imprisoned, then assassinated a year later, and the war between Red and White Russia began.

LONDON, June 9 /PRNewswire/ --

The GSMA, the global trade association for the mobile communications industry, welcomes an initiative driven by the Finnish Ministry of Communications to develop a unified approach to the allocation of 'Digital Dividend' spectrum - the spectrum that will be freed up by the switchover from analogue to digital TV - in the Baltic Sea region. The Ministry today hosted a Baltic Sea Summit on the digital dividend in Helsinki attended by government delegations from all the Baltic Sea states, namely Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Sweden.

ANTWERP, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Motivated by their search for a more healthy and serene lifestyle, Chantal Voets and Karin Schwithal, who have been friends since their early childhood, opened the virtual doors of their AmanVida web shop. Worldwide, they select exceptional natural products, which contribute to healthier living with respect for the producer and for nature. That resulted in a beautiful, user-friendly internet store.

SAN JOSE, California, June 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- Free Windows Embedded CE and Linux BSPs Provided to Facilitate Application Development

NOVATO, California, June 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- Roche to fund evaluation of Raptor's proprietary NeuroTrans(TM) technology

TORONTO, June 9 /PRNewswire/ --

- Redknee Provides Turnkey Converged Billing Platform to Support Wireless, Fixed and Broadband Service Provider