So, it's goodbye to 2010, the Year of the Tiger, and hello to 2011, the Year of the Rabbit.

Chinese astrology is fun. Like the Western kind, you can make pretty much anything fit its predictions, which is convenient as I look back on the last 12 months in Japanese science: A year that should be regarded as triumphant, at least for Japanese space exploration.

In Chinese astrology, the tiger is supposed to represent movement, restlessness, and travel — which, happily, is perfect for my purpose. And that's all the more so since 2010's tiger was actually a metal one — metal being one of five "elements," along with wood, fire, earth and water, that is associated with each year in the Chinese zodiac.