In a plot worthy of Jules Verne, a prominent California planetary scientist believes it may be possible and very educational to send a probe all the way to earth's core. "My point is to get people to realise that we have dedicated immense resources to exploring space. I'm advocating balance,'' said Dave Stevenson, professor of planetary science at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Interior exploration could be accomplished by applying proven technologies and some well-grounded scientific assumptions about the planet, he wrote in a paper published in the latest edition of the journal Nature. Still, "the main reaction I'm expecting is laughter,'' the scientist admitted.