Wonder why they were a mess? Now you know.
I only watched the first one.
Category Archives: Technology and Society
Space Elevators
A new documentary is coming out. Should be interesting, whatever you think about the feasibility.
The Future Of Turbochargers
This is interesting. I can see a lot of benefits to rocket-engine design from these kinds of improvements as well, particularly for staged combustion. I wonder if Blue Origin is aware of this kind of thing? Also, it doesn’t say anything about improved performance and reduced cost and parts count from 3-D printing, but I think that will be significant as well.
A Rose By Any Other Name
You have to feel bad for this guy:
Bich wrote in part, “I find it highly irritating that nobody seems to believe me when I say that my full legal name is how you see it. I’ve been accused of using a false and misleading name of which I find very offensive.”
Given his residence, maybe he should think about a name change.
The Future Of Space
There was an interesting discussion this afternoon at Council of Foreign Affairs with Lori Garver, John Logsdon, and Charles Miller. The Youtube is now available. Note that they touch on many of the themes in my upcoming paper, on how we have to stop trying to do Apollo again, that SLS is a jobs program, that propellant transfer is a game changer, the need for a competitive private sector, etc. Lori was quite harshly critical of NASA (and Congress).
The New Commercial Space Bill
Stephen Smith has an analysis. While it’s nice that they slightly mitigated the idiotic language about using SLS/Orion for ISS missions in 2010, the most significant aspect of the bill, to me, is the extension of the learning period. I don’t think the language about mining is all that significant, legally. It simply makes explicit what’s always been customary law since the moon samples.
Coffee
A daily habit may contribute to longevity.
That’s why I choke down the swill ever morning. I’ve never found any other reasons to do so.
Speaking of my apparent imperviousness to caffeine, I was staying with an old (in both senses of the word) friend in Seattle last week, and he noted that since he’d gone more paleo in his diet, he noticed much less of a caffeine effect from morning coffee or evening tea. I started drinking it after I’d changed my diet as well, so maybe carbs enhance it. Actually, someone should do a study on that.
Cats And Cukes
This is truly bizarre. I don’t think I’ll try it with Rerun, though, even though I happened to buy a cucumber the other day. She gets enough abuse.
Vizio Televisions
This is why they’re lower priced. The company makes revenue from selling your viewing habits.
Here’s the thing. I’ve got plenty of video input sources. I don’t want a “smart television.” I don’t even want to waste money on audio amp and speakers. I just want to pour all of my television money into a good-quality picture. But it’s very hard, if not impossible, to find just monitors in the large-screen class.
Space Property Rights
A story on the current state of play, at the WaPo.