Category Archives: Humor
In Defense Of Fareed Zakaria
This is cruel. Funny, but cruel. And well deserved.
Why Go To The Moon
Godzilla
The impossibility of his physique. I’ve discussed this before (thirteen years ago. Yikes!). This piece seems to ignore the thermal issues. I don’t think just exhaling flames would be sufficient to get rid of the heat.
A Pressing Question
Thought Exercise: Dinosaurs never went extinct, became dominant species. How expensive would it be to send dino Neil Armstrong to the moon?
— Political Math (@politicalmath) April 3, 2015
@politicalmath Have to specify species. They come in different sizes. Also, do we have to bring him back?
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) April 3, 2015
@Rand_Simberg OF COURSE YOU HAVE TO BRING HIM BACK! YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE A DINOSAUR ON THE MOON!
— Political Math (@politicalmath) April 3, 2015
@politicalmath Well, you just made the problem a lot harder.
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) April 3, 2015
@politicalmath Who are you to say I can't leave a dinosaur on the moon? There's nothing about it in the Outer Space Treaty
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) April 3, 2015
@politicalmath Anyway, the answer is "yes," but you couldn't do it in a single launch. Dinosaur to orbit first, then propellant separately.
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) April 3, 2015
@politicalmath Do you want to know total program cost, average cost, or marginal cost? How many lunar dinosaur missions are we talking here?
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) April 3, 2015
@Rand_Simberg I'm assuming a single mission, no research costs. Cost of materials / life support based on modern day human-based prices.
— Political Math (@politicalmath) April 3, 2015
@politicalmath Life-support costs would depend on whether or not you think dinosaurs are warm blooded.
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) April 3, 2015
Anyone want to take a WAG at it?
Dear Tesla
An open letter from retail auto dealers.
Somehow, I suspect they won’t make the sale.
Odds Of Survival
I’ve often (only half) joked that there are billions of people alive who have never died, so why should we consider it inevitable?
Well, someone has actually worked out the ratio. Hey, 7% odds of survival beats zero.
[Update a couple minutes later]
Speaking of which Peter Thiel seems to finally be getting serious about longevity, not only funding non-profit research, but actually investing in companies pursuing it.
Claire Berlinski
..is rebranding:
I felt rebranding was in order, though, for it struck me this morning that the photo you have been looking at was taken in 2008. It does not reflect the maturity, wisdom, and insight I have acquired since then.
Nor does it convey the deep and appropriate alarm I wish to suggest when discussing profoundly important geopolitical events such as the rise of ISIS, the return of Russian Imperialism, the criteria I will use to select my next Commander-in-Chief, and the incentives we are creating to rapid nuclear proliferation. Nor, above all, does it convey the most significant geopolitical event of my life: my catastrophic realization that I may have been wrong in my assessment of French demographic trends. So I believe this photo more accurately conveys “the deep and serious questions we must all ask ourselves.”
It also properly suggests that I am older and more knowing. Now, of course it would be beneath me to exploit, for political purposes, my opponents’ youth and inexperience. Nor is it my intention to do so. I am merely concerned about truth in advertising: I am 47 years old. Were you to consider a photo of me at age 39, is might mislead you. You would be ill-served by underestimating my wisdom and gravitas.
Moreover, it would be quite unfortunate were you to meet me in person and think, “But Claire looks older than her photo.” Clearly, it is much more important that you meet me and think, “Goodness. Claire looks even better than her photo.”
I’m sure she does.
Feline Behavior
Star Trek Heresy
Matthew Continetti does not love Spock.
Last week, I tweeted that I was going to write a post about how Obama is not Spock like, but to the degrees that he is, I agree that it’s Spock’s most annoying traits.
[Afternoon update]
The gauntlet has been thrown:
Continetti just glosses over the sacrifice at the Battle of the Mutara Nebula, I assume because he knows it demolishes his case. What about the personal loss at the betrayal of Valeris? What about the hurtful but necessary decision — directly enforced by Spock — to let Edith Keeler die? How I hated him for that! But look, who among us wouldn’t let Hitler dominate the world in exchange for a lifetime of sweet sweet loving from young Joan Collins? Anyone? No one? Just me?
Heh.