We need, somehow, to restore the lost consensus.
Category Archives: Popular Culture
Tim Conway
We’ve lost a genius of comedy. He was literally a comedians’ comedian.
How to get Back To The Moon By 2024
Make it a one-way trip.
So, how much does that change requirements? It means no need for ascent on the lander, or entry from TEI. It’s probably a Falcon Heavy mission. We eliminate the initial need for a suit, too. Hardest part would be how to resupply without EVA capability.
Could NASA do it? Probably not, politically, but a private expedition could.
Doris Day
Wow, another star from my youth who I hadn’t realized was still alive. She had a good run, though.
Endgame Question
OK, saw Endgame yesterday. Question to people much more into MCU than me. In the final battle, there’s a very angry woman who comes at Thanos with two fiery swords. It looked like Natasha to me, but I suspect not, because, you know? If not, who was it?
[Update a few minutes later]
Never mind, someone on Twitter told me it was Wanda (the Scarlet Witch, a character with which I was unfamiliar, or had forgotten from Infinity War).
[Update a while later]
Question in comments: Sure, it’s been out long enough to have a spoiler discussion there. Have at it. No one has to read comments except me.
Continue reading Endgame QuestionBezos’s O’Neillian Vision
There’s an article at Popular Mechanics, but the picture it has of Gerard O’Neill isn’t. Not positive, but I’m pretty sure it’s Brian O’Leary.
Shocking News From Science
Cats like people.
As I noted on Twitter the other day, they seem to view us as large non-hostile cats, who occasionally provide them with sustenance and clean their litter boxes.
The Case For Space
Glenn Reynolds reviews Bob Zubrin’s new book. I haven’t read it yet.
[Afternoon update]
Leonard David has a new space book out, too. I should be getting review copies of both soon.
Unhappy Meals
Jim Treacher has thoughts on Burger King’s latest bizarre marketing gimmick.
The Space Technology Curve
I don’t usually post from Facebook, but Jeff Greason has an interesting/depressing thought:
In the Star Trek episode “Tomorrow is Yesterday”, Kirk is told “I’m going to lock you up for two hundred years”. He looks at the camera (very nearly breaking the fourth wall), and says “that ought to be just about right” — in other words, telling the viewer that Star Trek is set about 200 years in the future.
That episode was filmed in 1968.
That was 50 years ago.
Somehow, I don’t feel we’ve made 1/4 of the progress from Apollo to Star Trek
As Mike Heney points out over there, we haven’t even made a quarter of the progress from Apollo back to Apollo.