All of a sudden, they’re no longer rare.
Isn’t technology great?
And who does it hit hardest? China. Boo fricken’ hoo.
Category Archives: Technology and Society
It’s Not Enough To Prevent Climate Change
We must restore it.
It’s nuts to think there was some benign past in which the climate was ideal. The only benign climate is one that we’re wealthy enough to deal with.
BFR
SpaceX is raising half a billion for development. It sure would be nice to see some initial hops a year or so from now.
The Real War On Science
It is (as always) from the Left. I suppose it’s possible that Pruitt is corrupt, but I’m certainly not going to take these charlatans’ word for it.
AI And “Hate Speech”
Thoughts on Zuckerberg’s thoughts, from a gamer.
Proposals to outlaw "hate speech" make me feel unsafe. https://t.co/bPc3ZPEbdK
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) April 11, 2018
[Update a few minutes later]
This book, which every incoming college freshman should read (it’s not long) seems relevant.
The EPA
Scott Pruitt is the best administrator ever.
I agree. He’s finally forcing the agency to obey the law and use real science, not the politicized kind.
Solid-Rocket City
I really don’t see how NGL is going to be competitive with SpaceX and Blue Origin (or even Vulcan, if it happens), unless the USAF decides to keep Orbital ATK alive for national-security reasons. I hope that NASA isn’t compelled to purchase launches. Solids are fine for missiles, but other than strap ons, they never belonged in launch systems.
Patching Vinyl
I’m sleeping on an aerobed in Florida (the house is basically devoid of furniture while we prep it to sell). It was a fairly cheap one, just a double, low to the ground. It’s developed a leak (two, actually) and I’ve been waking up on a hard tile floor in the middle of the night. I tried patching it with a standard tire kit, and no joy. I went to Walmart to get a vinyl repair kit. No joy. Only thing I can try at this point is to try to clean it with acetone, then try once more, but I suspect that the glues simply don’t work on this material.
Fortunately, I had the foresight to purchase another bed at Walmart, so I guess that’s what I’ll sleep on for the next couple nights.
[Thursday-afternoon update]
OK, a tube of Loctite 60 and duct tape seems to have done the trick. I now have a double-thick mattress. Should be the most comfortable sleep I’ve had since I moved back in here.
[Update a few minutes later]
Oh, fun. I got glue on my index finger, and now my phone won’t recognize my fingerprint. #21stCenturyProblems
On The Road Again
I’m flying to Miami this afternoon, to make more progress on the house in Florida, then I’m off to London on Friday night from there. I’ll be staying with Samizdata people there, then to Vienna on Sunday for the Legal Subcommittee meeting of COPUOS, to see what’s going on in terms of space law and particularly property rights. Not sure when I’ll be back in London after that, but I’ll be back in Florida on the 18th. I’ll be taking devices and try to check in occasionally, but blogging may be light and scattered for the next couple weeks.
Writing Science Fiction
A guideline to how to woke-ify it, from Frank Fleming (who has a new book out), over at Sarah Hoyt’s place.
[Update a few minutes later]
Yes, this is a problem I’ve always had, too:
This one is going to be harder for some than others. Sarah Hoyt has been pretty good about this, while I have always struggled. But if at all possible, when you sit down to write, don’t be a straight white male. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with being a straight white male — you were born that way, no fault of your own — it’s just that everyone hates you. So stop it.
I don’t think I’m even going to work on that one.
[Update a couple minutes later]
Sarah has some blurbs about the book.