A new documentary in the works, from Ron Howard and Tom Hanks.
[Update a while later]
I should note, of course, the date.
Category Archives: Technology and Society
Orion Risks
The ASAP is concerned.
Running Versus Strength Training
Why doesn’t the mainstream realize that the latter is better? We both need to get started on this.
Trouble With Tribbles
The Air and Space Museum has started a breeding program for the fiftieth anniversary of Star Trek. As I noted on Twitter, there’s not a lot of meat on them once you get all the hair off. Basically not good for much except pizza toppings.
Rethinking SLS
In the course of working on my Kickstarter project over the past several months, I’ve been examining the arguments in favor of the SLS program. In the course of doing so, I’ve finally come to realize that they aren’t just compelling, but irrefutable, really.
Dumbacher, Griffin, Cooke, Cook and King are right. It does take a lot of mass in orbit to get to Mars, and bigger rockets are clearly better. Sure, each flight will cost billions, but how can we put a price on national pride, and jobs in Huntsville, Promontory, Michoud and Titusville? The more I think about the hazards and complications of launching a lot of dinky rockets, and all that orbital assembly, the more I realize how risky it is, not just for our precious astronauts’ lives, but for the mission itself. And really, NASA just wouldn’t be NASA if it’s not building and launching its own giant rocket.
So I want to go formally on record as being fully supportive of this program, and I can’t wait for President Trump to come in next January to make space great again, with a yuuuuuuuge rocket, not those little dummy loser rockets that are always exploding on barges. #MakeSpaceGreatAgain
Your Cat’s Head
What is going on in it? An interesting article on their perception, but there’s a lot we still don’t know.
Vegetarian Diet
I don’t know if this is true, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all: It apparently increases risk of heart disease and cancer.
The Fastest Man-Made Object Ever
Some of the nuke types over on Twitter have been discussing this. It would have beaten Sputnik to space, but not to earth orbit.
Our Gut Bacteria
This topic came up in comments at yesterday’s nutrition post, but new research indicates that tampering with them may significantly reduce the risk of stroke.
XCOR
…has a new board. Greason, Fleming (whose name they misspelled) are out. They say “as the Lynx nears completion,” but I wonder about that.