Their domain has become available.
It could be that they simply forgot to renew, but this doesn’t seem like a good sign.
Category Archives: Technology and Society
We Need A War On Termites
Not just because of the damage they cause to our property, but because they generate ten times as much CO2 as all of human fossil-fuel combustion?
If that’s true, the policy implications would seem sort of profound.
The Space Policy Mess On The Hill
Michael Listner (at his new space-law blog) has a good description of the difficulty of reconciling the House and Senate bills.
However, even if the learning period expires next week, George Nield knows that both houses want to extend it, and he’s not going to waste any resources trying to suddenly start rule making.
Coffee
…is turning out to be an unlikely elixir.
It’s the only reason I choke down the swill every morning.
And please, no recommendations about how I’m just not making it properly. I’ve had lots of coffee from people who assure me that it is how coffee should taste. It always tastes like coffee to me (i.e., terrible).
Alone On Mars
Would Mark Watney have been able to stay sane?
I think it’s realistic to think he’d have been fine, as long as he had some level of hope, and tasks with which to occupy himself.
Growing Tomatoes
This is the sort of thing we’re going to have to figure out. But at least we’re building an unaffordable monster rocket.
Eating Food On Other Planets
I'll bet Mars bars would taste much better on their planet of origin. #Fresher https://t.co/scXue2Cjuw
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) September 22, 2015
The Glomar Explorer
…is going to finally be scrapped.
Seems like a shame. It’s an interesting bit of history. Might make a nice toy for a(nother) billionaire.
Of course, it appears that Paul Allen is building the equivalent for space.
The Latest Review Of “The Martian”
From space historian, and mission controller Jim Oberg. Interesting discussion in comments.
[Tuesday-afternoon update]
Another review, from Alex Knapp.
[Bumped]
How We Get To Mars
Rick Tumlinson channels me in this Space News op-ed:
If settlement is the goal, Apollo redux is dead. Giant expendable government rockets hurling government employees and return vehicles at Mars won’t cut it in the long run. The main reason to do so is government public relations, as the heroes return and share their stories. If settlement is the goal, we send other kinds of PR heroes — settlers — who land and live out their days on camera, building the first community as more and more follow. Again, it’s different models. One model works for government, the other for private ventures. And since the one-way model is so much cheaper, and the people who will have working one-way systems first are private sector, they may well beat the government to Mars.
He proposes a much more viable approach, but for now, it’s politically unrealistic. Congress doesn’t want to send people to Mars. It wants to build big rockets.
"If settlement is the goal, Apollo redux is dead." And if settlement is not the goal govt HSF is a waste of money. http://t.co/GM5ksrGSvC
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) September 21, 2015
[Afternoon update]
Keith Cowing isn’t impressed.