It’s The Sociology, Stupid

So, apparently, I’m not skeptical about the need to wreck our economy to save the planet because many of the scientists promoting it have been shown to be frauds and hacks. No, it’s because I’m a threatened, “conservative white male.”

What would I do without professors of sociology to explain such things to me? I particularly love the “98% of scientists” line. Because, you know, science is all about majority opinion (and no, even if it was, I don’t buy the number).

Pilotless Air Cargo

This is probably inevitable. If it doesn’t happen by then, or sooner, it will be due to regulatory inertia at the FAA. It will probably take longer for pilotless passenger flights. Regardless of the actual safety level, I think that a lot of people are going to still feel more comfortable if there’s someone in the cockpit whose ass is on the line along with theirs.

Of course, we’ll be doing some market experiments in suborbital in the next few years. Virgin Galactic has redundant pilots, XCOR has a single-string one, and Armadillo is automated.

A Trade-Deficit Solution

There seems like a big market opportunity here. Put people to work by fishing, and sell the proceeds to China. You could do it canned, frozen and fresh. I know that when I was a kid growing up in Michigan we’d never eat carp, and considered them junk fish, though the blacks would eat them (and dogfish, too — I remember dogfish runs by the dam near our cottage on the Muskegon River, where people would just pull them out with nets and cover the banks with them). Not sure what the difference is between Asian carp and the native variety, or if it’s tastier. But the Asians definitely do know their carp (which is what koi and goldfish are).

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!