Hey, they seem to work.
To Mars Or Not To Mars?
That is the question at this Oxford debate this evening (in a couple hours, sorry about the short notice).
[Update toward the end of the debate]
As I’ve noted in the past, debates like this are pointless, because they are a false choice based on a false premise. We don’t have to choose between populating Mars and saving the planet; we have abundant resources for both. The false premise is that this is going to be a collective decision whose outcome will be determined by an Oxford debate. People who go to Mars will be doing so with their own money, so people on Earth who oppose it are going to have to make it illegal to prevent it. There is a word for people like that: jailers.
The Covid Narrative
…is collapsing.
Feds Make Tesla Remove Rolling Stops
Why that’s a really bad idea.
I’m putting this post up late tonight, because we just got back from the launch/landing at Vandenberg. I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts tomorrow, because I consider this a very important topic.
I will say, though, that the only moving ticket I’ve ever gotten other than speeding tickets, is for a rolling stop, and I consider it stupid.
Nineteen Years On
Here’s what I wrote on the day Columbia was lost. Scroll down and read from bottom up. There’s more on the previous pages. I think my takes held up pretty well.
Public Health
…has become an ideological monoculture.
Graboyes gave me a very good review of my book. He saw a lot of parallels between the risk aversion in the space industry and healthcare.
Weed Makes You Stupid?
I never did it in high school. I did it some in college, but it made me feel stupid, so I quit. I don’t think this justifies making it illegal, though. Alcohol makes you stupid, too (though perhaps more temporarily).
In Support Of Ilya Shapiro
A faculty letter, with a lot of impressive names.
The Religion Of “Liberals”
Unlike Gleen Greenwald, I use scare quotes because people who think and behave like this are the farthest thing from actual liberals.
Leaded Aviation Fuel
How to survive the transition to unleaded.
As more airfields adopt this policy, it could cause affect flight plans and significantly impact aircraft owners and pilots, especially those operating high-performance models.
Much like Tesla owners who now plan road trips based on the availability of charging stations along the route, flight plans will need an additional layer of forethought to ensure refueling at an airport still distributing 100LL.
The stakes are considerably higher with aircraft, as one does not simply pull over and wait for AAA to arrive with a portable charger when reserves dip dangerously low.
You don’t say.