It is an absurdly low-cost rocket.
As Gwynne often says, “I don’t know how to make a rocket cost $400M.”
[Friday noon update]
Thoughts from Bob Zubrin on what this means for the moon and Mars.
Forget Boston Dynamics
Climate And Libel
Some thoughts on Michael Mann, the lawsuits, and the sad state of climate science, from Judith Curry.
[Update a couple minutes later]
Terrible: By awarding Mann as super-communicator, the AAAS is telling us that engaging in hyper-partisan gutter politics, targeted against Republicans and colleagues you disagree with, using unethical tactics is great.https://t.co/zA2HJF0tB3
— Bjorn Lomborg (@BjornLomborg) February 15, 2018
Colonizing The Moon
I agree that we have the tech to do this affordably, but I strenuously disagree with this:
The activities at this moon base would be focusing on science, as is the case in the Antarctic. It could provide an official U.S. government presence on the moon, and its motivation would be rooted in U.S. national policy—again as are the U.S. Antarctic bases.
To the degree that the focus should be on “science,” it should be about better learning how to live on the moon, and Antarctica is a terrible precedent, in that we aren’t allowed to exploit it for its resources. That’s also why the Outer Space Treaty itself, which was modeled on the Antarctic Treaty, is a problem.
Taking Offense
The less sense a rule makes, the angrier people get when you break it.
No, Leftist Professors
Libertarians (including Frederick Douglass) are not “pro-terror” or opposed to fair play. I run into this straw man on Twitter all the time (most recently yesterday).
Trump’s Infrastructure Plan
The good, the bad, and the ugly.
It’s always more fun to build new stuff than to maintain it. I discovered when I arrived late at DCA last week that the Metro isn’t running past 11:30 PM, probably so they can finally do long-needed maintenance on it. It’s long been a system run more for its employees than its passengers.
Four Megaprojects
I just finished an essay on space visions, including Krafft Ehricke. I forgot to include lunettas and solettas, but I’ll get a chance to take another whack at it, since it’s been delayed until the spring issue of The New Atlantis.
Susan Rice
Why she wrote an email to herself.
I continue to await Horowitz’s report. I suspect it will be a bombshell.
[Update a few minutes later]
The Trump and Clinton scandals are claiming a lot of bodies, at the Justice Department. I suspect that there will be some going down at Foggy Bottom, too.
[Update a few more minutes later]
Rice’s memo implies that Comey seriously misled the Senate about his meeting with Obama. In Comey’s rant about “liars and weasels,” he displays a serious lack of self awareness.
[Update a while later]
Carter Page, useful idiot.
I can’t recall in my life such a huge disparity between the media narrative and reality.
[Update after noon]
Last link was wrong, fixed now.
For Libertarian Valentines
Eight romantic classic films.
I have to confess to having seen none of them (and only heard of three: Key Largo, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Strictly Ballroom).