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When we put a man on the moon, we were spurred to catch up & beat the USSR's Sputnik, which frankly shocked the crap out of the US.

Actually, there was little if any "catchup" to do. While Vanguard was the main effort by the US at the time, despite funding cuts Explorer was ready to go months before Sputnik.

By 1965, Kennedy had ballooned NASA's budget from $500 million to $5.2 billion (or 5.3% of GDP), which meant that about 1 in 19ish US jobs were geared to the moon landing.

If anything, that was the main effect of Sputnik. It really energized the scientific and engineering community and lit a fire under our collective asses.

Here Comes Sputnik! from the webpage I made 10 years ago at http://www.batnet.com/mfwright/sputnik.html
(and for you old guys with Mosiac and Netscape 1.1, you can see the blinking words of the defunct html blink tag). below some of the text:

The Russians launched the first artificial satellite from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan which demonstrated the technological superiority of Communism. They equipped the Sputnik with transmitters to broadcast on frequencies at 20 and 40 MHz so everyone will know it's up there.

Reactions by Americans:

- Many people did not know how to think of a satellite in orbit. It was too mysterious for them, "What is a 184 pound object in orbit?" "Are they looking down at us?"

- Engineering colleges were flooded with new students the following quarter. It was as if everyone was "joining the army" to take on the Russians in the New Frontier (the govt also provided a lot of funds for engineering schools to fuel new interests in engineering).

- Everyone on Johnston Island in the Pacific were issued sidearms to carry at all times. Johnston Island is so small it only has room for a runway and a hanger for airplanes.

- Students at Case Institute immediately became "Rocket Scientists" and stayed up many late nights discussing various methods of space travel.

- Jim Dawsons, science writer for the Star Tribune, wrote about how his third grade teacher was very nervous at the time. His school at Omaha, Neb., was just a few miles from the Air Force's Strategic Air Command headquarters. A fleet of F-100 fighters appeared in the sky coming right for the school. "MiGs!" the teacher shrieked. "MiGs!" She ran, hysterical, from the classroom, convinced they were about to be nuked by Russian fighter jets. The kids, mostly Air Force brats, ran to the windows to admire the F-100s, the coolest jet of its day.

- Politicians and editorialists began attacking the U.S. educational system for having fallen behind Soviet schools in training people in the sciences and other fields.

- Former President Harry Truman was moved to comment, charging the "persecution" of prominent U.S. scientists by Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the early 1950s had been a setback to the nation's development of satellites and rockets.

- Ross Perot became inspired by the Sputnik to create an electronics dynasty.

- After observing Sputnik, seven year old Franklin Chang-Dìaz of Costa Rica became infatuated with space travel and eventually became a NASA astronaut.

- Tom A. posted on the newsgroup about an American entreprenuer had a "Sputnik" gumball for sale at the local candy store. It was blue and had protrusions sticking out of it to simulate Sputnik's antenna, and it was delicious.

- CIA and other intelligence groups cut down a model of a Sputnik on exhibit at the Brussels World's Fair in early 1958 (a story heard by Paul Dickson, author of "The Shock of the Century")

- Rich Tweedie K6VKT (now a SK) as a high school junior was one of first ham radio operators to hear Sputnik before it was mentioned on American radio and TV news, though many others thought it was a hoax.

Many things happened after October 1957. Here is a brief list of what the United States did:

- Created NASA as the single agency to mobilize U.S. resources to beat the Reds to the stars.
- Created the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). The purpose behind ARPA was to research new technologies that where too risky to the private industry. In 1969 they created the ARPAnet to research transfer protocols between computers across systems, the predecessor to the Internet.
- Passed the National Defense Education Act.
- Aerospace companies began a new engineer recruitment campaign: All you need is a pulse and a degree.
- United States and Great Britain realign as allies.
- Homer Hickam Jr. and his colleagues created the Big Creek Missile Agency in West Virginia in response to the Sputnik.

It is very well known that there isn't a single 'cause' for migraines. What remains uncertain is what mechanism is causing the migraines. We already know that there are a multitude of triggers for migraine. What isn't understood is the how these triggers then all cause the arteries in the head to do something very painful, as well as cause neurological and systemic effects.

For your information, caffeïne withdrawal isn't considered migraine, as isn't a hangover. All three are considered 'vascular type head-aches', though. Changes in caffeïne intake (both up and down) can, however, cause migraines in people who are already prone to have migraines. The difference in symptomps is negligable, though.

(You seem to have been influenced by this: http://www.batnet.com/spencer/theory.html article but it isn't scientific in setup and says so right of the bat, pun intended. :) As the article states, there is no scientific study to differentiate the types more precisely so I'll have to go on experience on this one.)

To me, it seems ever more likely that there is a underlying vascular disorder. More specifically and completely unscientifically, I suspect there is a problem in how neurotransmitters interact with vascular linings.

Anyway, I'm also very interested in the 'hole in the heart' idea that is being kicked around and as soon as there have been more trials I'll be sure to look in to it. For now, bloodpressure medication has all but eliminated my migraines so I have time.

The first link from that search is fascinating. Cheers!

While researching the case of Air Pirates, I stumbled upon this article. It only proves that case-by-case analysis is the only currently workable method of evaluation and that the subject is so complex and varied that it cannot be encompassed on short exchanges of messages such as ours here on Slashdot. The complexity is indeed frustrating...

He's right about heroin - withdrawal is extremely unpleasant, and the drug changes the brain so as to cause the user to crave it. According to an article on caffeine addiction, "Nearly everybody -- 98 percent of the U.S. population1 -- regularly uses caffeine, an addictive drug with a withdrawal syndrome that often includes severe headache and nausea/vomiting."
It's not as simple as "Stop taking it, you moron!", but it IS as simple as "Don't start."

"Any non-encryption software that is made available for free (or at a price that does not exceed the cost of reproduction and distribution) to any interested party without restriction is defined by the EAR to be "publicly available" and not subject to any export controls. Thus, for example, if all of the software on a WWW page is freeware or shareware available for downloading by any party for free, there are no export compliance restrictions applicable to the software and there need not be any compliance procedures for such activities."

Actually, there's a plan for bailing out of the shuttle. It's not good durring ascent, or above a certain altitude (100,000 ft.?) durring reentry and aproach, but they CAN leave the craft.

The official NASA write up on it is here.

Here's a good diagram of it.

Here's a site with some good info on it, including pics of the tests that NASA did with the system on other aircraft.

A random image of a shuttle crew member training to bail out with this system.

And here's a wonderful article explaining it again with a step by step procedure at the bottom of the page.

I love Hot Peppers, and have been growing them on and off for a few years. They are hardy, cheap to buy and startout with, and if you love hot foods, you can learn that there's more then just Tabasco sauce and Habaneros out there. Check out a few links to see if it's for you
Pepper Joe's Seed Catalog (I buy all my seeds from him, they always give you FREE seeds with your order, great way to test and see if you like the flavor of a pepper you've never heard of before)
Pepper Joe's Gardening Tips
EXCELLENT hot pepper growing tips

Just remember the Top 10 things to do when starting pepper seeds:
1.) Never ever, ever, ever use peat pellets, peat pots, or potting soil that is mostly peat.
2.) Always give 80-85F daytime soil temp., and room temp. at night. Do not refrigerate!
3.) Always use a soil thermometer.
4.) Never use a non-organic fertilizer (i.e. Miracle-grow®, etc.) on seedlings.
5.) Never plant seeds more than 1/8 inch deep.
6.) Always let the soil surface dry slightly before re-watering.
7.) Always use the saltpetre solution on slower-germinating kinds, like the Tepin.
8.) Never use table salt.
9.) Never use bleach.
10.) Don't give up!--a lot of hot peppers take almost a month to germinate

There's been a lot of research into "space diving"; deorbiting with no surrounding spacecraft - here's a good page with a lot of information. Also, here's the existing Shuttle bailout procedure.

There's been a lot of research into "space diving"; deorbiting with no surrounding spacecraft - here's a good page with a lot of information. Also, here's the existing Shuttle bailout procedure.

First, every time we buy a blank CD, DVD, VHS, or even audio cassette tape we are helping them out. There is a tax which we, in the US, pay every time we purchase any of the above. We also pay it every time we buy a radio, TV, or even a computer. So - we lose.

Every time we rent a CD, DVD, VHS, or even game cartridge - we are (again) paying this tax. So we lose there also.

Should we buy a book, a script, magazine, newspaper, or the like we are probably still paying this tax. So we've lost again.

Finally, even if everyone in the US refused to have anything else to do with the RIAA or MPAA they are still powerful enough to have new laws passed. As in "Atlas Shrugged," by Ayn Rand, if they can not take our money legally - then the thing to do is to change the laws so they can take it legally. After all - laws are nothing more than rules by which we play and those who have the money usually get to make the rules.

Sorry if this shocks anyone but the truth is that it is only because we respected each other, had a unified common sense approach to things, a scrupulous populus, and the knowledge that if you did wrong you would be held accountable for it - that we have made it this far. The "Anything goes" way of looking at things, not holding people's feet to the fire for doing something wrong, and (as bad as it might seem) not being willing to put to death those who really are doing terrible things to others (like Enron's execs who have ruined hundreds if not thousands of people's lives) that has caused us to come to this. What these people are doing is, IMHO, treasonous. Look it up. The act of "Treason" is where two or more groups (whether they be people, organizations, corporations, or whatever) attempt to remove the rights of their fellow citizens. According to the texts it is their "intentions" which merit this stamp So ask yourself this - what are their intentions when they attempt to force upon you their yoke of slavery? What are their "intentions" when they try to sneak, like theives, laws into Congress which remove our rights and preserve or expand upon their rights. What are their intentions? Those intentions are to take away your rights.

Now, someone will probably say "You don't go around killing people just because they are trying to get laws passed." That's true. You don't. Normally. But this is different. It is different because they are not trying to get laws passed for the betterment of mankind or to right an injustice. No. They are trying to twist the laws and our country (Heck! The world even!) to their needs. To enslave it. To enshackle it to their beliefs. Just like some religious cults have tried to enslave others to their will. It is an evil thing to do and it will have terrible consequences if it is allowed to endure.

Even if they were only brought up on charges it would shake up the corporate world enough that many things companies are beginning to attempt to do through the rewriting of our laws would be stopped. Companies would think twice about trying to change laws so they benefit only them and remove our rights. Which brings up - why do groups think they can get away with this? The answer is - they have in the past. The difference is the internet. Whereas before there was this huge time lag between when something happened and when we knew about it - now it only takes hours or minutes for word to be sent and a transgression found out. The problem is still though the complancey of many of the people in our country. "Oh! I might get involved." some whine. "I don't have the time." another chats. "It's not my place." a third comments. If you don't stand up and write your congressmen/women then you are already shackled. You already bear their mark. You already curl up at their feet, lick their hands, and eat the crumbs they throw to you.

So as always the question is - what are you going to do about it? Wallow in the filth on the floor or write and demand that these groups stop trying to infringe on your god given rights!

here's a VERY intersting page on high-altitude skydiving...it's main focus is civilian HALO jumping, but there's quite a bit of very good information on space-jumping. includes Kittinger, the French dude, another woman who wants to jump from 130K this year, and lots and lots of space-escape systems. great way to burn an hour at work.

True, was about to naming Lem myself. Unfortunately some of his novels are little too close in the future or were, when he wrote them. In particular, I think of "The Astronauts" which he wrote in 1951. In German, the book's title is "Planet des Todes" and I'm not sure if it has ever been translated into English. At least it is not listed here. Well, the bottom line is, that the book, which deals with the topic of alien civilisations, space travel etc, was written 8 years before the Sputnik was launched, 10 years before Gagarin made his first flight! Well, the "mistake" was, that the book lists some "historical events", among others intercontinental delivery via rockets (Lem calls them "rocket trains") - supposedly happend in the 60's. When I read this book first somewhere in the 80's, I really scratched my head and had a looong look into my history books... :-) Otherwise, the novel is great, though. A typical Lem. Seems to me like this was one of the first books he wrote (if not the first one).

The full story is here

Seems to be the one here

Keep in mind that the US government doesn't care how much something costs. "A billion here and a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money." -- (US Senator Everett Dirksen, Illinois)

Anyway, the point I'm making is that the US government is much more interested in political power, and the abilty to effectively shut down tranportation facilities is a real potent tool. And it looks like it is in the interests of the US government (!= interests of the average citizens of the US) to keep this technlogy in the hands of the US military.

That and the technology to build a real competitor to the GPS satellite system is now available. Consider the costs over doing something like the Iridium, and putting up a competitor to the GPS satellites would be relatively trivial. Other than the fact that the GPS satellite uses a hyper accurate clock, it isn't all that much more complicated than the original Sputnik satellite put up by the USSR. It just transmits the current time and its position (with some accuracy references.) Ground stations are necessary to control the satellites mainly to make sure the clocks are accurate.

With the US government eliminating the intentional errors, they have dried up the market for all potential early users of a GPS alternative. I always thought it was a stupid thing to do anyway... deliberately engineer something to be less accurate than it could be. And introduce bugs and other problems in trying to cope with those intentional errors.