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NIAC Selects 2005 Phase I Winners
Pooua writes "The NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) has selected its 2005 Phase 1 awards winners. Two of my favorite winners from this year are 'Extraction of Antiparticles Concentrated in Planetary Magnetic Fields' and 'A Deep Field Infrared Observatory Near the Lunar Pole.' A brief summary of the awards is available at Spacedaily. The NIAC Website lists links to PDF articles of all their funded studies (past and current). Slashdot covered NAIC awards winners last year."
"Well, Bob, think about the title of the place. National Instute of Advanced Concepts. That's a clue, ya think?"
"All right, quit the sarcasm, buddy. Advanced concepts, huh? Like what? How to find the missing laundry sock, or where all my ballpoint pens go?"
"No, Bob, Douglas Adams already solved those mysteries. Nothing advanced about them any more."
"So like what? Here's a concept: Let's give out awards! Like it?"
"Uhhhh....lacks a certain something. Awards shows are a dime a dozen nowadays. Catch the MTV awards the other day?"
"Yeah, what a rush to see the Breakfast Club bunch again. OK, so what if we tweak these awards. Let's give them a funky name that will fool the ignorant. How about the Advanced Awards? Heh, nifty right?"
"Naaah, too obvious. How about the Stupendous Awards?"
"Man, you need to get out more often. No, we need something obscure....wait, I got it. We'll call it the Phase I Awards!"
"What's the Phase I bit about?"
"Beats me, but it sounds intimidating if you don't know better, and that's all that counts in science."
"Hehe, you devil you, I like it. Now that's an advanced concept!"
"Pass me the beer, willya"
Personally, I prefer the idea of controlling the global weather.
Putting aside the intricacies of controlling such a chaotic enviroment, the impact on an Englishman's typical conversation would be astounding.
Would we be able to adapt?
What would we talk about?
Dyslexics of the world are excited to hear about a new Apple product.
Apple introduces the new iNac and has selected 2005 Winners!
Oh what is it? Who won?
ack... As I read further on, it has nothing to do with Apple. But you did get me at first.
Because I didn't RTFA the headline grabbed my attention.
"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." ~Plato (427-347 BC)
Pfft... please. That wasn't even in my top 10.
Imagine the awesome bombs and stuff we could build.
Extraction of Antiparticles Concentrated in Planetary Magnetic Fields
sounds like a pink floyd tune....