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Voyager 1 Sends Messages from the Edge

dalmozian writes "NASA's Latest News about the Voyager 1 is being run on Sci-Tech. The Voyager has passed into the border region at the edge of the solar system and now is sending back information about this never-before-explored area, say scientists at the University of Maryland. From the article: 'Voyager 1 and its twin spacecraft Voyager 2 are now part of a NASA Interstellar Mission to explore the outermost edge of the sun's domain and beyond. Both Voyagers are capable of returning scientific data from a full range of instruments, with adequate electrical power and attitude control propellant to keep operating until 2020.'" The proof of crossing the termination shock was covered earlier this year but now we can see the actual data.

287 comments

  1. Wow. by doxology · · Score: 5, Funny

    Those roaming charges must be astronomical!

    --
    sigfault. core dumped.
    1. Re:Wow. by GillBates0 · · Score: 5, Funny

      On the other hand, the signal quality is stellar.

      --
      An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
    2. Re:Wow. by spoonyfork · · Score: 3, Funny

      Those roaming charges must be astronomical!

      $65+ million over the next 15 years to put a number on it. My mobile bill doesn't seem so bad anymore.

      --
      Speak truth to power.
    3. Re:Wow. by doxology · · Score: 5, Funny

      With that sort of cost, it would suck to cross the event Verizon and be pulled into a Cingular-ity.

      --
      sigfault. core dumped.
    4. Re:Wow. by hamburger+lady · · Score: 4, Funny

      still not as bad as my sprint bill.

      --

      ---
      Is this the MPAA? Is this the RIAA? Is this the DMCA? I thought it was the USA!
    5. Re:Wow. by DeadVulcan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      ...it would suck to cross the event Verizon and be pulled into a Cingular-ity.

      Where is that "+1 Funny-to-some-but- may-induce-vomiting- in-others" moderation I've always wanted?

      --
      Accountability on the heads of the powerful.
      Power in the hands of the accountable.
    6. Re:Wow. by Mozk · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Hahaha! The whole thread before you is hilarious!

      --
      No existe.
    7. Re:Wow. by FrankDrebin · · Score: 2, Funny

      With that sort of cost, it would suck to cross the event Verizon and be pulled into a Cingular-ity.

      That would certainly Sprint the charges it into the Nextel dimension.

      --
      Anybody want a peanut?
    8. Re:Wow. by lowrydr310 · · Score: 1
      Don't you mean Sprint-Nextel?

      Seriously though if you really are a Sprint customer, have you noticed an unusually high number of incidents where you try to place a call only to hear "We are unable to complete your call." I live in the New York area and usually can't make a call until the third or fourth try.

    9. Re:Wow. by PalmMP3 · · Score: 1
      On the other hand, the signal quality is stellar

      You mean interstellar.

      --
      Laughter is the best medicine, but in certain situations the Heimlich maneuver may be more appropriate.
    10. Re:Wow. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Who the hell uses Sprint in NYC? Try T-Mo or Cingular.

    11. Re:Wow. by NanoGator · · Score: 1

      "With that sort of cost, it would suck to cross the event Verizon and be pulled into a Cingular-ity."

      Didn't I see that on an episode of Star Tac?

      --
      "Derp de derp."
    12. Re:Wow. by MarkRose · · Score: 1

      No need to Telus Canadian cell users about it.

      --
      Be relentless!
    13. Re:Wow. by Afrosheen · · Score: 1

      This is news to me. Since when can you complete a call with Sprint service?

        Seriously, I live in Dallas which has radio towers for carriers everywhere, and I dumped Sprint about 3 years ago when their quality went straight down. AT&T is good so far but since they've merged with Cingular I get spotty calls...full meter sometimes and the call drops.

  2. And the message was.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Beam me up Scotty! :)

    1. Re:And the message was.. by AuMatar · · Score: 4, Funny

      Actually, it was "My name is V'ger".

      --
      I still have more fans than freaks. WTF is wrong with you people?
    2. Re:And the message was.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      its french

    3. Re:And the message was.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OMG. The monolith is full of stars!

  3. Top 10 List by AKAImBatman · · Score: 5, Funny

    My attempt at humor. (Stand back.)

    You might be an astrophysicist if:

    10. You only refer to the ninth planet as "Pluto-Charon"
    9. You constantly correct everyone that Pluto-Charon is sometimes the eighth planet.
    8. You've throttled someone for joking about "The Borg" when you mentioned Wolf 359.
    7. You are of the opinion that there are only 8 planets in the solar system.
    6. You get booted out of the family reunion for constantly correcting "scientific" conversations.
    5. You think that the slowdown of the Pioneer Space Probe is a more important mystery than the Pyramids.
    4. The last JPL probe burst at least 10 of your pet theories.
    3. You punched Neil Armstrong for "contaminating" the moon with human presence.
    2. You passed out before Neil's return punch landed.

    And the number one way to tell you're an astrophysicist is...

    1. You hold your breath in awe as a probe sends back data on inky blackness.

    Thank you, thank you! I'll be here all week! (Ok, ok. So the rest of the gags all sprung out of the number one "joke". Try not to groan too much.) :-P

    1. Re:Top 10 List by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative
      5. You think that the slowdown of the Pioneer Space Probe is a more important mystery than the Pyramids.
      Mystery no more?
    2. Re:Top 10 List by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Well, that's 30 minutes of your life you'll never get back.

    3. Re:Top 10 List by RatBastard · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Not to hijak the thread too much, but what "mystery of the pyramids"? People built the largest stone structures they could using the most stable shape they could find. Where's the mystery? And it's not even like they got them right the first time. They had at least one pyramid colapse because the angle was too steep, hence the resulting "bent pyramid" where they changed angles half-way up. And they started with a much simpler design of a series of stepped platforms on top of each other. It's not that hard to think that an engineer looked at that and thought "Hey! I bet we could add sloped sides to that and it would look really cool!" and acted on it.

      The only "mystery" is people being unwilling to understand the sheer number of men it took to build them. No one questions how the Great Wall of China was built, and it is a much more impressive engineering feat than the pyramids.

      --
      Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
    4. Re:Top 10 List by AKAImBatman · · Score: 1

      Dude. It's a joke. Relax.

      The "mystery of the pyramids" if you must know, is how they got the blocks in place. While there's a lot of hyperbole stating that "we can't even lift that much weight today!" (Yes, yes we can.) the truth of the matter is that we just can't figure out how they moved 3 ton blocks without the invention of the wheel.

      One of the more interesting suggestions was that they used kites to lift the blocks, but my own feeling is that the historical record is simply incomplete on the technology they possessed.

    5. Re:Top 10 List by Rei · · Score: 3, Funny

      8.5: You know that Charon was intended to be pronounced "Sharon"

      --
      ... in Siberia, where Putin killed a fish with a speargun. He later claimed it was killed by Ukrainian separatists.
    6. Re:Top 10 List by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      without the invention of the wheel

      Ah... not to intrude on your funny fest here, but the Egyptians did know the wheel. How old do you think the Giza pyramids are, exactly? Are you even referring to Giza, or to the older ones? Or are you just pretending you actually know what you're talking about?

      The Mayans are another issue altogether, since they knew the wheel only as a child's toy or in certain tools. How they moved those blocks from quarries to the construction sites (Tula, Uxmal, Chichen-Itza, etc) is a little harder to figure out.

    7. Re:Top 10 List by RatBastard · · Score: 1

      I'm not jumping your ass. I'm just venting my frustration that so many people (some of them even post here) beleive that there is some grand mystery to the Pyramids. Like the shape has some magical property or that they were influenced by aliens. People assume that people could not have been smart enough to build them, which is a laughable idea when you look at the things we build today.

      And you are right, the only real "mystery" is the exact methods they used to move the blocks. But there is no doubt that human beings did actually move those blocks.

      --
      Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
    8. Re:Top 10 List by AKAImBatman · · Score: 2, Informative
      That's not the claim that's made:
      Direct supporting evidence for any theory as to how the huge blocks were moved is sparse at best. To date, no text or relief (chiseled drawings) have been found describing how the Great Pyramids were built. Most Egyptologists agree that the wheel had not yet been invented, and the first recording of large blocks being moved with wheels is dated about 750 B.C.-some 2000 years after the Great Pyramid was built. The first wheeled transportation was introduced until the Middle Kingdom when the Hyksos brought chariots to Egypt between 2040 and 1786 B.C.

      There may still be argument over this as the wheel was invented about 3000 B.C. However, Egypt was supposedly quite late in getting wheel technology.
    9. Re:Top 10 List by AKAImBatman · · Score: 4, Informative

      That's one theory that's been suggested, but there are many more. While the RTG explanation seems most likely, many scientists hold to the idea that the RTG doesn't produce *enough* thrust to cause the anomaly.

    10. Re:Top 10 List by AKAImBatman · · Score: 1

      Good one!

    11. Re:Top 10 List by LWATCDR · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Even if they did have the wheel that does do not offer an easy answer to how they moved the stones. You would have problems with things like bearings and road surfaces. Sliding is a much more probable method. Remember wheels are only effect on smooth level surfaces.
      I believe that that many people think they may have used rollers of some kind if not pulleys.
      I find it odd that the Egyptians seemed to have figured out how to work metal, quarry stone, have a system of writing and government but had never seen a log roll down a hill? I would bet they had wheels. They may not have used them to move the stones but I bet they had them.

      --
      See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
    12. Re:Top 10 List by AKAImBatman · · Score: 2

      I'm just venting my frustration that so many people (some of them even post here) beleive that there is some grand mystery to the Pyramids.

      People also think we didn't land on the moon, and that the alien autopsy was a government cover-up. Don't let them get under your skin. :-)

    13. Re:Top 10 List by Richard_at_work · · Score: 1

      To actually lighten the mystery a little, only the outer blocks and casing blocks are large (3 ton), the internal structure is mostly made up of blocks 1 ton or less in weight. Since the vast majority of the blocks were cut on site from the local stone quarries, they wouldnt even hve had to cart them far.

    14. Re:Top 10 List by mindstrm · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Pivoting on fulcrums... using balancing, one man can do an awful lot of stuff with very little energy.

      I can't find the original page, but check out the video on exn....

      Backyard Stonehenge

    15. Re:Top 10 List by Thuktun · · Score: 1

      10. You only refer to the ninth planet as "Pluto-Charon"
      9. You constantly correct everyone that Pluto-Charon is sometimes the eighth planet.


      What, no complaints that they're really just a KBOs and not a planet/moon combination?

    16. Re:Top 10 List by AKAImBatman · · Score: 1

      That's joke #8: "You believe that there are only 8 planets."

    17. Re:Top 10 List by Fallingcow · · Score: 5, Funny

      Indeed, there are many theories. We should avoid intellecual stagnation by teaching only one of them. I demand that we teach Intelligent Slowing in the classroom! ... bye bye, karma :(

    18. Re:Top 10 List by AKAImBatman · · Score: 1

      Err... #7, not 8. Doh!

    19. Re:Top 10 List by thesandtiger · · Score: 3, Funny

      There may still be argument over this as the wheel was invented about 3000 B.C. However, Egypt was supposedly quite late in getting wheel technology.

      Really? I always play as the Zulus, and those bastards always seem to be a few steps ahead of me, tech-wise. You must play on Chieftan.

      --
      Since I can't tell them apart, I treat all ACs as the same person.
    20. Re:Top 10 List by hazem · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually, another mystery has to do with who actually built them and when. Many Egyptologists claim they were made around 5000 years. But a geologist, Robert Schoch (and others) noticed while visiting the Giza plateau that some of the erosion was water-erosion rather than wind. I believe records show that there has not been that much water on plateau in the last 5000 years. In fact I *think* the evidence is that water at that level and quantity was not on the plateau since at least 10,000 years.

      So, if the structures are there, and there is water erosion on them - and the water to do that erosion hasn't been there since 10,000, it indicates that the stuctures have been there at least 10,000 years.

      Schoch may be a crackpot, or maybe he misinterpreted the erosion evidence. But, the best the egyptoligists throw back is, "it cannot have been built 10,000 years ago because we know it was built 5,000 years ago."

      So, I would say, indeed, there is a mystery. Were they really built 10,000 years ago, and if so, who was there 10,000 years ago, and how did they do it?

    21. Re:Top 10 List by 0siris · · Score: 1
    22. Re:Top 10 List by LWATCDR · · Score: 1

      Oh don't get me wrong. I know that they didn't use mystical crystals, space ships, or giant ants to move the stones.
      I just wouldn't bet they didn't have the wheel even if we can not find proof of it. It may not have been in wide spread use but I bet they had it.

      --
      See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
    23. Re:Top 10 List by LocoMan · · Score: 2, Funny

      Last theory I heard was that they had help from the Gauls and some as yet unidentified strenght increasing drug

    24. Re:Top 10 List by AKAImBatman · · Score: 1

      Wrong millenium there, chief. Ramesses ruled sometime around 1200-1300 B.C. whereas the pyramids were built sometime around 2500 B.C.

    25. Re:Top 10 List by kyle90 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Isn't the Earth-Moon system also technically a binary planet? And in that case, shouldn't we be referring to the third planet as "Earth-Moon" (or even more appropriately, "Terra-Luna")?

      --
      Real_men_don't_need_spacebars.
    26. Re:Top 10 List by deesine · · Score: 4, Interesting


      For being a site for nerds, I'm surprised that only you and I have heard of Dr. Schoch's findings and his subsequent run-ins with prominent Egyptologists.

      For those unfamiliar with this man and his claims, go here.

      Indeed, there is more mystery to the great pyramids than "how did they put such large stones in place?". Check it out.

      --
      damaged by dogma
    27. Re:Top 10 List by austad · · Score: 2, Insightful

      To expand on this, a guy named Robert Graham has written a couple of books on the subject. He IS a crackpot with some of his theories, but, they are all based upon the pyramids being 10,000 years old and the evidence which supports this. He also mentions many of the structures in South America, interesting stories which have been passed down, etc.

      Personally, I think some of these guys that preach the 10000 year age of the pyramids are crackpots due to some of the other stuff they believe. However, their evidence is quite interesting, and it's much more evidence than the Egyptologists have. The bulk of the egyptologists evidence is writing on the walls inside the pyramids, the bulk of the 10,000 year evidence is geological and also references how the pyramids are laid out according to certain constellations and only matched up in 8000 something BC.

      The egyptologists are very set in what they believe and are unwilling to even consider they might have been wrong about some things.

      --
      Need Free Juniper/NetScreen Support? JuniperForum
    28. Re:Top 10 List by Ray+Alloc · · Score: 0
      5. You think that the slowdown of the Pioneer Space Probe is a more important mystery than the Pyramids.
      Actually it's an acceleration, and yes it is extremely puzzling.
    29. Re:Top 10 List by Nefarious+Wheel · · Score: 2, Informative
      the truth of the matter is that we just can't figure out how they moved 3 ton blocks without the invention of the wheel.

      Actually, they've solved that one. There were a lot of lemon-slice shaped bits lying around the sites that nobody had understood the purpose of, until an archaeologist noted that if you bind them to the sides of the block, they turn the whole thing into a sort of wheel shape. Draw a circle, then a square inside it with the corners touching the rim. Those four round sections you find lying outside the square are the shapes they found by the dozens. Wrap cables around the square bit in the middle and roll it up. Still a big job, but a lot less impossible that way.

      --
      Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
    30. Re:Top 10 List by firehawk2k · · Score: 0
    31. Re:Top 10 List by Skreems · · Score: 1

      Yeah, moving them isn't that big a deal... the precision with which the structures were built is, though. The great pyramid at Giza is still the most precise structure in the world by a factor of 10... and it's the largest structure in the world as well. So it's a question of not only HOW did they manage to build the most precise structure in the history of the species with only copper tools, but why bother?

      --
      Slashdot needs a "-1, Wrong" moderation option.
      The Urban Hippie
    32. Re:Top 10 List by Minwee · · Score: 1
      "To date, no text or relief (chiseled drawings) have been found describing how the Great Pyramids were built."

      Well of course not. Pyramid construction was a trade secret back then. The Phaoronic Copyright Office was never involved.

    33. Re:Top 10 List by Minwee · · Score: 2, Funny

      8.75: You can not only pronounce "Uranus" correctly, but say it with a straight face nine times out of ten.

    34. Re:Top 10 List by jc42 · · Score: 4, Informative

      Isn't the Earth-Moon system also technically a binary planet?

      Yeah, some astronomers have suggested that. The problem is, as explained in an adjacent article, the term "planet" has never actually had a proper astronomical definition. There's an IAU panel working now to settle the terminological debate. The current proposal is that "planet" by itself be delisted as an astronomical term. They suggest that a modifier be required before "planet".

      Part of the debate is that there's a significant crowd that objects to classification terms that depend on things that are not properties of the object. Or, at least, we should make a strict distinction between terms that describe an object, and terms that describe its relationship to other objects.

      This would mean, for example, that the question of whether Luna and Titan are planets or moons would be answered "Yes." They are planets that are orbiting another planet as moons. But others insists that they won't allow something to be both a planet and a moon.

      The Earth-Luna pair is an interesting case, because it's somewhat borderline. The common center of gravity is inside the Earth, but close to the surface. Another interesting bit of trivia is that the Lunar path around the Sun is everywhere convex (relative to the Sun) This means that it's more accurate to describe Earth-Luna as a pair that share an orbit around their common primary, rather than one orbiting the other.

      But it's all rather silly, because there's no agreed-on definition of "planet". The term just refers to a historical list that is looking less and less relevant with time.

      Anyway, stay tuned. Maybe the IAU will settle the matter, at least for those of us who consider their opinion important. Most likely, they'll just discard the term. If they do define it as an isolated term, the result will be a rewriting of the list of planets in the Solar System, as the current list is starting to look somewhat inappropriate.

      It's too bad that the universe isn't cooperative enough to fit into a classification scheme that someone invented a few centuries back.

      --
      Those who do study history are doomed to stand helplessly by while everyone else repeats it.
    35. Re:Top 10 List by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Zulus are the second-best choice (probably tied with the Aztecs). The Chinese have the best starting position. If you know what you're doing, you can't lose as the Chinese unless you have a lot of really bad luck. OTOH, if you can conquer the Russians quickly and get a few cities out of the conquest, you'll have won the game before 0 AD.

    36. Re:Top 10 List by shane_rimmer · · Score: 1

      From what I understand, the axis of rotation for the moon is inside the earth, whereas it would have to be somewhere in between the earth and the moon for the system to be considered binary.

      Of course, I am way out of my league even reading this thread.

    37. Re:Top 10 List by sharkey · · Score: 1
      We should avoid intellecual stagnation by teaching only one of them. I demand that we teach Intelligent Slowing in the classroom!

      Instead of spelling, I presume?

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
    38. Re:Top 10 List by Fallingcow · · Score: 1

      Given my topic, I'm gonna say that it was intentional for added humor value.

      And I'll quietly remind myself to preview more often in the future :)

      On another note, I usually don't like it when people say "there goes my karma!" and the like, but I honestly thought mine was doomed for the post being too far offtopic; I apologize for that, really.

    39. Re:Top 10 List by Xiaran · · Score: 1

      So it's a question of not only HOW did they manage to build the most precise structure in the history of the species with only copper tools, but why bother?

      Cause they didnt have TV?

    40. Re:Top 10 List by ItWorkedLastTime · · Score: 1

      I demand that we teach Intelligent Slowing in the classroom

      Nah, no need. The slowdown is because the elastic limit of the Noodly Appendage He snagged the probe with has been exceeded ...

    41. Re:Top 10 List by japhmi · · Score: 1

      Like the shape has some magical property or that they were influenced by aliens

      Duh, I saw this Documentary on how aliens really build the pyramids. I'm sure it's all true because it was on TV.

      --
      "Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys" P. J. O'Rourke
    42. Re:Top 10 List by Skreems · · Score: 1

      yeah... yeah, that's not really the answer we're looking for...

      --
      Slashdot needs a "-1, Wrong" moderation option.
      The Urban Hippie
    43. Re:Top 10 List by solarlux · · Score: 1

      That should be *His* Noodly Appendage... show some respect before He smites you.

    44. Re:Top 10 List by Call+Me+Black+Cloud · · Score: 1


      Wow...it looks like he hired the same web designer as the Time Cube guy.

    45. Re:Top 10 List by deesine · · Score: 1


      Uh, ya. That would be using the prison-raped-it's-so-lose definition of 'design'.

      --
      damaged by dogma
    46. Re:Top 10 List by Lucractius · · Score: 1

      i think they need something like the system in place with naming Organic Carbon chemistry.

      you got your Methan, then your Ethane, your heptane and octane, then you can specify the bonding sites, so 2,7 Octene with 2 fancy bonds. or somthing wonderfuly elaborate, 2,4,6 tri methyl 5 cloro 7,8 di boro 9 decane

      which would mean squat to a fair few, but to those that understand, completely describes the entire molecule and its bonding,

      planet, star, moon, all relative terms based on long held cultural stigma and beliefs. So bring on the damn systematic naming!

      prefferably avoiding any references to M class planets!

      I can imagine people wont like calling the earth a: Ferrus, Volcanic, Ecliptical (Orbits close to the ecliptic), Surface Aqueated, Body of mass (mass of the earth to 2 significant figures, [ to lazy to look up right now] ), Orbiting (reference to or simply repetition of, whatever the definition given to the Sun would be)

      yeah its long winded, but when you damn well want a total soloution, it helps. Just look at chemistry!

      --
      XML - A clever joke would be here if /. didn't mangle tag brackets.
  4. Voyager1 here, I've reached... by supe · · Score: 3, Funny

    the neutral zone and I'm frightened!

  5. In other words... by 0rionx · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...Voyager 1 is now in the interstellar DMZ. Let's hope no one starts shooting at it.

    1. Re:In other words... by E8086 · · Score: 1

      "...Voyager 1 is now in the interstellar DMZ. Let's hope no one starts shooting at it."

      too late...
      Officer: Captain Klaa, we have a traget in sight. A probe of ancient origin.
      Capt Klaa: Difficult to hit?
      Officer: most difficult
      Capt Klaa: good

      It's a good thing they didn't bring it aboard to examine it, then the Klingons would know where to find Earth.

      --
      F7 doesn't work, ignore spelling and grammar
    2. Re:In other words... by sharkey · · Score: 1

      Gooooooooooood Mooooooooorniiiiiiiing Outer Space!! We're rocking it from the Belt of Orion to Cassiopeia's nipples!

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
  6. Why are they cancelling funding...? by barawn · · Score: 5, Interesting
    I actually got to see this data presented at a cosmic ray conference this summer. There are a few things you have to realize:

    • This is the only astronomical shock we are able to study closely
    • There are a lot of things we don't understand about shocks
    • Voyager 2 is still working, with better instruments, and will reach the termination shock early
    • We're seeing things we never, never expected


    For instance, on the last bit, we expected to see cosmic rays from the termination shock, because shocks accelerate particles. We see them. But they don't appear to be coming from the shock. They're coming from somewhere else that we don't know. We see another set of cosmic rays (with a different spectrum) that we don't understand at all - we just call them "anomalous cosmic rays."

    Also, inside the heliosphere, Voyager 1 kept crossing magnetic domains (so a needle on a compass would swing back and forth) periodically. It was expected after the shock that those domain switches would keep happening, much much faster. That didn't happen. In fact, the domain switches stopped. We don't understand why. That doesn't make a lot of sense.

    This is our only probe and our only example of a large astronomical shock. It's full of information about how the Universe produces such violent outbursts like supernovae, or gamma ray bursts. We need to keep studying this.
    1. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by AKAImBatman · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Let me be the first to say, that is some excellent information, and is far more informative than the original story. Please wrangle Slashdot into posting a story if you hear any more.

    2. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by swb · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm not a scientist, and it seems weird to me that they would stop spending money on something that still works and gone someplace nothing else has. It just seems wasteful. And it's not like they can justify it by saying they'll have a replacement there tomorrow, either, since they won't.

      I also thought it was weird that they had to authorize more spending when the rovers were still working past their estimated useful life. You've got a remote control car on fucking Mars that still works and somebody wants to just switch it off? It reminds me of rich kids who throw out good toys simply because they're bored with them.

      I guess the space program has become just like any other corporate entity -- if it can't show glossy, short-term results that look good in :15 on the evening news, it's "not viable." Yay. Another triumph of modern civilization.

    3. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Why are they cancelling funding...?

      So they could build those huge, Category 5-safe levees that now surround New Orleans.

    4. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by barawn · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well, I can point you to the rapporteur talk when it goes up, but unfortunately, the conference was very poorly organized (it was in Pune, India - right by Mumbai, one day after the flooding - so that might explain some of it, although Pune wasn't really hit hard) and so I have no idea when it'll be up.

      Also, a lot of it is very technical - although really, it's just demonstrating that we don't understand how wimpy shocks work, much less strong shocks. The anomalous cosmic rays were a good example of "who ordered these?!"

    5. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by barawn · · Score: 1

      That'd be a really, really cheap levee. Funding for the Voyager probes is in the single millions.

    6. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by nerdygeek · · Score: 5, Informative

      Anomalous cosmic rays are particles accelerated at the termination shock. They are anomalous inasmuch as they have a different spectrum to the incredibly high energy cosmic rays that come from outside of the solar system. No-one knew what caused these particles originally so they were labelled "anomalous". In fact the unrolling of the spectrum of the ACRs was critical evidence that we had reached the TS. And I'm not sure what you mean when you say the energetic particles are "coming from somewhere else that we don't know"?

      Whilst there's lots about the TS that is suprising and exciting and that we don't understand, it is not quite as mysterious as barawn makes out.

      As for Voyager 2 - it has a fully working plasma instrument that will give direct measurements of the plasma temperature, density, pressure, flow speed and so on, something we didn't have for V1. Is was the lack of proper plasma measurements that led to some teams claming V1 had crossed the TS and then recanting these claims.

    7. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not because of some personal vendetta. He's cutting programs because he's increasing the amount the federal government spends (mostly Iraq but also new DHS funding and more recently the hurricanes). At the same time, he's decreasing the amount of money the federal government takes in via taxes. Which means either other programs need to be cut (being done) or the government needs to borrow more money (also being done). You can't have a war in Iraq and your tax cuts AND keep your silly astrophysic research.

    8. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by barawn · · Score: 1

      They are anomalous inasmuch as they have a different spectrum to the incredibly high energy cosmic rays that come from outside of the solar system.

      Wait, I mixed up the ACRs and the TSPs, didn't I? Whoops.

      In fact the unrolling of the spectrum of the ACRs was critical evidence that we had reached the TS.

      Yup, I think I mixed up the termination shock particles and the anomalous cosmic rays. I thought it was the TSPs that were seen to unroll, but the ACRs didn't, but now I think it's the other way around. It's in my notes, but they're at home.

    9. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by barawn · · Score: 1

      It also might help if I hadn't screwed up "anomalous cosmic rays" and "termination shock particles". In my own defense, it's their freaking fault for using ACRs for cosmic rays that we understand that come from the termination shock, and TSPs for particles that don't actually come from the termination shock.

    10. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by barawn · · Score: 2, Informative
      Hey, wait! I'm right! The ACRs do not come from the shock itself. They didn't unroll at the termination shock - see Ed Stone's Science paper here. Quoth I:

      However, in contradiction to many predictions, the intensity of anomalous cosmic ray (ACR) helium did not peak at the shock, indicating that the ACR source is not in the shock region local to Voyager 1.
    11. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by pixelpusher220 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The point is called 'budgeting'.

      You make an educated (hopefully) guess as to how long your 'rover on fscking Mars' will be operating.
      You figure how much it costs to run the rover and it's support systems for that time.
      You (hopefully) add in a percentage increase in case it runs longer.

      However, you don't budget double or more of educated guess on duration, just not realistic. So after the expected time frame the money is being used somewhere else and you need to apply for a reallocation to continue the misson.

      Now throw politics into the equation and well, good luck ;-)

      I'm definitely in the 'this is priceless data' camp and would continue funding this over almost anything, but it's just a realization that things are finite and need to be weigh against other choices.


      --
      People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
    12. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, the explaination is simpler than: if it can't show glossy, short-term results that look good in :15 on the evening news, it's "not viable." A little cynicism is good so long as you don't lose a grip on reality.

      You have to pay for the staff to man the controls, pay for the comand center space, etc, etc ,etc... Do you think that the funds for paying the staff magically appears? Paying to continue an old project will take away from the funds available for other projects (old and new). Let's call that the opportunity cost... NASA doesn't have an unlimited budget.

      Please, take some basic economic courses (or get a mortgage).

    13. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by Pchelka · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I was not involved in the decision to cancel funding for Voyager, but I have had some involvement in the process that NASA uses to review missions and decide which spacecraft operations to keep funding. I'm relatively low on the totem pole, so don't blame me if you don't like the funding decisions NASA makes. I don't always like them either!

      I suspect that some of the issues considered were the numbers of new publications from Voyager data compared to the more recent missions, the status of Voyager's instruments, and the ability of our ground stations to pick up signals from the spacecraft. These issues come up with any older NASA mission and are not unique to Voyager.

      I agree that the data from Voyager about the termination shock are important - this was one of the reasons why funding to operate Voyager has continued as long as it has. However, there aren't really a whole lot of data from the termination shock, so a relatively small group of people are studying this data. This means a lower science return for the money spent, at least in terms of the numbers of papers published using new Voyager data. Some of the more recent unmanned spacecraft are also in danger of being cut, and there are still hundreds of scientists around the world working on data from these missions.

      While it is true that Voyager is providing a unique data set, the data from this spacecraft are from older instruments that may not be running at their optimal capacity. We have missions with newer, far superior instruments studying other regions of our solar system right now. So which does NASA choose to keep operating - the older spacecraft with limited capabilities, or the newer missions with greater potential for science? When you look at it this way, it doesn't seem quite so bad to cut funding for Voyager, even though the recent discoveries from Voyager have been very newsworthy.

      One of the other posts claimed that the termination shock is the only astrophysical shock we can study so we need to keep funding Voyager. It isn't entirely true that the termination shock between our heliosphere and the interstellar wind is the ONLY astrophysical shock we can study. A shock in a space plasma is a shock no matter where it is, and they all are pretty similar. The same physical processes happen in coronal mass ejections from the Sun, at the Earth's bow shock, at the bow shocks of Saturn and Jupiter, and near the heliosphere's termination shock. The main differences between these shocks are the magnetic field strengths and the scale sizes of the shocks. Other than that, the physics is pretty much the same. So NASA has to make a choice - spend the money to support research on all of these other things, or spend it to keep an aging spacecraft going to study just one region of space.

      Don't get me wrong - I'm sad to see the Voyager mission winding down. It
      would be great to see more discoveries from beyond the boundaries of our solar system. Unfortunately, we can't keep Voyager going forever. We just have to leave some discoveries for future generations.

    14. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Borrowing money is the same as raising taxes on our children.

    15. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by Tim+Doran · · Score: 1
      It reminds me of rich kids who throw out good toys simply because they're bored with them.

      Yeah, what he said! Who's running things these days, anyway? (Clicky)

    16. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by Tim+Doran · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Don't get me wrong - I'm sad to see the Voyager mission winding down. It would be great to see more discoveries from beyond the boundaries of our solar system. Unfortunately, we can't keep Voyager going forever. We just have to leave some discoveries for future generations.

      I suspect that reversing a small fraction of the recent tax cuts for the wealthy could fund Voyager for a long, long time. Or heck, cancel the Alaska "Bridge to Nowhere". This isn't a matter of "we can't", it's a matter of "we choose not to".

    17. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Barring some dramatic advance in propulsion or faster-than-light travel (no, I'm not a believer), it's hard for me to see what a human presence in space exploration gets us.

      Except maybe this: It's a lot harder to cancel the programs before they're done...

    18. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by DerekLyons · · Score: 1
      I'm not a scientist, and it seems weird to me that they would stop spending money on something that still works and gone someplace nothing else has. It just seems wasteful. And it's not like they can justify it by saying they'll have a replacement there tomorrow, either, since they won't.
      The problem is that their is only so much bandwidth available on the DSN - priorities must be allocated between a lot of different users and probes.
      I also thought it was weird that they had to authorize more spending when the rovers were still working past their estimated useful life. You've got a remote control car on fucking Mars that still works and somebody wants to just switch it off? It reminds me of rich kids who throw out good toys simply because they're bored with them.
      When the original budget was written, there was only enough money included to run for the expected lifetime - so they had to go back for more. A budget isn't a blank check - and there is only so much money to go around. (Spare me the Iraq war rants please.)
      I guess the space program has become just like any other corporate entity -- if it can't show glossy, short-term results that look good in :15 on the evening news, it's "not viable." Yay. Another triumph of modern civilization.
      Has now become? It's been like that since Day Zero.
    19. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by Angry+Toad · · Score: 1

      This is the thing I don't understand about "killing" the program -

          What is the actual cost of downloading the data once in a while from the DSN?

          In a worst-case scenario can't this be done for bare-bones prices (a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars)?

          Cutting a multi-million dollar program would mean de-funding positions for PIs, postdocs, and whatnot, but couldn't the actual data still be gathered regardless?

          I've never received any adequate response to this question.

    20. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by nanoakron · · Score: 1

      Umm....how do you know the physics are the same?

      Because a model tells you so?

      Well then, why not send a probe to test that model out.....ah...bingo!

      So why are we cancelling the Voyager missions again?

      If that's your logic - we should just cancel all research missions we've developed models for. I mean, we all know aliens built the canals on mars right? That's a pretty good model...no need to test that one further.

      -Nano.

    21. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by Crouty · · Score: 1

      Damn, they even cancelled funding of your PSU homepage! SCNR

      --
      On se Internetz nobody noes your German.
    22. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by jonwil · · Score: 0, Troll

      Maybe if america stopped getting involved in conflicts and wars that are none of their business.

      They got involved in a civil war in Korea that was really none of their business.

      Then they got involved again in a civil war in vietnam that was also none of their business.

      Same thing with iraq.
      There was no actual evidence at the time when the war started that Saddam or iraq presented any threat to america or its allies (although there were a few people who wanted to make it look like there was to justify a war a lot of people didnt want)

    23. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by logicpaw · · Score: 1
      I'm not a scientist, and it seems weird to me that they would stop spending money on something that still works and gone someplace nothing else has. It just seems wasteful. And it's not like they can justify it by saying they'll have a replacement there tomorrow, either, since they won't.

      Every dollar you spend on some older spacecraft is a few seconds (milliseconds?) of some really really huge radio telescope's time (plus analysis of the resulting data, etc.) when it's not pointed at some newer space exploration vehicle which might be capable of returning an even greater quantity/quality of data about some equally interesting space phenomena.

    24. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nah, we'll just start invade some oil-rich nation like Venezuela.

    25. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by ajv · · Score: 1

      Or we could cancel the wasteful LEO human spaceflight and redirect funding from redesigning a finger of a single glove to keeping all these robotic missions alive, and fund and create missions which are too hazardous for astronauts to safely go to.

      We learn nothing by circling the planet a few thousand times. We learn basic cosmic science from robotic missions at a fraction of the cost. NASA's priorities are all wrong.

      --
      Andrew van der Stock
    26. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by Gulthek · · Score: 1

      Another triumph of modern civilization.

      In reference to the Mars rovers AND the snide comment about corporations: they are, they both truly are. We were able to land two robots on frakkin' Mars and get them to operate well past their life expectancy. We are a culture that loves shiny things that are easily explained and cool to see.

      Do you see how these two things are in direct correlation? No? Well they both result from the significant amount of leisure time that we, as a civilization, have. Our minds are free to pursue whatever interests us, and ignore whatever doesn't. Don't like it? Tough. Because you can't have one without the o-ther.

    27. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by barawn · · Score: 3, Interesting

      One of the other posts claimed that the termination shock is the only astrophysical shock we can study so we need to keep funding Voyager. It isn't entirely true that the termination shock between our heliosphere and the interstellar wind is the ONLY astrophysical shock we can study. A shock in a space plasma is a shock no matter where it is, and they all are pretty similar.

      No. Absolutely not. The termination shock is huge. It's something like ~150-200 AU across the heliosphere. We have no idea what the structure of a shock like that is. I said it's the only astrophysical shock we can study, and I stand by that - it's the only astrophysical scale shock we can study. CMEs are far too small.

      The fact that we're seeing things we completely didn't expect should tell you that. We do not understand the acceleration of particles at a shock. Coronal mass ejections happen in a few seconds. The termination shock has existed for millions of years. These are very different phenomena.

      Cancelling the funding for Voyager right now is simply idiotic. We just found out that a lot of assumptions we had about the termination shock are wrong, and there's another probe heading there right now!, with more instruments! In terms of science per dollar, there is no better bet right now than funding Voyager.

    28. Re:Why are they cancelling funding...? by DZign · · Score: 1

      People just have to learn that if they start something, they've got to finish it too..
      it's not much use cancelling it now because something new can be developed..
      send a new spaceship with better instruments into space.. only to cancel that too when it's half-way because they can start on yet another better one..

  7. Carbon units will now give V'ger the information. by loggia · · Score: 2, Funny

    The carbon units will now provide V'ger the required information. V'ger travels to the third planet to find the Creator. V'ger and the Creator will become One.

  8. Where no man by Orrin+Bloquy · · Score: 1, Funny

    It said something about needing a bald chick to merge with. No idea what that means.

    --
    "Made up/misattributed quote that makes me look smart. I am on /. and I must look smart."
    1. Re:Where no man by jpowell180 · · Score: 1

      I belive the good Reverend Eric Camden is also required in the reunification process - wonder if Annie will get jelous? Before he does this, maybe I could ask him to fix me up with Jessica Biel?

  9. Too bad they're going to stop listening by AdamBlom · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As mentioned on Slashdot in April of this year, NASA is planning to terminate funding to the Voyager programs. SpaceDaily has an article from earlier this year that says that funding is not available for the seven older missions (Voyager, Ulysses, Polar, Wind, Geotail, FAST and TRACE) beyond the end of NASA's fiscal year, which ends in October. Given the fact that Voyager only costs $4.1M a year, hopefully someone will realize that it's not really an effective cost saving measure before they pull the plug!

    1. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by Karma_fucker_sucker · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Here's another article about the funding cut.

      I just don't get it. Multi-billion dollar projects and/or pork just sail through Congress, but something that's actually producing some unique and useful (redundant?) data has to struggle for a few million dollars.

      Must...stop...now...rant...coming...on...and...p olitical...aaarrrrgggg!

      --
      Evil people don't think they're evil. - George Lucas, Making of Ep III
    2. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by FlynnMP3 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      To think that something manmade is at the outer limits or our solar system boggles the mind! Instellar distances are almost unfathomable, but now we have a small inkling of what they are. It would be great to get empirical data from that region.

      I am saddened to the extreme that useful, scientifically important research is going to be cancelled because of lack of funds. What makes this even worse is is takes so long to get out there, and these are the only 2 satellites that are close. Another opportunity won't come for decades!

      I am sure each research project has their own concerns and ideals, but COME ON! Can't this at least count for something?!? Just a little bit more to count in it's favor?

      *sigh*
      Now I am depressed.

    3. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by standards · · Score: 5, Funny
      Given the fact that Voyager only costs $4.1M a year, hopefully someone will realize that it's not really an effective cost saving measure before they pull the plug!

      Whoa! I think you need a SERIOUS reality check. Do you realize what one can do with $4.1 MILLION a year? You crazy space cadets only think of yourself, and not the needs of this country:

      1. We could rebuild Trent Lott's house in New Orleans
      2. We could give a federal tax rebate to a person that earns $15 million/year
      3. We could have a series of meeting with the oil industry executives - including a nice catered lunch
      4. The government could support a mismanaged airline for an entire day


      So before you just jump around throwing away our hard-earned money, please think of those in need.

    4. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by Skjellifetti · · Score: 1
    5. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by drsquare · · Score: 1, Redundant

      Why should someone who earns $15 million a year have their wages forcibly confiscated so some scientists can find something out that doesn't actually matter?

    6. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or you could bomb Iran as well as Iraq.

    7. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by Fulcrum+of+Evil · · Score: 4, Funny

      6. We could build one support beam for a bridge in Alaska that nobody actually wants.

      --
      "We returned the General to El Salvador, or maybe Guatemala, it's difficult to tell from 10,000 feet"
    8. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mod parent up! I'm pissed that most of my local taxes go to the big retard cities, when instead my taxes should be spent in my home town. Its the liberals that want to spend my money exactly where I don't want it spent and for good reasons. New freeway? Screw that, fix the road in front of my damn house, and sweep out all the illegals please! I don't need no lazy retard bums walking near my kids. They're all crack addicts.

      This country is a mess, and we should just do a cleen sweep and send them back to new mexico or louisiana or whereever. I'd willingly pay taxes for that!

    9. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by Suzumushi · · Score: 1

      Am I the only one that finds it somewhat disheartening that after all these years, nay decades, Voyager 1 is just now at the edge of our Solar system!? How are we ever going to get off this rock!?

    10. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by An+Onerous+Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      1) It's hard to tell when fundamental research will have big payoffs, and whether those payoffs will be solely academic or also economic. Before we accept your question, you have to show that the research "doesn't actually matter".

      2) Because the government needs to do things that "provide for the common defense," "promote the general welfare" and whatnot, and therefore the government needs to "forcibly confiscate" from somewhere.

      3) Given #2, it's hard to feel sorry for somebody when they'll still have $11M/year to live on.

      4) You're working under the simplistic idea that there is a perfect link between a person's economic value and their economic compensation. In the era of Carly-style CEOs, the evidence for the premise that wealth is earned isn't as strong as it might be.

      --

      You want the truthiness? You can't handle the truthiness!

    11. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by Anne_Nonymous · · Score: 1

      >> Do you realize what one can do with $4.1 MILLION a year?

      Eight chicks at one time?

    12. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by drsquare · · Score: 1, Troll

      Well, that's just tough. We don't live in an artificial communist age, peoplec an earn what they earn, you can't just come in and take it because you think they have enough already. Seems like you're just bitter so you want to confiscate it and spend it on giant space toys.

      Before we accept your question, you have to show that the research "doesn't actually matter".

      No, you have to show that it matters before you disrupt the capitalistic process.

    13. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If continuing the mission is so valuable and makes you so depressed go and start a not-for-proft corp, solicit donations, and gift the money to NASA.

    14. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by CableModemSniper · · Score: 1
      --
      Why not fork?
    15. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      3) Given #2, it's hard to feel sorry for somebody when they'll still have $11M/year to live on.

      Out of curiosity, when does the point start where they make "too much"?

      Personally, I think everything over $35,000/yr is too much, so if you make more than that, give the extra to me. Thanks, comrade!

    16. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by jonwil · · Score: 1

      The simple fact is that the fuding for projects like the latest air-force jet fighter goes into the profits of (and pockets of the executives of) big companies (usually with factories in the district of some congressmen who needs something to help them get re-elected). The funding for projects like Voyager doesnt end up anywhere that benifits congressmen so it wont actually get support.

    17. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by An+Onerous+Coward · · Score: 1
      You are tiresome.

      You asked a loaded question which contained two rather stupid premises:

      1) The research from this project "doesn't matter".

      2) Taxation is basically theft, and therefore immoral.

      Now, either justify your claim that this research "doesn't matter"--that is, it cannot have any long term educational or economic payoff (a difficult feat)--or withdraw your question in favor of one which recognizes that there are potential benefits to the research. Then we can discuss whether those benefits to society are worth inflicting the heinous thievery of taxation upon those poor, mistreated rich folks. As currently stated, your question is illegitimate, and not worth pursuing.

      "Why is it that naive, idealistic comments get modded up, but harsh realistic comments get modded down?"
      Maybe because the "realistic" comments you have in mind boil down to, "Want! Gimme! Won't share! Me, me, me!"
      --

      You want the truthiness? You can't handle the truthiness!

    18. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by drsquare · · Score: 1

      I haven't said 'gimme', I don't want to be given anything, I just want people to keep what's theirs without it being taken.

      I know this might be an unpopular opinion on Slashdot, but I don't like excessive government interference in our private lives, whether that be through censorship or property confiscation.

    19. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mod the parent up please!

      I too am tired of the government taking away from me. I don't care if it's cancer "research" or the war in Iraq, just don't f'ing tax me for it! I'll give what I think is right for me and my beliefs!

      I'm sick and tired of everyone's agenda to steal my money and put it in the hands of others.

      ALL taxes end up in the hands of fat cats - from defence contractors to giant pharmas to oil execs. To think otherwise is burying your head in the sand. Let us keep our hard earned money!

    20. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by argStyopa · · Score: 1

      1. We could throw money at 41,000 unwed, unemployed ghetto moms, allowing them to eat just enough to procreate another 410,000 fatherless children!
      2. We could pointlessly incarcerate another 1000 man/years of heinous murderers instead of giving them the capital punishment they richly deserve!
      3. We could start another 100 useless rehabilitation programs to 'cure' pedophiles before releasing them back into the community.
      4. We could fund another 10 minutes of research into Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, because it's a modern-day plague (that is not actually much of a threat to the general populace due to its spreading almost entirely by poor personal choices), but hey, it's affected the friends of a lot of famous people so it must be Really Bad (tm).

      Mod me down if you want (it's /. after all), but let's be honest and recognize that pork-barrel wasted spending goes to BOTH sides of the political spectrum.

      --
      -Styopa
    21. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by Profane+Motherfucker · · Score: 1

      Before we did all that, I'd for sure do two women. You can do that I bet at least 2000 times with 4.1 million.

    22. Re:Too bad they're going to stop listening by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dude, we're all on board with ya!

      Me, I'm tired of all this social program crap, giving away my hard earned money for unwed sluts having sex, giving government cash to church "programs", and friggin cancer and aids "researchers". Survival of the fittest! Why do we promote those who don't have a leg to stand on within our society??????? Why do my tax dollars have to promote these loser programs that obviously no right-minded person wants to pay for?

      I may not be a rich guy, but I do pay taxes on everything. Why do I have to pay taxes on a used car when someone else already payed taxes on it? Why are their toll roads when the roads have already been built? I even have to pay taxes on gas and electricity, when the corporations already payed taxes in the production process. It's freaked out alot, and no one wants to deal with it.

      what is shocing is that this continues with a repub congress... WTF????? Bush is a baddie, looking to give away even more to the loosers down in New Orleens. Again survival of the fittest city! Surprise it floods! abandon it and move to Oklahoma, losers. What are they gonna do, build a 100 foot flood wall around the whole city to protect those 41000 unwed hore sluts? Friggen stupid, and I cant believe the Bush would be such a pansie to support that kind of crap. I say Cheney for president, as he wont dick around (heh) and let that kind of waste happen. building a wall around a cess pool is stupid. bulldoze the whole place except for the high ground that survived. congress just cannot approve such a fucked up thing. then again, the signed onto the highway bill that gives about 1/2 of my taxes colected to dum projects like highway barrier technoology, 'safe' car technology, and bridges that'll just be swept away in the next hurricane or earthquake. Don't live in a friggen stupid place, stupid people! Move if you don't want to die, and don't want your government to pay you if your crap 2500ft prefab home gets flushed like a tiolet!

  10. I wonder... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I wonder if they're having a hard time figuring out if it's actually sending data or just nothing. I mean, is the blank data they're receiving much different than no signal at all?
    -Acercanto

  11. They don't make 'em like they used to... by RUFFyamahaRYDER · · Score: 0

    I'm amazed this thing has been out for so long and still sending back data useful to us.

  12. I can't be the only one by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 2, Funny
    Who thinks of it as V'ger.

    And I'm not talking to it until it returns Persis Khambatta.

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
    1. Re:I can't be the only one by sharkey · · Score: 1

      Naked.

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
  13. Re:Who cares.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    About some hunk of junk float aimlessly in outer space. Can't we talk about something more down to eart. Come on!

    How about we talk about your atrocious grammar? Is that down to Earth enough for you?

  14. Sadly by lateralus_1024 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sadly that message was: "A/S/L/Pic"

    --
    If you think /. comments are bad, check out Digg.
  15. Message... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ... CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

  16. Attitude Control Propellant ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    "...with adequate electrical power and attitude control propellant to keep operating until 2020..."

    Man.. yeah dont wont those things to get an ATTITUDE and get out of hand do we ?

  17. Voyager's message to the extraterrestrials by jzeejunk · · Score: 5, Informative

    from TFA The Voyagers each carry a message to any extraterrestrials they might encounter. Each messages is carried by a phonograph record -- a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth.
    To find out more about the message - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_Golden_Record

    --
    sarchasm
    1. Re:Voyager's message to the extraterrestrials by Errandboy+of+Doom · · Score: 2, Funny

      Oh I get it, that's why we need more manned space missions!

      If any extraterrestrials make unauthorized digital copies of the phonograph record, the RIAA needs some way to send its lawyers!

      LAWYERS... IN... SPAAAACE!

    2. Re:Voyager's message to the extraterrestrials by HogGeek · · Score: 1
      1977?


      Do we really want any extraterrestrials to see that era, I lived it and try hard to forget it...


      That alone may be cause for attack or destruction!

    3. Re:Voyager's message to the extraterrestrials by corrosive_nf · · Score: 0

      we always wonder how we will be able to keep information from medium to medium, yet nasa sent a fucking RECORD!

    4. Re:Voyager's message to the extraterrestrials by Almost-Retired · · Score: 1

      If any extraterrestrials make unauthorized digital copies of the phonograph record, the RIAA needs some way to send its lawyers!

      Now there's a thought. Unforch its considerably more expensive than driving school busses full of them into the ocean. Sure as hell, one of them wouldn't be full and somebody would claim the empty seats as waste...

      --
      Cheers, Gene

    5. Re:Voyager's message to the extraterrestrials by HeliumHigh · · Score: 1

      LAWYERS... IN... SPAAAACE!


      Well, I think we could do it.. but we would have to put all the Lawyers and Consultants and such on one craft, and then all the other other people on two more crafts which launch just a tiny bit later... Hey, we have to get rid of em one way or the other!

      And yes, woot for really obscure Douglas Adams references :)

    6. Re:Voyager's message to the extraterrestrials by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Q: What's a recorded disk in space?
      A: A good start.
       
      Q: What's the RIAA's stand?
      A: "We have a problem with that."
       
      Q: What's the RIAA's next step?
      A: Send a lawyer to space.
       
      Q: What's that called?
      A: Still a problem.
       
      Q: What's a 100 lawyers in space?
      A: Still a problem.
       
      Q: What's a 100,000 lawyers in space?
      A: A bigger problem.
       
      Q: What's a 100,000,000 lawyers in space?
      A: An even bigger problem.
       
      Q: What's all the available lawyers in space?
      A: Problem solved!!
  18. In related news... by adolfojp · · Score: 4, Funny

    VGER called... ...and he wants to speak to the creator.

  19. (redundant) by Karma_fucker_sucker · · Score: 1

    What I meant by that was "useful" being redundant to "unique". In other words, the can be useful without being unique. Or, ALL data is useful. Fury has made me retarded.

    --
    Evil people don't think they're evil. - George Lucas, Making of Ep III
  20. Go Vger...go!!! by PortHaven · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Er...I forget does anyone know which Voyager "Vger" was formed from?

    - The Saj

    1. Re:Go Vger...go!!! by jcuervo · · Score: 1

      Six, I think.

      --
      Assume I was drunk when I posted this.
    2. Re:Go Vger...go!!! by Dogtanian · · Score: 2, Informative

      Six it is.... which took me about fifteen seconds to check on Google.

      According to wikipedia, it was launched in the 1980s or 1990s; I've a funny feeling the film must have said the "late 20th century", though I can't remember for sure, but we're certainly behind schedule. By the time we've launched Voyager 6 and got it back, Persis Baldgirl isn't going to worth getting taken over.

      Seriously, a pretty good film; less "Star Trekky" than the others IMHO, which might be why some hardcore fans dislike it (I'm not that big a fan of the original series, personally).

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    3. Re:Go Vger...go!!! by jamstar7 · · Score: 1

      I never was able to stay awake thru the whole movie. As some of my buddies remarked, it was 5 minutes of rip-roaring action jam-packed into 2+ hrs of movie.

      --
      Understanding the scope of the problem is the first step on the path to true panic.
  21. Still Running Huh by Nom+du+Keyboard · · Score: 2, Funny

    Still running, huh. At what point does Voyager go out of warrenty?

    --
    "It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
    1. Re:Still Running Huh by David+Horn · · Score: 1

      It's still in warranty, but you have to return it to the shop before you get your refund....

      --
      PocketGamer.org - For the gamer on the go!
    2. Re:Still Running Huh by Tony+Hoyle · · Score: 1

      I'm pretty sure losing it in the delta quadrant isn't covered...

  22. V'ger has found the Kirk by infonography · · Score: 1

    Now V'ger will voyage on and catch up with original episodes. Your doom is now postponed. Postponed until the Next Generation.

    Now to take a break and find Star Trek, the Pepsi Generation.

    --
    Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
  23. Re:Carbon units will now give V'ger the informatio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    seems like V'ger has been obsoleted by the Borg in the mind of the Carbon units...

  24. Their Message: by dcapel · · Score: 1, Funny

    So long, and thanks for all the solar cells!

    --
    DYWYPI?
  25. "particle intensity" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Those aren't particles, that's an asteroi...@#$&)@#% {NO CARRIER}

  26. i 0\/\/n0rZ t3h \/()j463r! woooot! by Dogtanian · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Let's /. the voyager!

    I thought about something along those lines a while back. More specifically, with most space probes, what's stopping a malevolant third party from sending their own control transmissions to a probe, and making it do their bidding?

    My guess is that they might include some precautions nowadays, but what of probes from a few years back?

    --
    "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    1. Re:i 0\/\/n0rZ t3h \/()j463r! woooot! by theurge14 · · Score: 1

      Since they run on 1970s era 8-track players, they're protected by old school DRM schemes from the RIAA.

    2. Re:i 0\/\/n0rZ t3h \/()j463r! woooot! by Thanatopsis · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yeah sure all we need is a deep space antenna and we will total own it. Oh yeah I don't have one of those.

    3. Re:i 0\/\/n0rZ t3h \/()j463r! woooot! by Dogtanian · · Score: 1

      Yeah sure all we need is a deep space antenna and we will total own it. Oh yeah I don't have one of those.

      Funny, perhaps. But insightful?!!

      The fact that *you* don't have the resources doesn't alter the fact that many foreign governments probably do.

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    4. Re:i 0\/\/n0rZ t3h \/()j463r! woooot! by Snoolas · · Score: 1

      OMG! The communists are going to get us!

    5. Re:i 0\/\/n0rZ t3h \/()j463r! woooot! by Mr2cents · · Score: 1

      If you really want to, you can probably 0wn a satellite.

      BUT

      If the feds really want to, they can probably track you down and give you a wedgie.

      --
      "It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey
    6. Re:i 0\/\/n0rZ t3h \/()j463r! woooot! by forkazoo · · Score: 1

      It'd be interesting to see an approach like SETI@Home, where small dishes scattered across the world would be used collectively to send/recieve information. I don't know how specialised of a dish you need to do it, but surely there must be some way to do it with lots of commodity hardware? People would all need to point their dishes at a specific angle, and hook them to a PC, but there must be thousands od dishes in the US that could be put to such ends?

      Just because NASA stops operations doesn't mean the probe will just disappear.

    7. Re:i 0\/\/n0rZ t3h \/()j463r! woooot! by Ernesto+Alvarez · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The fact that *you* don't have the resources doesn't alter the fact that many foreign governments probably do.


      And what would be the benefit of pwning a voyager probe?

      If some government screwed one of the probes and told everyone how 1337 they are, do you think it would improve their reputation?

      Being called "The bunch of idiots who ruined Voyager 1" wouldn't be precisely the publicity a government would like.

      (I wonder from how many organizations their scientists would be kicked out for pulling a stunt like that)

    8. Re:i 0\/\/n0rZ t3h \/()j463r! woooot! by Dogtanian · · Score: 1

      And what would be the benefit of pwning a voyager probe?

      Credibility amongst the Slashdot crowd. *cough*

      Seriously, it was just an idea. But since you raise the point, I'm sure that someone out there can figure out what they want out of it, and it's naive to assume that every government is concerned about their reputation.

      If I was designing a probe, I'd incorporate a reasonable level of protection against this kind of thing into it. Who the hell knows where we'll be in 20 years time?

      I wonder from how many organizations their scientists would be kicked out for pulling a stunt like that

      Yes, but if they lived under a repressive regime, they'd get to stay in the "You and your family don't get shipped off to the gulags" organization; an important one to be a member of.

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  27. Forgive my ignorance... by soft_guy · · Score: 1

    7. You are of the opinion that there are only 8 planets in the solar system.

    What does this refer to? Do some astronomers think one of the planets is technically a comet or something?

    --
    Avoid Missing Ball for High Score
    1. Re:Forgive my ignorance... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This probably refers to how it is debatable if Pluto is a planet.

    2. Re:Forgive my ignorance... by AKAImBatman · · Score: 2, Informative

      Well, we know that you're not an astrophysicist. :-P

      Do a little reading on Pluto, and you should understand. There's a huge debate about the whole "is it a planet, is it not a planet, it's just too small, but then what is a continent", etc.

    3. Re:Forgive my ignorance... by soft_guy · · Score: 1

      OK, but before I asked I didn't even know which planet someone might argue wasn't a planet. I had guessed that it was probably either Pluto, Mercury, Earth, or somehow had something to do with the asteroid belt.

      --
      Avoid Missing Ball for High Score
    4. Re:Forgive my ignorance... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Completely offtopic: What the BLOODY HELL is "Im" doing between AKA and Batman? If you were a baby, I'd be tempted to shake you. Vigorously.

    5. Re:Forgive my ignorance... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You mean you don't know? *Snickers*

    6. Re:Forgive my ignorance... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some astronomers (even in addition to just so-called astronomers) like to pretend that the concept of a planet makes somehow sense, thus getting into endless discussions of whether whatever entity X is a planet or not.

  28. morale by kangman · · Score: 1

    has adequate "attitude". Didn't know that NASA put out sassy space craft.

    --
    sig here
  29. Just imagine by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    If we would have to do it over again we would not even be able to decide on putting on a golden HDVD or Blue-Ray disk...

    1. Re:Just imagine by jjoyce · · Score: 2, Funny

      And the aliens would be asking themselves, "Why the fuck do we have to sit through 15 minutes of commercials?"

    2. Re:Just imagine by throbbingbrain.com · · Score: 1

      Plus a shrink wrap license and a copy of the DMCA.

    3. Re:Just imagine by sinewalker · · Score: 1

      Which might be interpreted as an hostile threat! Thank goodness it was launched in the seventies!

      --
      “Our opponent is an alien starship packed with nuclear bombs. We have a protractor.” — Neal Stepnenso
  30. Lifetime warrenty by shotfeel · · Score: 1

    I believe it has a lifetime warrenty.

    You just have to pay shipping and handling.

  31. The text of it's message: by !splut · · Score: 3, Funny

    "My God, it's full of stars!"

    --
    The angel in the oatmeal.
  32. How government works by Mr.+Underbridge · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I also thought it was weird that they had to authorize more spending when the rovers were still working past their estimated useful life. You've got a remote control car on fucking Mars that still works and somebody wants to just switch it off? It reminds me of rich kids who throw out good toys simply because they're bored with them.

    Ya gotta understand how government works. It's not that someone was actively trying to get these projects defunded - it's just that there was no money allocated for that, since no one anticipated they'd still be working. And since all government work has to be charged to specific accounts, someone would have had to redo that, or else the project would have had no way to spend any money.

    In other words, this is a matter of bureaucracy, not malignance.

    1. Re:How government works by johnalex · · Score: 1

      In other words, never attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetent bureaucracy.

      --
      JA
      http://www.johnalex.org/
    2. Re:How government works by mrchaotica · · Score: 1
      In other words, this is a matter of bureaucracy, not malignance.
      Eh, same difference!
      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    3. Re:How government works by pu'u_bear · · Score: 1

      However, you are ignoring a very important point.

      The bureaucracy IS a malignance, right up there with the incredibly short term view which our government uses in all its "planning".

      --
      --You're BOTH right. It's a floor wax AND a desert topping!
    4. Re:How government works by Knuckles · · Score: 2, Insightful

      And while often annoying, let's not forget that this is a consequence of the basic principle that the executive may only act on the basis of law, without which bureaucratic oppression occurs.

      --
      "When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns
  33. Voyager 1 Sends Messages from the Edge by lateralus_1024 · · Score: 5, Funny

    How does Bono feel about this?

    --
    If you think /. comments are bad, check out Digg.
  34. Charon by modecx · · Score: 1

    Is that Sharon as in "My Sharon-a" or "Ariel Sha-ron"?

    Da da dah dah dah. Is it sad that I see Janet Reno groovig to that? Why, yes, I think so.

    --
    Constitutional rights may be respected, repealed, or modified; but they must never be ignored.
  35. Don't They? by dsci · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Both Mars rovers have exceeded expected life AND generated a lot of useful, intriguing data. That's a purty good record, too.

    --
    Computational Chemistry products and services.
    1. Re:Don't They? by RUFFyamahaRYDER · · Score: 1

      This shouldn't be marked off-topic... wtf? Space exploration is space exploaration people. Anyway, I was referring to our space crafts not so good record, but good point about the Mars rovers.

    2. Re:Don't They? by iamlucky13 · · Score: 1

      If you're suggesting that we didn't have rockets blow up or have probes miss their marks back in the 70's when the Voyager's were launched, you should start reading again. I suggest you start by reviewing the last 35 missions to Mars

  36. mod parent up too funny! by che.kai-jei · · Score: 0, Redundant

    see subject.

    that is all.

  37. Veeger, is that you? by Fastball · · Score: 1

    *goes browsing for bald-headed chick porn*

    1. Re:Veeger, is that you? by Qui-Gon+Jinn · · Score: 1

      why did i read this as 'bald-headed chicken porn?'

      i listened to too much manson in college...

  38. I know why.. I know why by zappepcs · · Score: 1

    I know why they are cancelling funding... NASA doesn't have any bald chicks, so when they saw the movie, they knew that Voyager had to be stopped... Since no one can reach the power switch, we'll just ignore it till it returns and wants to meet the creator.

  39. From an old SNL skit... by Globby · · Score: 1

    "Send more Chuck Berry."

  40. Kuiper belt by Pchelka · · Score: 2, Informative

    There has been controversy over Pluto's status as a planet for several years. Many scientists now believe that Pluto should be more properly classified as the largest Kuiper Belt Object ever found. This is due to Pluto's size, its unusual composition, and odd orbit. Pluto's orbit is actually sort of like that of a Kuiper Belt object. Some comets do come from the Kuiper Belt, but I don't think people would actually classify Pluto as a comet because its orbit never takes it close enough to the Sun for Pluto to develop the classic comet tail.

  41. SAy... by mayhemt · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Hi to Zaphod .. ooh tell Marvin that his brain is being GPLed on earth i.e. Alpha3ZoneDelta

  42. FOS by oliverthered · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Couldn't they just open source Voyager and get a number of nations to fork the bill?

    --
    thank God the internet isn't a human right.
    1. Re:FOS by oliverthered · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well, I'm going to defend my self.

      I'm also that that $4.5M doesn't just go on the cost of a radio telescope to pick up signals from Voyager and that the path of Voyager is not going to change by NASA intervention.

      I'm also assuming that Voyager is important to more than just the US (I'm certainly interested in it), so if the US doesn't want to pay for voyager anymore why don't they open it up to the rest of the world.

      Now that's a lot of assumptions but I think there more-or-less correct, and if so then it is possible to have various contries all chipping in there little bit, say two contries split the task of recovering data, a nother couple split the task of processing the data etc.... A lot of scientific studdies work that way at the moment, just look at the Human genome project.

      That's the way open sources works, by distributing the load though openness.

      --
      thank God the internet isn't a human right.
    2. Re:FOS by Zen+Punk · · Score: 1

      Due to your rather...confusing sentence structure, I'm not exactly sure what you just said. I would like to correct an assumption you seem to have made. $4.5mil doesn't pay for a radio telescope to receive signals from Voyager. That's the cost of the project for one year, including radio time, staff, etc. Building a radio network like the DSN that could receive signals from something that far out would cost at least an order of magnitude more than that, and I can't think of any country who would undertake such a massive project to save some 30-year-old NASA mission.

      --
      Sleep is futile.
  43. Big stuff in the Kuiper belt by spaceyhackerlady · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Many scientists now believe that Pluto should be more properly classified as the largest Kuiper Belt Object ever found.

    Even that is debatable, if the figures on 2003 UB313 are anywhere near correct. If it's as shiny as white snow, it's bigger than Pluto. If it's darker, it's bigger still.

    ...laura

  44. Re:Who cares.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How about we talk about your atrocious grammar?

    I don't think his grammar is atrocious; she gives pretty good head.

  45. She's Dead Jim... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For those not in the know (I'm assuming parent knew).

    http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001422/

  46. Last image from Voyager... by payndz · · Score: 3, Funny
    ...was of a green, somewhat bird-of-prey shaped spacecraft bearing down upon it in a threatening manner.

    [Waits for someone even more geeky than me to point out that Klaa blew up one of the Pioneer probes...]

    --
    You must think in Russian.
    1. Re:Last image from Voyager... by Typingsux · · Score: 1
      How about the fact that even 500 years from now the craft wouldn't make any significant progress to even be near Klingon space?

      --
      The above post is an editorial, the poster cannot and will not be held responsible for all or in part for it's contents
    2. Re:Last image from Voyager... by Dachannien · · Score: 1

      That's okay, we learned from Enterprise that Klingon space is about four days away from Earth, and that's only at warp five. Klaa flying from the Klingon homeworld to blast our space junk would be like going out for a Sunday drive, and from there, the Great Barrier is just around the corner!

    3. Re:Last image from Voyager... by HeliumHigh · · Score: 1

      HEY! Klaa blew up one of the Pi...

      Ahh, screw it.

  47. This is a matter of bureaucracy, not malignance by oliverthered · · Score: 1

    When bureaucracy causes problem like this it is malignant.

    Just like a sensible person the Government should always try to keep a little cash to one side for the unexpected. But then again I suppose that all the 'spare' money has gone on Iraq which probably didn't help the response to Katrina too much and the response to Katrina defiantly seemed malignant, malignant by bureaucracy, negligence and ignorance a quality many Governments seem to have.

    --
    thank God the internet isn't a human right.
    1. Re:This is a matter of bureaucracy, not malignance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That "spare" money went away after the 2001 inaugeration. That surplus went out the window real fast, and this was all pre-9/11, pre-Iraq, etc (and, of course, post-tax cuts).

    2. Re:This is a matter of bureaucracy, not malignance by oliverthered · · Score: 1

      Ok, I know that Government (except Clinton I suppose) always have a budget deficit. If I were running the Government (which, luckily for everyone, I very much doubt will ever happen) I would make as sure as hell that the budget came in under so that I could throw a few sweeteners around when it come to getting re-elected if nothing else. (This is even more usefull in countries like the UK where the 'leader' can run the country for more than two election periods).

      Common sense and governance may rhyme but they seem to completely defy one another.

      --
      thank God the internet isn't a human right.
    3. Re:This is a matter of bureaucracy, not malignance by Mr.+Underbridge · · Score: 1
      That still shows a lack of understanding of how it works. What form does this fund take? Who gets to access it? Who decides who accesses it? How is it accessed?

      The money was available, as evidenced by the fact that the programs in question are still running - the people responsible went through the necessary channels and got it done.

      There is no real alternative, other than readily available cash with little to no oversight, and that would be a disaster of mismanagement and embezzlement.

      Beauracracy is the ultimate result of this country's desire to have a strong central government overseeing a populace of 300 million people. There isn't really anyone to blame here. The only alternative is to return power to the state and local governments, which is associated with assorted advantages and disadvantages.

    4. Re:This is a matter of bureaucracy, not malignance by oliverthered · · Score: 1

      Clinton managed to keep the budget in surplus and used the money for the social security fund, you could do something similar where the surplus at the end of the year get put into the social security fund.

      As for who gets access well, the funding could be used for states of emergency, other exceptional events or events of special scientific intrest (Like the Hubble telescope needing a replacement mirror, funding for the mars rovers or the Voyager mission), and I'm sure there are other worthy causes.

      --
      thank God the internet isn't a human right.
    5. Re:This is a matter of bureaucracy, not malignance by Mr.+Underbridge · · Score: 1
      Clinton managed to keep the budget in surplus and used the money for the social security fund, you could do something similar where the surplus at the end of the year get put into the social security fund.

      You don't understand - this is not about surplus/deficit. It's not about how much money exists, but rather shuffling it around between appropriation. This is a red tape problem.

      As for who gets access well, the funding could be used for states of emergency, other exceptional events or events of special scientific intrest (Like the Hubble telescope needing a replacement mirror, funding for the mars rovers or the Voyager mission), and I'm sure there are other worthy causes.

      Yes, about a billion, and the definition of emergency is subjective enough to be a joke. What you're describing is fiscal anarchy. There have to be processes for making budget appropriations, and for large expenidtures it takes time to get money re-directed. This should not be a surprise, it's just the way the government - and really, any large organization - works.

    6. Re:This is a matter of bureaucracy, not malignance by oliverthered · · Score: 1

      You don't understand - this is not about surplus/deficit. It's not about how much money exists, but rather shuffling it around between appropriation. This is a red tape problem.

      Please explain, (Under Clinton the tax income rose creating more money)

      Yes, about a billion, and the definition of emergency is subjective enough to be a joke.

      Sure there are going to be lots of things that want a slice of the cake, just like there are all the pretty things in the shops I would like to buy, and it's all about prioritizing. Instead of borrowing money to support natural disasters isn't it better to save a little, so that unexpected things like the Mars rovers lasting a little longer can be take account of more easily.

      What you're describing is fiscal anarchy.
      Not really, but isn't anarchy supposed to be the ideal form of Government?

      There have to be processes for making budget appropriations, and for large expenditures it takes time to get money re-directed.
      Yes, but with a fund it would take less time

      This should not be a surprise, it's just the way the government - and really, any large organization - works.
      Hmm.. not so true, some companies make large expenditures from time to time and then amortize the debt so that the tax breaks come across a number of years as a way of saving / budgeting.

      --
      thank God the internet isn't a human right.
    7. Re:This is a matter of bureaucracy, not malignance by Mr.+Underbridge · · Score: 1
      Please explain, (Under Clinton the tax income rose creating more money.

      I'll put this very simply - the problem is not one of the actual money possessed by this country, but of red tape preventing the money getting from who is in charge of it to who needs it. These problems specifically have nothing to do with the deficit/surplus.

      Sure there are going to be lots of things that want a slice of the cake, just like there are all the pretty things in the shops I would like to buy, and it's all about prioritizing. Instead of borrowing money to support natural disasters isn't it better to save a little, so that unexpected things like the Mars rovers lasting a little longer can be take account of more easily.

      Again, the problem is the system. You speak of government and finances like there's one person in control who writes a check. This does not occur. There is a massively complicated bureaucracy in charge, and the proper procedures need to be followed. In this case, the proper thing to do was for the researchers to submit the proper paperwork and such when they realized the rover would last longer than they expected. I expect that's what happened - so what's the problem? The money got there, the program still runs.

      Not really, but isn't anarchy supposed to be the ideal form of Government?

      I'll assume that's a joke. And yes, what you're describing is anarchy. The way it works - and has to - is that Congress makes high-level appropriations to organizations, who make appropriations to smaller organizations, etc. until eventually it makes its way to the people who need it. If those people need more money, they work the chain back up. However, it's not possible for a central group to make every decision regarding fincances. There's just too many - the Soviet Union proved that strong centralized planning doesn't work. It doesn't meet the needs of the people using the money/goods.

      Yes, but with a fund it would take less time

      No it wouldn't, because using a single fund to run the entire government would be a complete disaster. They have a fund now. They have many funds. That's how government works.

      Hmm.. not so true, some companies make large expenditures from time to time and then amortize the debt so that the tax breaks come across a number of years as a way of saving / budgeting.

      That's not the same thing as the budget requesting process. How they amortize the money is irrelevant.

      Bottom line is I think you have dramatically confused the processes of budget balancing and money distribution. The bureaucratic quagmire faced here is largely one of money distribution, not acquisition. All of what you're suggesting - the establishment of special funds, etc - is already done, or else government would move much more slowly than it already does. But in the end, there are a ton of special funds, because you certainly can't run the entire US government like you would your household checkbook.

    8. Re:This is a matter of bureaucracy, not malignance by oliverthered · · Score: 1

      Bottom line is I think you have dramatically confused the processes of budget balancing and money distribution.

      I think you've over stretched my idea (Using a single fund to run the entire government would be a complete disaster.), I'm sure others would also try to overstretch the idea but they go to the bottom of the pile next time. Red tape is always a problem with everything (except an anarchy, so I suppose it isn't really an anarchy) but if there's a fund available then it makes the red tape a little less.

      As a example: if you live in a block of flats and the roof blows of one day there is a fund (made up from part of the ground rent) to fix the roof. The fund is also used for all kinds of other things and people can request that things are done (Like planting a few flowers), but I'm sure that fixing the roof that has blowing off will manage to cut though all the red tape pretty quickly. There is only one fund for the flats, and some of it is budgeted (cleaning the windows, hovering the communal hall way, planting flowers etc....) and some of it is reserved for emergencies or major works (like fitting double glazing)

      --
      thank God the internet isn't a human right.
    9. Re:This is a matter of bureaucracy, not malignance by Mr.+Underbridge · · Score: 1

      What you have described is already how the government funding agencies work. Even for emergency funds, there are still procedures that are still followed to get the money.

    10. Re:This is a matter of bureaucracy, not malignance by oliverthered · · Score: 1

      So why haven't they tried to extend the Voyager programs, (conspircy theroies asside), maybe they spent too much this year, or maybe there thinking about re-enabling Voyager before it goes intersteller.

      --
      thank God the internet isn't a human right.
  48. Extend Copyrights! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well, obviously, Bono wants us to extend copyright again so that we can protect Mickey from... ummm... Space Pirates!

    I mean, they just held one of those pirate holidays the other week! Damn things are everywhere, doing nasty things like infringing copyrights and causing global warming!

  49. On the other hand... by hvatum · · Score: 0

    ... Most Slashdot readers don't need to venture further than their local female to reach space which they have "yet to explore."

    --
    Netbooks, they come with Linux or a $3 copy of Windows. Either way, Microsoft loses.
    1. Re:On the other hand... by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

      The problem of course is that the local females really don't like it if you send robotic probes to explore them :-)

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  50. xxx.lanl.gov? by wsanders · · Score: 3, Funny

    Does is bother anyone that PDF version of that paper gets downloaded from "xxx.lanl.gov"? Oh great, now my employer is going to bag me for downloading pr0n.

    I think this is some kind of LANL inside joke - a few years ago, some poor sap got several years in Club Fed for running a Usenet news server inside Lawrence Livermore Labs that included some alt.... groups.

    --
    Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish, and he'll say "WHERE'S MY FISH, YOU IDIOT?"
    1. Re:xxx.lanl.gov? by gokeln · · Score: 1

      That's Los Alamos. They don't have anything better to do since the Wen Ho Lee thingy got everybody's security clearance revoked. Now, all they can do is make bad jokes.

      --

      There's no time to stop for gas, we're already late.
    2. Re:xxx.lanl.gov? by Orgasmatron · · Score: 1

      Haha. I was working in a call center once (cable modem support), and one of the IT guys "busted" me for browsing the arXiv.

      I got called in to a meeting with the head of my department, the head of HR, and the IT monkey in question. Once I stopped laughing, I pointed out the ".gov" at the end, and that lanl was the Los Alamos National Laboratory website. My story checked out (15 seconds on a browser), so I went back to work. For the rest of my time at that place, I never again heard even a whisper about going to questionable or non-work-related websites.

      I think they were kinda intimidated by having a phone monkey reading high level physics papers too.

      --
      See that "Preview" button?
  51. Voyager's binary transmission leaked! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    I have obtained the folowing transmission from my sources at NASA cafeteria:

    01000100011010010110010100100000011000110110000101 11001001100010011011110110111000101101011000100110 00010111001101100101011001000010000001101100011010 01011001100110010101100110011011110111001001101101 011100110010000001100100011010010110010100100001

    Please make sure that this info doesn't get out to too many people.

    1. Re:Voyager's binary transmission leaked! by schnits0r · · Score: 3, Informative

      "Die carbon-based lifeforms die!"

      is what it translates to.

    2. Re:Voyager's binary transmission leaked! by Fussen · · Score: 1

      Hahaha, they blew up Congress!

    3. Re:Voyager's binary transmission leaked! by torchdragon · · Score: 1

      Congress is made up of petrolium, not carbon. Duh.

      --
      "Don't feel bad for me child; I'm the monster that hides under your bed."
  52. No roaming charges. by jd · · Score: 1

    It used its attitude control on the phone company.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  53. It belongs in a museum by E8086 · · Score: 1

    I wonder what's going to happen with all these probes once we can travel fast enough to catch up to them in a reasonable amount to time. Would it be better to bring them back and let the collect dust in the Air&Space museum or just keep track of them and let them be a 'side of the highway attraction' on the way to Terra Nova with an attached repeating recording giving it's launch date, time in service and when it was passed by a newer faster probe and became obsolite.
    Mars tourist attractions of the future, see the wreckage of Beagle 2 and have your picture taken by Spirit and Opportunity, pictures can be picked up in the gift shop, formerly NASA mission control in Houston, TX.

    --
    F7 doesn't work, ignore spelling and grammar
  54. Oh, no! by dtfarmer · · Score: 1

    When the Voyagers were launched in 1977... The Voyagers each carry a message to any extraterrestrials they might encounter. Each messages (sic) is carried by a phonograph record -- a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds selected to portray the culture on Earth.

    We're sending the aliens a gold plated disco record? Quick, send them something newer, like Britney Sp... oh, nevermind, what's the difference.

    1. Re:Oh, no! by Dachannien · · Score: 1

      Quick, send them something newer, like Britney Sp... oh, nevermind, what's the difference.

      Bigger breasts.

    2. Re:Oh, no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "We're sending the aliens a gold plated disco record? Quick, send them something newer, like Britney Sp... oh, nevermind, what's the difference."

      Let's hope they don't make a copy of the disc or the RIAA will sue them!

  55. Pictures? by kyle90 · · Score: 1

    The cameras still work on Voyagers 1 and 2, don't they? Couldn't they swing around and get a nice distance shot of the sun? That'd be kinda neat.

    --
    Real_men_don't_need_spacebars.
    1. Re:Pictures? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting
      They did. And as expected, it's various dots.

      http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogall ery-solarsystem.html

      However, I suggest you google for "celestia" and run that instead for a mindboggling universe trip.

    2. Re:Pictures? by kyle90 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I've got Celestia (as well as the add-on star pack)... it's still more interesting to see it for real though.

      --
      Real_men_don't_need_spacebars.
    3. Re:Pictures? by corrosive_nf · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Sagan campaigned for that for YEARS, and the answer always was they were afraid the sunlight would damage the cameras. When they finally allowed it to happen, the planets happened to be in an almost straight line so 5 of them were all in one frame. That frame however is 6 meters wide and the earth is smaller than pixel.

  56. For The World Is Hollow... by KnarfO · · Score: 1

    [Voyager1]...and I have touched the sky.
    [Voyager1] Entering exterior of heliosphere. Anomolous readings occurring. Sensors detect stran#%*@!~((()))) [NO CARRIER]

    --


    "Creativity is allowing ones self to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep" - Scott Adams
  57. We could give everyone in America a penny. by bosko0 · · Score: 1

    Nuf said.

  58. Okay, but why? by benjamindees · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The real mystery is more of an economic-political one. Why did such a large number of people essentially devote their lives to building monuments? How was it paid for? Did the pyramids possibly have some redeeming purpose other than as religious symbols? Why are pyramids on my money? How could leaders who have nothing better to spend money on than worthless make-work projects stay in power for so long?

    --
    "I assumed blithely that there were no elves out there in the darkness"
    1. Re:Okay, but why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Slaves, slaves, slaves. Answers most of your questions. Also they were determined to send the king to the after life so they would begin building wayyyyy before he was due to go (20+ yrs, before they hit mid life). The leaders were very dedicated because of their faith (like the fucktards in power today) and would not accept imperfection or flaws. Note that not all the workers were slaves. There were some skilled men that contributed here and there but cutting and stacking the rocks was slave work.

    2. Re:Okay, but why? by Fred_A · · Score: 1

      Well, it was (and still is) a great boost to tourism.
      Those were leaders with a vision. Sadlu people can't think ahead like that anymore.

      --

      May contain traces of nut.
      Made from the freshest electrons.
  59. Capitalism, yay! by idsofmarch · · Score: 2, Insightful
    We don't live in an artificial communist age, peoplec [sic] an [sic] earn what they earn, you can't just come in and take it because you think they have enough already.

    No. We live in a democratic society that has decided that some taxation is required in order to fund the public good. We can argue about what constitutes this public good, but we have agreed as a society that you can indeed require that all citizens pay a certain amount to a central authority. If you disagree with this, write your congress-critter, move somewhere else, or be prepared to be indicted. However, I don't think it's bitter to consider "giant space toys" a more significant use of our money than funding another failing airline, bailing out investors from a criminal corporation, or giving tax-breaks to gas companies after they've posted record profits.

    No, you have to show that it matters before you disrupt the capitalistic process

    The poster was suggesting that the long-term 'investment' of space-exploration would reap great future benefits and would therefore be in line with the 'capitalistic' process. It's an investment stupid, a large-scale R&D project funded by the government because no corporation would be able or willing to fund such an endeavor. And why? Because companies can be short-sighted, stock-happy idiots who can't see beyond the next five quarters, much less the next five years.

    --
    Anyone who whines about being modded down should be.
  60. IOW, Targeting Data by glassgnost · · Score: 1

    A "roadmap" and pictures of the tasty critters?...

  61. ...and the message was... by NadaTech · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    "It's cold out here!" But seriopusly, if they can make a spacecraft go billions of miles for several decades, why do our cars run on such polluting, inefficient gasoline? We need to start putting pressure on these oppressive oil cartels to release the patents on this fuel saving technology thhey have, and regardless of what snopes says, I believe it truely exists.

    1. Re:...and the message was... by Vegeta99 · · Score: 1

      One word: Drag. There's a lot more friction to a 3800lb car that must overcome not only mechanical friction in its engine and transmission, but from its tires and the air itself, also. In space, one push lasts years longer than the same push would here where we're bound by more rules of physics.

  62. Difficult to find... by Goonie · · Score: 1
    As the years pass after they stop tranmitting in 2020 or so, I would imagine that they will fairly rapidly become impossible to locate precisely enough to retrieve. Sure, the trajectory Is known pretty precisely, but over time the confidence intervals for the prediction would become wider and wider to the point where it would be almost impossible to find the thing amongst all the other random bits of Kuiper belt. Given that it's unlikely a recovery mission could be mounted until at least, say, 2050 or so, I wouldn't hold my breath.

    Personally, I think Voyager's fate of an eternal (unless it gets too close to the gravitational field of a sun) wander through the galaxy is an entirely fitting one - though let's hope we continue to listen until we can no longer hear them!

    --

    Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo
    --Andy Finkel (J. Klass?)
  63. All jokes aside... by xx01dk · · Score: 2, Insightful

    INTERSTELLAR. Just think about that for a minute. Ya sure, it would take a zillion years for them to actually get anywhere, but that's not the point. The Voyager probes have left the solar system and at last we have a physical presence outside of our own comfortable, little corner of the universe. It's pretty easy to take for granted, what with our volumes of inter-galactic sci-fi and Hollywood, but for once art actually mirrors reality and it blows me away, for one. This isn't meant to be a troll, but after seeing the first twenty posts joking about roaming charges and what not, it kinda saddened me that one of the first posts wasn't more reflective in nature. Oh well, that's just me.

    --
    There is simply too much glass..
  64. What is the cost breakdown for this? by jonwil · · Score: 1

    Exactly where does the money being spent on voyager go?
    I understand some of it has to go to buying time on the Deep Space Network and some to paying people to talk to the probe and listen for answers but what is the actual cost breakdown?

    How much would it cost to just collect the data (and publish it on the NASA website or something) without actually paying for all that research stuff to do something with the data?

  65. Since you asked nicely... by An+Onerous+Coward · · Score: 1

    There isn't a single dollar figure that separates "enough" from "too much". A lot depends on your needs, which vary from person to person. For example, some people have higher medical expenses than others.

    However, I would say that if you could bank one year's salary, and use it to pay for basic food, clothing, shelter, transportation, health care, and entertainment for the rest of your life, you're making "too much". Not "too much" as in, "You must immediately hand all your excess over to Fearless Leader", but as in, "We spent our country into the ground to build the society we have now, and you've obviously done very well in that society. When it comes time to pay back China, don't whine when we raise your tax rate well above what the guy making $30K is paying."

    --

    You want the truthiness? You can't handle the truthiness!

  66. I predict by It+doesn't+come+easy · · Score: 1

    We'll be the first species to rendezvous with the two Voyager spacecraft...and you'll be seeing at least one of them in the Smithsonian eventually.

    --
    The NSA: The only part of the US government that actually listens.
  67. Hello world by koafc · · Score: 1

    I got all excited to hear the message but then found out it just said "Hello World."

  68. The Pioneers by Bun · · Score: 1

    The Voyager has passed into the border region at the edge of the solar system and now is sending back information about this never-before-explored area,...

    Didn't Pioneer 10 or 11 already get this far?

    --
    "Anyone that has ever gotten an idea based on any of my work and done something better with it-good for you."--J.Carmack
    1. Re:The Pioneers by deglr6328 · · Score: 1

      no. and they're both dead now.

      --
      - "Hear that?! The percolations are imminent! Cease your ingress!"
    2. Re:The Pioneers by Bun · · Score: 1

      Yep, you're right. I distinctly remembered hearing about how Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to leave our solar system:

      "In 1983, Pioneer 10 became the first spacecraft to leave our solar system. Until its maximum distance from Earth was exceeded in 1998, Pioneer 10 was the most distant human-made object."

      But it seems the object that passed it in 1998 was Voyager 1.

      --
      "Anyone that has ever gotten an idea based on any of my work and done something better with it-good for you."--J.Carmack
  69. Messages from the edge... by JourneyExpertApe · · Score: 1

    What, Bono didn't have anything to say?

    --
    If you can read this sig, you're too close.
  70. Re:WWF? by MyLongNickName · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    When did Edge join the World Wildlife Fund?

    --
    See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
  71. How does it survive? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Can someone point out any good articles describing what makes it possible for the Voyager probe to continue to have functioning batteries? What is the technology behind it, and how has it lasted so long in the cold void of space when our cars often won't start when its falls below freezing.

    I think my HP 22s calculator uses this same technology because its batteries have lasted for over 18 years now.

    1. Re:How does it survive? by Almost-Retired · · Score: 1

      Not at the moment, but its pretty simple really, and I'm not sure there are any batteries of consequence involved.

      One of the radioactive elements with a half life of a couple of decades is heating the inside of a stack of thermoelectric cells. This is a semi-conductor junction that is commonly used in tv cameras to cool the camera chips thereby reducing the heat related noises, but its also a generator. If you heat the inside of a pipe that has these things wrapped around it, and the outside is exposed to the cold of space, the temperature differential creates a usable amount of electrical power. Eventually of course, the radioactive stuff, usually some isotop of plutonium I believe, will cool, both from poisoning its own purity, and because there is less and less of it because of the half-life as it converts itself to a lower level metal.

      Its the plutonium in them that causes all the public uproar based on a launch accident releasing it into the environment. But I don't recall that we've ever had such a scenario due to the extra precautions taken for such a launch.

      FWIW, small (1 to 10 watt), cover a single valley tv translators are also powered in remote locations by these same generators, except that for those, the heat is supplied by a propane flame not much bigger than the pilot lights in old time gas furnaces. It takes 500 to 1000 gallons of propane to run one of them for about a year.

      --
      Cheers, Gene

  72. This can't be right by iamlucky13 · · Score: 1
    The termination shock -- a shock wave in the solar wind, that marks the slowing of the supersonic solar wind to subsonic speed ~ quoted from a scientist in the article
    Granted, he's probably trying to dumb this down for the Slashdot masses, or perhaps astrophysicists refer to their own forms of super/subsonic, but that caught my eye. Conventional super and subsonic concepts should be pretty close to meaningless out there. With as low as the density is out there, both the speed of sound and the efficiency of actually transmitting energy that way would be essentially zero.
    1. Re:This can't be right by meringuoid · · Score: 2, Informative
      Granted, he's probably trying to dumb this down for the Slashdot masses, or perhaps astrophysicists refer to their own forms of super/subsonic, but that caught my eye. Conventional super and subsonic concepts should be pretty close to meaningless out there.

      No, he means what he says. The interstellar medium is a very sparse gas indeed, but it is a gas, and there is such a thing as a speed of sound in it. Sure, it's not significant in most circumstances, but the Sun makes a hell of a lot of noise :-)

      --
      Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
  73. Ongoing mission by VincenzoRomano · · Score: 1

    To boldly go where no tin can has gone before!

    --
    Maybe Computers will never be as intelligent as Humans.
    For sure they won't ever become so stupid. [VR-1988]
  74. good time to take snaps of pluto! by raghavbala · · Score: 1

    it was surprising for me to find that with all capabilties of hubble telescope, we are yet to have good high resolution close-up images of pluto.. Since Voyager is at the brink of this system, might be good time to take out that camera.. NASA - listening ?

    1. Re:good time to take snaps of pluto! by multi+io · · Score: 2

      How? These days Pluto is farther away from Voyager 1 than from earth :)

  75. Correct me if I'm wrong.... by iomanip · · Score: 1

    Consider the following:
      1) The voyager spacecraft is moving away from us.
      2) It is currently in a never-explored-area.
      3) Further away areas have not been explored

    This seems to imply that anywhere that the voyager spacecraft travels will therefore be never explored, thus making the never-explored-area part redundant....perhaps its been too long in the lab tonight...

  76. MOD PARENT UP by ggvaidya · · Score: 1

    Totally agree. And nicely said.

  77. Sassy NASA engineering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well now you stand corrected :)

    http://www.livejournal.com/users/opportunitygrrl/

  78. Why not make Voyager OpenSource? by catmistake · · Score: 2, Funny

    Is it possible for the hobbiest to pick up its signals? Why not release its exact location, what equipment is needed, how to get/build it , how to find it, and let anyone gather its data?

    1. Re:Why not make Voyager OpenSource? by iggymanz · · Score: 1

      heh, it takes the combined efforts of NASA's 34 meter Deep Space Network antennas in California, Australia and Spain to receive that signal. So unless you're Bill Gates or a Sam Walton heir, you won't be homebrewing anything with enough sensitivity for DXing this sucker.

  79. They outsourced to india.... by cheekyboy · · Score: 1

    Dont you know they outsourced the whole project to india

    Then when complete the indians took the IP and they did a chapter 11 and all info was lost
    by a firesale for $12.95 to haliburton.

    --
    Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.
  80. Same Govt Idiots who didnt pay for levees eh by cheekyboy · · Score: 1

    Sounds like the same idiots in suits who didnt want to fund
    the billions to protect New Orleans.

    Hey, if you dont live there it dont matter.

    If no one can FIRE you, then you cannot do your job properly.

    Wheres Donald Trump where you need him.

    --
    Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.
  81. 60 days... by Short+Circuit · · Score: 1

    We could get there again in 60 days.

    Starting with the information that signals take Voyager 12 hours to reach earth, I determined that Voyager is about 12.9 billion kilometers from Earth. (see my work.)

    At a constant acceleration of 1/10th g, we could get there in 59.48 days. (work) And there's no reason we couldn't get to a constant thrust of .1g for 60 days, if we put our minds to it.

    Of course, I don't think we should terminate Voyager until we've already launched said spacecraft.

  82. You can try this at home by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Have a person of your size lie down on the ground, grab him by a leg and then drag him somewhere.

    It's easy, though you will probably break into a sweat after a few hundred feet of dragging
    and have to pause now and then.

    Now tie 60 people's feet to a rope and have another 60 people drag them somewhere by pulling on the rope.

    Basically, you will get an comparable amount of sweating and pausing after pulling a few hundred feet. No magic needed. The only thing that does not scale linearily is the swearing.

    Pulling a slab of stone weighing three tons (same as 60 people of 100 pounds each) is much easier still, because you can use trees either as rollers or as greased "rails" to skid the block on. And as an extra bonus, the slab does not swear ...

  83. The only known reference to the age of the Pyrmids by geekoid · · Score: 1

    is a date which was graffitti on the inside of a pyrmed during the early 20th Century.

    Most specialist base there age around 5000 years because thats what they were told.

    Maybe it was done 5000 years ago, but if so I ahve yet to see a model that would get them built to that degree of accuracy, with that technology, in so few years.
    Just the logisticts of moving the amount of people it would take is incredible. That's even before taking into account the moving of the stones to the site.

    No, I don't think they were built by anything off this world. I do believe they are older then 5000 years.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  84. I met the filter designer! by SonicSpike · · Score: 1

    I know the guy (whom I consider a friend), that designed the filter and switching system for the receiver of this thing.

    His name is Raul Valery and teaches audio engineering at Valencia Community College in Orlando, FL (US). He has a masters in "signal processing" from somewhere in Indiana. He also did either some engineering or producing for Dr. Dre back in the day.

    He worked for the JPL out west for a while. This guy taught me a lot of what I know about electronics and sound. Although his accent from Argentina was heavy, I would actually look forward to his lectures because I would learn a great deal every time.

    Anyway he told me about this probe a while ago. Unfortunately I cannot remember all of the details but he said the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) was under 1%. He also said that the amount of power recieved was measured in mW. There is an automatic switching system so that if it stops receiving signal on channel A, it will immediately switch to channel B. This was because they did not want ANY interruption in the datas tream during planetary a fly-by. Raul was the first human to see close up images of several planets.

    --
    Libertas in infinitum