Endeavour Arrives At California Science Center

The final mission of the Endeavour has been completed. The shuttle has arrived at its final home, the California Science Center. From the article: "After a dramatic three-day parade through city streets, Endeavour arrived at its new home at the California Science Center shortly after 1 p.m. Sunday amid cheers from thousands gathered to witness a piece of history. 'Mission 26 — Mission Accomplished,' Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said at a news conference at Exposition Park, the shuttle rising behind him as a backdrop. The mayor was referencing the shuttle’s 25 space missions and its journey across the city. The 85-ton orbiter pulled up next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and ground to a halt so that the mayor and others could officially mark its arrival at the park near the USC campus. 'Today everyone in the city of Los Angeles is an astronaut,' said L.A. Fire Department Chief Brian Cummings at the news conference."

Comments

Arrived at it is final home?

[Stormwatch]

Yuo feil inglesh forevar!

Re:Arrived at it is final home?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yuo feil inglesh forevar!

It's intellectual obesity. Inability to comprehend the most basic things even though the "editor" was capable.

Speaking of obese. This is a real mystery to me. So many Americans are morbidly obese (gee why do they call it "morbid" eh?). How do adult people let it get so bad? Before you were 75lbs overweight you were 50lbs overweight. Before you were 50lbs overweight you were 20lbs overweight. That was the time to say "hey I keep doing the same thing and I keep gaining weight, hmm maybe there is a connection, why don't I start doing something different like eating better food (or less of it) and exercising more, then I can take care of this before it becomes a serious problem?"

How do you reach adulthood without being able to understand something so simple? Somebody explain this to me please. I really want to know. I am not making fun of obese people. Their self esteem is already low enough and I would be a lot harsher if I wanted to do that. It is a genuine mystery to me. It takes time to put on that much weight. It does not sneak up on you. There is plenty of warning that something is moving in the wrong direction. So honestly, how does any adult person ever let it get so bad?

The physical part is just a side effect really. Obesity is a mental disorder. But it is a mysterious one. I won't even get into all the bullshit excuses the obese have for why their weight is not their fault as if the choice to eat like they do and fail to exercise like they do was someone else's decision. I just want to know how you ignore so many red flags and then act like a victim.

Re:Arrived at it is final home?

[Samantha Wright]

You're completely off-topic, but to reward your curiosity I'll gladly take the hit to my karma.

It's been demonstrated by the Knight group at the University of Colorado, in mice, that individuals with a very specific immune defect will accrue a specific kind of bacteria (Bacteriodetes) in their intestines. The presence of this bacteria has been shown to cause dramatic weight gain in the host, because of how it modifies the nutrients that are left over in the gut. Transplanting these bacteria into the intestines of healthy mice can cause dramatic weight gain, and it's strongly believed that the same phenomenon occurs in humans.

That's not to say that there isn't a psychological element, but it's not simply a matter of mental dysfunction.

Re:Arrived at it is final home?

[Anonymous Coward]

You're completely off-topic, but to reward your curiosity I'll gladly take the hit to my karma. It's been demonstrated by the Knight group at the University of Colorado, in mice, that individuals with a very specific immune defect will accrue a specific kind of bacteria (Bacteriodetes) in their intestines. The presence of this bacteria has been shown to cause dramatic weight gain in the host, because of how it modifies the nutrients that are left over in the gut. Transplanting these bacteria into the intestines of healthy mice can cause dramatic weight gain, and it's strongly believed that the same phenomenon occurs in humans. That's not to say that there isn't a psychological element, but it's not simply a matter of mental dysfunction.

Thank you. It is very nice of you to provide some kind of real answer. I don't really mean to be off topic but this is one of those touchy issues people can't usually be rational about. Seems there is no good time to ask this kind of question you know?

Two things in reply to that tho. One: did millions of Americans suddenly get this kind of bacteria in their guts after about 1990? If they did, how? Two: conservation of energy means it is not physically possible to gain weight if you avoid eating more calories than you burn. If you don't want to eat less you should exercise more to balance it. Why can't so many people understand that? By understand I mean actually apply it with their actions. Lots of ppl could pass a written exam on a subject without being able to implement what they know beacuse they just regurgitate what they don't really understand.

Re:Arrived at it is final home?

[Samantha Wright]

I don't know much more beyond what I've already said, but I'd guess that it has something to do with how we farm meat. Similar to how the parasites that caused colony collapse disorder spread amongst bees, factory farming is a very efficient environment for the spread of undesirable microbes and diseases—and because the animals affected would probably get fatter quicker, it would be seen as a good thing to a farmer.

As for psychological effects, I think it's safe to assume that a lot of people who are obese are in poverty and hence more likely to be depressed. The combination of having to exercise extra to prevent weight gain and still needing to eat a normal amount of food to get other nutrients probably exacerbates the problem. In the end, I imagine a lot of them do understand how to deal with obesity, but they just don't see it as a battle they can win—so they feel they have nothing to lose by indulging their hunger even further.

Re:Arrived at it is final home?

[Tablizer]

Don't you know that space radiation mutates grammar?

Re:Arrived at it is final home?

[Joce640k]

You're completely off-topic, but to reward your curiosity I'll gladly take the hit to my karma.

It's been demonstrated by the Knight group at the University of Colorado, in mice, that individuals with a very specific immune defect will accrue a specific kind of bacteria (Bacteriodetes) in their intestines. The presence of this bacteria has been shown to cause dramatic weight gain in the host, because of how it modifies the nutrients that are left over in the gut. Transplanting these bacteria into the intestines of healthy mice can cause dramatic weight gain, and it's strongly believed that the same phenomenon occurs in humans.

So how come it doesn't affect other countries with the same genetic stock as the USA? (ie. Most of Europe)

Re:Arrived at it is final home?

[Samantha Wright]

As far as the bacteria are concerned, I would guess that it's some subtly distinct combination of FDA regulations and poor conditions in individual factory farms; presumably ones that don't export their meat to other countries much. Psychologically, I would guess that the cultural pressure to compete in the US deepens the misery of those who feel they have failed.

LA Astronauts?

[toygeek]

'Today everyone in the city of Los Angeles is an astronaut,' said L.A. Fire Department Chief Brian Cumming

I hope for the sake of the astronauts that the reverse isn't true.

Re:LA Astronauts?

[Spy Handler]

everyone in LA is an Asstronaut. Just watch the show TMZ.

Re:LA Astronauts?

[sycodon]

The LA Astronauts stole three hub caps an but a few bullet holes in the Shuttle. Although it was thought that the bullet holes were merely collateral damage from the normal gang shootings. Gangsters really can't shoot very well. I mean, come on! What moron holds a gun sideways?

Re:LA Astronauts?

[Anonymous Coward]

The LA Astronauts stole three hub caps an but a few bullet holes in the Shuttle.

I dont know if they are gay or not but this is proof that apparently there really are niggers in space!

Although it was thought that the bullet holes were merely collateral damage from the normal gang shootings.

At least this time it wasn't children hit by stray bullets liek what happens in lots of gang shootings.

Gangsters really can't shoot very well. I mean, come on! What moron holds a gun sideways?

Niggers. Bein so gangsta is better than bein accurate, yo!

Just for the easily offended bedwetters who get their panties in a bunch over a fucking word. A law-abiding citizen who works and raises his family and pays his taxes and happens to have a permanent tan is a black man or an African American. A thug gangsta who thinks gun violence and crack smoking and theft is cool is a nigger. Now that we have cleared that up you can get all offended anyway because that is what people like you do. Even though you agree with me. Even though you yourself would shit your pants if you walked down the street at night and got surrounded by 20 thug gangsta niggers who don't give a fuck how much you like diversity and inclusion because they hate you anyway.

Re:LA Astronauts?

[sycodon]

Geeze.

Re:LA Astronauts?

[rednip]

I've seen lots of people though the years say such thing, I see it as sort of 'the halfway point' of a lucid point of view, not in their own lives, but generational (perhaps you're a gen-xer?). However, ask yourself this: when was the last time you muttered that word about another person? A black guy who cut you off you off on the highway, perhaps a slow store clerk, or a young man with baggy pants and a strait billed hat, statistically all them are likely tax payers and many of them have families to support.

One thing that I notice about myself is that I used the phrase 'Jesus' a lot (or could it be 'Geeze'), not that I'm religious, it's just something I say when frustrated. I'm not really sure where I picked it up I suspect that many people such as yourself have a similar fixation to 'the N word'. As I see it, rather than making a real attempt at modifying what society has (fortunately IMHO) bad behavior, you just claim to have a special use for it. Sure there are people who will harass and beat up people based on race regardless of that person's view, however it's far more likely to be a black man at the 'wrong end of the stick' than a white guy. Yet you might never acknowledge such a reality, because it wouldn't fit with your politics.

Re:LA Astronauts?

[Anonymous Coward]

I've seen lots of people though the years say such thing, I see it as sort of 'the halfway point' of a lucid point of view, not in their own lives, but generational (perhaps you're a gen-xer?). However, ask yourself this: when was the last time you muttered that word about another person? A black guy who cut you off you off on the highway, perhaps a slow store clerk, or a young man with baggy pants and a strait billed hat, statistically all them are likely tax payers and many of them have families to support.

One thing that I notice about myself is that I used the phrase 'Jesus' a lot (or could it be 'Geeze'), not that I'm religious, it's just something I say when frustrated. I'm not really sure where I picked it up I suspect that many people such as yourself have a similar fixation to 'the N word'. As I see it, rather than making a real attempt at modifying what society has (fortunately IMHO) bad behavior, you just claim to have a special use for it. Sure there are people who will harass and beat up people based on race regardless of that person's view, however it's far more likely to be a black man at the 'wrong end of the stick' than a white guy. Yet you might never acknowledge such a reality, because it wouldn't fit with your politics.

100% Pure African Niggers

It should've had a parade

[theurge14]

It should've had a ticker tape parade.

Instead it gets a 3-day long crawl through LA neighborhoods past people eating at Quiznos and workers taking a break at the Firestone tire shop as people take pictures and wave flags. This could've been bigger. It should've been bigger. NASA, do you even have a PR department?

Re:It should've had a parade

[jaxxa]

NASA, do you even have a PR department?

Not with the Budget.

Re:It should've had a parade

[Nerdfest]

Like so many things here, many people will say "Only a handful of nerds care about stuff like that". The space program used to be a point of national pride and global hope for the future.

Re:It should've had a parade

[Anonymous Coward]

They had marching bands and acrobats performing. They even had little kids waving flags. But honestly, this kind of patriotism is okay with me. Imagine if most people were patriotic about national accomplishments in science and engineering and the international dicksize wars could be waged over who has the better science and technology than who has the biggest bombs?

Re:It should've had a parade

[Anonymous Coward]

NASA had nothing to do with it.
From the moment it left the airport it was the science centre's parade, NASA had no say (or dollars) in it.

Re:It should've had a parade

[1u3hr]

It should've had a ticker tape parade.

For the final death of a boondoggle that sucked up untold billions (everything that wasn't pissed away on the ISS) and prevented the development of a sustainable space capability?

Re:It should've had a parade

[sciencewhiz]

The two largest parades in the country, the Rose Parade and the Macy's parade both take place on streets that are 60 feet wide, which isn't nearly wide enough for the shuttle. The only route that would have been wide enough for both the shuttle and a lot of spectators would have been a freeway, which would have incurred significant risk getting the shuttle onto the freeway.

Even without the ticker tape treatment, a million people still viewed it along the route.

it's final home?

[Anonymous Coward]

jesus christ, please learn to fucking spell.
no wonder cmdrtaco left holding his head in shame at this shitty site and its inept 'editors'

Yes lets all celebrate!

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes lets all celebrate our national decline as represented here by our voluntary loss of manned space flight capability! Your parents saw us put men on the moon... not just once but repeatedly. Now we can't even get our ass off the planet without help from the Russians. Damn that calls for a parade!

Re:Yes lets all celebrate!

[cfryback]

My thoughts exactly. I get that the shuttles were aging technology. But NASA did describe them as "pickup trucks", well I've seen some beat up pickup trucks on farms that still keep going.

I saw the Challenger disaster live, but without risk there is no gain. Several lessons were learned from that.

It is a sad end to an era, and people seem to be cheering it on.

Now it is the Russians and for-profit industry that will make those science/adventure movies reality.

Re:Yes lets all celebrate!

[Anonymous Coward]

You had over fifteen years to resolve these complaints and do something.

What did we get? Two pointless land wars in Asia and a bunch of stem cell nonsense.

Thanks for showig us your priorities.

Re:Yes lets all celebrate!

[Anonymous Coward]

Brb, gonna go cry.

Re:Yes lets all celebrate!

[Anonymous Coward]

How long between the last Saturn V carried a human into space and the Shuttle first carried one?

Just trying to add that oh-so-missing item here, perspective...

Re:Yes lets all celebrate!

[Anonymous Coward]

Are you back yet? Just checking if you did not drown in your own tears.

Re:Yes lets all celebrate!

[Scarletdown]

How long between the last Saturn V carried a human into space and the Shuttle first carried one?

Just trying to add that oh-so-missing item here, perspective...

That would be just a tad over 8 years.

December 6, 1972 - Apollo 17
April 12, 1981 - STS-1

Re:Yes lets all celebrate!

[jmauro]

The last flight of an Apollo command module was actually ended February 8, 1974, when the third Skylab mission returned to Earth. The gap would be closer to 6 years not eight, but the point still stands.

Re:Yes lets all celebrate!

[dodobh]

It's not a parade, it's a funeral procession.

Re:Yes lets all celebrate!

[Tastecicles]

actually, it was July 15-21 1975 which marked the successful docking of Apollo and Soyuz. So 5 years :)

Re:Yes lets all celebrate!

[voidptr]

Just to be even more pedantic, since the question was "How long between the last Saturn V carried a human into space and the Shuttle first carried one?" The manned Skylab shots were done on top of a Saturn IB, not a Saturn V, since they were just to LEO. Skylab itself was boosted up on a Saturn V, but no crew.

Re:Yes lets all celebrate!

[voidptr]

The original post was correct, Apollo 17 was the last manned launch of a Saturn V. The Apollo half of Apollo-Soyuz went up on a Saturn IB.

Re:Yes lets all celebrate!

[Anonymous Coward]

How long between the last Saturn V carried a human into space and the Shuttle first carried one?

Just trying to add that oh-so-missing item here, perspective...

Irrelevant comparison. How reliant were we on space assets when that last manned SaturnV launch compared to today? Just as an example... back then we didn't have a floating Motel6 with a full time American staff.

Re:Yes lets all celebrate!

[Tastecicles]

if I were responding to GGPP I would have responded directly to it rather than one of its descendant posts. :)

Dice, you can HAVE Slashdot...

[sootman]

... if you promise to hire some editors who were awake in school. "The shuttle has arrived at its final home...", not "it's."

Re:Dice, you can HAVE Slashdot...

[Anonymous Coward]

For the love of God. Stop. Accidentally adding an apostrophe to "its" is both an easy mistake to make and over look. It also is not a large or egregious error since accidentally using "it's" as a possessive is actually following the rule. You're not clever because you're pedantic enough to notice it and point it out. If you want to complain about something, why don't you complain about the absolute monstrosity that is English grammar and its countless exceptions and inconsistencies.

Space relics

[amightywind]

Thrilling. America gawks at its space relics and pines for the glory that was. Obama has ruined the space program.

Re:Space relics

[Miamicanes]

It was smoldering long before Obama. In a rare showing of nonpartisan unity, both parties have actively beaten it up ever since the end of the Cold War.

I almost wish China would hurry up and announce plans to plant a red flag on the red planet, just to completely freak out everyone in Washington and instantly elevate NASA to the top of their funding priority list. Obviously nobody sane wants a return to the Cold War, but a little healthy rivalry between worthy adversaries can be a good alternative to the complacency we have right now.

On the other hand, NASA could try a little harder to learn how public relations is supposed to work. They need to pull the Puritanical stake out of their butt and visit Russia to see what a real launch party is supposed to be like. Russia's space program *knows* where their funding comes from, and they work hard to keep the funds flowing as freely as the vodka at their launch parties. NASA lost its way when it decided that its mission was to make space exploration boring and routine.

When there's a crisis at ISS, they should have live in-station cameras beaming the raw streaming footage to every news network 24/7 to make it their urgent story of the hour... and find ways to pitch for more funding along the way. When the crew is huddling in a refuge spot because of an impending collision with space junk, CNN should have America hanging on the drama and begging for more. 99 times out of 100, when something bad happens in space, the reaction of most people ends up being, "oh... I hadn't even though about NASA lately. I'd kind of forgotten they even exist." Then they wonder why their funding has dried up.

Over the past 30 years, NASA has managed to transform space from something that's cool and extreme, and make it seem about as exciting as working on an oil rig in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. No, actually, they've made it seem less appealing and exciting. At least workers on the oil rig get to have uncensored broadband. NASA needs to hook up with the producers of shows like "Turbine Cowboys" and "Iron Men", and get a Journalist-Producer on board the ISS to shoot a season's worth of shows up there. Money can't *buy* the kind of PR a season of "Going Up?" on DiscoveryHD (with teaser that shows elevator running to the 100,000th floor) would get them.

Bread and Circuses

[Anonymous Coward]

Here come the Huns.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Mission 26

[Anonymous Coward]

After enduring many delays, the shuttle reached the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Vermont Avenue near Exposition Park about 10:45 a.m. Sunday.

"I'm tired of waiting for the shuttle. Let's bike to work instead."

Spelling FAIL

[Anonymous Coward]

"IT'S"?? No. The tide of empire has receded - in several ways.

Anyone notice...

[Keebler71]

Is it just me or are people *way* more interested in the shuttle now than when it was still flying?

Re:Anyone notice...

[zippthorne]

It's just you. This is just the funeral celebration. The shuttle endeavor is now interred at its california mausoleum, a bit of ceremony is to be expected.

Frankly, the shuttles weren't that exciting as a space vehicle. At first, they were an interesting experiment, but the experiment showed that they were more costly than imagined and then they set us back by decades by taking funding and manpower that could have been spent on research into things that could actually work.

Me Fail English? Thats Unpossible.

[antdude]

"Me Fail English? Thats Unpossible."

Typical L.A. Driving Experience

[DaveAtFraud]

Take a vehicle capable of escape velocity and put it on the streets of L.A.: maxim speed is now two miles per hour (with lots of stops while waiting for traffic to clear).

Cheers,
Dave

400 trees died

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, 400 trees were killed for this project, in a city that could use many, many more. Saying 1000 new trees will be planted doesn't change the fact that 400 were killed and doesn't mean the 1000 will do well in the long run. Why not have kept the 400 and planted 1000 more?

Re:400 trees died

[Miamicanes]

> Why not have kept the 400 and planted 1000 more?

Because then, the Shuttle would still be sitting in LAX's parking lot, unable to move anywhere due to the trees in the way. And the funding for those 1,000 trees exists only because people want to see the shuttle at the museum. Without a shuttle to motivate cutting down the trees and create a need to replace them with more than twice as many, the money would end up getting spent on beer & hookers, or buying a new tank for the LAPD to accidentally terrorize the neighbors of a drug dealer with.

My visit

[Tablizer]

I visited the Shuttle just after midnight just before it entered Martin Luther King Blvd. I hoped that by being there late at night I could avoid the crowds and poor parking. (Unfortunately, it also avoided restrooms.) They had engine problems twice that delayed it for at least 3 more hours.

They used a zig-zag pattern to avoid trees and poles. They pre-removed or trimmed trees and poles in kind of an alternating pattern from the left and right side. They probably made a choice over whether the left or right side of a given section of road would be easier to clear, and veered away from the non-cleared side. In some places there were inches to spare.

One street-light that was unbolted and laid down was curiously still on. Somebody bumped a safety cone up against the light, and I moved it away to avoid burning it.

It was odd seeing a multi-billion-dollar space-ship rolling through lower-middle-class neighborhoods. It gave one a true sense of democracy. And being Los Angeles, there were ethnic groups from all over the globe there to watch the spaceship go by.

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So going by the ad...

[Tastecicles]

...your chances of becoming an astronaut are down from 1 in 13 million to 1 in 1832.

I'll take some of that action.

How to go to to space then

[Seeteufel]

How do the Americans now travel to space? Do they still have some Apollo rockets?

celebrating failure?

[Anonymous Coward]

Come-on its not a proud moment, surely you should be quietly wheeling it into a museum or scrap metal yard not making a big song and dance about it.

Put the effort and attention on when the americans will be once more space capable in terms of reaching the space station without going cap in hand to the russians!

Dudes, really - enough "we suck" space shuttle towed stories, this is like the 3rd in as many weeks!!

No too shabby...

[Anonymous Coward]

...only the hub-cap were taken through the city trek.