Of course the problem isn't actually building one (And you'd get what equates to a modern day nuclear pop-gun), its getting hold of highly enriched Uranium 235 and casting it into two sub critical masses. Thats extremly hard, and only six countries have managed it in over 60 years.
You seem to be forgetting India, Pakistan, and South Africa (who got rid of their bombs in the 90's).
The article also speculates that it could cause a enviromental hazard if the water temperature rises and the methanes rises to the athmosphere thereby contributing to global warming.
There's an SF novel about this: Mother of Storms by John Barnes. It's a terrible book in many ways, but the premise - a massive release of methane from one of these undersea methane beds altering the global climate in sudden and completely unexpected ways - is interesting. It's also perhaps something to keep in mind when considering plans to liquefy carbon dioxide and dump it in the sea (as opposed to underground)
Gemini used the Titan II as a booster, but did use Atlas to launch an Agena upper stage for orbital docking tests.
Idiot/Savant
Re:We live in a money-centered world...
on
Man Conquers Space
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· Score: 1
Stephen Baxter's "Voyage", which describes an alternate reality in which the US go all the way up to Mars as early as 1986
Or you could try Allen Steele's The Tranquility Alternative, an alternate history in which the dreams of Ley and von Braun were realised (and described in loving detail by the author).
I dunno about you, but I was all choked up just watching the teaser trailer (I was also amazed I *could* watch it and it hadn't been/.ed yet).
Maybe you had to grow up then. I remember staying home from school to see the Gemini flights, [...]
Lucky you. But for a lot of us, it was all over before we were born.
Idiot/Savant
Re:We live in a money-centered world...
on
Man Conquers Space
·
· Score: 1
...and unfortunantely we will not be venturing into space until it is commercially viable to do so.
Don't give up hope yet - there's always the Chinese. The US DoD estimates that they're only 18 months away from a manned flight (they're on the verge of their fourth test of the Shenzhou capsule), and their putting a man in space may force the US into a second space race.
But absent that sort of international pissing contest, yes, we'll have to wait till it's profitable - whenever that may be.
I remember several years ago the Church of Scientology were tricked into suing someone in Sweden, and discovered some interesting facts about the Swede's attitude to freedom of information.
So, does anyone know whether the Swedish parliament takes electronic submissions? And if so, can we send them all our MP3s
Politics stems from disagreement over the ends that a socety is pursuing. Over the past twenty years, such disagreement has all but dsappeared from the US - at least among politicians. Your political leaders all agree in their support of balanced budgets, the war on drugs and the death penalty; their disagreements are about the means to these ends, rather than the ends themselves.
As a result, they seem less and less relevant. Will the election of TweedleBush instead of TweedleGore alter anything? I doubt it.
The above is just the politician's picture; The consensus may not be shared by the majority of US citizens that don't vote, but they don't have the political clout or the access to even bring their concerns to public attention.
Idiot/Savant
WARNING: opinions subject to change without notice.
Despite the valid scientific reasons for sending a probe, it's clear that the real reason they're interested is prestige. India is an aspiring superpower, locked in a 3-way local arms-race with Pakistan and China. Gearing up their space program is one way of showing superiority over the Pakistanis, and keeping up with the Chinese (who are preparing for a manned launch with their Shen Zhou capsule). The science and technological spinoffs are just cream.
As for worries that this is just a cover for missile research, I think they're barking up the wrong tree. If the Indian PSLV can put a 1-ton satellite into 1000km polar orbit, it's perfectly capable of lobbing bombs at Washinton or Beijing. The reason the Indians aren't deploying it as an ICBM is almost certainly because they lack an adequete guidance system, not because they lack a decent booster. Throwing probes at the moon probably won't help the quest to get 500-meter accuracy with a warhead...
The article seemed to be a pile of "who cares" and "tell me something I don't know". So what if (some) free software advocates are single-minded or extreme? Who cares that some are American with peculiarly American political viewpoints? And it's not at all surprising that many free software writers are doing it for Geek Status rather than a sincere altruistic desire to better humanity (though here we can really play the post-facto reinterpretation game:).
What I don't understand is why he makes such a big deal about free software not really being free. Sure, someone had to put time and effort into writing it, and they may very well have been paid to do so, but unless you base your moral code on pure selfishness there's nothing morally wrong with giving the fruits of your labour away (with the obvious caveat that if its work-for-hire then its not yours to give).
Really the only objection to this is that by giving stuff away, free-software advocates are destroying the market for proprietry software - some moral issue!
Idiot/Savant
Re:Part of a four-volume trilogy ...
on
The Star Fraction
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· Score: 1
Anonymous Coward [signed THB]: I'm a Canadian, i just believe that your political beliefs cloud your viewpoint on Americans.
What political beliefs?
I've offered the opinion that Americans, in general, are anti-Communist. I've offered an explanation for this - that for a long time they felt threatened by Communism. I could have said that it was because Americans believed Communism to be an evil philosophy which ignored and undermined the rights of the individual, but that would have been an equally psychological explanation.
I've expressed neither approval nor disapproval of this attitude, or its causes. I have said that these attitudes may cause some market resistance to MacLeod's books, but I think that's blindingly obvious, on the level of "Salman Rushdie won't sell well in Saudi Arabia", or "Darwin won't sell in Kansas". Again, where's the politics?
In fact, I've expressed no political opinion or allegiance whatsoever in my postings, yet I have been labelled as "far left". Was it something I said? Or perhaps something I didn't say?
Idiot/Savant
Re:Part of a four-volume trilogy ...
on
The Star Fraction
·
· Score: 1
Idiot/Savant: But he's right. For the last fifty years or so, Americans have been raised to think that Communists and Socialists are evil people who want to destroy Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Mentioning the word is like waving a red flag (ahem) in front of a bull - you get an immediately hostile reaction.
THB: your opinion is that of someone quite far left(strong socialist).
Quod erat demonstrandum.
Idiot/Savant
Re:Part of a four-volume trilogy ...
on
The Star Fraction
·
· Score: 1
St Augustine: Say the word "Marxist" to most Americans (yes, I'm American) and the steel Cheyenne Mountain blast doors close over the eyes and ears
THB: Every time i see a post such as yours it makes me cringe just a little. As a Canadian who has lived in both Britain and the United States, as well as several other countries, i think your eyes are so closed to what is around you that you cannot see the good in Americans. You present most americans as Ignorant to other's ideas.
But he's right. For the last fifty years or so, Americans have been raised to think that Communists and Socialists are evil people who want to destroy Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Mentioning the word is like waving a red flag (ahem) in front of a bull - you get an immediately hostile reaction.
This doesn't mean that the average American is a bad person. But I think it's fair to say that TAA would be less than open minded about many of the ideas in MacLeod's books. Under these circumstances, it makes sense for Tor to play it safe and try and build up a market before hitting people with ideas that they might not be comfortable with.
Idiot/Savant "Truth, Justice, and the American Way" is a trademark of DC Comics, Inc.
China wants to be taken seriously as a superpower, and one way of doing that is by challenging the United States. Despite Americans' faith in their own technological superiority, space is an area where the US is vulnerable and can be beaten in the prestige stakes. Sure, you can put people into orbit, and laugh at the Chinese in their outdated Soyuz knock-off, but what if in five years time they decide to go to the moon? Apollo was thirty years ago, and the capability just doesn't exist anymore.
The rest of the world will not care that you got there first, and they will not care that you could go back "if you really wanted to". If the US doesn't want to be humbled, then you'll have to open the chequebooks to NASA to fund an expanded program - which IMHO would be a good thing.
What's sad is that instead of going into space because it's there, for the sheer joy of exploring the universe, it will probably in the end come down once again to penis-size games between superpowers.
Why not do unto the MPAA as was done unto the Scientologists? Set up a mirror in Sweden, and wait for the Corporate Drones to sue. The Swedish constitution provides for "public papers" (essentially anything that passes through the government - including court documents) to be archived and made available - even if they're trade secrets or copyrighted. The moment it hits a court, anyone anywhere in the world will be able to acquire a copy, and there's not a damn thing the MPAA could do about it. Idiot/Savant
Slashdot Mirror
Of course the problem isn't actually building one (And you'd get what equates to a modern day nuclear pop-gun), its getting hold of highly enriched Uranium 235 and casting it into two sub critical masses. Thats extremly hard, and only six countries have managed it in over 60 years.
You seem to be forgetting India, Pakistan, and South Africa (who got rid of their bombs in the 90's).
Idiot/Savant
The article also speculates that it could cause a enviromental hazard if the water temperature rises and the methanes rises to the athmosphere thereby contributing to global warming.
There's an SF novel about this: Mother of Storms by John Barnes. It's a terrible book in many ways, but the premise - a massive release of methane from one of these undersea methane beds altering the global climate in sudden and completely unexpected ways - is interesting. It's also perhaps something to keep in mind when considering plans to liquefy carbon dioxide and dump it in the sea (as opposed to underground)
Idiot/Savant
Gemini used the Titan II as a booster, but did use Atlas to launch an Agena upper stage for orbital docking tests.
Idiot/Savant
Stephen Baxter's "Voyage", which describes an alternate reality in which the US go all the way up to Mars as early as 1986
Or you could try Allen Steele's The Tranquility Alternative, an alternate history in which the dreams of Ley and von Braun were realised (and described in loving detail by the author).
Idiot/SavantI dunno about you, but I was all choked up just watching the teaser trailer (I was also amazed I *could* watch it and it hadn't been /.ed yet).
Maybe you had to grow up then. I remember staying home from school to see the Gemini flights, [...]
Lucky you. But for a lot of us, it was all over before we were born.
Idiot/SavantDon't give up hope yet - there's always the Chinese. The US DoD estimates that they're only 18 months away from a manned flight (they're on the verge of their fourth test of the Shenzhou capsule), and their putting a man in space may force the US into a second space race.
But absent that sort of international pissing contest, yes, we'll have to wait till it's profitable - whenever that may be.
Idiot/Savant
I remember several years ago the Church of Scientology were tricked into suing someone in Sweden, and discovered some interesting facts about the Swede's attitude to freedom of information.
So, does anyone know whether the Swedish parliament takes electronic submissions? And if so, can we send them all our MP3s
Idiot/Savant
Politics stems from disagreement over the ends that a socety is pursuing. Over the past twenty years, such disagreement has all but dsappeared from the US - at least among politicians. Your political leaders all agree in their support of balanced budgets, the war on drugs and the death penalty; their disagreements are about the means to these ends, rather than the ends themselves. As a result, they seem less and less relevant. Will the election of TweedleBush instead of TweedleGore alter anything? I doubt it.
The above is just the politician's picture; The consensus may not be shared by the majority of US citizens that don't vote, but they don't have the political clout or the access to even bring their concerns to public attention.
Idiot/Savant
WARNING: opinions subject to change without notice.
Despite the valid scientific reasons for sending a probe, it's clear that the real reason they're interested is prestige. India is an aspiring superpower, locked in a 3-way local arms-race with Pakistan and China. Gearing up their space program is one way of showing superiority over the Pakistanis, and keeping up with the Chinese (who are preparing for a manned launch with their Shen Zhou capsule). The science and technological spinoffs are just cream.
As for worries that this is just a cover for missile research, I think they're barking up the wrong tree. If the Indian PSLV can put a 1-ton satellite into 1000km polar orbit, it's perfectly capable of lobbing bombs at Washinton or Beijing. The reason the Indians aren't deploying it as an ICBM is almost certainly because they lack an adequete guidance system, not because they lack a decent booster. Throwing probes at the moon probably won't help the quest to get 500-meter accuracy with a warhead...
Idiot/Savant
The article seemed to be a pile of "who cares" and "tell me something I don't know". So what if (some) free software advocates are single-minded or extreme? Who cares that some are American with peculiarly American political viewpoints? And it's not at all surprising that many free software writers are doing it for Geek Status rather than a sincere altruistic desire to better humanity (though here we can really play the post-facto reinterpretation game :).
What I don't understand is why he makes such a big deal about free software not really being free. Sure, someone had to put time and effort into writing it, and they may very well have been paid to do so, but unless you base your moral code on pure selfishness there's nothing morally wrong with giving the fruits of your labour away (with the obvious caveat that if its work-for-hire then its not yours to give).
Really the only objection to this is that by giving stuff away, free-software advocates are destroying the market for proprietry software - some moral issue!
Idiot/Savant
I'm a Canadian, i just believe that your political beliefs cloud your viewpoint on Americans.
What political beliefs?
I've offered the opinion that Americans, in general, are anti-Communist. I've offered an explanation for this - that for a long time they felt threatened by Communism. I could have said that it was because Americans believed Communism to be an evil philosophy which ignored and undermined the rights of the individual, but that would have been an equally psychological explanation.
I've expressed neither approval nor disapproval of this attitude, or its causes. I have said that these attitudes may cause some market resistance to MacLeod's books, but I think that's blindingly obvious, on the level of "Salman Rushdie won't sell well in Saudi Arabia", or "Darwin won't sell in Kansas". Again, where's the politics?
In fact, I've expressed no political opinion or allegiance whatsoever in my postings, yet I have been labelled as "far left". Was it something I said? Or perhaps something I didn't say?
Idiot/Savant
But he's right. For the last fifty years or so, Americans have been raised to think that Communists and Socialists are evil people who want to destroy Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Mentioning the word is like waving a red flag (ahem) in front of a bull - you get an immediately hostile reaction.
THB:
your opinion is that of someone quite far left(strong socialist).
Quod erat demonstrandum.
Idiot/Savant
Say the word "Marxist" to most Americans (yes, I'm American) and the steel Cheyenne Mountain blast doors close over the eyes and ears
THB:
Every time i see a post such as yours it makes me cringe just a little. As a Canadian who has lived in both Britain and the United States, as well as several other countries, i think your eyes are so closed to what is around you that you cannot see the good in Americans. You present most americans as Ignorant to other's ideas.
But he's right. For the last fifty years or so, Americans have been raised to think that Communists and Socialists are evil people who want to destroy Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Mentioning the word is like waving a red flag (ahem) in front of a bull - you get an immediately hostile reaction.
This doesn't mean that the average American is a bad person. But I think it's fair to say that TAA would be less than open minded about many of the ideas in MacLeod's books. Under these circumstances, it makes sense for Tor to play it safe and try and build up a market before hitting people with ideas that they might not be comfortable with.
Idiot/Savant
"Truth, Justice, and the American Way" is a trademark of DC Comics, Inc.
China wants to be taken seriously as a superpower, and one way of doing that is by challenging the United States. Despite Americans' faith in their own technological superiority, space is an area where the US is vulnerable and can be beaten in the prestige stakes. Sure, you can put people into orbit, and laugh at the Chinese in their outdated Soyuz knock-off, but what if in five years time they decide to go to the moon? Apollo was thirty years ago, and the capability just doesn't exist anymore.
The rest of the world will not care that you got there first, and they will not care that you could go back "if you really wanted to". If the US doesn't want to be humbled, then you'll have to open the chequebooks to NASA to fund an expanded program - which IMHO would be a good thing.
What's sad is that instead of going into space because it's there, for the sheer joy of exploring the universe, it will probably in the end come down once again to penis-size games between superpowers.
--
Idiot/Savant
Why not do unto the MPAA as was done unto the Scientologists? Set up a mirror in Sweden, and wait for the Corporate Drones to sue. The Swedish constitution provides for "public papers" (essentially anything that passes through the government - including court documents) to be archived and made available - even if they're trade secrets or copyrighted. The moment it hits a court, anyone anywhere in the world will be able to acquire a copy, and there's not a damn thing the MPAA could do about it. Idiot/Savant