Uh, OK. So you didn't buy a Mac. Want a cookie or something?
You bought the computer you think is going to serve you best. Good for you. How about you let everybody else do the same thing, without you hollering at them?
The key cost-saving feature is called "in-situ propellant production" by one of its big cheerleaders, Dr. Robert Zubrin. Dr. Zubrin has written a book called "The Case for Mars", which I advocate all the time as a great primer on how to get started with manned interplanetary exploration.
marssociety.org also has many whitepapers, including the core of Dr. Zubrin's work, available on their web site.
In broad strokes, the idea is this: Rather than take enough fuel for the round trip along with you, use two spacecraft. The return vehicle is sent to Mars, designed basically to land on the surface with dry tanks. The return vehicle carries hydrogen, which is combined by a simple chemical reaction with CO2 from the Martian atmosphere to create methane for fuel (and, of course, 02 for oxidizer). When the return vehicle has fueled itself (of course, this process will be automated and monitored from Earth) you shoot the astronauts to Mars.
The idea is that, once the return vehicle has landed on Mars and created enough fuel for the return trip (and, incidentally, plenty of extra oxygen and water for the crew to consume, and fuel for the land vehicles they will presumably want to use to explore), it is the second-safest place in the Solar System after their own cozy bedrooms here on Earth. Rather than building in return-to-Earth failsafes at every point (which are terrfically expensive in terms of energy cost and, therefore, dollars) the default failure mode is to abort to the Martian surface, and wait there until a rescue can be effected.
The plan also calls for another return vehicle to follow the crew during the same launch window, so that the crew, when it lands, has one fully-fueled return vehicle, one empty return vehicle (with, of course, lots of food on board) which will fuel itself with about six months of surface time, and their Mars lander stocked with enough food and water for the planned duration of their surface stay (which in this plan is on the order of six months).
This would not be a "flags and footprints" mission. It is an inexpensive, sustainable way to build an infrastructure for the exploration and exploitation of the Martian surface.
Suffice it to say, I think it's a pretty freakin' good idea. : )
(Note: I drop Dr. Zubrin's name a lot. I've met the guy and read his books: I think he's just the kind of half-crazy scientist type we need more of./LOTS/ of people are involved in this and other plans...go read about 'em!)
Monsanto is suing farmers for having the audacity to re-plant seeds from plants they grew. Apparently, you're supposed to keep paying Monsanto year after year for your seed stock.
Note: Many farmers actually do buy new seed every year, as commercially available seed is of a higher and more consistent quality compared to harvested seed from the field. However, Monsanto is trying to take this choice away from farmers, and force them to keep paying.
So just don't buy Monsanto seed, right?
Wrong.
Monsanto is also suing farmers for patent infringement, because they had the audacity to have their plants have sex with the plants from the next farm over's field. Therefore, Monsanto's patented genes are present in that sneaky farmer's field, even though he didn't pay for it.
OK. You make a 100% accurate predictive model of Earth's ecosystem, and I'll stop worrying about GM products.
Do I think glowing fish are a serious problem? No. But I do think that the risks of GM products in the wild is far, far higher than the companies that profit from them will ever admit.
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OK, 'scuse me.
This person made a device that they found useful, and you have the AUDACITY to tell them to get back to work until it suits YOU!?
Who the FUCK do you think you are?
Uh, what part of "scans 3d objects resulting in a 2d cylindrical image map" did you not understand!?
Inventor has neglected to write...well, I'll be sure to go put my boot on their neck and tell 'em to get their lazy ass back to work.
Wanker.
You musta missed that whole Irish potato blight thing.
Monoculture==bad.
If you don't know how these two statements are related, you have no business commenting on ecological problems until you educate yourself.
Uh, OK. So you didn't buy a Mac. Want a cookie or something?
You bought the computer you think is going to serve you best. Good for you. How about you let everybody else do the same thing, without you hollering at them?
(Try that with a Mac!)
Well, uh, gee. Maybe I don't need to?
Yeah, big promotion...which he'll enjoy so much more after Jobs eats his liver with some fava beans.
//HATES// people who steal his thunder.
*SLPRRFMMMTFFFRPTH!*
Jobs
Yeah, I see senator's kids lining up for financial aid all the time.
Riiiiight.
How much does it cost to get elected to the Senate? Some estimates are around two million dollars.
Somebody thinks this is a good investment. Hint: It's not his constituents.
I'm not worried about destroying the ecosystem. The ecosystem is robust.
I'm worried about a corporation destroying a major food supply, because of their irresponsible public beta tests of their hybrid crops.
Fair enough. Just so's we're all clear.
And glowing. : )
Delighted you asked.
/LOTS/ of people are involved in this and other plans...go read about 'em!)
The key cost-saving feature is called "in-situ propellant production" by one of its big cheerleaders, Dr. Robert Zubrin. Dr. Zubrin has written a book called "The Case for Mars", which I advocate all the time as a great primer on how to get started with manned interplanetary exploration.
marssociety.org also has many whitepapers, including the core of Dr. Zubrin's work, available on their web site.
In broad strokes, the idea is this: Rather than take enough fuel for the round trip along with you, use two spacecraft. The return vehicle is sent to Mars, designed basically to land on the surface with dry tanks. The return vehicle carries hydrogen, which is combined by a simple chemical reaction with CO2 from the Martian atmosphere to create methane for fuel (and, of course, 02 for oxidizer). When the return vehicle has fueled itself (of course, this process will be automated and monitored from Earth) you shoot the astronauts to Mars.
The idea is that, once the return vehicle has landed on Mars and created enough fuel for the return trip (and, incidentally, plenty of extra oxygen and water for the crew to consume, and fuel for the land vehicles they will presumably want to use to explore), it is the second-safest place in the Solar System after their own cozy bedrooms here on Earth. Rather than building in return-to-Earth failsafes at every point (which are terrfically expensive in terms of energy cost and, therefore, dollars) the default failure mode is to abort to the Martian surface, and wait there until a rescue can be effected.
The plan also calls for another return vehicle to follow the crew during the same launch window, so that the crew, when it lands, has one fully-fueled return vehicle, one empty return vehicle (with, of course, lots of food on board) which will fuel itself with about six months of surface time, and their Mars lander stocked with enough food and water for the planned duration of their surface stay (which in this plan is on the order of six months).
This would not be a "flags and footprints" mission. It is an inexpensive, sustainable way to build an infrastructure for the exploration and exploitation of the Martian surface.
Suffice it to say, I think it's a pretty freakin' good idea. : )
(Note: I drop Dr. Zubrin's name a lot. I've met the guy and read his books: I think he's just the kind of half-crazy scientist type we need more of.
Okay.
Monsanto is suing farmers for having the audacity to re-plant seeds from plants they grew. Apparently, you're supposed to keep paying Monsanto year after year for your seed stock.
Note: Many farmers actually do buy new seed every year, as commercially available seed is of a higher and more consistent quality compared to harvested seed from the field. However, Monsanto is trying to take this choice away from farmers, and force them to keep paying.
So just don't buy Monsanto seed, right?
Wrong.
Monsanto is also suing farmers for patent infringement, because they had the audacity to have their plants have sex with the plants from the next farm over's field. Therefore, Monsanto's patented genes are present in that sneaky farmer's field, even though he didn't pay for it.
Nestle did this in the 70's.
They gave free infant formula to women in Africa, for long enough for their breast milk to dry up. Then they started charging for the milk.
Anybody who's willing to let a corporation control the food supply is a really poor student of history.
*raises hand*
Who pays the scientists?
Who directs their research?
That's right. The corporations. Here's a cookie.
OK, that was gross.
Really funny, but gross.
Go to your room!
: )
Humanity won't. Monsanto will. Yay patent law!
So you think there's no difference between selective breeding and the introduction of alien genes into a species?
Wow. You breed funny.
OK. You make a 100% accurate predictive model of Earth's ecosystem, and I'll stop worrying about GM products.
Do I think glowing fish are a serious problem? No. But I do think that the risks of GM products in the wild is far, far higher than the companies that profit from them will ever admit.
Why the hell would he want to be consistent? Laws are for untermensch. Senators, follow the LAW? You're mad.
Copyright infringement is a civil matter?
Mr. Johanssen (sp?) and Mr. Sklyarov might argue with you.
Copyright infringement has not been a civil matter since the FBI and Interpol started putting warnings on VHS tapes, cowboy.
You're telling me you think holding a Senate seat is a non-profit activity?
What color is the sky on your planet?
Good Senators?
Name three. Other than the ones you voted for.
Do I expect him to do it? No.
Do I expect him to acknowledge responsibility for what is on his web site? You bet.
The buck stops here. (Where "here" is "on Senator Hatch's desk".)
A politician's staffmember dodged responsibility, blew off complaints, and exhibited cluelessness?
STOP THE PRESSES!
You wanted contrition? From a SENATOR? They are far more equal than you, citizen. Get back in your hole.
It's not illegal to fuck not-your-wife.
It is illegal to lie about fucking not-your-wife.
It's not very complicated.
Uh, any web site that had my name on it, advocating my bid for a political office, you better fuckin' believe I'd police it.
His name's on it, it's his responsibility.
...which he'll have to declare. Which will make for some really amusing FOIA targets.