One pre-Shuttle idea for a space logistics vehicle was the “Big Gemini.” This would have used portions of the Gemini re-entry capsule as the nucleus around which a much large conical capsule would be built. The adapter section would be done away with and replaced with a conical section (with a geometry matching and extending […]
Researchers suggest Victorian-era people more intelligent than modern-day counterparts In short: duh. The metric used was a test of reaction time to visual stimuli. From 1884 to 2004, the reaction time for men rose from 183 milliseconds to 253 milliseconds; for women, 188 milliseconds to 261 milliseconds. To me this would seem to be a […]
Regardless of your views on gay marriage, ya gotta admit that George Takei has a good sense of humor, and knows how to take on people who disagree with him. George Takei Responds To “Traditional” Marriage Fans One set among several: […]
Marvin is still cruising along. Oddly, her ears are going bald. Buh? If you were a Marvin donator, a bunch of new photos were uploaded to Dropbox for you in the “individual Marvin photos” folder. […]
An interesting geological phenomenon east of Ogden, Utah. Photographed a week or so ago on my way home. What you’re seeing is the result of land that has been uplifted in such a way that previously horizontal terrain has been tipped about 90 degrees; horizontal layers are now vertical. The layers are of differing hardness; […]
Yesterday a friend of mine mentioned that she had gone into a store that was playing the song “Those Were The Days” by Mary Hopkin, and that the song had become lodged in her head. Because this is what one does, I looked up the song on Wikipedia. Of all the factoids the article has, […]
Bright Explosion on the Moon On May 17 a small rock hit Mare Imbrium and was detected visually. At ~40 kg and 56,000 miles per hour, the impact energy was about 5 tons TNT equivalent, and would have been visible to the naked eye. I suspect that a similar impact on Earth would have been […]
Scientists find ancient water on earth cut off for THREE BILLION years. In short: Earth was doomed today when it was announced that pockets of water trapped for up to three billion years two miles below the surface of Ontario, Canada, have been tapped into via boreholes. Chemicals in the water suggest it may harbor […]