The important scientific quests of today

 Hmm..., humor, science  No Responses »
Dec 222020
 

Well, looks like *somebody* had some free time…

Analysis and Qualitative Effects of Large Breasts on Aerodynamic Performance and Wake of a “Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid” Character

ABSTRACT

A computational fluid dynamics methodology is used to study the salient flow features around the breasts of a human figure and to describe the aerodynamic differences imparted by their geometric presence. Two models are proposed for examination: a 3-dimensional reference based on a character design with a significantly buxom figure and a modification of this design where the breast size is reduced significantly. The two models are tested at speeds ranging from 1 to 30 m⋅s^-1 using Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes (RANS). Drag, lift, and skin friction forces, along with turbulence kinetic energy (TKE), are investigated and compared between the different models. The present results are expected to provide useful information on the validity of the statement, “Flat is Justice” in terms of an aerodynamic standpoint. In addition to this, the results can offer worthwhile data investigating the anthropometrical presence of large breasts on sport aerodynamics.

 

 

Don’t say I never gave ya nuthin’.

 Posted by at 7:20 pm

THIS, this right here, is why the public doesn’t care about the pandemic

 AARRRGH, Crazy, Forward!, Gah., I'm from the government, news, politics, youtube  No Responses »
Dec 222020
 

Because the government *clearly* doesn’t take this seriously.

Congress unveils $2.3 trillion government spending and virus relief package

$2.3 trillion split evenly among 331 million people would be stimulus checks in the amount of nearly seven grand. But what actually in the 5,593 page bill? If you’ve got a *lot* of free time, go ahead and read it. Congress sure as hell didn’t read it before they voted on it. Some people are trying to struggle through it, and they are finding some *amazing* things:

Your government at work.

 

UPDATE:

 

 

 Posted by at 4:16 pm

“All of them”

 art, humor, politics, wisdom, youtube  No Responses »
Dec 222020
 

John Burk/Ross’ videos are usually a hoot. But this one is special.

At about the 2 minute mark he responds to the question “How many of your friends and family are you willing to sacrifice on your altar of “freedom”?”

With…

“How many people have to die before I’m willing to sacrifice my, or somebody else’s, liberty just so you can feel safe? All of them. Your kids, your grandparents, your brother, your sister, your cousin that you’re having sexual relations with… every single one of them. Does that offend you? Good. Because I don’t care.”

Given that the Commie Cough seems to have maybe struck my family (will find out in a few days), the subject is of great import to me. And tyranny remains of great import to me. This pandemic will end. But tyranny could last far longer and cause much greater pain. No plague in the last five hundred years compares to the plague of democide in the last century.

 Posted by at 3:21 pm

Possibilities of New Business Growth: Space-Based Radar

 history, science, spacecraft  No Responses »
Dec 212020
 

So, picking up after a *slight* delay…

In 1985, Rockwell International considered the possibility that there might be profit in an orbital radar system that looks back at Earth. Such a system would have both civilian and defense applications… air traffic control and spotting sea ice were possibilities for the civilian sector, and spotting cruise missiles, fighters, bombers and surface vessels for the military. In reality a system like this would probably be far more interesting to the military.

 Posted by at 5:14 pm

They left out a reason or two

 AARRRGH, blather, Crazy, Forward!, Gah., Hmm..., I'm from the government, news, politics, science, wisdom, ಠ_ಠ  No Responses »
Dec 212020
 

From the Washington Post:

Why Americans are numb to the staggering coronavirus death toll

A number of reasons are given for why Americans are just kinda shrugging at the ~300,000  deaths from the Commie Cough. One reason: it’s just too big, the human brain refuses to try to conceive of such vastness and simply shuts down trying. Another is that many people have bought into conspiracy theories. Another is that people are isolated from the actual deaths, the infected dying alone, sealed away from friends and family.

But there are two obvious reasons that didn’t seem to get mentioned:

1: We’ve all heard about overcounting… someone dying of cancer dies with the CCP virus in their system so it gets notched up to the Commie Cough. How often does that happen? Is it statistically insignificant? Or is it a sizable fraction? We just don’t know.

2: And perhaps most importantly, look at how the pandemic was sold to us in the beginning:

“even if all patients were able to be treated, we predict there would still be in the order of 250,000 deaths in GB, and 1.1-1.2 million in the US.”

Now, assuming the vaccine works well enough, the pandemic should start tapering off in a couple months I’d think. We’re currently sitting at about 318,000 *official* deaths, losing about 2,600 more per day. Two more months of that, assuming that the death rate somehow stays constant (which would be damned peculiar) will lead to a total of about 473,000 deaths. Substantially less than the 1.2 million, especially if a large fraction of those deaths weren’t really killed by Pinko Pox but were already sick folk just sorta pushed over the edge.

3: The lockdowns indicate that the Government Takes This Seriously. That riots were allowed to proceed and that liquor stores were considered essential businesses, indicates that the Government Does Not Take This Seriously.

When were were oversold into a panic from the beginning, and then the data is not only well below the original fearmongering but is not widely trusted, and the government sending massively mixed signals… well, it only makes sense that lots of people kinda stop worrying about things too much.

 Posted by at 3:20 pm

Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion

 Hmm..., news, nukes, politics, rockets, science, spacecraft, THIS is why Trump won  No Responses »
Dec 212020
 

I honestly wonder what practical value there is in the White House putting out memos on national strategy at this point, when the Manchurian is soon to be installed into power. Perhaps it’s just a poke in the eye… “go ahead and overturn this and show yourself to be a tool of the ChiComs,” perhaps?

Memorandum on the National Strategy for Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion (Space Policy Directive-6)

Section 1. Policy. The ability to use space nuclear power and propulsion (SNPP) systems safely, securely, and sustainably is vital to maintaining and advancing United States dominance and strategic leadership in space. SNPP systems include radioisotope power systems (RPSs) and fission reactors used for power or propulsion in spacecraft, rovers, and other surface elements. …

(a) Develop uranium fuel processing capabilities that enable production of fuel that is suitable to lunar and planetary surface and in-space power, nuclear electric propulsion (NEP), and nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) applications, as needed. …

(b) Demonstrate a fission power system on the surface of the Moon that is scalable to a power range of 40 kilowatt-electric (kWe) and higher to support a sustained lunar presence and exploration of Mars. …

(c) Establish the technical foundations and capabilities — including through identification and resolution of the key technical challenges — that will enable options for NTP to meet future Department of Defense (DoD) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) mission requirements …

(d) Develop advanced RPS capabilities that provide higher fuel efficiency, higher specific energy, and longer operational lifetime than existing RPS capabilities, thus enabling survivable surface elements to support robotic and human exploration of the Moon and Mars and extending robotic exploration of the solar system. …

(a) By the mid-2020s, develop uranium fuel processing capabilities that enable production of fuel that is suitable for lunar and planetary surface and in-space power, NEP, and NTP applications, as needed. …

(b) By the mid- to late-2020s, demonstrate a fission power system on the surface of the Moon that is scalable to a power range of 40 kWe and higher to support sustained lunar presence and exploration of Mars. …

(c) By the late-2020s, establish the technical foundations and capabilities — including through identification and resolution of the key technical challenges — that will enable NTP options to meet future DoD and NASA mission needs.

 

Even had Trump won re-election I have serious doubts that this memorandum would have changed things much… the anti-nuclear religion is far too powerful. Still, better to have a forward-thinking document like this than not. We are *generations* behind where we should be in the development of space-based nuclear power systems and nuclear thermal rockets.

 Posted by at 1:18 pm

Aliens *that* close??

 awesomeness, Hmm..., news, science  No Responses »
Dec 192020
 

Seems damned unlikely:

Alien Hunters Discover Mysterious Signal from Proxima Centauri  – Scientific American

Alien hunters detect mysterious radio signal from nearby star – National Geographic

The Parkes radio telescope in Australia detected a radio transmission at 982 megahertz coming from the direction of the red dwarf Proxima Centauri in April of 2019. It was not noticed in the archival data until October.

The planet Proxima B is roughly Earth-sized and lies in the habitable zone around Proxima Centauri. But the star is so small that the  planet orbits it once every 11.18 days; the solar winds are thousands of times stronger than Earth gets and the planet is subject to Proxima’s periodic flare activity. In all likelihood Proxima B is tidally locked to the star and stripped of atmosphere; it’s  a *really* unlikely place to find life, much less advanced technological life. Still… attention must be paid.

 Posted by at 5:35 am

The one where Phoenix gets blow to bits

 blather, history, Hmm..., science fiction, youtube  No Responses »
Dec 182020
 

A few days ago some random confluence of data conspired to make a few neurons fire that hadn’t fired in a very long time. I happened to see a reference to Phoenix, Arizona, and for some reason it caused me to think “didn’t I see a movie where Phoenix got hit by a comet?” Sure enough, the 1978 TV movie “A Fire in The Sky” features an impact just outside Phoenix, illustrated by the very finest in halfassed late-70’s TV-budgeted special effects. I highly doubt I’ve given this movie much thought since I saw it 42 or so years ago. But hey, with the internet all things are possible. So if you want to see it, or see it again, behold, here it is in potato-resolution:

Witness Michael Biehn before he fought Terminators, Xenomorphs and water tentacles. The man was a menace… wherever he went, disasters followed.

 Posted by at 7:51 pm
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