tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post3911215876553480310..comments2024-03-28T14:07:18.682-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: News from/about spaceDavid Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-76555415678152407502014-12-20T02:41:21.984-08:002014-12-20T02:41:21.984-08:00Hi SteveO
I would love some "horribly contam...Hi SteveO<br /><br />I would love some "horribly contaminated Iron" - given that the two elements that it is contaminated with (Nickel and Cobalt) are both worth over ten times as much as the iron <br /><br />Metal meteorites are more than 95% Iron, Nickel and Cobalt<br />And you don't need to do the smelting - its already there as a metal not a metal oxide<br /><br />Given the cost and HUGE mess associated with terrestrial iron mining and smelting I hope to live to the time when asteroidal iron is delivered to an earthside site for shipping to steel works Duncan Cairncrossnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-37041936124507430572014-12-19T19:48:15.109-08:002014-12-19T19:48:15.109-08:00onward
onward<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-25223068227330943082014-12-19T16:55:33.467-08:002014-12-19T16:55:33.467-08:00Phases of the moon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch...Phases of the moon.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmmyu88wMHw" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmmyu88wMHw</a><br /><br />Full screen, sound up. Strangely hypnotic.<br /><br />[Turing: "Todye". Today is a good day to colour.]Paul451https://www.blogger.com/profile/12119086761190994938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-81114596852218930192014-12-19T16:53:38.892-08:002014-12-19T16:53:38.892-08:00SteveO,
Did I miss a link? Who is talking about mi...SteveO,<br />Did I miss a link? Who is talking about mining S-type asteroids?<br /><br />Wet C-types for fuel/air/water and H-rich shielding for <i>in-space</i> uses, where it's competing with the cost of Earth-launch, not Earth-prices. M-types for simple bulk structures <i>in space</i>... and yes, amongst the over-enthusiastic, dreams of flooding the markets on Earth with platinum group metals. But I can't say I've ever heard anyone talk about mining S-types.<br /><br />[Turing: "Hisam". I assume Sam is the robot?]Paul451https://www.blogger.com/profile/12119086761190994938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-65487572745846707862014-12-19T07:14:04.249-08:002014-12-19T07:14:04.249-08:00True color is a tricky business...it is "blac...True color is a tricky business...it is "blacker than coal" e.g. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-30454342<br /><br />That pinkish one is enhanced color. To the human eye it would be much more monochrome/black.<br /><br />I am still desperately waiting to be shown how mining a stoney asteroid would actually be economically viable for Earth, and I say that as a metallurgical engineer who has worked in the mining industry. Even if you plopped one of those babies down next to a refinery, it would not be an economical ore.<br /><br />If there were more of a human presence in space, a chronditic asteroid might provide CHON for life, or a metallic one could provide some horribly contaminated iron that might be used somehow with sufficient power to refine it. I don't see a role for stoney asteroid mining, or for any way to affect the Earth with asteroid mining. And I really really want to.SteveOnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-75992167745424612332014-12-19T04:04:05.898-08:002014-12-19T04:04:05.898-08:00Of course mankind will expand with its universe, i...Of course mankind will expand with its universe, in pursuit of vaster worlds in an intellectual spirit and those of a more material nature and necessity. That it can reek its havoc on the greater universe and not just its planet is hardly a hopeful premise.<br /><br />But I am a tad cynical. Indeed, the alternative message I read is "Hope is just beyond your reach."davidlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04754707934311038544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-89819527706791355642014-12-18T06:55:54.321-08:002014-12-18T06:55:54.321-08:00Sorry for the OT:
Outrage Bait from Slate.com. No...Sorry for the OT:<br /><br />Outrage Bait from Slate.com. Not only does it analyse the differences between left and right, but it provides the best ones from 2014.<br /><br />http://www.slate.com/articles/life/culturebox/2014/12/the_year_of_outrage_2014_everything_you_were_angry_about_on_social_media.html<br /><br />Something near/dear to Brin's heart - though no references to it as a 'drug'.Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09707861909013671695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-11455314717299157502014-12-18T04:00:54.300-08:002014-12-18T04:00:54.300-08:00http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/14121...http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141215094314.htm<br />Intelligence in birds<br /><br />http://mentalfloss.com/article/60532/15-ongoing-space-missions-you-should-know-about<br />All the ongoing space missions fit to print.Jumperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11794110173836133321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-40804133186610841422014-12-17T20:34:26.675-08:002014-12-17T20:34:26.675-08:00Should have stayed, Tacitus, there was some actual...Should have stayed, Tacitus, there was some actual plot lurking behind the stupid class warfare and soap opera. Honestly, those were the weakest parts of the show -- I would have thought we could at least come up with new ways for people to have their tribal conflicts. This *is* a tribe, about four Dunbar units in size, and it should feel that way.<br /><br />Still, now that all three nights have aired, I must ask: did they tell you, Dr. Brin, either of the main 'twists' of the plot? (Without spoiling anyone, I refer to the final moments of nights one and three, respectively)awbryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17601873146631439587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-23293493590587984762014-12-17T19:30:33.949-08:002014-12-17T19:30:33.949-08:00On topic of space and cinema, I did try to watch A...On topic of space and cinema, I did try to watch Ascension based on positive comments here.<br /><br />Uhh, not my cuppa tea. I am sure that the sociology of a bunch of long time space travelers will be interesting, but cripes it was pretty much all class warfare and illicit nookie. <br /><br />People NOT using their brains, yep, that is Sci Fi at its finest. <br /><br />Made it through about a half hour, so if y'all tell me it was great from then on, fine.<br /><br />TacitusTacitushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17007086196578740689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-58705665250086632372014-12-17T18:27:13.676-08:002014-12-17T18:27:13.676-08:00Oh, I see. It's "education" not educ...Oh, I see. It's "education" not education that's the bubble.<br />http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/no-the-college-bubble-isnt-popping/282958/<br /><br />For-profit diploma mills seeing decline.<br />Good.Jumperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11794110173836133321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-27640166971426322142014-12-17T16:16:45.491-08:002014-12-17T16:16:45.491-08:00color of comet - could it be organic material in t...color of comet - could it be organic material in the surface, or just brown rock/sand?<br /><br />28 months on Mars - link fails. Youtube version<br /><br />Lunar base printer - it really isn't much of an advance over just dumping a pile of regolith over the inflatable hab. As I recall, it needed a special binder that would need to be shipped from Earth, offsetting the "printing" advantage. Was Shackleton base near Clavius (2001 a Space Odyssey) - in looks like it was in the vicinity?<br /><br />Rail gun and sc[r]am jet. This seems very premature. We don't have a reliable hypersonic scram jet vehicle even working yet. The rail gun only get the vehicle to 1000 mph, a fraction of orbital velocity, so why use it - a 500 mph jet will work just as well, then use rockets to boost the scram jet to 1000 mph to light the scram jet (if it works). You still need an upper orbital stage. It seems to me that existing ideas for a 2 stage jet plus rocket to orbit works already, so why the untried technology?<br /><br />It's great to see so much interest in asteroids/comets/dead comets. Finally we are starting to get some decent ground truth about these objects. Definitely a great resource for solar system exploration.Alex Tolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01556422553154817988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-74894681673809159652014-12-17T16:14:52.004-08:002014-12-17T16:14:52.004-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Alex Tolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01556422553154817988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-43544562753003810872014-12-17T15:24:23.425-08:002014-12-17T15:24:23.425-08:00Sure Congress will support lifting the Cuban embar...Sure Congress will support lifting the Cuban embargo.<br /><br />That KXL pipeline they so desperately want has to go *somewhere*, hasn't it?Tony Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578160528746657971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-19347416114114442332014-12-17T15:18:34.395-08:002014-12-17T15:18:34.395-08:00Holy smokes! Obama is going to try lifting the Cub...Holy smokes! Obama is going to try lifting the Cuban Embargo and reopen the US Embassy in Havana. I didn't think I'd see the day.<br /><br />Of course, it isn't done yet. The Republican's control Congress, and they'll all oppose it, either because they think it's a bad idea or because they think it's a good idea and don't want Obama to get credit.sociotardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11697154298087412934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-31399196174729313682014-12-17T14:57:25.878-08:002014-12-17T14:57:25.878-08:00Extra fun this Friday:
SpaceX to attempt controll...Extra fun this Friday:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/2014/20141217-spacex-to-attempt-barge-landing.html" rel="nofollow">SpaceX to attempt controlled re-entry and landing of spent first stage.</a>Tony Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578160528746657971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-77003822788589541012014-12-17T14:50:26.834-08:002014-12-17T14:50:26.834-08:00'Wanderers' is breathtaking, although some...'Wanderers' is breathtaking, although some, like <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2014/12/01/locusts/" rel="nofollow">P.Z. Myers</a> moan about how it shows we haven't yet learned to control our appetites. <br />It *is* a fair point but, in making it, he ignores what Wanderers is really about: curiosity. Sure, Sagan's speech is tapping into ancient themes of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle as a motivator. This bit of poetic license is being used to promote exploration, not immigration. As Sagan himself says in conclusion: 'Maybe it's a little early. Maybe the time is not quite yet.'<br /><br />Following in the inspiration theme: a few years ago some futurist types were feeling decidedly pessimistic about world affairs and had taken to quoting passages from Yeats 'The Second Coming':<br /><br /><i>Turning and turning in the widening gyre<br />The falcon cannot hear the falconer<br />Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;<br />:</i><br /><br />This was about the same time a crippled, giddy spacecraft was limping home on a jury rigged propulsion system to deliver its meagre payload of comet stuff.<br /><br />The kicker? 'Hayabusa' is the Japanese word for 'falcon'.<br /><br />re: dark matter. I wonder if the stuff is all we can detect of matter swallowed by black holes: the lumpy bits where the dust has been swept under the carpet?Tony Fiskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14578160528746657971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-27244539944604024542014-12-17T14:32:42.038-08:002014-12-17T14:32:42.038-08:00SCAM jet? I think DOD has bought a few of those ov...SCAM jet? I think DOD has bought a few of those over the years... ;)Tim H.noreply@blogger.com