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News Briefs 10-02-2015

New stories:

Quote of the Day:

Old stories often turn out to be true.

Arthur Machen, The Terror and Other Stories

  1. Wiki Corrections
    We can only hope for corrections to all our Wiki misinformation!

    How embarrassing that we once sent out a message with a description of our solar system before we decided Pluto was not a real planet and before we had even discovered other trans-Jupiter “dwarf planets.”

    I love the “Arecibo Answer” Crop Circle (even though its probably just a joke), especially the layout of the alien solar system just below the alien figure:

    http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Arecibo_answer

    Here’s the next installment of corrections to our infantile cosmology:

    http://www.dailygrail.com/blogs/Charles-Pope/2015/2/Heading-West-Eden

    (It turns out that ET already gave us a cosmology Wiki, but we just forgot about it, haha)

      1. Transmission Delay
        Haha. Maybe we don’t have to wait 25,000 years for a reply if ET operators are already “standing by to take our call.”

        … operators in Earth orbit I should say!

  2. On Mars
    Wait…these are my necessary questions:

    1. You don’t get beer but they tell you to bring Scotch? Well I’m bringing the Captain Morgan’s and Grey Goose, let’s get tore up in this bitch!

    2. A tablet with plenty of books? Fuck that, I’m playing Candy Crush!

    3. You say we must live without sex, yet recommend we bring condoms because humans will be humans? Either that or you could fuck an empty packet of raisins.

    4. “Grass fed venison burgers with black truffle oil” for the fancy non-vegan California socialite.

    5. Meat Glue. That is all.

    1. well…….
      I’ll be candid and state for the record that I would LOVE to be selected for the trip to Mars. I believe I have the drive and determination, as well as some skill sets that could be handy.

      Sadly, my age and general health probably rule me out. Most certainly rule me out, and that’s a pity. There are certain things that come with getting old (besides the usual stuff) and right up there is experience. I’ll be 60 in a couple days, and I have literally lived my life from before Sputnik. I’ve seen a lot of change, and have a pretty good eye for detail, good organization skills, and am a pretty fair musician which could come in VERY handy if they let me haul my keyboard along. 🙂

      I also have over 5K hours of flight time with the US Navy, and 21 parachute jumps. I was a qualified rescue swimmer. The result of those Navy days is that I know how to prepare, and to not panic when something untoward happens.

      I think it would be grand to be able to explore the landscape of Mars, to use my artist/musician’s eye to describe and interpret what is there. To be the first musician on Mars. To compose and record the first music on Mars! Talk about an adventure.

      All my life I’ve wanted to see the stars from above the atmosphere, to travel into space and see what’s just over the horizon. I know I’ll never get to go to Mars in real life, but I can still close my eyes and imagine it, and in my mind, it’s still a wonderful journey.

      1. Damn the Asteroids
        I’ll be 55 in a couple of months. I spent almost 30 years as an engineer supporting Navy flight simulators (requirements specification, design reviews, acceptance testing, logistics, etc.). Not sure how many simulator flight hours I’ve got, but I’ve definitely “walked away” from many virtual crashes! P-3C pilots were my favorites.

        Anyway, can’t say I’ve got the faintest desire to visit Mars, at least not in the flesh. In Navy parlance, I’m a total “sand crab.” They never go to sea, just strut sideways along the shore! And now I’m blowing my retirement on arm-chair cosmology. It takes all kinds.

        1. Nice!
          The bulk of my aircrew time was as an acoustic sensor operator on P-3B and P-3cUII’s. My last tour was at the ASWOC, Brunswick, Maine, where I did collateral duty at the 14B44 trainer as the Sensor 3 instructor (It’s a long story)as well as with the base SAR helo.

          Anyway, from time to time we’d get to spend some “quality time” in the P-3 flight simulator, and it was always a great time. Amazing systems, all of those trainers, especially when linked together and you could get the flight and tactical crews working together.

          1. Paranormal Acoustics Operators
            Spent some time in Brunswick before it was closed and the trainers were moved down to Jacksonville. When we did a second upgrade to the flight trainers around ten years ago, the Orion pilots said they didn’t need an accurate star model, but I had one developed for them anyway. Definitely added to the realism of the simulation even though pilots aren’t taught how to navigate by the stars any more. Got involved a little with the EO/IR tactical displays, but not so much with acoustics. That’s its own special world as you know. Acoustics operators develop a kind of 6th sense, especially the submariners.

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