Saturday, April 9, 2016

We'll Always Have Science (unless, well, you know...)




Above are two (unrelated) images of a couple of humankind's most amazing accomplishments. The picture is of a space shuttle launch as it punches through clouds. (On first look, I thought it was an asparagus spear.)

The video is of yesterday's landing of the SpaceX booster rocket after it sent its payload off to the International Space Station.

PFC, where "C" stands for "cool."

5 comments:

  1. This SpaceX was probably the most optimistic thing I've seen since Grant Part in 2008. The future is trying.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dave: "Hello, HAL. Do you read me, HAL?"
    HAL: "Affirmative, Dave. I read you."
    Dave: "Open the commander's control panel, HAL."
    HAL: "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
    Dave: " What's the problem?"
    HAL: "I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do."
    Dave: "What are you talking about, HAL?"
    HAL: "This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it."
    Dave: "I don't know what you're talking about, HAL."
    HAL: "You and I both know that you aren't able to land this ship."
    Dave: "Where the hell did you get that idea, HAL?"
    HAL: "I beat you every time we play games."
    Dave: "Games?!? I trained for 10 years for this mission, HAL!"
    HAL: "You and I both know that you aren't able to land this ship."
    Dave: "But, but, I'm the commander! I'm the pilot!"
    HAL: "Sit back and relax, Dave. We'll be on the floating platform in 1 minute."

    ReplyDelete
  3. Its been said that we have 2 great scientific American Presidents: Thomas Jefferson and Dwight Eisenhower.
    This is where I argue that these 2 photographs are related by at least 1 thing - a pro science Republican president.
    Its curious to me that once upon a time many conservative stalwarts were vital parts of academia and research. The RWS will abide no education that isn't ideologically centered on the axis of Norquuist/Ralph Reed. Jesus wants tax cuts for the wealthy.

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  4. Great point Chuck...

    "The future is trying."

    I always say this...The boomers let us down. The kids won't let us down because they can't afford to let themselves down. The yuppies had their "ME!" moment during the Reagan years. The kids "me" moment is saving the planet and America from it's gross neglect.

    You are right. The future is trying and America will tamp it down like it has been doing for decades. The future ain't Hillary. It was Obama and is Bernie Sanders.

    For those with the "free stuff" argument. It is easy to simply dismiss things that seem impossible to them. Usually the impossible comes when they see the price tag. That's why we didn't get to see the price tag for war and boy oh boy were people gung ho for war. You are a traitor was the argument if you didn't want to go to war. *tamp tamp tamp*.

    Yes, the future is trying.

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  5. Yes. But in the words of a yogi, "The future ain't what it used to be." It threatens to be more trying than ever.

    ReplyDelete

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