Today's Good News

Topic: Today's Good News (Read 156763 times)

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #325 – 2015-10-18, 07:59:11

Quote from: OakdaleFTL on 2015-10-18, 06:52:35

in space everything is a weapon…

Would you please stand over here for a couple of days while I throw this little bolt in such a way that earth's gravitational pull accelerates it to deadly velocity?

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #326 – 2015-10-19, 02:39:56

"Psst! I used a bolt to scratch the face plate of your suit, Amigo! Guess what happens, next time you go EVA?

"
Or a simple wax ring of oil placed around an oxygen tank's valve… You get the idea: There's so much that can easily go wrong in space that the mere thought of deliberate non-cooperation is all-but unthinkable…
(Of course, people do seem quite often to think the unthinkable. :sigh: )

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #327 – 2015-10-19, 10:10:32

Quote from: OakdaleFTL on 2015-10-19, 02:39:56

There's so much that can easily go wrong in space

So can it on earth.
Speaking about a simple wax ring of oil or the lack of it: Dildo Death: Man Dies After Vibrator Gets Stuck In Backside

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #328 – 2015-10-26, 08:57:30

Speaking of space trash, the geostationary orbit seems to have become much less of a strategic real estate than believed e.g. 30 years ago.

This list is of low quality by Wikipedia standards, and presumably incomplete and unreliable. Even so there seems to be a sharp decline of such satelites, with only three geostationary and geosynchronous ones launched the last three years, Azerbaijan in 2013, Argentina in 2014 and 2015 (we didn't even get to the B list of nations).

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #329 – 2015-10-26, 22:11:07

Those seems to be bad news for the space rocket launching industry.

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #330 – 2015-10-27, 13:49:50

Way back, when people were still living in the space age, geostationary orbit was seen as a highly desirable location. This orbit 35,786 km above the equator would take exactly one star day (23h56m) to complete a rotation, the effect would be that it would look like the satellite would always be at a fixed, stationary, point from the ground. This meant that satellite receivers on the ground could point in that direction and stay that way. A satellite would also cover almost half the planet. Very simple, very desirable. Also limited to a single ring far above the equator, meaning that a satellite could easily interfere with the neighbours. The belt could easily fill up, and it would be vulnerable to space debris.

Forward about 50 years and the advantage is more slight. Back then computers were slow and very expensive. Today they are ubiquitous and throw-away, and calculating an orbit is straightforward. That's the basis for GPS. Orbits closer to Earth means the light signals spend less time travelling to the satellite and back.

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #331 – 2015-10-27, 22:54:56

Quote from: jax on 2015-10-27, 13:49:50

Orbits closer to Earth means the light signals spend less time travelling to the satellite and back.

After all that, all you say is that space trash is becoming closer to earth. Is that good news?

As far as it is known, military sattelites exceeds, by far, all those numbers. Populations all over the world reacts to this as lobotomyzed cattle. These are indeed good news...

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #332 – 2015-10-28, 09:48:48

That is very good news because most debris is tiny and vaporises in the atmosphere, some is bigger and will make beautiful shooting stars, a very few would be so big as be extremely unlikely to hit you on the head when crashing to earth.

In the much higher geosynchronous orbit the debris will stay for a very long time. The orbit is not completely stable, it is perturbed by the moon and sun. Without thrusters to adjust the orbit the debris would veer off, which should increase the risk of hitting working satellites in that orbit.

The total number of satellites (in low orbit) is increasing. They also tend to get smaller, also a good thing.

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #333 – 2015-10-28, 16:44:30

Quote from: jax on 2015-10-28, 02:48:48

In the much higher geosynchronous orbit the debris will stay for a very long time. The orbit is not completely stable, it is perturbed by the moon and sun. Without thrusters to adjust the orbit the debris would veer off, which should increase the risk of hitting working satellites in that orbit.

To decrease the risk of colliding with other geostationary objects, and because it takes far too much energy to degrade their orbit, they instead increase the orbital radius (push them back farther)when they go out of service so that it's less likely they get disturbed. I've heard some could remain for tens of millions of years.

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #334 – 2015-11-06, 07:53:43

Not something many people would appreciate, but Stanley Jordan appeared on a late-night talk show (Fallon's); and I was lucky enough to catch it!
(Here's a taste of what he does.)

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #335 – 2015-11-12, 23:34:58

Quote

Recent research has determined that the famous Stradivarius violin owes its unique, esteemed sound to the last Maunder Minimum. The solar condition changed the texture of the trees that provided the wood from which the instrument was crafted. So lovers of classical music can place their orders for the next generation of incomparable violins, coming - giving the trees time to mature - in about 100 years.
(source)

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #336 – 2015-11-24, 09:14:34

The old maxim "a healthy body, a healthy mind" seems to be correlated to legs.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/11/18/brawn-and-brains/

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #337 – 2015-11-24, 19:57:43

Women have oft told me I am star so I try to avid any collisions.

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #338 – 2015-12-02, 18:44:04

This is what they had in mind. The acronym.
STAR: Stop Talking And Read

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #339 – 2015-12-03, 18:47:51

I do find it hard to deal with jealousy but such is life.

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #340 – 2016-01-06, 20:58:29

On the importance of interesting animal names

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/12/29/the-ninja-lanternshark-shows-just-how-far-a-great-name-can-take-a-new-species/

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #341 – 2016-01-08, 00:28:51

Speaking about animals, a species of chimpazee with 3 meters, 500 kg and 100 million years old was discovered in Asia. It was compared to King Kong even if only a tooth was found.
Since I forgot where I read it, you have to believe me, the same way I believe those I read. Good news indeed.

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #342 – 2016-01-08, 08:22:43

Typical European, Bel…

(You can't stop them from being stupid: That's what you wanted them to be; that's what you trained them to be; and that's what you expect…)

The slight wrinkle in your "plan" is — people aren't stupid…

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #343 – 2016-01-08, 13:35:44

source

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #344 – 2016-01-09, 21:41:01

Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán was arrested by Mexican authorities (after escaping from jail twice).
He was returned to the same prison he had escaped from...

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #345 – 2016-01-10, 08:44:21

Mexican "justice"… The Spanish taught them how to apply it.
Corruption is built into the culture; of course, the poor Portuguese "cousins" have done better — well, not lately; but, you know, they're different… They speak a language only the Brazilians can sort-of understand!

Is there anyone here who still bemoans the demise of classical Latin?

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #346 – 2016-01-10, 15:15:14

Haha. So funny a Yank coming on here and yakking about some other country and built-in corruption. It is a lousy wet day here but that gave me a great laugh so thanks Oakdale.

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #347 – 2016-01-11, 03:54:29

Quote from: rjhowie on 2016-01-10, 07:15:14

yakking about some other country and built-in corruption

We're still pikers in the corruption department, when compared to at least half the world, RJ. But you knew that…
I still wonder why you have such animosity for America. (Maybe you'll write a book, someday.

)

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #348 – 2016-01-11, 12:13:59

It would be hard to control the damn number of chapters!

On another more direct stance there is plenty of opportunity for getting a dig at your country. All those aspects that fall under the routine word "hypocrisy." Time after time we keep getting the greatest military the greatest country in the world an example of democracy et al. That hard fact is if you lot tried to be a little more modest then that hypocrisy word could be shoved to one side.Your internal history is as much like your global farce. Because of that inbuilt brained propaganda you are brought up on it does the country no good whatsoever and the decents over there are sidelined by the chest puffers who boast about everything to the point they do not realise they look silly.

Re: Today's Good News

Reply #349 – 2016-01-11, 17:02:53

Quote from: OakdaleFTL on 2016-01-10, 22:54:29

We're still pikers in the corruption department, when compared to at least half the world, RJ.

It's time we admitted that we're bad people, Oak. Maybe we should open a thread "Americans Stink!"

Before that happens, though, I hereby declare myself a bad person. In fact a terrible person.

Please join me, Sir, and make Mr. Glasgow a happy person.