Search found 844 matches

by someone_else
2013-06-22 08:06am
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: "The Killing Star" - R-bombs and interstellar genocide
Replies: 77
Views: 22996

Re: "The Killing Star" - R-bombs and interstellar genocide

Makes more sense to send a laser signal or radio beam ahead. It's less aggressive and frightening. Depending on the distances involved, it may not be possible due to the inverse square law (or the optics for laser). The beam's power source (and optics in case of laser) is limited after all. Then ag...
by someone_else
2013-06-21 11:48am
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: How Junk Food Can End Obesity
Replies: 8
Views: 4962

Re: How Junk Food Can End Obesity

I stopped reading when I saw him talking well of Mac Donald's.
And yes it is biased for the reason Broomstick pointed out in the first line.
by someone_else
2013-06-21 11:35am
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission
Replies: 37
Views: 6034

Re: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission

addendum: this is an obscure start-up ViviSat is formed by ATK aerospace and US Space LLC Which are two companies operating in aerospace (ATK makes the Orion's escape tower among other things), and the second provides satellite-based "voice, data and video" services to the US government. I...
by someone_else
2013-06-21 10:07am
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission
Replies: 37
Views: 6034

Re: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission

Hydra 70 is already as simple as it gets and is already mass produced. It therefore represents some approximate minimum cost per tonne. Being that a liquid-fueled rocket, it's better if you find an actual liquid-fueled rocket to base your comparisons on. What about the V2? There is an interesting e...
by someone_else
2013-06-21 03:40am
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: "The Killing Star" - R-bombs and interstellar genocide
Replies: 77
Views: 22996

Re: "The Killing Star" - R-bombs and interstellar genocide

Also, an incoming relativistic missile will not decelerate as it approaches the target star system, which gives further advance notice- enough for a competent defense force at that technological level to react. Yeah, this deceleration will take a lot of time, if you don't use magic engines. No need...
by someone_else
2013-06-21 03:16am
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: Planetary landers
Replies: 59
Views: 7755

Re: Planetary landers

Yeah, but hiding behind a rock work both ways. The first time they get their asses out of the moon's shadow they will trigger a massive launch of whatever the first world nations thought was appropriate. (I'd throw neutron nukes) So unless they really have a fuckton of ordnance, they won't pass. It'...
by someone_else
2013-06-20 04:50pm
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission
Replies: 37
Views: 6034

Re: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission

more of the higher cost per tonne must be inferred to be inherent rather than a result of shorter production runs. Again bullshit. According to what are you assuming it must be inherent to the device? Mass production always reduced the cost of making complex stuff (by investing in expensive automat...
by someone_else
2013-06-20 03:16pm
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission
Replies: 37
Views: 6034

Re: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission

So assuming that Falcon 9 is of no greater complexity than piece of disposable ammunition I can throw over my head, mass production cannot conceivably even halve costs. This. Can you please explain what kind of broken logic allows you to assume that the level of complexity of a Falcon 9 is comparab...
by someone_else
2013-06-20 06:42am
Forum: Off-Topic
Topic: Talk me through the economics
Replies: 5
Views: 6370

Re: Talk me through the economics

Here houses and other "immobile" possessions are bought by companies and banks to boost their stats. As now that money is no more "cash" but "assets" and that gives them higher standing in the financial market. Don't know if it it's just because Italy's financial market...
by someone_else
2013-06-20 05:21am
Forum: Fantasy
Topic: Dilemna- On Lying to the People
Replies: 9
Views: 1622

Re: Dilemna- On Lying to the People

Dunno. Death sentence for going in the wrong bathroom does not sound horribly "gentle" to me. A. addendum: Another plan would be to work out a non-Archist conversion system actually based on rewards of becoming an Archist and not on fear of pogroms or racial laws inspired from rednecks. ED...
by someone_else
2013-06-20 02:43am
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Autistic Teenager murdered by mother, godmother
Replies: 6
Views: 1413

Re: Autistic Teenager murdered by mother, godmother

If murdering your child ever seems like a rational solution, you are a shirty parent. I really doubt that the two women did use anything other than emotions. In a case like this they could have got away with a fatal "incident" and a few years in jail for negligence, if planned well. Stabb...
by someone_else
2013-06-19 04:33pm
Forum: History
Topic: Biggest Epic Fails in History
Replies: 166
Views: 44775

Re: Biggest Epic Fails in History

Sea Skimmer, isn't it rather easy to explain why the Italians did what they did? A combination of racism and not realising the degree the Ethopians had modernised works quite well. The Italians, like other Europeans at the time, had simply failed to realise "Non-White" does not necessaril...
by someone_else
2013-06-19 02:20pm
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Power Armour - Practical or otherwise?
Replies: 46
Views: 8839

Re: Power Armour - Practical or otherwise?

Mh, a pressure spacesuit will turn even Rambo in a goofy pacifist with stiffness and worthless gauntlets alone. Adding armor on top is useless as you are a sitting duck anyway. If we are talking of mechanical pressure suits, like this , it could be different. Planet-side versions do need some pretty...
by someone_else
2013-06-19 12:33pm
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Power Armour - Practical or otherwise?
Replies: 46
Views: 8839

Re: Power Armour - Practical or otherwise?

Main issues, inertia, traction and weight. Even with a powered exoskeleton you won't be able to do very tight turns or run horribly fast. That's because the thing has a hefty weight, that will be hard to counterbalance. Traction is likewise an issue as trying to move this weight with a human footpri...
by someone_else
2013-06-19 12:12pm
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Has Anyone Seen This?
Replies: 16
Views: 3414

Re: Has Anyone Seen This?

was wondering when the jellyfish genes would end up in some cool thing like this, as glowing puppies would be too controversial to sell. (and a pain to import if they come from china... Italian Customs: huh, live animals from china? Where did we put the flamethrowers?) For the sake of curiosity, wha...
by someone_else
2013-06-19 11:00am
Forum: Fantasy
Topic: Dilemna- On Lying to the People
Replies: 9
Views: 1622

Re: Dilemna- On Lying to the People

Ok. A I would run with the Archist party and try to convert the "genocide non-archists" to "forced expatriation". They get X money and a free ticket to Tatooine. Or wherever they want to go. And arrange things with other nations to give them citizenship. Assuming it is doable for...
by someone_else
2013-06-19 09:29am
Forum: News and Politics
Topic: Texas prisons go from gulags to actual rape camps
Replies: 21
Views: 2779

Re: Texas prisons go from gulags to actual rape camps

"sodomize male guards"?

Oh well, nevermind. Something like that would make the headlines here.

Still, doesn't seem like very fresh news. I heard of that shit happening even in the past from Texas. a cursory web search pops up this for example.
by someone_else
2013-06-19 09:10am
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: Planetary landers
Replies: 59
Views: 7755

Re: Planetary landers

I suppose a lot depends on the actual tech in question. Redundancy will quickly become pointless if the trip will take long enough and each of the redundant systems will be faulty enough that the probability of failure over say fifteen decades remains high anyways. Of course. But in a situation lik...
by someone_else
2013-06-19 07:41am
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission
Replies: 37
Views: 6034

Re: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission

Well, I admit that I did exaggerate it a bit, just to underscore that the science in Apollo was a very low priority.
by someone_else
2013-06-19 07:07am
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: Planetary landers
Replies: 59
Views: 7755

Re: Planetary landers

That's what redundancy is for. It is usually less mass-intensive than adding a big enough support module for the human techs plus spare parts and telepresence crap to allow the humans to get close to massively radioactive parts of the craft like say the engine or the reactor. And in most cases, you ...
by someone_else
2013-06-19 06:42am
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: Planetary landers
Replies: 59
Views: 7755

Re: Planetary landers

The Apollo astronauts had three or four shifts of more than ten flight controllers monitoring every system aboard their spacecraft 24/7. On a long-range military mission, the people performing those functions would probably have to be aboard the spacecraft. The last mars probe was dropped by a full...
by someone_else
2013-06-19 05:34am
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission
Replies: 37
Views: 6034

Re: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission

The fact that CERN is so much cheaper and easier to operate is one big reason why it is superior. That's the only sense in which I am comparing apples to lemons. The fact CERN works on something different alltogether in a completely different environment with completely different requirements rende...
by someone_else
2013-06-18 12:00pm
Forum: Science Fiction
Topic: Planetary landers
Replies: 59
Views: 7755

Re: Planetary landers

The miss distance could be even worse if my enemy sees my missiles coming and decides to leisurely sidle out of the way during the many, many minutes it'll take my warheads to reach them. ICBMs can't duck, nor can metropolitan areas. Interplanetary spacecraft engines don't lend well to sudden multi...
by someone_else
2013-06-18 11:23am
Forum: Science, Logic, And Morality
Topic: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission
Replies: 37
Views: 6034

Re: Shenzhou-10: China launches next manned space mission

btw, the ISS budget could pay for the whole of CERN for 100 years. CERN employs 4,000 scientists using 10 machines, not just the LHC. The ISS has a crew of 6. Aww come on. CERN and ISS work on different fields, anything shipped to the ISS costs hundreds of millions of launch costs alone, CERN can d...
by someone_else
2013-06-18 09:49am
Forum: Fantasy
Topic: Dilemna- On Lying to the People
Replies: 9
Views: 1622

Re: Dilemna- On Lying to the People

I like this concept, it's messy as hell, just like reality. Would be an awesome setting for a few novels. I hope someone that has talent sees this. :mrgreen: -The country has a history of popular revolts in favor of Archism, including pogroms against minorities. Because the Constitution severely lim...