Category Archives: Science/Engineering

Space is a place

Posted on April 20, 2012 | Comments Off on Space is a place

I covered the first landing of the space shuttle in 1981. The first space ship. They did real work, hauling satellites to orbit, until the Challenger explosion in 1986. After that, it was busy-work and and increasingly boring. And the disintegration of Columbia over Texas in ’03 showed it was still dangerous.

I remember the shuttle-inspired first flush of private rocketry in the early 80s, the grandiose predictions that never came to pass. Now, with the inevitable retirement of the circa-1969 technology shuttles, the grandiose predictions are back:

“The future of space is in the hands of the guys behind Amazon, PayPal, and Virgin [and Google]. The force of competition will create endless possibilities and unimaginable technologies. No more talking about how the space program brought us Tang and Tempur-Pedic mattresses. We’re going to Mars, baby, in business class.”

Will this sort of thing now come true? Much as I wish it would, I can’t help doubting it. Time will tell.

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Posted in Science/Engineering, Space, Texana

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Behind those gas prices

Posted on April 11, 2012 | Comments Off on Behind those gas prices

According to this analysis, the high price of gasoline has more to do with the closing of some East Coast refineries and a glut of pipeline oil in Oklahoma, than Uncle Barry’s refusal to allow increased oil and gas production.

But presidents always get the blame for things like high gas prices, whether they deserve it or not. In this case, I think he deserves it. And they usually don’t get re-elected. Whether it will stop the re-election of the first “white” African-American president, however, remains to be seen.

Via Instapundit.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Obamalot, Science/Engineering, Scribbles, Texana

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Fortress On The Sun

Posted on April 1, 2012 | Comments Off on Fortress On The Sun

There’s nothing typical about this space opera, with some intricate overtones of hard science involving the biochemistry of the brain. The more you read the more the clever story unfolds until, pretty soon, you’re in a very different place from where you started—which is all the spoiler I’m giving.

Really nice work by author Paul Cook in this second tale of his that I’ve read since the equally-intriguing The Engines of Dawn. I took one star off, however, for the recurring and very annoying typos in the Kindle edition, none of which, I’m sure, are the author’s fault.

They’re mainly proper end-of-line hyphens turned into improper middle-of-a-line hyphens in the process of formatting the text in HTML. There’s really no excuse for such lazy proofreading (or, more likely, no proofreading) by a mainstream publisher who ought to be thoroughly ashamed.

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Posted in Library, Science/Engineering

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Engineered microbes turn CO2 to gasoline substitute

Posted on March 29, 2012 | Comments Off on Engineered microbes turn CO2 to gasoline substitute

Now here’s an idea that, if it’s really as promising as the initial claims suggest, could not only solve the so-called energy crisis (promoted by the radical Greens who want to stop drilling for available oil and gas), but global warming (to the extent it’s really a problem) and, gasp, climate change.

If Obamalot really is serious about alternative fuels (as opposed to just trying to help their his cronies make a bigger buck), let’s see them him give the big federal taxpayer grants to help drive this to market.

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Posted in Science/Engineering, Scribbles, Weather/Climate

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Bye, bye Jane

Posted on March 28, 2012 | Comments Off on Bye, bye Jane

Jane is the name of our Tom Tom automobile navigation system. She speaks in a refined British accent, which is always amusing, especially when she mentions roundabouts, which we don’t have in Texas. We’ll miss her.

The Obama bureaucracy wants to cripple Tom Tom and similar devices. The Janes and their dynamic screens are too distracting for drivers, they say, etc., etc.

The Nanny State. Ever in search of private jobs to destroy and conveniences to eliminate. To justify the jobs of the overpaid, very-hard-to-fire bureaucrats, you see.

Via Instapundit.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Obamalot, Science/Engineering, Scribbles

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Space Porno

Posted on March 20, 2012 | Comments Off on Space Porno

Riding one of the (now defunct) space shuttle’s Solid Rocket Boosters to 41 miles high and back again to splash down in the Atlantic. Even the audio is orgasmic.

Via Instapundit.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Music, Science/Engineering, Space

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Science Fiction Recommendations

Posted on February 29, 2012 | Comments Off on Science Fiction Recommendations

I’ve finished several new ones lately, some I’ve reviewed at Amazon and others I haven’t, either for lack of time or indecision about how to put my conclusions about them. Even when I enjoyed them as much as I did these.

Ashes of Candesce seems to be the end of an incredibly imaginative five-part series. Count to A Trillion is another dandy, also a far-future story, that won’t lose your interest.

Then, there’s Night Trains, a time-travel tale, the sort of thing I don’t normally read but I’m glad I read this one. And Chronospace, another time-traveler. Hmm. I guess I do read them.

And, of course, there’s In The Lion’s Mouth, the latest installment of an absorbing Celtic space-opera series. And, while you’re at it, don’t miss Permanence, more far-future story-telling worth your time.

Or you could take the more classic, Instapundit recommendations route.

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Posted in Library, Rancho Roly Poly, Science/Engineering, Scribbles

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