Comments on: NASA News

By: James

James — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 19:38:46 +0000

Hawking is well known for the ‘bon mot’, I think that the best way to discribe his comment would be ’sussinct’

By: Irishman

Irishman — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 22:56:20 +0000

Well, someone could type those words into a list and email them to him, so he can then just select them from the list rather than type them out himself. But maybe he’s not smart enough to do that.

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 23:01:55 +0000

Gary, most articles at New Scientist’s website tend to roll off after they’ve been there a short time. I think you have to subscribe to rummage through their archive.

Thomas, I think you missed a couple. Stephen Hawking may visit Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysiliogogogoch in northern Wales, since it is significantly closer to Cambridge than any part of New Zealand. But he is unlikely to visit Switzerland and encounter a VierwaldstÃ¤tteseedampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftsoberkapitÃ¤nstellvertrÃ¤ter (deputy senior captain of a Lake Lucerne steam-shipping company)…

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 07:04:32 +0000

intereting to note that republicans tend to (but by no means as a partisan issue) be more generous in funding NASA. make of that what you will.

btw, that article you linked to was completely ridiculous in saying that the plan is to get to mars “in 10 years”. that IS stupid. the plan right now is CEV flying by 2011, lunar laning by 2018, and IOC at a lunar base by 2022. no set date for mars, but presumably in the late 30s to early 40s, which is perfectly reasonable.

calling this “bush’s plan” is a little ridiculous. dr. griffin is the man planning all this out, bush just greenlights it and then steps aside.

btw, it’s progressing along just fine. assuming it doesn’t face the budget ax (that threat has passed for the time being), the basic configuration for the CEV has already been chosen in the ESAS, and the contractor will be chosen early-mid 2006. if the program survives FY 2006 and stays reasonably within budget, by the time it gets to time to draft the 07 budget, the program can be defended as being “established”

By: Thomas Siefert

Thomas Siefert — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 17:10:04 +0000

When you can only manage a few words a minute you tend to be less exuberant in your vocalubary.
You will avoid words like Antidisestablishmentarianism, floccinaucinihilipilification and pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
You will never visit TaumatawhakatangÂihangakoauauotÂamateaturipukakaÂpikimaungaÂhoronukuÂpokaiwhenuakÂitanatahu in New Zealand.
You will never ever use the full names of royalty.

By: Joel Sax

Joel Sax — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 03:47:20 +0000

I think that whatever Stephen Hawking thought was much more colorful and complex than the single word, but due to his physical limitations, he chose the one which best expressed his feelings. If he wasn’t talking about the Bush plan to go to Mars, I am sure he will issue a brief and appropriate retraction.

By: Beche-la-mer

Beche-la-mer — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 00:38:19 +0000

Andy B,

I think there are plenty of nuances in Stephen Hawking’s response. As much can be expressed with one well-chosen word as several.