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.

By: Blake Stacey

Blake Stacey — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 21:19:16 +0000

Sticks:

Did you ever hear/see the Bill Hicks sketch where he talks about the amazingly cool technology we pulled out for Gulf War One? “It was pretty incredible, seeing missiles fly down air vents. . . But couldn’t we feasibly use that same technology to shoot food at hungry people? Flying over Ethiopia, ‘There’s a guy who needs a banana!’ Shoooom!

“The stealth banana. Smart fruit!”

See, aerospace can benefit everybody after all!

What would the shipping costs be for a used shuttle? Do you have to rent a 747 to piggyback it upon while you schlep it across the nation?

By: Leon

Leon — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 17:44:42 +0000

Thomas Siefert Says:

BA you really need to get Bush in a headlock rub your knuckles against his head and explain him how the solar system is screwed together.

Yes! Yes! A stiff application of the Vulcan Death Noogie!!

By: Leon

Leon — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 17:43:38 +0000

Bad Albert Says:

â€œ$1,000,000 for Downey, California related to housing of a Space Shuttle mock-upâ€?

If they could just wait a couple years, they could get a real one for free.

Or maybe on eBay, depending what NASA’s budget is like by then…

By: The Bad Astronomer

The Bad Astronomer — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 17:26:25 +0000

Kelson– yes, but still. A million bucks?

By: Kelson

Kelson — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 16:12:49 +0000

Assuming this is the same one, I believe the space shuttle mockup already exists in Downey---note also that the item refers to "housing" it, not building it.

By: aiabx

aiabx — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 15:37:00 +0000

One has to remember that it s really hard for Stephen Hawking to give a nuanced reply at the spur of the moment. He might have meant that human exploration of Mars was stupid, or that this one plan was stupid, or that the timing was stupid. I’d be interested to know if he ever clarified that remark at a later time.
-Andy B

By: Thomas Siefert

Thomas Siefert — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 15:15:50 +0000

I would really like to see humans going to Mars, but Stephen Hawking is probably right.

Most people seem to think that Mars is a bit further out than the moon, “in-the-neighbourhood-kinda-way”.

BA you really need to get Bush in a headlock rub your knuckles against his head and explain him how the solar system is screwed together.

By: Sticks

Sticks — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 12:15:41 +0000

So how much did the starving children of Africa get?

By: Christian Burnham

Christian Burnham — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 10:51:30 +0000

Sounds like good news.
Sorry to be a pain, but I think you misspelt ‘Stephen Hawking’.

By: Gary Mcleod

Gary Mcleod — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 10:28:00 +0000

Did anyone else notice this ominous posting on New Scientist’s website on 10 November, which mysteriously disappeared the next day?

03 November 2005
Greg Klerkx
Magazine issue 2524

LESS than two years after it was announced with great fanfare,
President Bush’s plan to return people to the moon is in trouble. The
signs are everywhere.

Take Operation Offset, a proposal devised by a group of Republican
legislators to cut government programmes and free up funds to pay for
damage done by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Conspicuous on the chopping
block is NASA’s moon and Mars initiative. Another austerity proposal,
suggested by economist Maya MacGuineas, recommended much the same
thing: cancel NASA’s Crew Exploration Vehicle, the spacecraft that
would carry humans back to the moon.

There is more, but you have to subscribe to the website…

http://www.newscientistspace.com/article/mg18825245.900

By: Bad Albert

Bad Albert — Tue, 15 Nov 2005 05:29:10 +0000

“$1,000,000 for Downey, California related to housing of a Space Shuttle mock-upâ€?

If they could just wait a couple years, they could get a real one for free.