Two quick updates. OK, three, including this one: I am about to board a plane and head west to LAlaland to film the pilot for Skeptologists. I’ll have some time to post, but it won’t be quite as often.
If you have a hunger for all news astronomy, then head over to NAM 2008, the live-blogging event for the National Astronomy Meeting going on in the UK right now. It’s hosted by the Royal Astronomical Society, and there’s already some interesting stuff there.
If you have a hunger for unreal news astronomy, then check out Google. I can think of several people I’d put at the head of the line for this…
April 1st, 2008 at 11:08 am
Darn, I don’t have time right now to submit my YouTube video.
J/P=?
April 1st, 2008 at 11:08 am
I only wish Project Virgle *wasn’t* just an April Fools Day joke.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:09 am
I’m slightly worried that google decided to announce this “virgle” think on april first. It would be a real bummer to find out this was one big prank.
April 1st, 2008 at 11:18 am
The quiz was funny. Apparently I’m not wacky enough to go…darn. ((-;
April 1st, 2008 at 11:18 am
Damn it! I really hoped iot was real!
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/04/google-and-virg.html
April 1st, 2008 at 11:42 am
It’s a shame this is an April Fool’s hoax, as I reckon private enterprise is what it would take to get this kind of project off the ground!
April 1st, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Okay, the Virgle Is real, but BA going to Hollywood, April Fool!
April 1st, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Why not just put the Mars base in the ancient ruins?
April 1st, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Of course it’s not real. I would love it to be. Getting back to the moon isn’t even possible within the decade, this is just ridiculous.
April 1st, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Aside from April Fools Day, I knew Richard Branson’s project wasn’t real because Robert Zubrin wasn’t mentioned.
Then again – if Zubrin wasn’t invited he’d be pissed and that would launch a Zubrin vs. Branson Mars race. Though Zubrin has much less cash, he has the more developed plans for extracting fuel from the thin atmosphere as well as the wild eyed volunteers.
Branson on the other hand has money plus an artistic advantage of what he terms “spaceships” rather than the more practical “spacecraft”. “Spaceships” as you know are long, streamlined rockets in gleaming chrome with pointed nosecones and rakish tail fins that trace their original shape to the old German V2 or the movie “Destination Moon”.
BTW – its interesting note that many of the posts so far (including mine) are about going to Mars despite the joke. I think deep down, people want to be inspired and involved in a big “we just might do it” project.
April 1st, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Yeah, Chip, you might just be right on that one. How cool would it be to actually have humans on Mars?! I’d dig it. I also wish Project Virgle was more than an April Fools prank.
April 1st, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I love Google’s April fools Jokes. Anyone see the one in Gmail about setting a custom arrival time for email?
http://mail.google.com/mail/help/customtime/index.html
April 1st, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Is this a bit spooky?
I read recently that a (scientific) school of thought regards human expansion of the solar system or wider galaxy, as very likely. Not because of our enquiering scientific minds; but because we act like a virus – we drain the host then move on!
We’re killing off the earth and need a new host. Crimps!!
We are just viruses on a solar scale … according to this school.
April 1st, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Glad to have you back in California for a visit, B.A! And somewhat proud(although vicariously) that there are people in Hollywood trying to do something worthwhile for a change. I hope the shooting goes well!
I was talking about commercialised space travel a few days ago. I asked my s/o if she would go on a space flight given the chance. She hates flying and predictably said no, but I love the idea. If I were to live long enough for the technology to be feasible, I would even take the week long round-trip to the moon and back. Three days each way in a stuffy tin can would probably be my favorite vacation ever.
I’ve already gone cross country in a Greyhound. Two days, twenty-two uncomfortable hours each way, and the available food was worse than protein paste from a plastic tube! I won’t even try to describe the smells.
April 1st, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Good luck with the pilot! I’d love for it to get the green light.
Remember to claim dibs on the Indiana Jones felt Fedora.
April 2nd, 2008 at 7:48 pm
April Fools’ Jokes only work if they make the improbable seem probable, at least those that are done online. This isn’t funny, it’s totally plausible, thus the effect of the joke is completely lost. Usually Google has some good ones on April 1st, guess not this year.