Comments on: Hubble On The Bus http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:18:33 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Helge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/comment-page-1/#comment-15557 Helge Mon, 08 May 2006 19:44:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/#comment-15557 Yeah, I know there is the golden rule "never explain a joke." ;-) Well I can live quite well with my ignorance ... :-) Yeah, I know there is the golden rule “never explain a joke.” ;-) Well I can live quite well with my ignorance … :-)

]]> By: Clifford http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/comment-page-1/#comment-15615 Clifford Sun, 07 May 2006 20:36:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/#comment-15615 Sorry Helge. It is sort of hard to explain why it is funny. Please ignore it. -cvj Sorry Helge. It is sort of hard to explain why it is funny. Please ignore it.

-cvj

]]> By: Helge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/comment-page-1/#comment-15614 Helge Sun, 07 May 2006 14:58:43 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/#comment-15614 @Scott: Sorry to hear about your accident. @Clifford: Make all the yokes you want. I just don't get it. Maybe you sometimes need to be a native english speaker ... I would have loved to laugh :-( Cheers, Helge @Scott: Sorry to hear about your accident.

@Clifford: Make all the yokes you want. I just don’t get it. Maybe you sometimes need to be a native english speaker … I would have loved to laugh :-(

Cheers, Helge

]]> By: Jeff Nuttall http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/comment-page-1/#comment-15613 Jeff Nuttall Sun, 07 May 2006 07:07:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/#comment-15613 <I>Let's face it, the static ads only show advertising.</I> Actually, long before the TVs were installed, the MTA buses in Los Angeles had displays of poetry mixed in among the advertising. Although I don't know how many people ever bothered to read it... Let’s face it, the static ads only show advertising.

Actually, long before the TVs were installed, the MTA buses in Los Angeles had displays of poetry mixed in among the advertising. Although I don’t know how many people ever bothered to read it…

]]> By: Kaleberg http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/comment-page-1/#comment-15612 Kaleberg Sun, 07 May 2006 04:29:02 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/#comment-15612 Actually, it would be interesting to find a form of private transportation that doesn't require huge government subsidies. Passenger transportation has NEVER made money, except in the short term, but it is one of the things a government HAS to provide. We've spent trillions on our interstate highways and trillions more on military infrastructure to secure our fuel supplies. Railroads, steamships, canals and turnpikes all went broke and have required government bailouts. Henry V had to fix prices at the post-chaise relay houses so travelers could get fresh horses. The Khanate had to subsidize caravanserais. The Romans had to build magnificent highways, and slaves or no slaves, they cost a bundle. I think video on buses is kind of neat, as long as the sound stays under control, at least until we all get Bluetooth Borg implants. Let's face it, the static ads only show advertising. Video monitors can show news, science, art and other good stuff and only show ads for a certain percentage of the time. Maybe someone will be inspired, if only by the pictures; maybe someone will be informed. My only hope is that the monitors don't get taken over by the malady advertisers. For a while, it was impossible to ride the NYC subways without thinking about "the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to", what with the Preparation H ads next to the laser foot surgery ads next to the "Are you pregnant" ads next to the "Fight AIDS" ads next to the butt lift ads next to the cough syrup ads and so on and so on. Actually, it would be interesting to find a form of private transportation that doesn’t require huge government subsidies. Passenger transportation has NEVER made money, except in the short term, but it is one of the things a government HAS to provide. We’ve spent trillions on our interstate highways and trillions more on military infrastructure to secure our fuel supplies. Railroads, steamships, canals and turnpikes all went broke and have required government bailouts. Henry V had to fix prices at the post-chaise relay houses so travelers could get fresh horses. The Khanate had to subsidize caravanserais. The Romans had to build magnificent highways, and slaves or no slaves, they cost a bundle.

I think video on buses is kind of neat, as long as the sound stays under control, at least until we all get Bluetooth Borg implants. Let’s face it, the static ads only show advertising. Video monitors can show news, science, art and other good stuff and only show ads for a certain percentage of the time. Maybe someone will be inspired, if only by the pictures; maybe someone will be informed. My only hope is that the monitors don’t get taken over by the malady advertisers. For a while, it was impossible to ride the NYC subways without thinking about “the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to”, what with the Preparation H ads next to the laser foot surgery ads next to the “Are you pregnant” ads next to the “Fight AIDS” ads next to the butt lift ads next to the cough syrup ads and so on and so on.

]]> By: Scott H. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/comment-page-1/#comment-15611 Scott H. Sat, 06 May 2006 22:53:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/#comment-15611 Hi Sourav --- Thanks for the good thoughts. I agree it's a personal choice; however, I can honestly say I didn't fully understand the consequences of this choice until I was tumbling through the air realizing that I might be about to die. For me, the line between minor error and serious consequence is just too fine. I'm going to miss the bike a lot (2000 Honda Shadow 750 ACE; a sweet, sweet bike), but I'd miss the life I've put together a lot more. Hi Sourav —

Thanks for the good thoughts. I agree it’s a personal choice; however, I can honestly say I didn’t fully understand the consequences of this choice until I was tumbling through the air realizing that I might be about to die. For me, the line between minor error and serious consequence is just too fine.

I’m going to miss the bike a lot (2000 Honda Shadow 750 ACE; a sweet, sweet bike), but I’d miss the life I’ve put together a lot more.

]]> By: Sourav http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/comment-page-1/#comment-15610 Sourav Sat, 06 May 2006 22:22:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/#comment-15610 Hi Scott! Sorry to hear about your accident. One of your former students, a friend of mine whom I met at MIT, also gave up riding after he interned at an ER. A personal choice. At least two of my professors here at Berkeley share my predilection (one rides rather cautiously), as do some colleagues at LBL who have been riding for many years. A few spills here and there, but nothing serious. Moreso than in a car, your safety as a rider is contingent upon the extent of your skill and depth of your self-criticism. Sourav Hi Scott!

Sorry to hear about your accident. One of your former students, a friend of mine whom I met at MIT, also gave up riding after he interned at an ER.

A personal choice. At least two of my professors here at Berkeley share my predilection (one rides rather cautiously), as do some colleagues at LBL who have been riding for many years. A few spills here and there, but nothing serious. Moreso than in a car, your safety as a rider is contingent upon the extent of your skill and depth of your self-criticism.

Sourav

]]> By: Scott H. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/comment-page-1/#comment-15609 Scott H. Sat, 06 May 2006 22:06:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/#comment-15609 Thanks for the good wishes! My wife and my cats make excellent caregivers. And, the abrupt lesson in mortality has given me a lot of food for thought ... The main thing is that with the back sprain I can't move around too much, so I'm going slightly stir crazy. I'm dreaming of return to work next week so I can continue <a href="http://web.mit.edu/8.962/www" rel="nofollow">lecturing</a> my GR course. Ed Bertschinger did a very able job covering for me this past week, but I really want to get back into the show ... Thanks for the good wishes! My wife and my cats make excellent caregivers. And, the abrupt lesson in mortality has given me a lot of food for thought …

The main thing is that with the back sprain I can’t move around too much, so I’m going slightly stir crazy. I’m dreaming of return to work next week so I can continue lecturing my GR course. Ed Bertschinger did a very able job covering for me this past week, but I really want to get back into the show …

]]> By: Clifford http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/comment-page-1/#comment-15608 Clifford Sat, 06 May 2006 21:47:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/#comment-15608 Yes, Scott.... I wish you a Speedy Recovery! -cvj Yes, Scott…. I wish you a Speedy Recovery!

-cvj

]]> By: Mark http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/comment-page-1/#comment-15607 Mark Sat, 06 May 2006 21:40:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/05/04/hubble-on-the-bus/#comment-15607 Sorry to hear that Scott. Hope you're doing OK now. Sorry to hear that Scott. Hope you’re doing OK now.

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