Cool science stuff

U.S. Project Reaches Major Milestone toward Practical Fusion Power

 

This is amazing -- kind of an extraordinary conclusion to an even more incredible, and incredibly successful, story of survival.

Endurance: Explorer Shackleton's ship found after a century

And here's a fuller NYT story about the find. Amazing stuff, including some crazy-good photos that really add to the story. I've been to Antarctica, so this really resonates with me, but it really was an incredible story, back then. And now, now.

At the Bottom of an Icy Sea, One of History’s Great Wrecks Is Found

 

Dead.

Patient who received genetically modified pig heart in groundbreaking transplant surgery dies - CNN

 

Caroline Alexander's book on the voyage is highly recommended.

 

Thanks. I'll check it out. I read Alfred Lansing's version of the story before I went to Antarctica, but it really was riveting, so I wouldn't mind reading another book on it.

 

I get stuff from History Hit in my Facebook feed all the time, and they've been promoting this expedition for months. I saw this story and the photos today. Just stunning stuff.

 

I love stories about potential innovations in spacecraft propulsion.

Laser Propulsion Will Slash Journey Time To Mars, Say Rocket Engineers

 

So you're rich, you fork over a couple hundred grand for a trip on Blue Origin and you get an e-mail announcing that your "special guest celebrity" will be....

Pete Davidson and five paying customers to fly on Jeff Bezos' suborbital rocket - CNN

 

An Earth-based laser will not work efficiently because of the Earth's atmosphere and rotation. Acceleration would have to be done in 8-hour spurts while the laser is facing Mars and the spacecraft is high enough over the horizon. A space-based laser permanently stationed at a LaGrange point will work much more efficiently.

The launch window calendar when Mars and Earth approach each other in their orbits would also still apply, although the speed of transit will widen the window considerably.

 

The windows will steam up while Pete macks down on his celeb companion du jour the whole time. You won't be able to see shit.

 

Pete Davidson backs out of trip to space on Jeff Bezos rocket


"Listen Bezos, I'm paying half a mil for a minute of weightlessness, you've got to do better than Davidson."

 

Here it comes: the Chinese Space Snake!!

China’s snake-like space robot ‘designed to move or manipulate a big object’