Comment falling nobel prize (Score 1) 1721
Maybe it happened long before, I just have not noticed.
Maybe it happened long before, I just have not noticed.
You know, there are plenty of successful space missions propelled by chemical jets, and using already proven technology for human missions has a lot of sense.
But I agree, that anything serious regarding space exploration can start with a more efficient propulsion, e.g. an operational VASIMR, which I would welcome with a great joy.
I think a much better way is to use technology to reduce the negative impact on the environment. EU leads in this matter and have noticeable results. There are technologies for clean energy change for our needs, and the most advanced countries have rather problems with shrinking population, so everything regulates itself. What is needed is the "green" culture, and education. Education because there are too many people in the news expressing opinions on topics they have little knowledge about, with arguments on the level as "I go outside and it is cold, so global warming is a hoax" - unfortunately one can hear such nonsenses on TV several times a day.
Reduced population certainly will not solve war or other conflicts (history), but education and understanding of a human nature can. Reduced population certainly will make our species more vulnerable and will slow down progress in all areas, also the very important ones.
Instead of worrying, that the horses poo will flood the cities it is better to find another mean of mass transportation.
R2-D2
R2 is an astromech droid - he was designed to assist in the operation of small spacecraft. He is well suited for trundling around flight decks - he was not meant to go up and down stairs, and it's a credit to his character that he performed his duty in desert and swamp. He doesn't speak english because he speaks astromech - sentients who fly or work with spacecraft will understand astromech. Speech synthesis is unnecessary to his function... are you unhappy that your perl compiler doesn't speak in plain english?
I would add that for sure its memory was limited, and as being astro-robot for sure it is better to store astro data (for which there is never enough memory) than "Yes sir" in 6 millions forms of communication.
Stormtrooper Uniforms
Yeah, OK, storm trooper armor is useless.
Not necessarily. The stormtroopers where not only to fight with another army, but also to keep order, kind of police, and the armor for sure was helpful when taking control over riots. Also helpful when establishing posts in not very friendly places (with a lot of predators).
On the other hand having helmet and armor had a psychological effect for both their enemies (not necessarily soldiers), and themselves (have you ever heard of the Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment?) - they were genetically modified clones, but still humans.
Sarlaac
Doodle-bugs (antlions) and sea anenomes rely on this same technique, and as the skeleton from ANH illustrates, Tatooine has megafauna prey.
There was nothing in the movie about living for thousand years, just about being digested for thousand years.
Plus, how do you get around the fact that Luke killed way more people by destroying the Death Star I than Vader ever did?
So what you are saying is, that in case of an imminent holocaust of your country, you would say: "No, lets not destroy this battle ship, there are thousands of people there. They came to destroy us, but we cannot be like them, let them destroy us".
?
Someone can say that because the Titanic, which supposed to be unsinkable, did sink, or World War II bombers had "blind" spots, or our TVs do not have a GPS embedded, than our Universe has major design flows, because who would design a bomber which can be shot down - it makes no sense. I would say that the need for a protocol droid to win a 100m sprint run is the same as having a GPS in my TV.
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