It has long been proven that the drag of accumulating the hydrogen greatly exceeds the possible thrust. It's more like a parachute than it is an engine.

http://www.amazon.com/A-Boy-Ba...

      You can do what used to be a simple project for an 8-year-old, take it to a "makerfaire" or some other such nonsense, and be hailed a modern genius among the nitwits thus gathered!

Like the OP?

And of course, only the "right kind" of politics.

Well, if you want a summer of kids rioting in the streets, this is a great plan. They certainly won't be impeded by having to go to work.

I had a similar idea about Zeppelins. Hydrogen is dangerous, Helium is expensive, so why not just pull a vacuum in the lift cells? Empty space is much lighter than helium, just think of the buoyancy! Everybody is an idiot, except for me.

ATT had the same idea. In about 1945.

You realize that NASA has absolutely nothing to do with this mission, right?

"man" pages as an example of good documentation? Dear God Almighty, man, it was going to be my example of the WORST documentation ever created. In fact just about everything associated with UNIX or *nix documentation is absolutely the shits.

The best documentation of that type is VAX/VMS "help ..." The best written manuals of that type were for VAX/VMS, too. Everyone should have to read "VAX/VMS FORTRAN Programmers Reference guide" and go through every single command in > help ...

      Other good examples are the manuals and post-flight evaluations for the Apollo program. If nothing else, it will tell you what the standard should be for illustrations.

Most newspaper reports don't set out with the premise of providing a "How To ..." guide

Slashdot is now sanctioning crimes and giving instructions on how to commit them?

    Someone might have a point about the wisdom of copyright law but there's no doubt that it *is* against the law.

So replace one joke/scam with a yet bigger joke/scam?

"Did everyone take their anti-pressure pils?"
    "YES! Stop Asking!"

That's absolute genius! 6000 mile long superconducting transmission lines from the North pole. Of course, it only needs to be about a 24 gauge wire, since there is no resistance.

    Still, I think my "unicorn treadmill" idea is more practical.

You make a good point. Most of what I see here now is indistinguishable from a cult, and any contrary opinions are rapidly shouted, er, modded down.