Mars as the next step is a stupid idea. And that NASA also keeps suggest it as a next step proves to me how unworthy NASA is of funding. Same whenever they keep doing stupid studies on humans spending long periods in confined areas (they can always ask the nuclear submariners about it).

The true next step for anyone serious in making actual progress in space tech is to build a space station with artificial gravity (tethers+counterweights or other).

Once you have that you can test various animals (rats, food fish, humans) at Earth and Mars "g" concurrently to see how well they hold up for months in space.

And if you succeed in making that tech practical and cheaper it means you don't actually have to go to Mars - you can colonize the asteroids.

There's no actually much benefit going to Mars in the next few decades. The "g" is wrong, the pressure is wrong - you can't really use the tracts of land for farming without effectively building a "space station" on Mars (pressurization, shielding etc) - so there's little advantage over a space station with the disadvantage of not being able to pick your "g".

Thirded. I wasted so much time (and some money) trying to get Plex up and going on my server/devices and the quality of the video is crap. I use ES File Explorer now on all my devices to browse the NAS and play videos. This and K9 Mail are two I install and it's not even worth looking for a replacement as they do their job so well.

Phillip.

It's possible to be a lucrative demographic without having PR money. Case in point: Alcoholics.

MH17 got shot down by the Russians though?

Is this the Russia that denied having any active units in the Crimean region of Ukraine? Hmm... who to believe...

Phillip.

A bit like they were not invading the Crimean region of Ukraine?

Phillip.
PS you should probably look at a map. Ukraine is quite big.

Russians are being paid to flood the site with propaganda. Unfortunately it doesn't make any sense so you can't argue with it. You just have to sift through the crap to find the real comments.

Phillip.

I think the wholesale failure of web 2.0 sites to facilitate any discussion of these issues over the last few weeks proves just how shallow their promise of a brave new web is. The scope and scale of the censorship seen around this issue is to my knowledge unprecedented.

Slashdot had the right ethics and mores all along, Anonymous Cowards and all. The community can mod them down, but even they should be free to speak.

I'm bewildered. Is this a real post or something computer generated? If the latter then the algorithms need some tweaking as it's the most bizarre drivel I have ever read.

Phillip.

It hasn't. This latest invasion by Russia is of interest to all free countries in the world. Putin has provoked that start of WW3, and we can forget for now this "economic crisis" which pales into insignificance compared to this Russian aggression. And to get ourselves completely off Russian gas is going to need some new tech otherwise we are going to suffer a lot of economic pain.

Phillip.

It's a shame /. doesn't have a way of allowing Anonymous comments but the ability to kill them off based on an IP. Then I could read this thread without all the spam from the Russian troll above.

Phillip.

Wow that is some pretty powerful Russian propaganda you have been drinking there. Calling normal peaceful Ukranians "fascists"? Check. Calling it a "violent overthrow" despite it not being one? Check. Calling the government "ultra nationalist"? Check. Blaming the US despite them having nothing to do with anything? Check. Russians have a "right to use force"? Check.

Thanks for popping in Putin, but your deluded views aren't welcome here.

Phillip.

You've been listening to too much Russian propaganda. A peaceful revolution kicked out a corrupt Russian puppet president in Ukraine (you notice Yanakovich has gone to live with his mate Putin in Russia?). Ukraine wanted to build strong trade links with Europe and Russia. Russia wanted Ukraine to itself. Now Putin has had a tantrum and has vowed to destroy Ukraine.

Of course the West wants peace. However when a crazed dictator starts invading European countries then you need to sit up and take notice. This is the 3rd time he has invaded Europe recently.

Phillip.

Putin's first instinct is to go to war. He has invaded Ukraine once and gotten away with it. He is invading a second time. Next will be Moldova. Then Georgia. Then Latvia. Then the rest of Europe until it is under Putin's rule. Better to stop him on his doorstep, rather than wait until he is parading himself through Paris.

Phillip.

I think you commented on the wrong thread. This one is about the 2nd invasion of Ukraine by Russia, not the US going into Iraq.

Phillip.