Yeah, right. What are the chances of that happening?

Not a big deal? We're talking freakin' zombies! Some brain dead soul modded the post interesting? ZOMBIES are interesting! Well, actually, not talking to one though. They're not good listeners and there's only one subject they want to talk about.

They tried to test them in the field but that guy forgot his in a bar and, well, you know the rest of the story.

Apollo was barely big enough for 3. Something only a "little" bigger is supposed to hold 7?

As others have pointed out, there was room in the Apollo space craft in the lower bay (i.e, under the seats) that could "snugly" fit two additional astronauts. The amount of supplies would offer little space savings since the majority of consumables (water and oxygen) were provided by the Service Module. Food did not take up much space since it was all dehydrated. The water was generated as a byproduct of the fuel cells.

One of the largest cubic space savings inside the spacecraft would come from all the avionics. Check out the Command Module interior. Note the size of Command Module Computer (lower right of the Left Side of spacecraft diagram). Examine the Data Storage Equipment (upper right of the Right Side diagram). The control panel was huge. As noted in the wikipedia entry "In total, the command module panels included 24 instruments, 566 switches, 40 event indicators, and 71 lights." Now it could be replaced by four flat screen displays, much smaller and less power hungry instruments, and a lot fewer switches (10-15% maybe?) My guess that equipment specific to Apollo missions would be a wash compared to future missions. Though I do wonder how much space can be recovered by ditching the film and their cameras.

Now consider that the Boeing spacecraft will be a little larger. I haven't gone over the figures but I would expect that seven economy class airline seats will fit comfortably inside. In any case I expect it would be much more comfortable without that pesky gravity that forces you to keep shifting you body weight to keep your ass from getting numb.

• Demolition derby
• Pong
• Men's tennis
• Women's tennis (monkey focus groups indicate that male monkeys maintain a narrower focus)
• Mythbusters
• Baywatch (increased focus of male monkeys also noted)

In followup studies, human males show almost identical focus intensities. Unexpectedly, focus was most highly concentrated for episodes of Mythbusters -- even when Kari Byron was on hiatus.

what many of these folks did not realize was that they were not looking for web content, what they really wanted to experience was an ebook.

Looking for an eBook "experience"? Hell, I just want to be able to read the damn content! Dammit, Jim, I'm getting old! My eyesight is giving out! Do web designers use small and medium tags any more? Nooooo! I got my standard font size cranked up to 16! My web browser canna take anymore! She's gonna explode!

Damn stupid twit.

Now leave me alone so I can go chase those damn kids off my lawn. Hmph.

Tell me what I'm for, damn stupid bastard. Ow! There goes my damn hip again. Damn doctors ain't worth a damn.

An' everything is an "experience" now, and everything is a "technology," a damn "innovative technology experience." I'll give you an experience all right.

HEY! YOU! GODDAMN KIDS, GET OFF MY LAWN!

Damn Slashdot "comments" ain't nothin' but noise nowadays. Damn kids. Don't know why I bother reading it anymore. Oof! Damn chair ain't good for shit.

Hey, I like that IKCD guy. Damn guy doesn't draw 'em quick enough for me. Damn comic... drawer guy.

Is now rendered as:

Badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger.
Mushroom mushroom.

"Massive security holes" or "serious vulnerabilities" are worth two "ordinary" vulnerabilities.

research assistant n. see indentured servant

I know that "why" is a rhetorical question. But... too bad grad students don't work on grant budgets. :-) Having wrestled with said budgets in Excel (before someone with a bussiness degree took over), I can tell you that the amount of money allocated to equipment tends to be rather flexible. Any give in the budget tends to be used for junket... er, travel expenses for attending scientific conferences.

It is a light hearted article to be sure so let's not be "hasty" about making "claims" suggesting that is has no "reason" to be in a popular science "web site."

More "sensationalism" in response to a light hearted "article". So let's be serious for a "momen..." er, moment.

As noted by our fine poster, DynaSor (hey, I like that name) must know, NASA prefers that astronauts refrain from using any drugs especially while performing critical activities such as launch, reentry, and EVA. If they needed medications on a regular basis that would not be acceptable in medically certified pilot, they would not be astronauts since there is certainly no shortage of qualified candidates. That noted, it would be irresponsible for NASA to jeopardize a mission or well being of crew members not to make drugs available on high profile multi-million dollar missions that are part of a multi-billion dollar program.

Alas, the simple mention of the the word "drug" triggers bizarre and irrational reactions from many, many people who are conditioned by propaganda and misinformation thrown at them from many groups (religions, politicians, pharmaceutical corporations, etc.) each with their own agenda. Ignorance and rationalization run rampant. It's not at all difficult to imagine listening to a patron sitting at a bar pontificate about how drug use is leading society to Hell in a hand-basket while gulping down cups of black coffee that he hopes will sober him up enough (it won't) so that he can drive home without fear of getting pulled over and get charged with a DWI. (For the uninformed, alcohol and caffeine are, indeed, drugs.)

However, I was prompted to reply when reading this in TFA:

Modafinil is not an "upper" in the generally recognized sense. Wikipedia says this about Modafinil:

One can be administered Modafinil and fall asleep without undue problems. Suffice it to say that it is misleading to simply lump Modafinil with stimulants such as amphetamines and Ritalin that are routinely put to recreational use.

Therefore, I would say the major shortcoming of TFA is that it plays on the fears and misconceptions of readers to garner undeserved attention to a subject that could otherwise be more interesting and informative.

One reason? Consider the expression "opportunity of a lifetime."

Typical NASA Mars mission profiles have astronauts returning after only one year on Mars (yes, "only"). A scientist who needs or even wants to spend a longer period of time there is SOL. With virtually no chance of making a return trip the obvious solution is not to return to earth; retire there.

It's not Space, it's Mars. All the necessary elements needed to survive are there. Try reading a book written by Robert Zubrin; he's done the math.

All other things being reasonably equal, given the choice between a one way trip to Florida for retirement versus a one way trip to Mars, I'm going to Mars.

"Faith is no substitute for arithmetic" -- Henry Spencer

What trade agreements? The US was given China temporary Most Favored Trade Status 1990 and made permanent in 2001 during the Bush Administration. Conversely, the US maintains trade sanctions against Iran and does not even have diplomatic relations with Iran and has not since 1980. So I ask again, what trade agreements?