(07-18-2018, 10:07 AM)robkelk Wrote: [ -> ]Astronomers announce they've discovered another twelve moons orbiting Jupiter.
Because Jupiter didn't have enough moons already.
Of the two stories I've about this found so far, The Register has the more intelligent one overall, while CBC goes into more depth.
Alright, I think it's now clear that Jupiter has a hoarding problem...
Message from the President of Ireland to the Convention
Quote:Works of speculative fiction can obviously reflect the society and time in which they were created, but they also help to shape and contour the world in which we live, challenging us to look at that world in different ways, encouraging us to push the boundaries and defy and critique the norms of the societies and age into which we have been born.
Creative thinking is a powerful, necessary and vital force in the creation of truly functioning societies. Speculative fiction plays a seminal role in helping us to question received versions of our contemporary world, and to dream of new worlds and new ways of thinking. It affords us a space to look beyond the immediate and utilitarian, to engage in a long form of thinking which places no limits on our curiosity.
By 2019, it's possible we'll have a different President. But it's still a nice thing.
Scientists may have discovered the very first ‘ghost’ black hole from a different universe
It's not a definite, even by "this is what we think this very faint data about things that happened long ago and far, far away" standards, but an interesting hypothesis either way, and comparing the feed from instruments widely distributed across the solar system (not to mention the others that have been reached by Fen explorers) could help refine a whole lot of astro data as has already been commented on here and there.
Time for another re-write of the Interstellar section...
Super-Earth discovered orbiting 40 Eridani A.
It appears to be tide-locked... so "hot as Vulcan" might actually be a thing, but only for half the planet.
Quote:But if anyone is hoping for a snapshot of the new planet, they'll have to wait. The discovery was made using the 50-inch Dharma Endowment Foundation Telescope, atop Mt. Lemmon in southern Arizona using non-visual spectroscopy
There's a foundation that endows dharma?
So I happened to find this image, and I
immediately thought that it was just
such a Fen thing to do:
(Well, maybe not that last part, but
definitely the part about the space casino!
)
Zombies in Antarctica — Isolated researchers enter 'psychological hibernation'
Quote:Researchers isolated at remote research stations during the Antarctic winter enter a zombie-like state of "psychological hibernation" to deal with those long, dark, and isolated winter months.
And the team of psychologists who discovered this phenomenon think their finding could give important insights into what it might be like if humans ever embark on long space missions.
That's "psychological hibernation", not physical, so no
Onegai Teacher scenarios here - but it's still worth taking into account in stories.
I've been going through NASA's 3D models (looking for ones that can be used in Poser and Daz Studio) and discovered
their latest concept vehicle.
Quote:The Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV) concept is designed to be flexible depending on the destination; the pressurized cabin can be used both for in-space missions and for surface exploration of planetary bodies, including near-Earth asteroids and Mars. The surface exploration version of the SEV has the cabin mounted on a chassis, with wheels that can pivot 360 degrees and drive about 10 kilometers per hour in any direction. It's about the size of a pickup truck (with 12 wheels) and can house two astronauts for up to 14 days with sleeping and sanitary facilities. Likewise, the in-space version of the SEV would have the same pressurized cabin on a flying platform; it too would allow two astronauts to stay on-site for 14 days.
If this was in Fenspace, I'd call it a TSAB success story.
The ground clearance looks a little low, though perhaps that's shown with the (presumably actively controlled) suspension "crouching" at maximum compression. Needs a ladder or boarding stairs from the airlock too, and winches on the ends and sides to (help) haul itself out if it gets stuck in a gully or sinkhole, or tipped over. Being so tall, tipping would be a significant hazard, especially if the airlock isn't mirrored on the other side to keep it from rolling right onto its back with that circular longitudinal shape.
ETA: I don't know what that trim item from the front of the cabin back to over the airlock is supposed to be, but it's a pretty good spot for a crane/manipulator arm if it's hinged at the front. Operator console inside the side window maybe? You'd want to have cameras and probably a fisheye mirror or two to see what it was doing better than just peering out through that of course. Not super-high-capacity obviously, but enough to help the astronauts move heavier stuff than they could manage by hand. Also, if the blue is supposed to be solar panels that's approximately the least efficient configuration possible...
there's always the old
Landmaster vehicle from Damnation Alley.
(02-17-2019, 07:03 PM)classicdrogn Wrote: [ -> ]Also, if the blue is supposed to be solar panels that's approximately the least efficient configuration possible...
I think the blue is intended to be radiator paneling - the solar appears to be in a strip of black along the roof itself.
ALso, the low angle would be better for controlling the amount of sun or shade on either side, making that better for collecting or dispersing heat, though that might also be a function of intended environment.
THe model I saw at Kennedy back in January also has a sort of hardsuit dock on the back, to allow astronauts to suit up more quickly and direct access to the outside without having to cycle an airlock
Unit 4 met it's annual quota for power generation in just 5 microseconds. That's hardly limping.