Posts by Douglas Fingles

Bubble-baron Bigelow bags Boeing boosters

Airline Seats and Food

Good points...but if they follow the business models of today's airlines, I don't think peanut bags take up too much room and they'll re-use airline seats and so could probably fit another dozen or so in there, along with a grouchy "flight attendant".

Miracle-tech that could fix almost everything: Major advance

Stun the Imagination?

I don't know...I can imagine a lot...

Confusion over 'secret code' in US military Cyberforce crest

Logo Changes Every Week?

Since mission statements change frequenty (especially with new commanders), the logo will have to be updated constantly with a new MD5 Hash string. For those who have to sew badges to uniforms, this could get real tiresome/expensive/hard on uniforms.

US $250m superbomber 'almost as good' as $8m robot

Singular, not plural

The B-1's nickname (unofficially), is the "bone", not "bones".

NASA tests amazing bailout rocket which will never be used

What the heck...

might as well light the candle, we've already paid for it. If nothing else, it shows that the system worked pretty much as designed. We'll have to see what the final report says about G loads during launch/separation/parachute deployment/landing in the capsule.

Computer pioneer and Gates mentor Ed Roberts dies

Bill Gates Came to Visit

Just as an addendum, Bill Gates came to visit Dr. Roberts just before he passed on. Also, the comments of the people of Cochran and from other places around the world on the guestbook are a wonderful tribute to this man.

His obit can be found here: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/macon/obituary.aspx?n=henry-edward-roberts&pid=141375672

NASA flying car engineer shoots down Reg coverage

We readers DO appreciate you...

mostly.

Airbus: We'll cancel crap A400M unless we get more £££

Didn't Mel Brooks Already Do This Joke?

Is Airbus paying homage to Blazing Saddles, where the sheriff takes himself hostage before the crowd, threatens to kill himself, and the townsfolk are so gullible that they believe him?

Newspaper e-reader launched

The Really Important Question is...

So, I get this electronic newspaper. I order my favorite, the intellectually stimulating Sun. Next morning I get my cuppa, check the front page, and wonder how do I open this thing up to page 3?

Virgin Galactic trumpets SpaceShipTwo

Not at Shuttle Replacement

The VSS Enterprise is strictly sub-orbital in design and application. The airframe could not handle the stresses of de-orbiting (heat from friction, turbulence, etc). Second, the Enterprise doesn't have the room for engines/propellant needed to boost it to orbital velocities. It would also have to be redesigned for additional life support, power, and manuevering. Although a beautiful design, it could not be used to visit the ISS.

HELL-beam project now one step from jet-fighter raygun

B-52s Would be better...

The B-52 has hard points inboard of the 3/4 and 5/6 engine pods that could easily handle a 750Kg, refrigerator-sized, death-dealing, 150Kw LASER. I've heard that it is about 20% efficient, meaning you'd need a 750Kw generator. Now the AF has just ordered a boatload of 800Kw generators, squeeze it down to fit inside a bomb bay, one for each weapon, pipe in JP-5 from the humongous fuel reserves (and It's in-flight refuelable so no worries about running out of gas), and voila! I present you with the LASER-Mega-Fortress. Probably have to re-designate it as the B-52L.

With two lasers on board, the crew would have the ability to tackle multiple targets, or be really nasty and slice/dice together. Put one over an inbound armada and you've got protection from SAMs, enemy aircraft, etc. Put a couple ground-based versions around a military outpost with clear fields of fire and you've got protection from mortars, rockets, cruise missiles, probably even dumb bombs (given enough time to burn through a casing).

Solar Cycle 24 set to be a quiet affair

NOAA Doesn't Have a Clue

This is the fourth "official" start of Cycle 24. When will these so-called experts realize they don't have a clue about the internal processes of the Sun and cannot predict anything? Sure, I can predict too, doesn't mean I'll be any more successful than the experts, and I'll probably have just as good a chance at being correct. Two years ago Cycle 24 was supposed to be the baddest cycle yet, now it's going to be one of the milder ones. Three times last year they heralded the start of Cycle 24, only to see Cycle 23 sunspots emerge again and again. One of these days, they are bound to be right, but it'll be more by luck than by design...