* Posts by Atherton20

8 publicly visible posts • joined 8 Jul 2009

Curiosity photographs evidence of ancient streams on Mars

Atherton20
Pint

Re: Interesting

Its a while since i did the planetary geology stuff (I've moved onto more local hydrocarbon exploration since), but in answer to the above;

The gravel is dense enough and rounded enough to prove transportation by a viscous medium.

Mars likely stopped its tectonism a long time ago, which meant it stopped producing gasses able to replenish the lossese to space. On earth, the serendipity of life - first anaerobic, then aerobic - created an atmosphere that sustains an atmosphere and, unlike Venus, is able to achieve equilibrium with solar energy.

Life may be present in this stream by NASA, but its more likely to be found in the places where he most basic life can develop, such as the clays and mineral rich sedimentary deposits thought to exist elsewhere in Gale crater. Proof of life doesn't need to be a fossil encased in gravel, just a complex amino acid or RNA which is unlikley to be formed through conventional physical chemical processes.

The really intersting science about Mars (for me at least) isn't the search for life - surely life can develop elsewhere, but it needs to be intelligent or terraforming (re: Earth) to be of interest - but the internal structure and understanding why tectonism stopped. This applies even more so for Venus.

Beer icon because you shouldn't write on t'internet after the pub....

News of the World TO CLOSE

Atherton20
Flame

She's off anyway...

Private Eye reckons that Rebekah is heading off on maternity leave with her head held high and a seven figure pay-off.

Meanwhile Murdoch will now get the BSkyB takeover approved and extend the Sun to a Sunday edition (saving back-office costs), while Call-Me-Dave and Bonker-Boris (did you hear him this morning? F'ing sychophant) will not have to denounce the Evil Empire.

It's all turned out rather nicely for James and his Dad.

Powerline network radio interference debated in Commons

Atherton20
Coat

Bearded fanatics..?

Why are Al Qaida objecting to powerlines?

Channel VAT loophole shrunk, not shut

Atherton20
Megaphone

Independent music stores vs. Offshore

Ok, so you'll wait 3 days for a CD to arrive from Jersey, but you aren't willing to walk into your local independent record store and ask them to order the CD for you - which will likely arrive in about 3 days.

Don't make weak excuses, you're looking to pay the cheapest price and in so doing, erduce the tax take for UK plc and shut down the town centres - and that's fine, but don't pretend you don't realise.

'Squeeze green oil from North Sea by squirting CO2 in' - prof

Atherton20
Boffin

CO2 easier than water injection?

Erm, when you say C02 is easier to handle than water, you're not talking about the UK oil industry. The phase change and compressibility issues with getting CO2 from power stations out the platforms in the middle of the North Sea are pretty much un-resolved.

Meanwhile the transportation costs for water are low becasue, erm, rigs are surronded by the stuff. And since most platforms nowadays prefer produced water re-injection (PWRI) rather than taking a hit on oil-to-sea measured in the parts per million, I'd suggest solids clean up is relatively triffling (environmental impact of surfactants aside - but when did DEC ever think things through?).

Arkansas cop tasers 10-year-old girl

Atherton20
Flame

Daily Mail commentards

Okay, I can accept that some kids can be annoying and unruly to a point, but commentards like Sir Runcible Spoon clearly need some feedback to help them get some context in their Daily Mail existence.

Teenagers can be moody little bastards. Even ignoring factors like your parents splitting up, the hormones have an effect. And if my mum had called the cops, I'd be pissed off, and and that cop was gonna tazer me, I'd sure as hell consider kicking the fucker in the nuts.

If your solution is for any youth to to feel the birch every time they get a bit upset, then I hope you never have kids.

Feminist org declines nude calendar cash

Atherton20
Paris Hilton

@ Natalie Gritpants

re: "So dark up there..."

Do you have any idea where Alloa actually is? There's only 10 minutes difference in sunset time between Alloa and Brighton on 1st December

F'ecking southerners....

Paris - she's clueless too.

Shell issues 12% pay cut ultimatum to IT contractors

Atherton20
Big Brother

Old news

Dudes, I work in oil, and all teh oil companies did this months ago, and not just to the IT geeks.

You may be aware that last year oil was $147/bbl. Then it dropped to about $35/bbl. Now it's back up to $65/bbl. That rollercoaster saw costs go up massively (I had one megacorp tell me it wanted a 30% increase on all contractual prices), and the global credit-armageddon was teh perfect excuse to put a squeeze on all those b*ggers who put there prices up.

One company I know sent a note out to ALL staff (not just contractors) telling them that contractors sitting next to them were taking a 10% cut., with no consultation or redress - how rude is that?

To be fair, you should try planning a $1 billion investment with commodity price volatility as it is and not end up an inhuman megcorp....