Sundog

Re: Answers & Questions Q: Why do you have a 400 000 volt electrified, razor wire topped 25 meter wall around your property? A: Now we unveil - the Kitteh!

I spotted a bright star in the eastern sky at 3:39 am this morning (3Jan2010). It was bright enough that I initially mistook it for Venus - until it suddenly declined to nothing. I'm in southern Perth, Western Australia. What do people think? Nova?

Re: I am Spartacus Ooh, something worth downloading!

Re: Answers & Questions Q: What's the problem with the Heisenberg Drive? A: The dragon ate the evidence.

Re: Abberant conversion Area TK would be better. It would better reflect the situation (with the appropriate limitations) and Flight Usable against Others is generally considered something to avoid.

Thanks to Dhroz... It may be that the moon Rhea has become the fifth body in the system discovered to have an associated ring system. The Cassini probe's Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument (MIMI) has detected telltale signs of of a ring, signs confirmed by other instruments, though the supposed ring is too faint for visual observation. Full story Here: http://www.planetary.org/news/2008/0306_A_Ringed_Moon_of_Saturn_Cassini.html

Re: Answers & Questions Q: What happened to the guy who died of high impact concrete poisoning? A: That's what the anvil is for.

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? I am Woman - Helen Reddy. I love this piece - brings tears to my eyes.

Re: Answers & Questions Q: What's the problem, Mr Verbosity? A: I shoved a monopoly board up his nose.

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? MacArthur Park - Richard Harris.

Re: Answers & Questions Q: Why are you in that straitjacket? A: They forgot to check their history books.

Re: "Sultry World Is Found Circling a Distant Star" Quite so. In fact, I think we're getting close to being able to make an educated guess as to the second variable in the Drake Equation.

Re: Cool Guns for your Games Repeats a number of errors I've heard about this weapon for years. They don't mention that the Crockett's warhead could be dialled back in yield for precision work, or that the whole reason for mounting it on a jeep was so that the firer could drive away from the fallout should it be coming towards him. Far from a "weapon of last resort" it was a very effective response to the legions of tanks the SOviets were deploying to the borders of Eastern Europe at the time.

Re: First Known Binary Star Is Discovered to Be a Triplet, Quadruplet, Quintuplet, Se Modern tech? Months in the case of the close binaries, years/decades to Mizar from Alcor. But then, with modern tech we're talking months to reach Mars.

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? The Show Must Go On - Queen

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Age of Reason - John Farnham

Re: Answers & Questions Q: What lyric goes well with "Goo Goo Gajoob"? A: The Flayed Flaming Gerbils.

Re: Answers & Questions Q: Did you know Superman is vulnerable to slow moving metal objects? A: I stuck a nuclear grenade up it's butt.

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? The Boxer - Simon and Garfunkel

Re: Generation starships and their internal society structure Yes, that was the point. You didn't seem to be making a distinction.

Re: Generation starships and their internal society structure If the dictator is just, his rulings will be just. As to the "no rule of law..etc" part, that is only true in an absolute autocracy, such as a militarily imposed dictatorship or a cult of personality. Most other forms of autocracy do limit the autocrat, sometimes by a considerable amount.

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Young Years - Dragon

Re: Answers & Questions Q: How do you deal with giant carnivorous Cane Toads? A: Criminal lack of underwear.

Re: Generation starships and their internal society structure What, you think the majority of people on earth today don't face much the same situation? If you're born to subsistence farmers in South America, India, China, Africa, well, chances are you're going to be a subsistence farmer. This is why I recommended a feudal state as the model for an on-board society. People don't become unhappy with a lack of social mobility if they are actively discouraged from believing that it's even possible by their society. You'll still get the occasional maverick - it's inevitable, and probably good for societal health - but the end result of that is almost always either a trip to the gallows or getting co-opted by the state. From our high-freedom society's viewpoint it's less than optimal, but it's also a means to preserve civlization and spread humanity. And with our current technology, the only one we could actually do, and likely to be so for some time to come. I, for one, feel the restriction of some generations to pay for the freedom and survival of future ones is a price worth paying.

Re: Generation starships and their internal society structure Why not? As we've pointed out, autocracy (and oligarchy) need not lead to tyranny. In some situations, absolute obedience to decisions made is necessary for survival - this is why even most liberal republics and democracies have "emergency powers" available at need to the executive. This does not mean they are not benevolent - merely that they acknowledge the occasional messiness of reality. A properly constituted autocratic state provides for the needs of it's citizens, enforces the laws, and ensures public order - a triad no different from that in a properly constituted democratic state. How is this less then benevolent?