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News Briefs 05-01-2009

Playing post-holiday catch-up…

Thanks Perceval.

Quote of the Day:

You’re not allowed to smoke
or tell a dirty joke
And whistling is prohibited
If chewing gum is used
the chewer is pursued
And in the hoosegow hidden
Whatever form of pleasure are exhibited
Report to me and they will be prohibited
It’s as I say, so shall it be
This is the land of the free.

A singing Rufus T. Firefly, after being named president of Freedonia, in Duck Soup (1933).

  1. Regarding ayahuasca…
    Excellent set of links, as ever.

    If you or other readers are interested in a more detailed point of view on the subject of ayahuasca use than the linked National Geographic article, you may find my wife’s blog of note. She has been training in Peru for some time and has posted extensive notes about her one-hundred-plus experiences with the medicine. She also holds a masters degree in neurochemistry, which provides a useful perspective.

    http://malabar.livejournal.com/

  2. Secret army of scallywags
    [quote]Each operational patrol was also issued with one gallon of rum. The jar was to be opened only to relieve pain in the event of injury or in the face of imminent capture, in the belief that “a tot or two might help to extend the time an auxilier could be expected to resist interrogation and torture”. In 1944 an ungrateful War Office demanded the return of every jar of rum, unopened and still with an official seal. It failed to notice that many, while still apparently sealed, were filled with green tea – or something similar [emphasis mine]. [/quote]

    :0)

    —–
    It’s not the depth of the rabbit hole that bugs me…
    It’s all the rabbit SH*T you stumble over on your way down!!!

    Red Pill Junkie

  3. Even People?
    I don’t know. I’m fairly certain, however, that I’m an Odd! Of course, this may mean they have the mate to my odd sock. They all have to end up somewhere!

  4. Rovin’ rovin’ rovin’
    [quote]Both rovers have been hampered by a build-up of red dust blanketing their solar panels. Spirit drags one wheel that failed long ago.[/quote]

    Couldn’t they design a rover with solar panels that can shake off the dust, like a fly grooming its wings?

    —–
    It’s not the depth of the rabbit hole that bugs me…
    It’s all the rabbit SH*T you stumble over on your way down!!!

    Red Pill Junkie

    1. Technical Difficulties
      I bet that at the size and energy consumption profile of the rovers, your idea would be unfeasible. It might be a good strategy with lighter panels or a higher powered unit, especially with dust repellent surfaces. Sometimes dust can be particularly clinging. As an example, old fences aren’t grey, that’s just dirt, and it resists rain storms and abrasion. Maybe they need degradable NASCAR style tearoff covers (used for windshields) for this design.

      1. Good idea
        Although I admit that the thought of soiling the martian landscape with tearoff covers feels kind of wrong.

        DARPA is looking into ways to beam energy from space throw microwaves. Maybe that could be implemented in future rover designs. Obviously, as performance of these machines depend on innovation in many areas—solar panels, battery capacity,etc—who knows what NASA could come up in 10-20 years; I think the biggest problem is exactly that: that the space missions are planned with decades in advance, and they might not be that flexible to include new technological breakthroughs as they are being achieved in the global market.

        —–
        It’s not the depth of the rabbit hole that bugs me…
        It’s all the rabbit SH*T you stumble over on your way down!!!

        Red Pill Junkie

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