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It is not only Turtledove who wondered what would have happened if the South had won and one of these was Sir Winston Churchill. He had considered what would have happened if Lee had suceeded at Gettysburg and what the worlds events from there on would have been.
http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pag … ageid=674][Winston Churchill center on If Lee had won the war]
It is a difference in how the terrorism attacks are viewed and how it should be treated. The USA calls it a war on terror, the UK though has always treated it like a police action against international criminals
LO
Wisdom of the "Habeas Corpus" country...
In chinese strategy books, if you treat fairly your ennemies, they know that, surrounded, they will better surrender than eagerly fight up to the end, then bringing more casualties and wastes.
Doesn't work with suicide terrorists, but anyways, it works for those which fear for their lives which are a majority.
But with the recent capture of the bombers who failed is this not show that though suicide bombers are quite happy to do there acts it is interesting that if stopped they can be captured. Like everyone they have to "psyche" themselves up to do it. And capturing them has given the UK a lot of intelligence that can be used to stop the future planned attacks on the UK and incidentally from the intelligence gained Frances metro as well.
I suspect from Cobracommanders view he believes it comes from the way that the nature of the political makeups that the different side expoused and there general causes that made the war happen in the first place.
Federal North or Confederate South. In this there is an actual clue.
A federation is a rigid group of entities dominated by its central goverment with these entities being very subserviant or even just names only.
A Confederation though is looser structure more like a political alliance and with a central goverment that has to gain a broad consensus to act.
There is also the causes of the war and as far as my investigation of it as a student went it appeared to have very little to do with slavery as there where actually states on the Northern side that where slave states. The basic premise though is that in the years leading up to the Civil war there was in actuality two countries in beliefs and opinions bound up as the USA with the industry to the north and the more agrarian south. And the south was as 19th century civilisations go a more socialist viewpoint than the north which seemed to be the pure capitalistic side.
It is a difference in how the terrorism attacks are viewed and how it should be treated. The USA calls it a war on terro the UK though has always treated it like a police action against international criminals
The USA in 9/11 was attacked by foreign nationals which where linked very closely to the ultra religous Taliban regime in Afghanistan. They also had apparent state collusion in training in places like the Sudan etc. America called it a war on terror as it was certainly in this case the USA attacking foreign powers and internationals. These powers posed a threat to all and it was clearly the duty of the UK and others to support the USA in tackling these viscious regimes and the instruments of terror. When the USA captures someone it treats them like unlawful combatants and as such in a way gives them legitimacy. Its how they can be called insurgents by the press as if they where soldiers.
The UK though has been attacked recently by people who where UK nationals and or been allowed to stay here by our laws as long as they obeyed those laws. In this case they breached those laws and as such are liable to arrest these people we class as criminals nothing more nothing less. Gathering intelligence on people who are suspected of being involved in criminal acts is allowed under the various countries laws in the UK but only when a crime has been commited can these people be arrested. In the belief of the UK these people are nothing more than international criminals backed by the drug trade and other illegal means to pay for their neferious deeds.
Announcing to the world what evidence is to be used against someone is to create an atmosphere prejudicial to that person getting a fair trial. And as much as people may want to simply throw them in jail and lose the key that in itself would be a defeat to these people. We will not give them this they will be treated in what they are people accused of a serious crime and if found guilty they will be treated like any criminals found guilty. In this one thing at least victims families deserve a chance to see justice done and to gain some comfort there.
Apparently as the Shuttle was taking off it had a bird strike. This may have happened before but has never been seen and the area the bird collided with the main fuel tank is thought to be where the foam debris came from. They are not sure if it is related but it is one possibility.
Still this really does sound bad for the shuttle and this glitch will hamper the US space program for at least 6 months if not longer. It also spells considerable trouble for the ISS and certainly dooms any plan to rescue the Hubble.
Nasa to ground the shuttle fleet.
http://www.spacedaily.com/2005/05072722 … Spacedaily article
NASA said wednesday it was grounding the US spaceshuttle fleet after a large piece of foam insulation broke off from the fuel tank of the Discovery shuttle
While the US space agency said the foam did not damage the shuttle on tuesdays launch, a spokesman said the future flights are on hold until the problem is corrected
Now that has really thrown a spanner in the works
This I could not believe when I read it till they showed coverage of it actually happening on the news.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4708899.stm] Mutant mice threaten Albatross population
These mice with there high protein diet are now usually about 3 times the size of normal mice, they also seem to attack in packs.
Beligerence over Taiwan is something that has been occuring since the Chinese Nationalists fled to the Island. The only difference is that the rhetoric coming from China over the Taiwnese considering a formal declaration of independence and the Chinese military build up can only give the impression of a non diplomatic way of Taiwan rejoining the greater China is the idea considered.
Still back to China in space, Can China do it of course certainly the possibility of the Chinese getting there first is is a high possibility especially with there growing knowledge and confidence in space. But like the western and Russian agencies it will take a reduction in cost of being able to operate or a lot of space infrastructure being in position to allow this to function.
One more thing found out about the Man who was killed. He had entered the UK on a student visa but this had run out more than 2 years ago.
This meant he was here illegally and could explain that when challenged by police he ran.
I agree with Clark.
It is natural for a military that is dominant on Earth to want to take the high ground too. The only thing stopping them is cost but as we reduce the cost to orbit to get our dreams moving we also allow there plans to become more than just visions. It is also natural that a country which is not as dominant on Earth to push into a newly opened area that it can compete in as a means to increase its power on Earth
Sorry to say this is not just a pipe dream but as we expand a countries interests the military will also follow to protect those interests.
The man had already attracted police attention before he entered the tube station. He was challenged by non uniformed police to stop and he then started to run jumping across the ticket barrier. He was chased down to the station and witnesses on both trains heard him being ordered to stop and being warned he would be shot if he did not obey.
One train the conductor in seeing him coming stopped all passengers from leaving and closed the doors getting the train moving. The man found later to be a Brazillian electrician then ran towards another train. There it becomes gray where according to some witnesses he attempted to grab a hostage.In the end though he fell to the ground and was shot in the head from close range at the entrance to the train.
If police believed he was a suicide bomber and his incredibly suspicious actions can only lead them to that result they acted to kill the man before he could detonate any explosives he was carrying. That was why he was shot to the head so as to avoid any detonation of a suicide belt on his body.
It was a tradegy and it has been admitted that he was not linked to the previous suicide bombing attacks but London is on full alert and it is not as if the signs warning of armed police operating are invisible. Whatever made this man run only an investigation will find out. But in the end it comes down to the police could have killed him any time but they waited till they could clearly shoot him in the head. This means they truly believed he was suicide bomb armed and that he had a bomb strapped to his body.
And shooting suicide bombers in the head is the safest way of dealing with suicide bombers, ask the Israelis. There are 4 suicide bombers out there who have there bombs fail. In likehood the explosives used had been made months ago and had degraded. One bomber was reported as lieing on one of the bombs when he set it off and to have swore guite badly when it only made a small hole in the bag and a lot of smoke.
These Bombers are definitly going to try again and we have to stop this cell before it can do suceed and though it is better to capture them for the intelligence they can give us and basic humanity reasons. We cannot allow them to risk innocent life. So if it comes down to killing a potential bomber or letting them detonate another bomb. Sorry folks the bomber has to be shot dead
Nothing to do with anything at all.
Just another madman screaming in the woods.
reminds me of one of my favourite captions from a cartoon. Needless to say ill share.
If a tree falls and lands on a mime artist and there is no one there to hear it.
Does anyone care.
ps Clark you didnt happen to be in Scotland a couple of weeks ago where you. Ran into a guy making strange noises in a wood, long hair and trenchcoat
NASA is old, certainly as a goverment agency and yes it has become what everyones worst nightmare of a goverment agency is a beauracratic mess. But can it be salvaged yes. The problem is that the current middle management come from a time where after the heady days of appollo NASA was forced to prove its identity and the reason for its existence. To do that everything became a bigger and bigger paper trail.
Add the traditional infighting between certain sections and its large size then no surprise that NASA is a dinosaur. But then is it possible to reinvent itself, YES. But unfortunatly in history reinventing goverment departments there has often been a tendency to increase redtape at the expense of actually getting things done. In effect a lot more rear echelon and a lot less shop floor. Then effeciency targets get asked for and overworked front rankers make mistakes.
One problem with this supercold surfaces is that if there is heat leakage from a manned sorce very nasty things could happen. If the heat was applied guickly you could have the frozen gasses quickly become a gas. The effect will be explosive and very life threatening. And the heat needed is not that great where talking only 20 to 30 degrees. Bases must be so insulated they will likely be padded structures.
This means humans who cannot have enough insulation placed on there suits to protect them cannot walk on the surface. This puts a severe hindrance to any scientific plans
Will your rover's horn play The Campbells Are Coming in bagpipe when you honk it? :;):
Not a chance serious cultural problem that. You do know no one trusts a Campbell.
Still thought of another problem if we use simple electronic devices to make guide routes will we have to harden them from the electrical interference of a storm. This could make them a bit more expensive to make. hmmmm
It is not the processor size that is the problem for a reasonably decent AI its the basic problem of how do you program intelligence or at least a reasonably cognitive capability. Not that it is that needed as many of the Grand Challenge robots will "learn" as they go on. It is how they "learn" that is the real interesting bit with being able to see then to actually recognize a problem then to work out a reasonable solution. And all at speed. hmm
Hard but getting very close to doable so say the 60+ teams that originally entered
I got two things to get off my chest here.
1: The people who live in the coast of Indonesia keep getting warned. There is going to be another Earthquake. Another. So why are they still there? You guys already had two. Now get your ass of that area and go inland. If there is another Tsunami. Don't complain. You got warned.
Actually I can answer that the majority of the people live at the coast as the inland is a miserable jungle full of malaria and other nasty things. There is also a severe shortage of farmland which is why fishing is a lot more important to them than is the global averadge.
Too much paralysis and your heart will stop too. There are also a lot of people who have an allergy to a toxin and will immediately go into anaphylactic shock.
so that and you need more toxin for a larger person than would kill a small person and you begin to see the problem.
Yes in the last DARPA grand challenge no one succeeded in accomplishing the challenge. But DARPA just passed the prize onto this year and it is looking very very good for at least one team to do it. And though there are favourites it still appears that it will be just that a race.
Of course it is great for the science of robotics.
Still Fledi is right we do need a much cheaper and routine access for space. When we have that we will get the space station.
And why should any country design a cheaper access to space especially with the high likehood of the incredible costs of designing such a system.
The answer is National self interest
Well yes but as a problem it is something we have to be aware of and design properly. And be aware it could pose a deadly danger especially to unshielded electronics.
But think of the scouring that dust would do and I wonder if paint jobs will be a continous duty.
Maybe even make it a fashion statement as we change the paint schemes on our rovers as the mood takes us. Probably do the same with the suits.
And ill be the rover that is in Tartan.
But why are we needing a population of 10,000 people in LEO at the moment there is no such need.
You are getting two mission architectures completely confused. The O'Neill or stanford torus to give its proper name was to create a thriving mass human civilisation in L5 or L4. It is a colonisation plan and is still advocated by the L5 society today. Another point is that it was not to be the first design that was to be created but actually was one of the end designs.
A VonBraun Cylinder is a lot smaller and is more equivalent to a working camp and it was to allow the US to access space and avoid the problems of long term exposure to zero g. It was designed to be easy to build and was never made for holding anything like a population above 250.
Needless to say a population of 250 is a lot more than we need but the design of the station (note not a colony) allows for a long term prescence in space and was designed to be built as needed and damaged/out of date modules replaced as needed and in this it is better than that white elephant that is the ISS.
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-atm … Spacedaily article
For 15 minutes you huddled and endured the buffeting. The scariest part was the incessant crackling and flashing of miniature lightning bolts nipping at you and your rover
Nasa believes that the Martian Whirlwinds could pose a threat to people and machinery exposed on the surface. The problem is not the speed of the wind as the lower pressure means it has little force but that the wind would pick up a lot of dust. The dust will get electrically charged and since some of the largest Martian whirlwinds can be up to ten miles in height they can build a charge that is truly dangerous.
The solution is simple ensure that all Martian vehicles and suits can be properly earthed and that points where charge will form are not there. No corners just rounded edges
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4678565.stm]BBC article on DARPA grand challenge
A robotic Humvee has manged to drive itself for seven hours without crashing on a race course in the US.
The Darpa Grand challenge is a race for purely autonomous vehicles to get across some very bad terrain and to do so in the fastest time. This also means that they will have to avoid all the usual terrain problems but also to make for certain target points given to the teams only a couple of minutes before the race starts.
Very apllicable technology for use on the Moon and Mars too.
But we are not building an O'Neil cylinder, nor is there a need to either. What is being considered here is a VonBraun type cylinder at the worst or a collection of module habitats forming a circle then spun.
A lot less complicated than the O'Neill space habitation system and also frankly a lot smaller.
O'Neills plan can only work if there is an incredible industrial capacity on the Moon from the mining up to mass drivers and a large permanent power supply system. Then it would need a means to manufacture items in space and to then build them