New Mars Forums

RobertDyck

Moderator

From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,930

Website

Re: Chat

GW Johnson

Member

From: McGregor, Texas USA

Registered: 2011-12-04

Posts: 5,796

Website

Re: Chat

Good cup.

GW

---

GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

Calliban

Member

From: Northern England, UK

Registered: 2019-08-18

Posts: 3,792

Re: Chat

Good definition of an engineer Rob.  And it does capture all the things that an engineer is.  The person that makes industrial society keep going.  And continues to do so, unappreciated, whilst the rest of the world parties!  The man that takes care of the material functions.  Whilst the various paunces take credit for all of the cultural fascination of the time.

I have sadly neglected this site for too long.  I have just started watching the 1st season of the Expanse for the 2nd time.  Probably the greatest sci-fi of all time, thanks to its gritty realism.  This is what the future was supposed to be.  Human beings having colonised Mars, the Moon, the major Asteroids, the moons of Jupiter, etc; forming self sustaining colonies by the 23rd century.  All being what humans really are.  Tribal creatures, competing for resources and influence in the evolving milieu of the human colonised solar system.

When I look at the world around us now, with its Corona virus and depleting resources, I wonder what hope we have of achieving such an outcome, 200 years hence.  It depresses me.  But what else is hope for?

My own family history is an odd mix of English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh ancestry.  Not so long ago, the British family of nations would have forged the path that the rest of the world would have followed.  It was basically, what we were for.  Looking at us now, we are a pathetic shadow of what we previously were.  I begin to wonder what we really exist to achieve.  Petty little groups competing against each other, whilst the world collapses around around us.  It hardly seems to be what our ancestors would have hoped for.  I wonder what became of that spirit that forged the modern world?  And how could it be brought back to life one last time?

Last edited by Calliban (2020-05-09 18:43:07)

---

"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Chat

An engineer can also design and build things that others have not asked for as well and once made shows it off to others that speak up for more to be made.

Terraformer

Member

From: The Fortunate Isles

Registered: 2007-08-27

Posts: 3,906

Website

Re: Chat

I'm presently on Book 4, so I'm almost caught up to where I am with the show. There's a lot of merging characters going on in the translation to screen.

I hope Britain recovers. It feels like we're stuck in a 1948 timewarp here. The post-war institutions (NHS, the planning system, our half-nationalised railway network...) just aren't that good, but people are very resistant to replacing them with something that works (by copying, respectively, Japan, Japan, and Japan). We've come down with a bad case of Not Invented Here. I thought that was the French disease...

---

Use what is abundant and build to last

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Chat

We've come down with a bad case of Not Invented Here.

So its not a Nasa only disease....

Some are refusing to acknowledge that the virus is real and killing others as they themselves are not seeing this first hand and listening to the one at the top has not given much for guidance.

Boris Johnson eases UK lockdown, allowing car travel and sunbathing

Terraformer

Member

From: The Fortunate Isles

Registered: 2007-08-27

Posts: 3,906

Website

Re: Chat

The risk of outdoor transmission is so low (provided you're not in a giant crowd...), keeping everyone indoors is probably a bigger risk due to vitamin D deficiency. Stopping people from driving wasn't going to do anything to the transmission either.

Three weeks until the next re-evaluation.  Hopefully we'll be "allowed" to meet other people then, but a lot of people are (quite rightly) ignoring the order anyway. It's crowds and indoor spaces with recirculated air (so, nightclubs are stuffed) that are the real risk for transmission. Everything except those should be opened up.

---

Use what is abundant and build to last

GW Johnson

Member

From: McGregor, Texas USA

Registered: 2011-12-04

Posts: 5,796

Website

Re: Chat

I agree that businesses that can interrupt disease transmission should reopen.  Not all can. 

We are lucky this SARS-CoV-2 does not exist as airborne bare virus particles,  that the virus must be contained in respiratory droplets to survive.  If bare virus were viable,  a single infected person in a large room would very quickly infect everybody in the room.  Nothing could open. 

Examples:  measles and chickenpox.

For virus in droplets,  the mask protects others from wearer,  and the 6-foot rule protects the masked one from the others,  mask or not.  It works because most of the droplets expelled fall to the ground within about 6 feet of whoever expelled them.  Sneezing expels the most,  coughing less,  but even talking,  and mouth-breathing expels dangerous amounts.  Nose breathing expels very little droplets.

Since this virus survives for significant time on surfaces (hours to days,  varying with surface type),  frequent disinfection of every surface is required.  Makes you wonder how much we are tracking around on our shoes,  doesn't it?  Because few are mopping the floors every hour with disinfectant.  Maybe they should.

GW

---

GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,365

Re: Chat

For GW Johnson re #113

Thank you for the observation about swabbing floors with disinfectant.

I've been volunteering with an animal care facility for a while, and for the most part, have been carrying out the assigned duties without paying much attention to the reasons for them.  However, with the arrival of the Corona Virus, protocols have been tightened up even more.

The group has been swabbing the floors with disinfectant after regular cleaning/animal care activities, and your observation about the persistence of some biology on the floors puts that activity into perspective.

That procedure is probably less feasible on carpet.  The facility floors are (probably vinyl) tile or hardwood suitable for swabbing.

(th)

GW Johnson

Member

From: McGregor, Texas USA

Registered: 2011-12-04

Posts: 5,796

Website

Re: Chat

Not much you can do with carpet. 

But cleanliness of floors is why my wife and I do not have any carpeting in our house.  Not for 3 decades now.

GW

---

GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Chat

In true Trump form when ever there is any issue the answer is to fire them deemed insufficiently loyal and that goes for the IG again. The State Department inspector general fired by President Donald Trump last week was investigating whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a staffer perform a variety of personal errands, including walking his dog, picking up dry cleaning and making a dinner reservation for him and his wife..Some Republican lawmakers are raising objections to President Trump’s decision to fire State Department Inspector General Steve Linick, arguing that he didn’t give Congress a sufficient justification for the removal.

The 2008 law, the Inspector General Reform Act, requires that a president notify Congress in writing of the reasons for removing or transferring an inspector general no later than 30 days before taking action. It is unclear if lawmakers have any recourse when that provision of the law isn’t followed.

GW Johnson

Member

From: McGregor, Texas USA

Registered: 2011-12-04

Posts: 5,796

Website

Re: Chat

Google "trump corruption" and find out the whole pattern. 

GW

---

GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Chat

The Trump administration has ousted watchdogs at multiple federal agencies over the past six weeks.

Here are the 4 inspectors general ousted by the Trump administration

The president has constitutional authority to remove presidentially appointed inspectors general, but he must notify Congress 30 days before doing so -- three of the four dismissals were late-night firings on a Friday.

Not being loyal I guess is the response to following law...

Fired watchdog was investigating Trump administration arms sales to Saudi Arabia without congressional approval, according to the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

RobertDyck

Moderator

From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,930

Website

Re: Chat

Today is my birthday, I'm 58. Uh... we have to do something about that. Can I subtract 3 decades? Divide in half? How about Mars years?

So year 2000 was a leap year. Long story. That means 365.25 days per year, times 58 years, gives my age in Earth days. Mars orbital period is 686.971 Earth days, so divide by that. This makes me 30.8375 Mars years old. That sounds better.

Calliban

Member

From: Northern England, UK

Registered: 2019-08-18

Posts: 3,792

Re: Chat

Today is my birthday, I'm 58. Uh... we have to do something about that. Can I subtract 3 decades? Divide in half? How about Mars years?

So year 2000 was a leap year. Long story. That means 365.25 days per year, times 58 years, gives my age in Earth days. Mars orbital period is 686.971 Earth days, so divide by that. This makes me 30.8375 Mars years old. That sounds better.

Happy birthday Robert.  Live long and prosper.

---

"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Chat

No problem RobertDyck, if you are not a dyslexic as you would have started out at 85....

I hope you have had a good day..and quite possibly a Mars Holiday..one can hope...

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,365

Re: Chat

For RobertDyck re Happy Birthday!

SpaceNut's greeting hints at a possibility your (relative) youth allows .... a Holiday ** on Mars ** !!!

Your multiple messages about a large scale, comfortable, safe and reliable space liner provide a frame for an alternative future where that holiday on Mars (or at least in the  vicinity) could happen!

Elon could use some help << grin >>  He doesn't know it (of course) but your vision might be just what he would be looking for, if he were looking!

(th)

kbd512

Administrator

Registered: 2015-01-02

Posts: 7,852

Re: Chat

Happy Birthday, Robert!

58 doesn't sound that bad.  When those two numbers are flipped, then you're getting up there.  If I survive long enough, I'm turning 40 this year.  If not, then I've had a good run.  Either way, each day above ground is a good day.

RobertDyck

Moderator

From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,930

Website

Re: Chat

On the road again. Off to Berens River. First flight since March. Economy is re-opening. Cessna Grand Caravan today.

GW Johnson

Member

From: McGregor, Texas USA

Registered: 2011-12-04

Posts: 5,796

Website

Re: Chat

Happy birthday,  Robert.  Have a good trip.

GW

---

GW Johnson
McGregor,  Texas

"There is nothing as expensive as a dead crew,  especially one dead from a bad management decision"

RobertDyck

Moderator

From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,930

Website

Re: Chat

And in the air again. To Little Grand Rapids on a Cessna Grand Caravan. Will return tomorrow. Supposed to fly to Keewaywin Ontario either Tuesday or Wednesday, but was told that community is in lock-down. May be rescheduled. And they're working on a flight to Bearskin Lake, also in Ontario. Everything was locked down beginning of March; now that flights to northern commitiese are allowed everyone wants their equipment fixed.

RobertDyck

Moderator

From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,930

Website

Re: Chat

Off to Keewaywin Ontario this morning. Another Cessna Grand Caravan. Wheels this time.

RobertDyck

Moderator

From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,930

Website

Re: Chat

This.morning on a Metroliner III. Just flew from Winnipeg to Red Lake, Ontario. Will stay on plane to Sioux Lookout, Ontario. Then transfer to a flight to Bearskin Lake.

RobertDyck

Moderator

From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,930

Website

Re: Chat

Connecting flight at Sioux Lookout. They lost my toolbag. Boarded flight to Bearskin Lake anyway. But now as soon as the plane tried to taxi to the runway they have a mechanical problem with the propeller. We're asked to wait in the terminal while they call a technician.

RobertDyck

Moderator

From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,930

Website

Re: Chat

Plane is a Beech 1900D