tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588615702418970620.post7636581210430737687..comments2023-10-25T03:46:35.618-07:00Comments on A. R. Norris: Space Travel - gazing the shore beyond the horizonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03447874650659057352noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588615702418970620.post-72418334300235698202012-10-02T10:18:33.304-07:002012-10-02T10:18:33.304-07:00LOL, Anisosynchronic, you'll have to do the ma...LOL, Anisosynchronic, you'll have to do the math in metrics so our bloggy buddies over the pond can get a better perspective of the cosmic distance. For them, trying to visualize a mile was probably as effective as visualizing a Light Year.<br /><br />As an American,a metric measurement means about as much to me as a Light Year. I can't "see" a kilometer in my mind because I use miles, so can't wouldn't have been able to get the perspective I was going for in the post.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03447874650659057352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588615702418970620.post-29118411779613138322012-10-02T08:48:29.422-07:002012-10-02T08:48:29.422-07:00I blinked seeing the speed of light, etc., in mile...I blinked seeing the speed of light, etc., in miles rather than metric... English units are utterly horrible to do that sort of calculation in, and foster errors (e.g. the speed of light in metric is just shy of 300,0000 kilometers per second. The lowest orbit possible is 100 kilometers and circular, and 90 minutes (well, 89 but... there are a few different types of calculations, there's one called "order of magnitude" also "units analysis" which uses approximations for doing reality checks and for catching conversion errors--the sort of reality check NASA didn't bother with on the Hubble Space Telescope mirror alignment. It was -precise- to a quarter-wavelength--and three wavelengths off in focus because they didn't bother doing a -coarse- alignment check... and there there was the feet to meters conversion than didn't get done for one of the Mars probes. (One of the things done in the astronaut servicing of Hubble was putting in a correction lens system to correct the out of focus primary mirror...) English units are horrible for spaceflight calculations and converting between metric and English is asking for additional trouble/"single pint failure" when someone failed to notice a units incompatibility. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588615702418970620.post-66541801185561472422012-09-26T23:29:17.854-07:002012-09-26T23:29:17.854-07:00LOL, so true Chuckster! At this rate, we'd all...LOL, so true Chuckster! At this rate, we'd all be cookoo by the time we arrived... if not sooner.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03447874650659057352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588615702418970620.post-18754073725155677362012-09-26T22:15:47.421-07:002012-09-26T22:15:47.421-07:00Some good points there. You know, interplanetary ...Some good points there. You know, interplanetary travel isn't reall that hard if you're patient. Of course, therein is where the Devil resides. Chuck Robertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04776715845856205885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588615702418970620.post-65663191686038424452012-09-26T13:59:11.726-07:002012-09-26T13:59:11.726-07:00OMG, Allie, that would sooo be my kids! (LOL, and ...OMG, Allie, that would sooo be my kids! (LOL, and potentially my husband.) I'd be a crazy woman by the time we reached anywhere.<br /><br />Plus, there'd have to be special precautions on those vessel or I would launch annoying neighbors into space.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03447874650659057352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588615702418970620.post-56467380842655099512012-09-26T13:57:07.990-07:002012-09-26T13:57:07.990-07:00Thanks for stopping by Patty! I'm glad you lik...Thanks for stopping by Patty! I'm glad you like my geeking sessions - er, well-though out posts. As an american I come from a long line of adventurers, but I'm not entirely sure if the pioneer gene passed on to me...I am pretty much a creature of comfort. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03447874650659057352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588615702418970620.post-57150909746093678312012-09-26T06:00:49.802-07:002012-09-26T06:00:49.802-07:00"Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" LO..."Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" LOL. It will definitely require a certain personality to go for that kind of travel. And if the ship occupants are anything like a lot of families on roadtrips, certain annoying colonists might be at risk of being offed by their shipmates before they ever reach their new home :-)Allie Ritchhttp://allieritch.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588615702418970620.post-88215477795769209862012-09-25T16:14:47.361-07:002012-09-25T16:14:47.361-07:00Your posts are always so interesting, Amber. :) Th...Your posts are always so interesting, Amber. :) Thoroughly enjoyed it! I think if things got bad enough on earth, many people would be willing to brave it and venture out, even in generational ships. Or there will always be the adventurers, who just can't turn down a good challenge!Patty Froesehttp://pattyfroese.comnoreply@blogger.com