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Science is Drokking Fantastic Because...

Started by The Legendary Shark, 21 July, 2011, 11:05:57 PM

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Frank

Quote from: pops1983 on 14 October, 2012, 07:20:12 PM
I dunno, I thought the helmet was too big ;)

I don't know how he was feeling as he stood on the edge of that platform, looking at the curvature of the earth, but I was absolutely shiting myself watching him. I screamed when he stepped off and shrank to a tiny dot almost instantly, and when the camera was trained on him spinning like a taxi meter as he hurtled toward the ground at Mach 1, I was absolutely certain he was dead inside that suit.

BALLS BIGGER THAN KING KONG

Rog69

It was incredible to watch, for a horrible moment I thought the capsule door was stuck when he went to open it and I realised that I had forgotten to breath a good half a minute after he stepped off the ledge. I was convinced he was done for when he went into the spin too.

Its just been confirmed that he hit 833.9 MPH at his fastest peak. Holy crap!

Richmond Clements


Dandontdare

Going back to the space shuttle's slow trundle through LA I thought this was an amazing picture - you forget just how big those beasties were and they were apoparently scarping within inches of houses as they passed through Inglewood at 2mph.

EDIT - grr, can't seem to attach pic at work, here's a link: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/pictures/photos-12382/pictures-window-on-the-world-15th-october/13

Mikey

To tell the truth, you can all get screwed.

von Boom

Cool, but I think I'd be pretty steamed to find that parked in my front garden.

Dandontdare

Thanks Mikey!

I've been flicking through some other pictures of it - just do a google image search for 'endeavour california' - some bizarrely incongruos shots of little suburban streets and donut stands with this behemoth looming over them.

It looks like an incredible feat. Even after cutting down 400 trees, plus lampposts and telegraph poles, they still were 17 hours late as they had to keep running ahead to remove awkward mailboxes, raod signs etc. It cost $10,000,000 just to get it to the museum.

judda fett

Quote from: sauchie on 14 October, 2012, 08:11:59 PM
Quote from: pops1983 on 14 October, 2012, 07:20:12 PM
I dunno, I thought the helmet was too big ;)

I don't know how he was feeling as he stood on the edge of that platform, looking at the curvature of the earth, but I was absolutely shiting myself watching him. I screamed when he stepped off and shrank to a tiny dot almost instantly, and when the camera was trained on him spinning like a taxi meter as he hurtled toward the ground at Mach 1, I was absolutely certain he was dead inside that suit.

BALLS BIGGER THAN KING KONG

Apparently there was a 20 second delay when this was broadcast live in case his eyeballs exploded as he fell.

Definitely Not Mister Pops

He had a chest camera, here's the footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmNmyZ3eT_8

Apparently they won't broadcast it on TV because the high speed spinning can cause nausea. I'm sure Mr Baumgartner felt more than just nauseous.
You may quote me on that.

Frank

Quote from: pops1983 on 16 October, 2012, 05:23:52 PM
He had a chest camera, here's the footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmNmyZ3eT_8
Apparently they won't broadcast it on TV because the high speed spinning can cause nausea. I'm sure Mr Baumgartner felt more than just nauseous.

I wouldn't like to be the dry cleaner who has to get the heavy soiling out of that suit, pops. That footage starts off beautiful and serene, but finishes off like the worst go on the waltzers ever; it must have felt like being trapped inside a blender full of shite. 

I honestly cannot properly conceptualise the Earth's transition between a recognisable geometrical object with a top and a bottom, and something so massive you can walk on it. My brain can't process that without imagining there's some definite point where it stops being one thing and starts being the other. I can see why most of the Apollo astronauts went nuts or got religion.

TordelBack

Ho-ho, there's an earth-sized planet at Alpha Centauri!

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/10/earth-exoplanet-alpha-centauri/?utm_source=Contextly&utm_medium=RelatedLinks&utm_campaign=Interesting

Now we're really getting somewhere, an earth-sized planet in the neighbouring system* - what are the odds, and more to the point, what that does to the Drake Equation can only be good.


(The pedant in me feels obliged to note that Alpha Centauri B is not the closest star to Sol (that's Proxima Centauri), but it is part of the same trinary system.

Frank

Quote from: TordelBack on 17 October, 2012, 03:02:01 PM
(The pedant in me feels obliged to note that Alpha Centauri B is not the closest star to Sol (that's Proxima Centauri), but it is part of the same trinary system.

The closest star to our own is called Proxima? That's either a spooky coincidence, or something which should give all you Argument From Design-deniers something to think about.

Albion

Dumb all over, a little ugly on the side.

Dandontdare

Quote from: Albion on 17 October, 2012, 10:07:52 PM
This man lived for over six months without a heart. Amazing.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19977958

That's nothing, this one's managed over 40 years!

Definitely Not Mister Pops

You may quote me on that.