Science!

[TheNunEater]

Then create one.

[Colonel Flagg]

Space mining is a terrific concept. I've always thought that all humankind would need was a reason to go to the asteroid belt. Discover a gold asteroid about 20 meters in diameter, and .... BOOM! All kinds of spacecraft technology would be invented in a matter of a few years.

Kahl, we're counting on you.

[kahljorn]

thats exactly my opinion as soon as space becomes valuable/more available we'll be a space faring species.

[Tadao]

Send a resume to Richard Branson

[Colonel Flagg]

I am done explaining the scientific method to knuckleheads. THe next person to ask me a dumb question about why analysis takes so long is going to get a verbal clop in the chops.

[Colonel Flagg]

And I mean in person, not on this message board.

[Tadao]

And it took you that long to come to this conclusion?

[Colonel Flagg]

It's just ... work bro. I have people come to me and bitch about "how come my stuff isn't done?", and "why aren't you giving a rat's a$$ about such and such project?", and I've had it. It's as if even when I dumb things down to a 5th grade level, they all are still in kindergarten.

Most - not all - of these numbskulls have college degrees, and yet they still can't add 2 numbers without first getting out a calculator.

[kahljorn]

do they at least know what the word disburse means?
cuz the financial aid department at my school doesn't

unless they meant SCATTER and not pay out. Actually, them scattering my financial aid instead of paying it out explains why I haven't received it for 3 months.

[Colonel Flagg]

Disburse --> Disperse.

They're just confused.

[Evil Robot II]

EVIL ROBOT CONTROLS ALL SCIENCE

[Wiffles]

Prove to science that you control all science?

[Colonel Flagg]

Wiffy, sometimes you just have to take science on faith. <rimshot>

[Tadao]

It's Comet ISON time ******s

http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/.../#.Uo2ASuJ-txI

[dextire]

It's funny how excited scientists are about having no idea what's going to happen.

[Tadao]

I hope it explodes and sends a giant solar flare at us that kills cell phones and Dick Cheney's pace maker.

[dextire]

I'd just like some cool pictures of visible magnetic fields. I'm easy.
There has been an unexpected lull in solar flares recently.

[dextire]

We're now down to "encouraging evidence that the comet still exists".

[Tadao]

from a reliable news source

[dextire]

It lives! Sorta.

[Tadao]

I was hoping for a super bright comet so that I can tell tribes that if the don't obey me I will bring fire from the sky.

[dextire]

"We have no idea how big this nucleus is, if there is indeed one.

If there is a nucleus, it is still too soon to tell how long it will survive.

If it does survive for more than a few days, it is too soon to tell if the comet will be visible in the night sky.

If it is visible in the night sky, it is too soon to say how bright it will be…"

Originally Posted by dextire

I'd just like some cool pictures of visible magnetic fields. I'm easy.

Screw one week ago me. I want the super bright, highly visible to the naked eye comet that everyone has been excited for the past year or however long.

[Tadao]

It's not like anyone credible promised anything. Something cool might happen is all I heard.

[dextire]

No, you're right. All it ever came to is "if everything happens just right (and it probably won't) we could get a comet brighter than the moon, lasting for days!".
Oh well, at least Curiosity is back up and running.

[Colonel Flagg]

I don't know if anyone still reads this thread, but what the heck.

The Gemini Planet Imager came online recently, and the resolution and nulling technology required is just astonishing. Not only did the optics resolve a complete ring of dust around a relatively bright star, they were also able to further increase the discrimination through the use of polarization.

There is another first light image of Beta Pictoris B, which is also pretty neat.