Technology, Science and the Environment.

[yorkie1999]

On 30/11/2022 at 15:04, The Bear said:

Ultimately I'm all for telling energy companies to go suck it. Right now my heating is on and set at 18C. It runs most of the day from 8am to 11pm, as someone is pretty much always home.

 

I say don't let them dictate whether you are cold all winter. Just heat your home to a reasonable level and then pay what you can afford. If you get into debt tell them they'll get their money as and when you can afford to. 

 

Particulary if I was a 70-80 year old pensioner I just wouldn't worry about it. If the energy company had the gall to try and cut off heating to my home I'd kick up one hell of a fuss about it in the media. 

 

They've already tried to raise my direct debit once without my permission, and I just went on their app and set it back to what I'm comfortable at. I don't care if they say it isn't enough. I'll sort any shortfall out next spring/summer. 

 

A couple of years ago I was paying £80-90 per month in the winter. Now they want me to pay £280 p/m. Well they can go and get ****ed quite frankly. I'm paying £200 p/m and that's my limit. 

Considering that no one actually comes and checks the meters nowadays, ultimately it will rely on people honesty so it may be worth investing in a couple of gps signal jammers and a mate to bypass the meter.

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20221202-the-rich-marine-life-under-frozen-ice

 

If life can exist in such extreme conditions under the ice on Earth, it can also do so on Europa or Enceladus.

 

As I said before, it's only a matter of time.

[SpacedX]

8 hours ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20221202-the-rich-marine-life-under-frozen-ice

 

If life can exist in such extreme conditions under the ice on Earth, it can also do so on Europa or Enceladus.

 

As I said before, it's only a matter of time.

Since Europa's energy source is tidal flexing, it casts the net in the search for extraterrestrial life much wider since it does not need to be anchored to a host star. Recent research also suggests that oxygen may be transported from the chaos terrain on the surface of Europa into the depths of the sub-surface ocean. Over thousands of years porosity waves can mobilise oxygen rich brines. This suggests and oxygen rich ocean much like Earth's and the possibility of aerobic organisms living beneath the ice or possibly chemotrophs gaining their energy from hydrothermal vents. Titan’s subsurface water could also be a place to harbour life - while its surface lakes and seas of liquid hydrocarbons could possibly host life that uses different chemistry than the processes that we understand on earth. 

 

It is highly likely that life exists within our solar system and I agree, it is a matter of time until it is discovered, but possibly not in my lifetime. Although it can't search for life, Europa Clipper will at least answer some very crucial questions about the Jovian moon by the turn of the decade. 

[leicsmac]

3 hours ago, Line-X said:

Since Europa's energy source is tidal flexing, it casts the net in the search for extraterrestrial life much wider since it does not need to be anchored to a host star. Recent research also suggests that oxygen may be transported from the chaos terrain on the surface of Europa into the depths of the sub-surface ocean. Over thousands of years porosity waves can mobilise oxygen rich brines. This suggests and oxygen rich ocean much like Earth's and the possibility of aerobic organisms living beneath the ice or possibly chemotrophs gaining their energy from hydrothermal vents. Titan’s subsurface water could also be a place to harbour life - while its surface lakes and seas of liquid hydrocarbons could possibly host life that uses different chemistry than the processes that we understand on earth. 

 

It is highly likely that life exists within our solar system and I agree, it is a matter of time until it is discovered, but possibly not in my lifetime. Although it can't search for life, Europa Clipper will at least answer some very crucial questions about the Jovian moon by the turn of the decade. 

Yeah, agreed.

 

I just wish we would plan and get better robotic landers - or even human missions - to these places faster. It's not nice thinking that you were born 40 years too early for this stuff to really get interesting.

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63883298

 

A timely reminder that humanity is causing extinction of species at the same rate as the finest mass extinction events of the past.

[Dahnsouff]

France’s new law on compulsory bike parking spaces comes into effect in 2023 (thelocal.fr)

 

Fair play Frenchie 

[marbles]

On 04/12/2022 at 06:02, yorkie1999 said:

Considering that no one actually comes and checks the meters nowadays, ultimately it will rely on people honesty so it may be worth investing in a couple of gps signal jammers and a mate to bypass the meter.

Sorry, but no.

If they suspect something, they will send someone out to investigate.

[kenny]

On 08/12/2022 at 13:20, Dahnsouff said:

France’s new law on compulsory bike parking spaces comes into effect in 2023 (thelocal.fr)

 

Fair play Frenchie 

!Been part of planning law for 20 years or so in the UK. No exemptions like the French either!

[Dahnsouff]

2 hours ago, kenny said:

!Been part of planning law for 20 years or so in the UK. No exemptions like the French either!

Cannot say I am not surprised by your comment (not doubting it) but I guess it relates to apartments, and the lack of cycling provision in the new estates near me is a separate issue/problem 

[kenny]

50 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Cannot say I am not surprised by your comment (not doubting it) but I guess it relates to apartments, and the lack of cycling provision in the new estates near me is a separate issue/problem 

Houses don't require cycle provision as there is room in theory to store them somewhere.

 

All public buildings, workplaces and apartments require minimal covered cycle storage in order to satisfy planning.

[Dahnsouff]

23 minutes ago, kenny said:

Houses don't require cycle provision as there is room in theory to store them somewhere.

 

All public buildings, workplaces and apartments require minimal covered cycle storage in order to satisfy planning.

Get that, this new estate near us has no pavements, three story terraced town houses (no garages) and no cycling provision throughout the estate. Guess its more an outlier so outside of current regulations  

[kenny]

18 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Get that, this new estate near us has no pavements, three story terraced town houses (no garages) and no cycling provision throughout the estate. Guess its more an outlier so outside of current regulations  

Where are the cars parked?

 

In that case the planners would expect covered cycle stores to be provided in the parking areas. I guess they can be stored in the garden too.

[Dahnsouff]

8 minutes ago, kenny said:

Where are the cars parked?

 

In that case the planners would expect covered cycle stores to be provided in the parking areas. I guess they can be stored in the garden too.

The cars have little drives, about the length of a car, up to the houses, and gardens being about the same size as the drives and accessible from its rear 

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63875331

 

Interesting look at the Holocene Extinction Event and how it may - or may not - be defined.

[samlcfc]

2 hours ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63875331

 

Interesting look at the Holocene Extinction Event and how it may - or may not - be defined.

It really is a shame, that the capacity for an even somewhat collective form of action on this human dominated planet, is set by the bite we ourselves feel whilst living under our current systems of society.

 

I feel like the word bite as used in the article is probably a good one, because as a species, we seem likely to underappreciate the early signs of prospective future problems until they really start to effect the modern day to day living of the masses in more 'modernised' countries. I sometimes doubt even that will be sufficient. I get the impression we'll be collectively pointing fingers in much more problematic directions, before the circumstances become such that we'll be able to constructively resolve the issues we create for ourselves.

 

I often think as time goes on, that the best hope for humans is our ability to just about bring about technology that will drag us just far enough ahead of our problems.

 

I don't think that's right for the record. In the context of the article, it's pretty horrific that species could/will go extinct before their natural time due to the behaviour of humans. This seems especially so when we look at the some parts of society that we're constantly trying to sustain and grow, and then look at how the environments of other species are being destroyed. We don't really have any more right ot this planet than they do.

 

Edit: Realised I'd referred to humans in the third person. Almost got rumbled

 

Edited 10 December 2022 by samlcfc

[SpacedX]

Orion splashdown today @ 17.40 GMT 

[samlcfc]

2 hours ago, Line-X said:

Orion splashdown today @ 17.40 GMT 

Nice. Seems like everything has gone fairly smoothly along the way. Hopefully they get all they need to start looking forward to Artemis 2 and beyond in due course.

 

I was watching a video from 'Everyday Astronaut' on YouTube the other day, talking about how he's been chosen as one of the passengers for SpaceX's 'dearMoon' mission. Must feel insane to be a person in a relatively normal career compared to a professional astronaut, being told you're actually going on a trip to the moon. Pretty incredible times.

 

It will be interesting to see if they make their prospective 2023 launch date for sending these tourists on a trip around the moon, considering Artemis 2 is scheduled for 2024. The context is completely different of course and without  taking away from a plan to send tourists into space, I imagine the considerations for the Artemis missions are much more indepth considering the view to land people on the moon further down the line.

[SpacedX]

29 minutes ago, samlcfc said:

Nice. Seems like everything has gone fairly smoothly along the way. Hopefully they get all they need to start looking forward to Artemis 2 and beyond in due course.

 

I was watching a video from 'Everyday Astronaut' on YouTube the other day, talking about how he's been chosen as one of the passengers for SpaceX's 'dearMoon' mission. Must feel insane to be a person in a relatively normal career compared to a professional astronaut, being told you're actually going on a trip to the moon. Pretty incredible times.

 

It will be interesting to see if they make their prospective 2023 launch date for sending these tourists on a trip around the moon, considering Artemis 2 is scheduled for 2024. The context is completely different of course and without  taking away from a plan to send tourists into space, I imagine the considerations for the Artemis missions are much more indepth considering the view to land people on the moon further down the line.

That's right, Tim Dodd. Although this has noble intentions, the notion of 'space tourism' is complete folly, unsustainable and highly irresponsible in my opinion, not to mention under the guise of an 'art project' - particularly since Starship is such a new and untested vehicle. I'm thrilled for him but I very much doubt whether the latter will be certified for manned flight until much later in the decade. Manned spaceflight remains a very, very risky endeavour fraught with danger. That is not set to change anytime soon. 

[Zear0]

Splashdown (in one piece). 

[SpacedX]

[SpacedX]

32 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Splashdown (in one piece). 

50 years to the day that Apollo 17's Eugene Cernan and Jack Schmitt landed the LM Challenger in the Taurus-Littrow Valley on the surface of the moon. 

[Fazzer 7]

1 hour ago, Line-X said:

50 years to the day that Apollo 17's Eugene Cernan and Jack Schmitt landed the LM Challenger in the Taurus-Littrow Valley on the surface of the moon. 

So why is Artemis such a big deal 50 years on with infinitely better technology?

[leicsmac]

On 11/12/2022 at 02:16, samlcfc said:

It really is a shame, that the capacity for an even somewhat collective form of action on this human dominated planet, is set by the bite we ourselves feel whilst living under our current systems of society.

 

I feel like the word bite as used in the article is probably a good one, because as a species, we seem likely to underappreciate the early signs of prospective future problems until they really start to effect the modern day to day living of the masses in more 'modernised' countries. I sometimes doubt even that will be sufficient. I get the impression we'll be collectively pointing fingers in much more problematic directions, before the circumstances become such that we'll be able to constructively resolve the issues we create for ourselves.

 

I often think as time goes on, that the best hope for humans is our ability to just about bring about technology that will drag us just far enough ahead of our problems.

 

I don't think that's right for the record. In the context of the article, it's pretty horrific that species could/will go extinct before their natural time due to the behaviour of humans. This seems especially so when we look at the some parts of society that we're constantly trying to sustain and grow, and then look at how the environments of other species are being destroyed. We don't really have any more right ot this planet than they do.

 

Edit: Realised I'd referred to humans in the third person. Almost got rumbled

 

I think this is a pretty accurate summation of human short-termism outweighing what would be infinitely better for the species in the future. As you say, it isn't right, and the only way I can see to fix it is somehow making humans so much longer-lived that they really appreciate the "long game" as they'll still be around to witness it, as it were. Too many people are unprepared to plant trees whose shade they will never sit under, sadly.

 

5 hours ago, Fazzer 7 said:

So why is Artemis such a big deal 50 years on with infinitely better technology?

In an ideal world where humanity never shamefully turned away from space exploration, it wouldn't be. Unfortunately, as in this world it is the first human-rated spacecraft to leave Earth's sphere of influence in fifty years, it is.

 

Hopefully, this will lead to real progress and we don't turn away again. We've left it for far too long already and I'm already annoyed with feeling I was born 40 years too late or 40 years too early.

[samlcfc]

Beyond the potential benefits related to safe functionality and relative cleanliness compared to Fission, I don't personally know much about Fusion technology.

 

Seem to remember most previous articles I've read discussing the heat capacity of any experiments, so this bit of news noting achievement of a net energy gain seems pretty big.

 

https://www.ft.com/content/4b6f0fab-66ef-4e33-adec-cfc345589dc7

 

I remember reading that there had been massive private investment into this sector recently. Maybe there was an understanding that there was going to be some breakthroughs.

 

More news tomorrow apparently. 

 

 

[leicsmac]

4 hours ago, samlcfc said:

Beyond the potential benefits related to safe functionality and relative cleanliness compared to Fission, I don't personally know much about Fusion technology.

 

Seem to remember most previous articles I've read discussing the heat capacity of any experiments, so this bit of news noting achievement of a net energy gain seems pretty big.

 

https://www.ft.com/content/4b6f0fab-66ef-4e33-adec-cfc345589dc7

 

I remember reading that there had been massive private investment into this sector recently. Maybe there was an understanding that there was going to be some breakthroughs.

 

More news tomorrow apparently. 

 

 

It's a game changer. In terms of efficiency it's an order of magnitude better than anything we have available now.

 

It's also a technical nightmare to get right (but getting it wrong just results in a stopped reaction rather than catastrophe), which is why it's taking so long.