In a small way that is, the US have just trialled the new catapults that will be used on future carriers.
This is replacing the steam catapult it seems:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_Aircraft_Launch_System
So for once Lewis Page can report on a defence success:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/12/21/emals_launch_success/
So all we need to hear now is the Type 45 might have an operational missile system within 10 years and then the Navy will be ready!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Voyager 1 at Solar Wind Edge
Pretty incredible it has travelled this far and still returning information:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11988466
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11988466
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Student Protests
The controversial vote has now happened for a big increase in tuition fees, consigning the students of today to a much bigger debt burden than ever before.
The Lib Dems have come out badly from this, and I just wish we could switch to a parallel world where they were still in opposition - would they change their policy once it became clear the public finances could not maintain the levels of students? I'd like to think yes, but know that it would be highly unlikely.
It is difficult to objectively look at the policy aside of all the heated demonstration and police confrontation. It is a big step into the unknown raising the tuition fees so high. I've got a feeling that maybe cutting back on higher education that was not deemed to be as useful to the economy with more modest rises would have been preferable.
Of course this cutback may now happen naturally now that tuition fees are hiked so high making study less attractive. Also I've a feeling that students will now be looking more closely at what they are getting for their payments.
The Lib Dems have come out badly from this, and I just wish we could switch to a parallel world where they were still in opposition - would they change their policy once it became clear the public finances could not maintain the levels of students? I'd like to think yes, but know that it would be highly unlikely.
It is difficult to objectively look at the policy aside of all the heated demonstration and police confrontation. It is a big step into the unknown raising the tuition fees so high. I've got a feeling that maybe cutting back on higher education that was not deemed to be as useful to the economy with more modest rises would have been preferable.
Of course this cutback may now happen naturally now that tuition fees are hiked so high making study less attractive. Also I've a feeling that students will now be looking more closely at what they are getting for their payments.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Film: 2001 - A Space Odyssey Directed by Stanley Kubrick
I watched this film to compare to 2010 close together. Nice to have the chance to skip forward in scenes that are a bit too arty and probably only worked on the big screen.
This film is a lot more polished, watching again having read the various interpretations over the years was interesting.
The initial part of the film contains no dialog and depicts earth and the apes living on the planet. I think the idea here is that they are dying out until the unseen push provided by the obelisk that suddenly appears, and seems to give them basic weapon and tool skills.
The film then goes straight into 2001, with man in orbit now around their planet. A magnetic anomaly is found on the moon, and excavation finds the obelisk buried. Something happens on further investigation that causes a deafening noise and radio signal to be sent directed at Jupiter.
The Discovery mission is then 18 months later travelling to Jupiter to investigate, all in secret preparation - scientists in hibernation aboard. Two crew members run the ship along with the HAL 9000 computer.
HAL has been given the real reason for the mission, to be revealed on arrival at Jupiter - but this somehow makes him paranoid and fearing the humans will make a mess of the mission. He proceeds by faking failures of the AE-35 part of the antenna in order to systematically kill the crew members.
The surviving astronaut deactivates HAL after forcing his way back into the ship from EVA. But now the Jupiter obelisk has been discovered - he goes to investigate.
Passing through what appears to be some sort of time distortion he arrives in a furnished room, and then we see scenes of himself ageing quickly before death.
The final scene is of a unborn baby overlooking the planet earth, a story of evolution assisted by an unseen influence.
This film is a lot more polished, watching again having read the various interpretations over the years was interesting.
The initial part of the film contains no dialog and depicts earth and the apes living on the planet. I think the idea here is that they are dying out until the unseen push provided by the obelisk that suddenly appears, and seems to give them basic weapon and tool skills.
The film then goes straight into 2001, with man in orbit now around their planet. A magnetic anomaly is found on the moon, and excavation finds the obelisk buried. Something happens on further investigation that causes a deafening noise and radio signal to be sent directed at Jupiter.
The Discovery mission is then 18 months later travelling to Jupiter to investigate, all in secret preparation - scientists in hibernation aboard. Two crew members run the ship along with the HAL 9000 computer.
HAL has been given the real reason for the mission, to be revealed on arrival at Jupiter - but this somehow makes him paranoid and fearing the humans will make a mess of the mission. He proceeds by faking failures of the AE-35 part of the antenna in order to systematically kill the crew members.
The surviving astronaut deactivates HAL after forcing his way back into the ship from EVA. But now the Jupiter obelisk has been discovered - he goes to investigate.
Passing through what appears to be some sort of time distortion he arrives in a furnished room, and then we see scenes of himself ageing quickly before death.
The final scene is of a unborn baby overlooking the planet earth, a story of evolution assisted by an unseen influence.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Film: 2010 The Year We Make Contact Directed By Peter Hyams
Given that it is now 2010 it seemed a good time to re-watch this film from 1984.
2001 A Space Odyssey was always going to be a tough act to follow, iconic and posing more questions about its meaning than it ever answered.
2010 has burden of having to provide some answers with a joint Russian/American mission back to Jupiter to re-board the stricken Discovery.
As a backdrop to the whole mission is tension between America and Russia back on Earth, which seems more stuck in 1984 than 2010. Also it is interesting to see the take on how technology would look, they are pretty unambitious here - other than than the (still) futuristic HAL all the other computers on board ship look like they are from the 1980s.
We learn why HAL malfunctioned, essentially conflicting orders from above. We do not learn much more about the Jupiter monolith. A warning is given to the crew to get out of the Jupiter system that needs HAL's cooperation to perform the engine firing. A scene of tension is played out between the creator of HAL being questioned by the computer over why they are leaving so abruptly.
Despite the flaws mentioned I still like this film, it is stuck in its time and perhaps did not make enough of an attempt to predict life in 2010. Of course the things it did predict it got wrong, manned missions on this scale are still a long way off.
2001 A Space Odyssey was always going to be a tough act to follow, iconic and posing more questions about its meaning than it ever answered.
2010 has burden of having to provide some answers with a joint Russian/American mission back to Jupiter to re-board the stricken Discovery.
As a backdrop to the whole mission is tension between America and Russia back on Earth, which seems more stuck in 1984 than 2010. Also it is interesting to see the take on how technology would look, they are pretty unambitious here - other than than the (still) futuristic HAL all the other computers on board ship look like they are from the 1980s.
We learn why HAL malfunctioned, essentially conflicting orders from above. We do not learn much more about the Jupiter monolith. A warning is given to the crew to get out of the Jupiter system that needs HAL's cooperation to perform the engine firing. A scene of tension is played out between the creator of HAL being questioned by the computer over why they are leaving so abruptly.
Despite the flaws mentioned I still like this film, it is stuck in its time and perhaps did not make enough of an attempt to predict life in 2010. Of course the things it did predict it got wrong, manned missions on this scale are still a long way off.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Korea Crisis
In a time of defence cut backs and capability reduction, North and South Korea escalate their frozen in time conflict.
Although it would naturally be the US providing support to South Korea, Britain would naturally be thought of to help to give at least an air of multi-national response.
This time round the relations with China and Russia are better, so the North are much more isolated and not being used as part of a bigger plot on the world stage.
I am sure this was all factored into the strategic defence review!
Although it would naturally be the US providing support to South Korea, Britain would naturally be thought of to help to give at least an air of multi-national response.
This time round the relations with China and Russia are better, so the North are much more isolated and not being used as part of a bigger plot on the world stage.
I am sure this was all factored into the strategic defence review!
Government education cutbacks
It now looks like 16-18 year olds maybe see funding squeezed on A levels as governments cut costs in this area.
This strikes me as a cut too far with the job markets unlikely to have many training based places for school leavers.
The university tuition fee continues to see demonstrations, in a perverse way the government could use this to drive standards higher - restrict places, only better candidates will get through. Of course the problem is always will less well off people be discouraged despite having the academic ability.
Tough times, maybe having the banks swallow some more of the losses would be fairer...
This strikes me as a cut too far with the job markets unlikely to have many training based places for school leavers.
The university tuition fee continues to see demonstrations, in a perverse way the government could use this to drive standards higher - restrict places, only better candidates will get through. Of course the problem is always will less well off people be discouraged despite having the academic ability.
Tough times, maybe having the banks swallow some more of the losses would be fairer...
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