December 3, 2006
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SUNDAY GOOD NEWS
This
just in from a BBC radio interview with Stephen Hawking, famous British
scientist who published A Brief History of Time (which you can dip into
here)
in 1988 – packing our bags and getting the hell out of here and I mean
off the planet is not only possible, but inevitable. And here’s the
best part – he says propulsion like they used on Star Trek where you
had the warp drive is how it would work. NASA has been working on this
for years by the way. Hawking says nuclear war or asteroid collision
(let alone global warming type stuff) could make long-term survival of
humans impossible unless we could reach other solar systems with
livable planets. It’s scientifically impossible to travel faster than
light but S.H. believes people could eventually go just under that
speed using matter-antimatter annihilation and reach the closest star
in a time of about six years. Hawking is 64 now and has survived
paralysis from a terrible neurological disorder since he was 21 and
he’s optimistic enough to say his next goal is to go into space. It
could be decades before we all get a chance to go, but in the meantime
I’m going to hope that instead of getting drafted to go die in some war
one day, my grandson (or his grandson) will get to say instead, “beam
me up, Scotty, I’m coming home.”
Deep Thought:
‘As the snow started to fall, he tugged his coat tighter around
himself. Too tight, as it turned out. “This is the fourth coat crushing
this year,” said the police sergeant as he outlined the body with a
special pencil that writes on snow.’
Today I am grateful for: Safe places
Guess the Movie: “Hold my hand and we’re halfway there, hold my hand and I’ll take you there. Somehow! Someday!” Answer: West Side Story, 1961.
Winner: buttermelon.
Can Bush find an exit?
December 3, 2006
Time magazine cover story
George
Bush has a history of long-overdue U-turns. He waited until he woke up,
hung over, one morning at 40 before giving up booze cold. He fought the
idea of a homeland-security agency for eight months after 9/11 and then
scampered aboard and called it his idea. (Rest of article here.)
Comments (27)
when the nyc subways (the new ones) start to go – they play three notes in a row – the same three notes in “there’s a place for us” in west side story – i think of that movie everyday whenever i’m in the subway…
meanwhile, there is a killer asteroid is headed straight for earth on friday the 13th april 2029 (popular mechanics mag dec 2006 issue) – will we be able to leave earth by then? and if the asteroid doesn’t kill us in 2029, it will for sure 7 yrs later in 2036.
oh the song is “somewhere” – and maybe the subways play only the first two notes, now that i think of it…
The movie…West Side Story
I’m in line for the beam up as well…bring it on!
West Side Story – right off the bat.
Interesting. Is the nerdy looking guy in the picture the British scientist?
*sparkle
Yep.
Stephen Hawking is a cool dude.
Not only is Stephen Hawking amazing, but he’s been on The Simpsons and Family Guy, which is damn good for a physicist.
I’m grateful for safe places as well, not always easy to find, but wonderful when you get there…
I had Stephen Hawking on my mind a lot lately — during the hours and days leading up to and during the Workshop on Ableism that I co-chaired at the church.
What a very cool idea. Love that movie. Marni Nixon, the ghost voice of Natalie Wood, was interviewed last week, I think? It was really interesting.
Hawking is a great figure who should be respected and I have read several of his works…
Total Star Trek buff here (in case you hadn’t guessed by my user name), but I have to wonder how far off anything like this still is. It’s one thing to get there, it’s another thing to colonize.
But, I hate to fly!
what fun for him! everyone needs a dream.
I love Hawking. I read the ‘Universe in a Nutshell.’
Proxima Centari is the closest star, but it’s a dying star, something we probably don’t need to think about. The concept we have to also consider is that roughly 80% of matter is dark matter. That is, matter we cannot see by normal means. Our means of scanning would have to improve dramatically before we can venture out far. We’re still getting used to our solar system here.
As far as leaving earth, I read a book on that too, about the colonization of Mars. Very cool stuff, and the technology needed isn’t that far off. 6 years turns into 3 months at most. I’ll live on Mars, no problem.
Thanks for subscribing, look forward to reading.
J
Almost the speed of light. Now thats baffling. Wonder what the seat belts and helmets woud have to be made of? Thats insane speed!
now that is cool.
Hawking is fascinating reading!…..(So was my college physics professor)…every lecture this song kept humming through my head!!…. ‘Dream on little broomstick cowboys…of rocket ships and Mars….Willie Mays and Sunny days…and chocolate candy bars!’…… Couldn’t take care of your own house! So why ruin outer space? (so far; the aliens have been pretty good with keeping their ‘house’ in order!) Perhaps! the asteroid planned for 4/2029….is just a vivid reminder to us from the aliens! I was recruited (suggested) in the late 70′s to design ecological and environmental systems for ‘solar’ spacestations. They would orbit around the moon! Hopefully not the dark side! (LOL)…One square mile! The station would absorb the 24 hour solar rays and beam them back to earth in the form of ‘microwaves’….I can only imagine what might happen if they missed the receptacle target! (Those damn minor technological quirks) Now the expression ‘beam me up! Scotty!’ would have some meaning!
That’s awesome. I hope one day soon he goes into space too =)
To the stars.
i’m thinking we’re talking ludicrous speed here! wow, they’ve gone to plaid!
hawking is cool. my son is studying physics, probably going all the way to a phd. yeah!
No Friday Feast?? Wishing you a wonderful weekend!!
This man is so amazing. Love the deep thought. Hope you are having a great weekend.
wasn’t he on smallville(that dumb WB. i mean CW laten ight show about the young superman) too?
Thank you for the link and the comment! I am at my wits end with this child. I will try anything offered.
Have a wonderful Sunday!
If anyone knows for sure, it’s Stephen Hawking
Stephen Hawking is awesome.
ryc – I’ve heard that before. It is spoken by those who don’t understand DL’s words. There is a third kind of love. It isn’t codependence and martyrdom. It isn’t interdependent. Both of those exist. I know that. And in that arena, interdepentent is great. The love DL is speaking of loves for no reason. Helps those in need. Aleviates suffering were it can. Makes the world a better place. One person at a time. If you don’t know it, seek it out. It will change your life as it has so many others.
Sorry, I’ll get off my soapbox now.
hugs
lol
I don’t think you are being critical. I don’t even think we disagree. We are probably much closer together here than either of us knows.
One of my favorite qoutes is something like, “living with no one to love withers the heart and mind”.