MKI

Ultimately we (the space community) care about Starship development way more than the people NASA like to target (the general public). Since Starship is still very early in development, it makes sense they don't really talk about it to much. NASA has a number of other projects to promote that are much further in development. There's also the element that Starship development will include a bunch of explosions, and I don't think they want to promote those to the public as much, as it would be confusing. NASA doesn't want to make it seem like it is letting things explode, which is bad, and since NASA is paid for by tax payers, muddling the message with awesome explosions would at least create confusion, or worse case resentment. Showing off things exploding isn't a top NASA priority, meanwhile I'm sure they will love to promote whatever successes SpaceX achieves. Its not NASA's fault or anything, its just its a government agency paid for by tax dollars. The PR game is a different deal than SpaceX-fans who jump at the idea of big explosions ;D

I didn't realize the life you were talking about was "life as we know it" sorta life. I assumed it to be at least different enough we'd realize it was different. If its just more of the same life we currently know I'd be more cautions that it wasn't just hitchhikers we brought with us. Mars isn't exactly a paradise. It also at least provides a secondary model on how life could at least exist within other systems. If it exists in our freezing, radiation baked, backyard, then who is to say our backyard is even unique? Its easy to point to Earth as a paradise, as we live here and thrive. If the range life can exist/live on is Earth from the past and present, and Mars from its past and present, you have a dramatic range of candidates. When I say "everywhere" I mean the universe, not the solar system, even though there is a case to be made that there are more "life friendly" areas in the solar system than Mars. (Ice moons anyone?) You mean the filter lies after the development of "basic" life right? I also assume "basic" life means single celled bacteria. If these are found everywhere, then assuming the odds of the rest of the "filter" are equal, this means the filter is probably behind us. This of course doesn't eliminate the chance that the filter is in front of us, but it would be highly likely that some step from bacteria to us is where the filter is simply due to how many filters are between bacteria and us. If the filter is still in front of us, that means alien intelligent life is also common. Except AFAIK we haven't even seen us in our area of the galaxy/universe, as we are noticeable enough, even if that means we are only noticeable for short time-scales. It would be incredible if the "last filter" between intelligent life and a noticeable galactic presence really is that difficult, but all the previous filters aren't. Furthermore it also means we can't find any of this intelligent life that is apparently abundant in the universe. So if the "filter" is unequally weighted where the last filter is the most difficult to pass, then yes your right. That just means we can't find evidence of intelligent life before it goes intergalactic and or gets snuffed out, since intelligent life should be much easier to find than a bunch of bacteria all over the place. So it just seems highly unlikely.

If most of what we find is basic life, and never find intelligent life (assuming we are intelligent) then the scales tilt toward we are past the great filter. Your right in that if basic life is everywhere the filter must lie beyond it, but it also provides more evidence that to get from basic life to where we are is much harder, as we are less common. With large amounts of basic life around everywhere doesn't automatically remove the possibility the filter is still ahead of us, but I do believe it tilts the scales in our favor. Life could always hitch a ride via Panspermia events. Life as we know it can't exist on the sun, but life in some form could still exist on/in/around the Sun. You say life is tenacious, but the Universe is also painting with a very wide canvas across incredible timescales. Who is to say life as we know it can only handle what we've seen? Because we haven't seen much.

I lean on the premise that if life is found elsewhere in the solar system, its everywhere. The great filter has to be somewhere, if we find a bunch of simple life somewhere like Mars that must mean life must find a way always. Earth isn't only 1 data-point, its multiple. There are plenty of "alien worlds" on Earth where life thrives. From the crushing depths of the ocean next to hot vents, to freezing temperatures miles under ice, to the outside of the ISS miles up in space. Life always finds a way, even in the most extreme places. Who is to say "Mars is too extreme", or "Titan is too extreme"? If life can get a foothold next door to Earth, on Mars, then it would be vastly more surprising to find there is no life elsewhere in the Solar System. If basic life is everywhere, I'd be happy. It means we are past the great filter, and the universe is for humanities taking!!! BAHAHAHAA!

I got up at 4:30AM (actually earlier due to a miscommunication with my understanding of the launch time twice) To see the West Coast Starlink launch. Skies where 100% clear due to recent rain, and I got a good view of the first stage, 2nd stage, and 1st stage's first re-entry burn. Got some nice phone picks too! Its honestly amazing that the 11th launch has gone just as well as the previous 10 launches. I really wonder if they are seeing any actual degradation after so many uses.

The Hype train is hours away from arriving at the station. And from the few reviews accidentally glance over as "soft spoilers" Its gonna deliver!!!!!! Gonna be heading over to the theater in roughly 2 hours (Post refering to Spider-Man: No Way Home)

I've gone back to one of my first games I played religiously. Luckily it wasn't on steam so I have no idea what my play time is. Supreme commander. Easily my most played, and favorite RTS. Amazingly even though the game game out in 2007, its still alive today due to a thriving community of modders and players. I used to play against the AI for hours. Now I actually look into how to play the game "correctly" and find it just as fascinating and fun as I did a decade ago. Also the game really still stands the test of time, with excellent graphics, "modern gameplay" and lots of fun and interesting challenges of playing.

Headline: "New calendar clock" Next Day Headline: "Millions of programmer voices suddenly cried out in terror, heard around the world" Wouldn't this mean the year doesn't actually start/end with the Earth in the same place in the orbital plane? Not including any possible offsets/adjustments, like leap years and leap seconds?

No one... except maybe Elon Musk, but then I think even he understands others wont want to grinding out during the holidays.

Its somewhat amusing to think about how the engine production issues is being made to be this big of a problem to SpaceX as a whole, when SpaceX itself has their mission statement to be "make life multi planetary" because "stuffs could happen" with Earth.

Here I cut it down for you ;D I don't believe raptor production issues will have any impact until Starship prototypes can go out and explode every 2 weeks. Ultimately the raptor production issues could put a dent into plans for LEO operations of Starship, which probably is the main "money-maker" for SpaceX. If Starship development is slowed down due to engine production, then Starlink expansion is slowed down, and thus ROI on the whole thing is a bust before doing anything serious beyond LEO. I also assume this means no Christmas vacations for SpaceX employees.

Today is the day where this has changed. Where, things have gone from "recommended" to "should". (ref: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html) Even the cdc didn't change, I was starting to lean on the side of "get the darn shot, and suck up to the side effects". Just so I'm less paranoid during Christmas time, where I'm going to be taking only slight precautions. With that said... I'll probably get the same type I got before if possible, simply to remove some risk associated with allergic reactions. I was considering waiting for more data associated with that new variant that has the headlines yet again, but I don't think the data will be available in time for me to make a decision to get the booster or not if I want to be ready for Christmas time.

Excuse me not important??? I almost woke up early for the "announcement" from LEGO Education for the SLS lego set Artimis "payload" announcement. If there was a stock Starship set I'd be down to buy it! I'd just worry about it becoming an outdated design real fast haha

Starship will take over for Falcon 9 launches in stages. Once Starship can get to orbit, and get back and do it faster/quicker than Falcon 9's, then Falcon 9's will become less needed for payload launches. However, they will still exist until Starship proves its reliable enough for all payloads. This will take time, and nevermind any Starship development to get beyond LEO. The other area Falcon 9s would stick around for a while is manned space-flight for government agencies. Falcon 9s are rated for manned space flight, so they can keep servicing the ISS. I also can't see Starship bringing cargo to the ISS, but maybe just private stations in the near future. Its only once Starship is reliable enough for manned spaceflight into LEO with rapid re-usability does Falcon 9 more or less get 100% fully retired. Starship still needs to keep getting developed to get to Mars, but I can't see how it can't be improved in stages over time, as rapid re-usability will keep SpaceX far ahead of the competition.

I was able to see DART launch. Luckily my friend was over and told me about it, I thought it was another day and launching from the East coast. Went outside and saw it among the clouds for only a few seconds before the marine layer hid it away. Looking forward to seeing the results of the mission

Camera's with IVA integration that integrate with built-in Multi-functional displays is on my wish-list of a more immersive KSP 2. Would be nothing like flying a ship in 100% IVA mode and still getting awesome views of the launch from external cameras

I'd hope weather is added at some level, possibly even just a visual level. If its too annoying, it would become too hit or miss RNG blockers. Wouldn't want the player to spend 3 hours designing the perfect mission Duna mission, then have the chutes rip off due to bad weather at the Duna landing site. My personal "head-cannon" for KSP 2 is the "endgame goal" is to actually find life out there on the furthest/hardest planet. I think it should be microbes or simple life-forms rather than animals, or "galactic civilizations" or really intelligent life. I always though KSP is at its best when it sneaks in legit hard science topics with a wacky Kerbal Green coat of paint. Throwing in legit space aliens that aren't dead krakens easter eggs might be too "sci-fi"/"fantasy" than legit goals of finding alien life out in the universe. If Kerbals are just fun stand-ins for future humanity, then future human's best bet would be to find some microbes somewhere, rather than full on aliens. There is also the real Fermi Paradox, so finding no real evidence, or maybe tongue and cheek evidence might be great too. I'd LOL if the game has a Kerbal doing a science experiment, finds microbial alien life in a slide! Then things the slide is dirty and cleans it off or something X'D

this Its one thing to have an interior of my ship rendered, its another to allow me to fly around my own ship's interior and somehow take into account all the part-clipped modules, while still having a sensible ship design externally and internally. However, it seems like having enough information in IVA mode to have an immersive experience flying my ship could be an incredible selling point for VR and "hard mode" players. KSP 1 provided some bare minimum features available to all capsules, but there's a lot of potential for expansion. Even something as simple as a moddable interface like RPM, with the existing utilities available in "3D mode" being available in a multi functional display on all capsules would make the game technically "fully flyable" from IVA mode without mods. I can only imagine the awesomeness of taking a ship from the ground, to orbit, through interstellar space, and seeing the vast orbital bodies from the capsule window all without leaving VR mode inside of a capsule. That is the sorta awe inspiring awesomeness that should be in this game stock ;D

Then again if you have a Netflix subscription... you already paid for it and it wont be going anywhere hahaha. As an MCU follower, I'd say the hype train for this one is up there with Endgame and Infinity War.

That's another corner of the internet ;D I think I read earlier that COVID spreads better than Polio. I think thats true in a "vaccinated" setting, where multiple people are vaccinated. Currently it would appear even vaccinated individuals can spread COVID, just not at the same degree. Where-as Polio just gets 100% blocked by the vaccine, which is really the only thing preventing massive outbreaks due to Polio being highly infectious. On the topic of boosters, I personally would get whatever is available first. I haven't looked into it enough, and am actually leaning on the side of not getting a booster, due to my risk factors being incredible low. Last year in the fall I got really sick with lung issues that apparently weren't COVID, that made me vastly more paranoid about getting COVID. That's when I more or less locked down, and got the vaccine as soon as I could. Now that I've healed, am back to normal, and have some sort of built-in immunity from the first 2 Moderna shots, I wont get a third unless it becomes highly recommended for my risk group. In the mean time I'm still in a low-risk setting so its hard for me to think I need the booster, even with that "6 month waning immunity". I'll wait for more hard numbers, and see how my environment holds up in terms of risk. LA county numbers are still pretty low, and LA itself has gotten even more strict, mask requirements and even vaccine requirements are in place so I assume the numbers should stay lower than possible alternatives. I will say, its nice actually going to do things again, even if there are still some requirements here and there.

I got around to watching Marvel's The Eternals. This is one of the few MCU films I didn't go out to see the day-of, mainly because I ended up being busy and didn't plan ahead. The early critic reviews didn't help incentivise me to change plans to watch it. Ultimately I thought it was ok, and do think it was "review tanked" by some people due to some aspects, because there is no way in hell the Eternal's is worse than Thor 2. I think the film's biggest problem is the weight of the premise. It's hard enough to sell a movie about what is essentially a superhero-film, love-story spanning thousands of years, with multiple types of space aliens, with 10 different super powered people (and 1 future super powered person). You have to go about explaining the complex lore and world building connecting all of those things together, while also selling the love story and giving your 10 super powered people enough room to breath. It was just too much. It brought me back thinking of the Guardians of the Galaxy, which was also a risk, but it required vastly simpler world building, and less characters to flesh out. It's roughly triple that scope without the retro-soundtrack, or Groot. The movie did have a heart, its shooting style was evident in some scenes, and Kumail Nanjiani is hilarious so I found it interesting to watch, but it was a lot to take in as a whole. I'd say the movie is around the first Thor, and Iron Man 3 in terms of "goodness". Which is where I'd watch it again in the future, but I wouldn't look forward to it too much. On the flip, I can watch Shang-Chi as much as I want now, for the bus scene alone haha

This sounds like a lot of mumbo jumbo that ultimately leans on the premise of "electorates want things to 'make sense'". Which doesn't always apply, at least in the US. Prime example I can throw out there: rolling coal exists, and is legal in a majority of states. Its one thing to have "popular discussion", but that isn't possible if there is a majority in some form of willful ignorance, outright denial, or even outright hostility against competing viewpoints. And when one side of the discussion rises, there are those that will stoke the flames to make the other side rise to meet it.

I consider water, gravity and available harvestable energy to be the most important factors in gauging where humanity could build a base. Water can be used for oxygen, rocket fuel, and radiation shielding. AFAIK, none of the moons have any known harvestable energy sources we know of, so thats a challenge with any and all of them. Water seems abundant on a few, so that leaves gravity the last factor. Which is where Ganymede gets my vote.

MOAR DUCK TAPE! Seriously though, I assume ground test firing is worse on the tiles than actual ignition of (just three?) raptors when staging. So if they can figure out how to keep those tiles on during ground firing. I'd say survival during re-entry might actually work.... if it gets that far haha

I'm more or less finished with Dread (need to just beat the final boss, running around collecting stuff instead of dieing for the 5th time haha) I found and booted up my Gameboy SP to relive Metroid Fusion to see how far things have progressed. Friends also got me to buy phasmaphobia