Posts by aka_Sam

21) Message boards : Science (non-SETI) : Earliest Signs of Life on Earth (Message 1457958)
Posted 27 Dec 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
Fermis paradox explained. We are among the first. Interesting link.

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/513781/moores-law-and-the-origin-of-life/



Quite interesting indeed.


We should all remember that Moore's Law is not a law in the scientific sense of the word. It wouldn't even qualify as a theory. Merely an interesting observation.



Julie, posted your exact link a couple of days ago.

I think the jury is still out on the topic.


I am not really sure what you are referring to. I quoted Julie's link to respond to it but posted no link myself.
22) Message boards : Science (non-SETI) : Earliest Signs of Life on Earth (Message 1457692)
Posted 26 Dec 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
Fermis paradox explained. We are among the first. Interesting link.

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/513781/moores-law-and-the-origin-of-life/



Quite interesting indeed.


We should all remember that Moore's Law is not a law in the scientific sense of the word. It wouldn't even qualify as a theory. Merely an interesting observation.
23) Message boards : Cafe SETI : Heyyyyyyy! (Message 1455782)
Posted 20 Dec 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
Heyyyyyyy!

I've booked to see Henry Winkler in Peter Pan on Jan 9th :-)))

Peter Pan





And it only took a little twisting of your rubber arm. :)

Looking forward to the review and maybe a few pix's.
24) Message boards : Cafe SETI : Heyyyyyyy! (Message 1455204)
Posted 18 Dec 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
Ahh, but are you going to go to the show he's in?

And give us a review.
25) Message boards : Cafe SETI : The 007 thread (Message 1453978)
Posted 14 Dec 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
A bit of a contrary opine but I liked Casino Royale (Craig.) Of all the actors who played the part of Bond, I thought he closest represented what Fleming had in mind for Bond. A more or less civilized thug who happened to work for the good guys.

Connery was good in the early movies but by the time he got to Octopussy I felt he was just phoning the performance in.

Kind of ambivalent about Brosnan and I really didn't care for Moore. Played it too much for laughs, IMHO.

I do agree with the quote on Dalton not knowing what to do with the roll. Haven't seen the Lazenby flick so I'll have to check it out sometime.
26) Message boards : Science (non-SETI) : Pi R Round (Message 1452517)
Posted 11 Dec 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
a = pi * (diameter/2)^2
27) Questions and Answers : Preferences : Profile pic (Message 1451161)
Posted 7 Dec 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
Hello. (not sure where to post this...)

My new profile avatar doesn't show up next to my posts. Any idea why?


First make sure it has been uploaded. Go here:

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/edit_forum_preferences_form.php

In the 'Message board identity' section should show your avatar. If you don't see it there then you'll need to upload it.

Check the 'upload this avatar' box then clock the 'choose file' button. Find the file on your HDD and upload it. Note: files can be no more than 100X100 pixels and 4kB or smaller in size. The system supports jpeg and (I think) gif format images.

Once it uploads, scroll down and click on the 'update' button. (This is the step that most people with issues forget to do.)

Reload the page (right click and 'reload' or just hit F5) and if things went well your avatar should appear.
28) Message boards : Science (non-SETI) : China Moon Mission (Message 1449243)
Posted 2 Dec 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
Perhaps I am in a minority but I hope things go well for the Chinese space programme.

The long term survival of the human race depends on us getting off this planet (all the eggs in one basket, as it were) and anyone who comes along who can push the edges of the technological envelope towards making this happen get's my support.

Like it or not China is the second biggest economy in the world and will likely soon have the largest. Although their reasons for doing so are probably suspect, the end result is that they are using some of the piles of money for something that has much long range potential.

And before we look too closely at the reasons for their fascination with space, let's remember that the Apollo/moon programme was basically Kennedy shoving a huge pile of poker chips into the center of the table and daring the Russians to match it. Hardly a honourable motive but one that had amazing results.
29) Message boards : Politics : Why is teaching atheism good? (Message 1448682)
Posted 30 Nov 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
The thing though is that life turns up in unexpected places, the latest report of microbes comes from NASA's clean room. A place where every attempt is made to ensure all bugs are excluded so that any of Earths bugs are not carried to other planets etc.

But the really strange thing is, in my view, is that not only did they find a microbe in the clean room, but it is was an unknown microbe now named Tersicoccus phoenicis, and it has also been found in another clean room thousands of miles away, in ESA's clean room in French Guiana.

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-319


It's really not so strange at all. Most likely this particular microbe is all over the place, but rare enough that it tends to get lost among the overwhelming multitude of other microbes that are around. Create a situation where most if not all of the other microbes are killed off then anything that survives stands out like the proverbial sore thumb.
30) Message boards : Cafe SETI : What are you watching on YouTube today? (Message 1448672)
Posted 30 Nov 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
Aww, darlin' you manage to find the cutest stuff. :)

just too darn cute

31) Message boards : Science (non-SETI) : Not 'the' big bang, but still impressive (Message 1448670)
Posted 30 Nov 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
Gamma Ray Race provides more support for Einstein's theories.

An interesting read even with the typo's.
32) Message boards : Cafe SETI : John Clark (Message 1442026)
Posted 13 Nov 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
This comes as a tremendous shock to us all.

Didn't know him well but I do recall reading (generally with a smile) many of his posts over the years.

We always say when someone passes that they will be missed. In this case, he honestly will be missed.

'Life is a long song and you sang it well.'
33) Message boards : Cafe SETI : Philippines (Message 1442021)
Posted 13 Nov 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
Just heard on the radio that the president of the Philippines says that the death toll will likely be less than three thousand rather than the ten thousand originally feared. Not sure than 3000 dead could be considered 'good' news but it is at least a little less depressing.

For a first response to any disaster it's usually better to donate money. While sending food or tents or med supplies may be more emotionally satisfying, giving money is much more efficient, allowing the aid agency to purchase supplies 'in theatre' for rapid delivery.

Patrice and I have 'bitten the bullet' and nipped the old Visa card to the tune of $500 via the Red Cross. While that is not meant to be a challenge (we can afford it, so we give it) I would urge everyone here to give what they can.

34) Message boards : Cafe SETI : Hello (Message 1440105)
Posted 8 Nov 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
thanx everyone.
I retired the whip when I met Sam so I only use wet noodles now.


She's not lying. :P

Thank God we've both FF and Chrome on this computer. Now if only we didn't have to fight over who gets to use the keyboard . . .
35) Message boards : Cafe SETI : I got a question (Message 1438971)
Posted 6 Nov 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
The last thing I wanted when I started this thread was for it to become a source of strife amongst the local fauna.

Should the mods or even Fred him/herself decide to close and even hide it, I would not object.
36) Message boards : Cafe SETI : What are you watching on YouTube today? (Message 1438819)
Posted 6 Nov 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
Cool Canadian Girl
37) Message boards : Cafe SETI : I got a question (Message 1437938)
Posted 4 Nov 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
Holy, schmoly, the thread seems to have drifted ever-so-slightly off topic. :P

Anyhow the idea of two people, each with an account but using the same computer seems to not have any overly harsh objections, n'est pas?
38) Message boards : Cafe SETI : Word Link # 53 (Message 1437190)
Posted 3 Nov 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
oil
39) Message boards : Science (non-SETI) : Dark matter/Dark Energy (Message 1437078)
Posted 2 Nov 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
some invisible material must be providing the gravitational glue to hold galaxies together.

I thought that most scientists think that there is a super massive black hole at the centre of each galaxy that holds all the stars in that galaxy together, by means of gravity. Now what holds the galaxies themsevles in position relative to each other may be a different question. Bits floating on the surface of a bowl of water usually clump together after a certain time but that is due to surface tension.

Quite happy to be proved wrong!


Close galaxies do merge. I recall reading somewhere that Andromeda is on its way for a collision with Milky Way in a few billion years. I think there are larger structures of galaxies gravitationally bound as well. Galaxies further apart seem to move away due to universal expansion overpowering gravity.
40) Message boards : Cafe SETI : Word Link # 53 (Message 1437040)
Posted 2 Nov 2013 by aka_Sam
Post:
flute


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