Rocket Scientists Say We'll Never Reach the Stars

Wired reports a depressing article, Rocket Scientists Say We'll Never Reach the Stars. The line that got me was "The calculations show that, even using the most theoretical of technologies, reaching the nearest star in a human lifetime is nearly impossible." It is very depressing to realize that after 50 years of space travel, even nearby stars aren't in our purview. Still, the last line brings hope.

As for interstellar travel, even the realists are far from giving up. All it takes is one breakthrough to make the calculations work, Frisbee said.

"It's always science fiction until someone goes out and does it," he said.

Bigfoot BS

Information Week has an article, but please don't click on it. Bigfoot Hoax Called A 'Scheme To Defraud'. Of course it's a scheme to defraud! Bigfoot is NOT real. Either they are liars or they are idiots. The men who were contacting media outlets about the scam said they bought it from some men. Then they are the idiots and the sellers were frauds! There is NO SUCH THING AS BIGFOOT! Why is the media reporting this? I realize the hypocrisy of blogging about something I say the media shouldn't mention, but if everyone attacks the media every time they report this stuff, they will eventually stop. That, and by not reading there articles when the headlines are this insipid.

Real Politics

In politics today, I am often astonished by the inanity of questions asked by political reporters, both in interviews and in debates. Here is an excellent story about what Rick Warren could have asked Barack Obama and John McCain. I don't care who answers the questions better, I want them to be nuanced, difficult, and sophisticated.

What Rick Warren could have asked

Phil Plait, the new James Randi

Phil Plait is taking over as President of the James Randi Educational Foundation, or JREF. Let me start by saying that James "The Amazing" Randi is awesome. He is actually the subject of an Isaac Asimov Black Widower's story, known as "The Amazing Larri". The JREF is everything I stand for, better science and critical thinking education. Still, he is getting on in years, and this will allow him to finish working on a couple of books, as well as probably performing more magic, and possibly relaxing (though knowing him, that may not happen). Phil Plait is the Bad Astronomer. Now, you'd think James Randi could find a good astronomer to take over, but you have to take what you can get. Anyway, Phil Plait could be my long lost twin, we are so much alike in many ways, the major difference being that he is a big Doctor Who fan. This is exciting for science and skepticism. Hopefully this will mark the advent of a new age in reason.