Category Archives: Space Travel

Lost Moon Technology

Posted on 31 August 2010 by Robert

The website TopTenz.net lists 10 Lost Technologies such as Damascus Steel and the Antikythera Mechanism (via Kottke). Incredibly, the technology used to bake the Apollo programme lacks any meaningful record of its construction: The Apollo and Gemini programs aren’t truly … Continue reading →

Posted in Science, Space Travel | Leave a comment

Mieville on Teleporting

Posted on 23 July 2010 by Robert

At the event on Tuesday night, I remarked that China Mieville and Cory Doctorow share an irritating trait, which is to lathe my own ideas into science fiction books, many years before I even have the thought for the first … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Science, Space Travel | 3 Comments

Back-up Your Brain

Posted on 6 February 2010 by Robert

A human consciousness restored from my uploaded back-up would be indisputably my creation, a more detailed product of my life and times than anything I might write or carve, or anyone I might sire. Far better that they, in particular, get to witness the “more glorious dawn” of a Galaxy-rise, than some other generic homo sapien. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, Literature, Science, Space Travel | 3 Comments

Thoughts on Apollo, part II

Posted on 19 July 2009 by Robert

A major feature of the analysis of the Apollo missions, is the constant lament that we’ve never gone back to The Moon, or (and this is Buzz Aldrin’s formulation) that we haven’t reached Mars. However, I wonder if this is … Continue reading →

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Thoughts on Apollo, part I

Posted on 19 July 2009 by Robert

Its the anniversary if the first moon landing tomorrow. Here’s yrstruly on Twitter: I really can’t get enough Apollo XI anniversary coverage. An extraordinary boundary in human achievement. Two minor thoughts on why I find the Apollo missions so fascinating. … Continue reading →

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Timeshifted Blogs

Posted on 17 June 2009 by Robert

The Apollo Plus 40 Twitter Feed reminds me of the Orwell Diaries project. Each pulls a piece of history forward to the present day, where you can experience it in real-time. Continue reading →

Posted in History, Internet Philosophy, Science, Space Travel | Leave a comment

To Boldly Twitter…

Posted on 11 May 2009 by Robert

Two astronauts have the twittering bug. Mission Specialist Mike Massimino is on Atlantis, ready to launch. His colleague Mark Polansky is the commander of STS-127. Continue reading →

Posted in Science, Space Travel | 2 Comments

On Stars

Posted on 5 January 2009 by Robert

A few links related to the Heavens. Continue reading →

Posted in Science, Space Travel, Visual | Leave a comment

Shoot for the Moon

Posted on 5 September 2007 by Robert

It would be more satisfying if we were to put astronauts in our rockets, rather than nuclear warheads. Let us cancel Trident and turn all the submariners into astronauts. But first let us rescue the Galileo project, since that would be a strategic asset worth as much as a nuclear deterrent. Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Science, Space Travel, USA | 8 Comments

In The Shadow of the Moon

Posted on 5 September 2007 by Robert

One of the reasons for being at the various Edinburgh festivals is the opportunity to get ahead of the ‘curve’ on films, plays and actors that are destined to become successful in the coming year. I saw Murderball before everyone … Continue reading →

Posted in Edinburgh, Film, Science, Space Travel, USA | 2 Comments