Space Flight: Increasingly, Gifted Individuals are Opting for the Private Sector over NASA | Houston Press
There is a lot of truth in this article, and a lot of hyperbole as well. Some miscellaneous thoughts:
- For those who want to literally build things and work directly hands-on with hardware, NASA is not the place. It has never really been that place, at least not in a long time. We conceive and design and operate…but we always contract out the building. It’s a bit misleading to imply otherwise.
- There is indeed a lack of opportunities for advancement, and it is affecting the career decisions of many people — especially those in their 30s like me. It’s a significant issue at JSC right now, and I’ve seen no evidence that anyone knows how to solve it other than wait for older people to retire.
- It’s time to stop talking about the space shuttle program. Period. I loved it too, but it is over and done and bemoaning that gets us nowhere. It is time to move on.
- Astronaut jobs — or lack thereof — should have zero influence on whether someone wants to work for NASA. Your chances of becoming an astronaut have always been slim, not to mention that most aren’t working for NASA when they’re hired anyway.
Wireless Charging, at a Distance, Moves Forward for uBeam | New York Times via kottke.org
My dad has always said we should figure out how to put giant solar arrays in orbit and beam the power generated back down to Earth. This is “only” wireless charging across a room…but it’s a start! We’re living in the future!
A European spacecraft flew within 60 miles of a comet | SciGuy
ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft is honing in on Comet 67P and taking fantastic photos on the way!
Need Kids to Follow Instructions? Don’t Ask. Tell. | New York Times
Then I looked at the larger issue, which is my tendency to ask my kids almost everything. “Do you want to put on your shoes now?” “Should we have macaroni and cheese for dinner?” “How about you go brush your teeth?” These are questions that present a problem if they are answered with no, because they are not really choices. If we’re going outside, we need shoes. If I’m preparing mac and cheese for dinner, that’s what we’ll be having. And we all know what happens when we don’t brush our teeth: cavities, hygiene issues and a future of dentist bills.
I try to be conscious of this exact thing.