h a l f b a k e r yAssume a hemispherical cow.
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This multidisciplinary branch of science would focus on problems that need to be solved for a self-sustaining Mars colony. Such topics would be investigated as: (just add "on Mars" to the end of these)
* Materials science focused on finding alternative ways to make things using elements commonly found.
*
Civil engineering for segregating and maintaining interdependent cities.
* City planning.
* Long term effects of reproducing in reduced gravity.
* Whether it's possible to grow plants in extremely weak sunlight, or the minimum amount of artificial sunlight that's necessary for modern agriculture.
* Forms of government that work well when you absolutely, positively cannot afford a war.
* Arcology development.
These and many similar topics need to receive special attention as soon as possible if we are to see to fruition the dream of a multiplanitary species.
Rentishams Flenting Wax
http://www.rentishams.co.uk/ [Voice, Nov 10 2019]
[link]
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// absolutely, positively cannot afford a war. // |
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You can ALWAYS afford a war ; not necessarily one that anyone survives, but you can always afford one, albeit at a very high price. |
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War is, by definition, a negative -sum game. |
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Besides, what's wrong with the standard operational procedure of blundering into a difficult situation for complex and poorly -defined motives, then sorting it out as you go along and finally pretending that the outcome was planned from the beginning , to try and sustain the fuzzy pink bubble of self -deception you strive so hard for ? |
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If you believe you can't afford a war you've already lost. |
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But
with adequate self directed propaganda & deceit it's always
possible
to pretend you haven't because there 'wasn't one' .. allegedly. |
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<Notes that [Skewed] is progressing very nicely, and will soon be pulled across the Cynicism Event Horizon to the Dark Side/> |
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[Gazes @ the Cynicism Event Horizon] |
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[Grins happily as he
slides towards it with legs clasped around a nuke] |
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[Checks the timer & gives a cheery wave] |
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"On my way, with you soon" |
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"[Skewed], return to the bomb bay !" |
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I'm not sure what's new here other than the aggregation?
Going back even to Biosphere 2? |
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Well, the idea of working out the practicalities of having a limited nuclear war inside a camper van seems fairly innovative ... |
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A typical VW campervan could carry a driver, two passengers, and three W48 155mm nuclear artillery rounds without serious problems if the load is correctly distributed. Yes, they're heavy, but only about the size of a typical 9l water-filled fire extinguisher. |
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Some luggage might have to go on the roof rack, though. Hardly "peculiar" ... |
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The study of sustained high-voltage electric sparks. |
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Please, do try to keep up. |
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So you haven't seen my camper van then |
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You mean it doesn't have support brackets for carrying two tactical nuclear devices ? That certainly is a very strange campervan, by our standards. |
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No not that, I mean 'you haven't seen my camper van' have
you? |
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The ad hoc automation probably wasn't a good idea. |
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Particularly that
dodgy AI I got on the cheap, it identifies as a sheep now, must
have wandered off with a passing flock when I wasn't looking. |
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Don't tell us ... you got it from MaxCo, didn't you ? Suspiciously cheap, fancy coloured box, lots of exciting promises in the sales brochure ? |
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Does it run on hay, water and small pellets of compressed grass, and make a rattling, squeaking noise at night ? |
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What you have there is a hamster. A live hamster, in a box. Not "AI"; a hamster in a box. Don't feel bad, you're not the first to be taken in by him. |
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We knew it was going to be bad when MaxCo won the tender for the 737MAX flight control system upgrade with a ridiculously low bid. "Dual redundant control". Brilliant. What happens if you shut two squirrels up in a small box ? Yup. They fight. Eighty tonnes of jet aircraft, brought down by aggressive squirrels ... he blames it on "inappropriate maintenance procedures " .... |
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Shit. Don't tell me our marketing team has been squandering
money on a "sales brochure" again. |
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Just the one example that we saw; he did achieve quite a nice effect with the blend of wax crayon and felt tip marker. |
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But you could still see the "Rentishams" small print and disclaimer underneath. |
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