People use "rocket science" as a metaphor for the most difficult tasks imaginable, but rocket engineering seems much more challenging. There used to be, and maybe still is, a V-2 on display in the great hall of the National Air and Space Museum. It's astonishing to see that the steering vanes were controlled by a chain-driven sprocket, like a bicycle. First man-made object to go faster than the speed of sound (3,580 mph!) or reach the lower boundaries of outer space (128 mi): an astonishing engineering achievement in the worst circumstances possible, in service of the worst governmental entity in modern times, although the Japanese and Soviets were pretty murderous too.
That concludes my prepared bloviations. Are there any questions?
Edit: OK, maybe that was overly mean. Truth be told, I've felt every good scientist is part engineer, and every good engineer is part scientist. The line can and should be blurry for maximum efficiency. There are a lot of HARD problems every step along the way.
If I, as a scientist, can learn to write grants, surely you can set a thing or two on fire?
These days I use my modest math and science skills to solder wires and compute power requirements for various hi-fi bits. I did blow up a $50 vacuum tube a while back, so there's that! It took a few fuses and several other electrobits with it when it died. Quite an entertaining and expensive holocaust!
OK, you're in the club.
People use "rocket science" as a metaphor for the most difficult tasks imaginable
Imipolex G is better. . That's why Dr Laszlo Jamf wrapped der Schwartgerät in it before launching 00000.
<img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Bumper8_launch-GPN-2000-000613.jpg" />
One word: plastics.
People use "rocket science" as a metaphor for the most difficult tasks imaginable, but rocket engineering seems much more challenging. There used to be, and maybe still is, a V-2 on display in the great hall of the National Air and Space Museum. It's astonishing to see that the steering vanes were controlled by a chain-driven sprocket, like a bicycle. First man-made object to go faster than the speed of sound (3,580 mph!) or reach the lower boundaries of outer space (128 mi): an astonishing engineering achievement in the worst circumstances possible, in service of the worst governmental entity in modern times, although the Japanese and Soviets were pretty murderous too.
That concludes my prepared bloviations. Are there any questions?
Yes- when are you going to get in the game?
Edit: OK, maybe that was overly mean. Truth be told, I've felt every good scientist is part engineer, and every good engineer is part scientist. The line can and should be blurry for maximum efficiency. There are a lot of HARD problems every step along the way.
As an English major, I got nothin'.
If I, as a scientist, can learn to write grants, surely you can set a thing or two on fire?
These days I use my modest math and science skills to solder wires and compute power requirements for various hi-fi bits. I did blow up a $50 vacuum tube a while back, so there's that! It took a few fuses and several other electrobits with it when it died. Quite an entertaining and expensive holocaust!
OK, you're in the club.
<img src="http://en.es-static.us/upl/2012/03/minimoon_cropped1.jpg">
This plot of one of earth's "second moons" orbit is brought to you by a metric fucktonne (a/k/a a fuckmegagramme) of numerical integration!
"I wonder how you look in black
Nyyyyyyyyiiiieeee Looooooooonnnnnnsssssss?"
<img src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ua4C_kY9ZBU/0.jpg"/>
Looks like someone's clearly got the legs for it!
To celebrate I'll make sure all the subjects in my online porn browsing are wearing nylon!