Ophiolite

Here are some relevant quotes and links: Huygens is scheduled to reach Titan’s upper atmosphere at about 10:06 CET on 14 January, entering the atmosphere at a relatively steep angle of 65° and a velocity of about six kilometres per second. http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMMDOQ3K3E_0.html To gain sufficient velocity to reach Saturn, they had to conduct four gravity-assist manoeuvres by flying twice by Venus, once by the Earth and once by Jupiter. On 1 July, Cassini-Huygens eventually became the first spacecraft to enter an orbit around Saturn. http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEMVR53AR2E_0.html The descent through Titan’s atmosphere is carefully choreographed, with a series of parachutes deploying at certain intervals to slow the probe’s downward trajectory. http://www.space.com/searchforlife/huygens_titan_041223.html This link does not give velocities, but is a fascinating look at the orbital paths of Cassini. http://orbits.esa.int/orbits/science/app/cssn.htm A Hohmann transfer to Saturn would require a total of 15.7 km/s delta V, which is not within the capabilities of our current spacecraft boosters. A trip using multiple gravitational assists may take longer, but will use considerably less delta V, allowing a much larger spacecraft to be sent. Such a strategy was used on the Cassini probe, which was sent past Venus, Venus again, Earth, and finally Jupiter on the way to Saturn. The 6.7-year transit is slightly longer than the six years needed for a Hohmann transfer, but cut the total amount of delta V needed to about 2 km/s, so much that the large and heavy Cassini was able to reach Saturn even with the small boosters available. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_slingshot

I read Origins in the 1960's. Much closer to Victorian times. I imagine you have problems with Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica?

toni, in his post, essentially asks us to lay side by side two photographs and ask which deserves our money. One is the surface of a strange world, the other a starving child - a stranger in a strange land. Frankly, both make me weep. The first with joy at the wonder of such discoveries and those aspects of human intellect and spirit that have made them possible. The second in despair at how much we have yet to achieve. How do we choose between them? Exploration or the elimination of poverty? I believe, if we are to remain true to our humanity, we must choose both.

I think Swansont is well aware of how MLVs operate. Are you? Both track and vehicle have electrmagnets. Now, the question you have been so studiously ignoring, how are you going to impart this immense acceleration to all the molecules of the human body? Given that we aren't especially magnetic - though some of us may have magnetic personalities.

And that's why 3+3=6. Sayonara cannot, in any way, promote this idea, but he can implicitly withhold any objection. That's what my advanced maths was intended to confirm. I was agreeing with you. (I guess I have to improve my maths, or revert to English!)

5614, 3+3=6

Agreed. The Oxford English Dictionary votes for colour. Poll over. Closure complete. Glad to be of help. No thanks necessary.

Was that philosophy or electoral irregularities?

Nor are the capitalist countries truly capitalist in the same circumstances. I don't recall Adam Smith advocating guile, dishonesty, corruption, blackmail, nepotism and the like.

We have money, you have rockets. The two cameras were made by JPL. We had a one hour program from ESA HQ interviewing the project scientists. The guy responsible for the penetration experiment said it revealed the surface had the consistency of Crème Brule (with a thin crust).

Helios was the sun god, who pulled the sun across the sky with his chariot. His parents were the Titans Hypherion and Thea, and he had two sisters: Selene, the moon goddess and Eos, goddess of the dawn. http://www.in2greece.com/english/historymyth/mythology/names/helios.htm Unless you meant Hyperion: http://www.solarviews.com/eng/hyperion.htm

The first three photographs show stream beds, a coastline, and a rubble strewn plain that could be Mars or Venus. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/main/index.html

All the employees at the company where I work are fully biodegradable.

I can assure you ed that in a capitalist society a substantial number of individuals advance to high paid positions through guile, dishonesty, corruption, blackmail, nepotism and the like, without making significant contributions to anyone or anything, apart from their own welfare. Curiously, the same thing happens in socialist countries. You don't suppose it might be related to human nature do you?

It's certainly the third most common substance in Egyptian beer.

You can watch NASA TV: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Breaking.html

What may turn out to be more important than the temperature is the stability of the environment. It is doubtful any planet could maintain a stable environment for the greater part of its sun's life. It is the magnitude and rate of change that are critical. When the magnitude of change has been great (emergence of an oxygen rich atmosphere) or sudden (bolide impact), then life has not fared well. Microbial life is more tolerant of both, hence the Universe is likely populated by relatives of e.coli rather than Jerry Seinfeld.

He's a psychlogist or psychiatrist. He knows all our nightmares. [Fade in ghoulish laughter and a Tocatta and Fugue for organ.]

I think the answer to this question involves several sub-questions: Is there intelligent life elsewhere? 5614 notes that, “according to mathematical probabilities there is another life form out there but” they are to far away to hold a meaningful dialogue. The truth is we do not know. The Drake equation can lead one to the conclusion that the Universe is teaming with life, or is that we are truly alone, depending upon the values one chooses to assign to the variables. Despite great advances in the last four decades we remain, if we are honestly objective, quite uncertain about any of them. If there is intelligent life could it be reached by signals or physical visits (either probes or persons)? Again, this hinges upon the frequency with which intelligent life arises (and the time it survives). If it is frequent, the odds would favour civilizations within reach of EM transmissions. If it is less common, we may have to wait until we have spread out to the stars. Barring some improbable development of hyper drives or worm hole travel, this will be slow and ponderous. Nevertheless, if we think in terms of millennia rather than decades, and colonization rather than exploration, then the whole galaxy falls within our grasp. Would any intelligent life wish to communicate with us? Not necessarily. There are several reasons they may wish to avoid us. 1. They are much more advanced and are contemptuous of us or indifferent to us. 2. They are afraid of potential enemies. 3. They wish to subjugate us, and so are observing us to gain information. 4. Their instinctual behaviour, transformed to cultural beliefs, make cross species communication undesirable. Would any intelligent life be able to communicate with us? Again, not necessarily. Wars, religious and racial hatred, rising divorce rates, all point to how hard it is to communicate within a species. Look at our failure, thus far, to establish any real communication with dolphins. They may be more intelligent than apes, with whom we can communicate to a degree, yet with them we draw a blank. My take on these questions is Is there intelligent life elsewhere? Probably If there is intelligent life could it be reached by signals or physical visits (either probes or persons)? Possibly Would any intelligent life wish to communicate with us? Hopefully Would any intelligent life be able to communicate with us? Eventually

As they did with Nixon. And at least he lied about comparatively inconsequential matters (A burglary versus .......insert long list....) and was arguably an effective, perhaps an outstanding statesman.

That does not square with my reading of Karl Marx' date=' or of Engels. I have been wearing trousers for over fifty years, but I am not an expert on fabric technology. What medals? Do you mean ed84c? I agree, but please overlook it. He is young.

Clathrate. A google search should reveal enough links to provide a couple of years reading. Very interesting substance that may have huge implications for climate change.

Yes. Very interesting. The current issue of New Scientist [15 Jan 2005] adds two points: The group to which these creatures belong (contrary to the title of the piece) was not canines, but triconodonts. These are apparently absent from the fossil record by the late Cretaceous, therefore these large mammals may well have died out before the dinosaurs. There had been hints of large mammals before, based upon fragmentary remains (mainly teeth), but these are the first clear cut examples. Anyone want to take a bet that within six months a couple more crawl out of the woodwork, or rather from a re-examination of current fossil collections? http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/mg18524824.400

And our stride and pace are both increasing.