Tag Archives: technology

Boeing Starliner in Context: Apollo, Shuttles, and American History

For some reason, I expected Monday’s Starliner launch to go ahead on schedule. It didn’t, which is probably a good thing. But the delay, and staying up far later than I usually do, waiting for a news conference that I … Continue reading

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Voyager 1: Back Online, Still Outward Bound

This isn’t what I’m writing about this week, but it’s noteworthy: “NASA’s Voyager 1 Resumes Sending Engineering Updates to Earth“Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California Institute of Technology (April 22, 2024 ) “After some inventive sleuthing, the mission team can — … Continue reading

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Any Landing You Can Radio Back From: IM-1 Odyssey

“Any landing you can walk away from is a good one.”(Gerald R. Massie, photographer, following the crash-landing of his B-17 (1944) (from “Stayin alive — 16 favorite aviation quotes“, Dan Littmann, Air Facts (August 25, 2016)) So far, this has … Continue reading

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Doom, Gloom, and Dystopias: But Hope is an Option

This week I’ll be talking about what’s changed over the last century, what hasn’t, and why I think progress isn’t inevitable. On the other hand, I don’t think we’re doomed. That last may take explaining. Yesterday’s Future It was the … Continue reading

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Choices, Change, Technology, and Using Our Brains

This week I’ll be looking at: I’ll also explain why I don’t “believe in” Progress with a capital “P”. On the other hand, I’d rather be living today than in 1923 or 1823. That’s partly because we’ve made considerable progress, … Continue reading

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