When you just *have* to make a joke

[Solfe]

something that may be of interest and potential reassurance, from the times (not sure how accessible it will be for others). mark woolhouse, an epidemiologist of some repute who serves on the uk's scientific advisory group for emergencies, reports thatmy bold)

one thing we have learnt is that children are certainly, in the five to 15 brackets from school to early years, are minimally involved in the epidemiology of this virus. They are probably less susceptible and vanishingly unlikely to end up in hospital or to die from it.

there is increasing evidence that they rarely transmit. For example, it is extremely difficult to find any instance anywhere in the world a single example of a child transmitting to a teacher in school. There may have been one in australia but it is incredibly rare.

grant hutchison

[grant hutchison]

Yeah. I once listened entranced as a pair of "regular" school teachers, one teaching 5-6-year-olds and one teaching 15-16-year-olds, locked horror-story horns with a special-education teacher. There was a lot of dismissive "Ha!" and "Ho!" going on (and at one point a comparison of scars), but I came away with no clear winner.

Grant Hutchison

[Solfe]

Yeah. I once listened entranced as a pair of "regular" school teachers, one teaching 5-6-year-olds and one teaching 15-16-year-olds, locked horror-story horns with a special-education teacher. There was a lot of dismissive "Ha!" and "Ho!" going on (and at one point a comparison of scars), but I came away with no clear winner.

Grant Hutchison

I don't know how Music and Art teacher do it in a special education setting. It's sort of insane the amount they have to know.

[schlaugh]

From the US Human Space Capsule thread

About October, 2021 is Crew Dragon AX-1 (AXIOM-1, an AXIOM Space commercial mission), the Universal Studios movie shoot with Tom Cruise, his director, likely a co-star and an AXIOM Space Commander. 10 day flight, 8 at the ISS. Could be between SpaceX Crew-3 and SpaceX Crew-4.

There's also a Space Adventures Crew Dragon mission for a few days in orbit.

I can't help but think of this:

https://zygonreviewsdotcom.files.wor...ll-e-space.jpg

[publiusr]

Nah, Tom is fit...

[Noclevername]

Nah, Tom is fit...

The ship in Wal-E was named Axiom.

[publiusr]

I know, but that Axiom had folks more like me than Tom

[Extravoice]

Wow, Russia is distributing a vaccine that hasn’t gone through phase three testing, perhaps not phase two, but nobody knows because they haven’t made test information public. I guess the idea is that they think the vaccine is unlikely to have nasty side effects whether or not effective, but it sounds like a very risky move to me.

In Soviet Russia, vaccine tests you.


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[Solfe]

From the Broken Cable Damages Arecibo thread.

I could swear Dr. Who broke the Lovell Telescope the same way back in the 70's.

[The Backroad Astronomer]

From the Broken Cable Damages Arecibo thread.

I could swear Dr. Who broke the Lovell Telescope the same way back in the 70's.

The one in Doctor was suppose to be the Jodrell Telescope, but they couldn't afford it, The Lovell telescope is an optical telescope.

[publiusr]

So the tightrope/BASE jump prep didn’t quite work out for Johnny Knoxville, I take it.

[grapes]

The one in Doctor was suppose to be the Jodrell Telescope, but they couldn't afford it, The Lovell telescope is an optical telescope.

I coulda sworn that was spelled Jordell at some point in time...

[Noclevername]

I coulda sworn that was spelled Jordell at some point in time...

No, but for a while it was spelled 'Nuffield'.

[Swift]

Everytime I see the Impossible FTL thread, I wonder if that is an FTL drive made without meat?

[Noclevername]

Everytime I see the Impossible FTL thread, I wonder if that is an FTL drive made without meat?

"NASA Announces New 'Plant-Based Warp Drive', Claims It Tastes Just Like A Regular Warp Drive"

[Swift]

"NASA Announces New 'Plant-Based Warp Drive', Claims It Tastes Just Like A Regular Warp Drive"

I wonder if that is the origin of the Spore Drive from Star Trek: Discovery?

[Swift]

Cougar just started a thread in S&T entitled Outcome decided before evidence collected. I have a funny story related to that, but I didn't want to sidetrack his serious thread with it.

The CEO of a company I used to work for was a gentleman named Mr. Talbott. He was a good businessman, but he didn't know anything about science. He would routinely ask me about research I was doing and would ask why we were doing a particular set of experiments. I'd explain the result we were expecting or hoped for, such as an improvement in a particular product. He would routinely say things like "if the first trial went well, why do you have to do a second one?" or "well if you think x will improve y, why do you have to do the experiments at all". Let's say he didn't have a strong grasp of the difference between hypothesis and theory.

I came up with the nicknames for his questions: "Type 1 Talbottian error" and "Type 2 Talbottian error". A "Type 1 Talbottian error" was drawing a line through a single data point. A "Type 2 Talbottian error" was drawing a line through no data points.

[Solfe]

This is more of a laugh than a joke, but reading the Patent thread sparked a memory. I recall reading a book about Star Trek where a bunch of military types got very excited about the technology displayed in the show. Someone got a patent on Phasers.

The Navy, being more practically minded, got super excited about the automatic doors for use in submarines. They actually sent someone to the set to see how it was done. On that day, the doors were refusing to cooperate. What should have been two people sliding the doors closed on cue turned into two guys using broom handles like prybars to get the doors to move. It was less than spectacular for all involved.

[DonM435]

Was the Navy looking into having lower echelon personnel squatting on the floor to operate sliding doors for the officers?

[Trebuchet]

This is more of a laugh than a joke, but reading the Patent thread sparked a memory. I recall reading a book about Star Trek where a bunch of military types got very excited about the technology displayed in the show. Someone got a patent on Phasers.

The Navy, being more practically minded, got super excited about the automatic doors for use in submarines. They actually sent someone to the set to see how it was done. On that day, the doors were refusing to cooperate. What should have been two people sliding the doors closed on queue turned into two guys using broom handles like prybars to get the doors to move. It was less than spectacular for all involved.

It occurred to me to wonder how those doors knew someone was coming. Radar? Well, yes, that's how the ones at the supermarket do it!

[Grey]

It occurred to me to wonder how those doors knew someone was coming. Radar? Well, yes, that's how the ones at the supermarket do it!

Ah, but there are moments in Star Trek where someone will walk up to the doors, but get interrupted and have a brief conversation with someone else, and the doors only open when they are finished speaking and actually ready to continue through the door. So obviously the Star Trek doors have an advanced mind reading/future scanning technology that recognizes not just when someone is close to the door, but knows when someone is actually going to walk through, opening only when actually needed.

[profloater]

If reliable, the doors only have to sense the rate of approach and predict the impact that will occur if they fail! That is doable.��

[Extravoice]

If reliable, the doors only have to sense the rate of approach and predict the impact that will occur if they fail! That is doable.��

AI doors of the future will be able to tell if your dialog conversation will take a sudden dramatic turn and you will halt before crossing the threshold.

[Jens]

Was the Navy looking into having lower echelon personnel squatting on the floor to operate sliding doors for the officers?

It’s interesting that in Japan they used to (and still sometimes do) have that.


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[DonM435]

It’s interesting that in Japan they used to (and still sometimes do) have that.
...

"Don't bother to salute, Ensign. But, while you're down there, kindly buff my boots."

[Solfe]

In the "What do you think is the most likely explanation for the Fermi paradox?" thread, I just want to post a time every few days and see how long it takes someone to ask "why?". The answer is time, of course. No enough or too much.

[Noclevername]

Ah, but there are moments in Star Trek where someone will walk up to the doors, but get interrupted and have a brief conversation with someone else, and the doors only open when they are finished speaking and actually ready to continue through the door. So obviously the Star Trek doors have an advanced mind reading/future scanning technology that recognizes not just when someone is close to the door, but knows when someone is actually going to walk through, opening only when actually needed.

Very Hitchhiker's Guide. They have developed advanced mind reading tech, and they use it for... opening doors.

(There is AMR tech in Trek TOS canon, the Shore Leave episode)

[Swift]

Every invention in the history of mankind began with "just an idea."

And all steaks start with a cow. Dumping a cow on the table doesn't mean you are now the proud owner of a 5* restaurant.

As others have asked - can you please present one or more predictions made using your ideas? Including the detailed working that led to them, ideally in the form of a model of some kind. And can you highlight any testable predictions your idea leads to that are different to the current mainstream models? Or other reasons why your approach leads to a better scientific result?

Shaula's response in this ATM thread made me literally laugh out loud.

[Swift]

Double Dragons: SpaceX launches space station supplies

SpaceX launched a newer, bigger version of its Dragon supply ship to the International Space Station on Sunday, marking the first time the company has two capsules in orbit at the same time. The Dragon — packed with Christmas treats and presents — should reach the space station on Monday, joining the Dragon that delivered four astronauts last month.

https://apnews.com/article/spacex-co...e5b850fec38d8d

I hope that if they ever develop an space station module at which you can dock three Dragons, that they name the module either Khaleesi or Daenerys.

[Roger E. Moore]

Daenerys.

Most excellent.