Amazing that we can now get daily high-res photos from Mars, isn’t it? I can’t wait until we have this for other planets and moons as well.

i_understood_that_reference.gif

failed polymerization(I think that’s the specific reaction) reactions which basically makes tar

Often times tar is a result of successful polymerization when you were not intending to polymerize anything.

Are you saying that observing the Earth should count as astronomy?

Huzzah!

Additional note from Adrian Beil of NASASpaceflight: https://x.com/BCCarCounters/status/1844848026197921830

Also on Oct. 11, FAA closed the SpaceX-led investigations for the Falcon 9 mishaps that occurred with the Starlink 9-3 (July 11) and Starlink 8-6 (Aug. 28) missions.

Starlink 9-3 was the upper stage relight failure, Starlink 8-6 was the booster landing leg failure.

An excellent summary by @helenslunch@feddit.nl.

But like every Tesla promise, this one needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

After all, Tesla plans to change the world in 6 huge ways next year already (Robotaxi, Semi, an affordable EV, next-gen Roadster, unsupervised FSD, and Optimus), and now we have yet another unreleased product to add to that pile. And most of those existing ones have been pushed back multiple times. I guess at least Robovan can’t be pushed back, if it doesn’t have a date yet to begin with.

Since they haven’t given even a tentative production date, I wouldn’t hold my breath. It’s just a concept vehicle at the moment, and a rather goofy looking one at that.

2026

Elon time, which is notoriously… optimistic.

Starbase activities (2024-10-11):

• Oct 10th cryo delivery update.
• Pad A: Crews close up flight termination system boxes on B12. (ViX)
• S30 is restacked on B12. (ViX 1, ViX 2, LabPadre, DeffGeff, Starship Gazer 1, Starship Gazer 2, Starship Gazer 3, Starship Gazer 4, NSF 1, NSF 2, NSF 3, NSF 4, Mary, Evans 1, Evans 2, Kraus, Cosmic Perspective, Hammer, clwphoto1 1, clwphoto1 2)
• Ship transport stand is removed from launch complex. (ViX)
• LR11000 crane is on the move, likely pending lie down prior to IFT-5. (ViX)
• Additional cladding is installed on Tower A. (ViX 1, ViX 2, Anderson / Starship Gazer)
• Build site: Test tank 16 moves from Massey’s to Starfactory. (ViX)
• Car park mural reveal continues. (ViX)
• Bridge crane parts arrive at Starfactory. (ViX)
• RGV Aerial post photos from their previous flyover: Pad A, Pad B

IFT-5:

• SpaceX post photos, and state that they “expect regulatory approval in time to fly on October 13”.
• Davenport and Berger corroborate.
• “Booster Integration Team is ready for a RTLS”, per Alijah Bailey, Supervisor, Build - Booster Integration at SpaceX.
• Tim Dodd posts How SpaceX Plans To CATCH A Rocket From Space!.
• Ryan Hansen Space posts How SpaceX Will Catch Super Heavy | Explained.

So much motion is conveyed in a static image.

It’s madness to me this man has been allowed have such a senior and pivotal position in America’s Space Program.

It’s a bit off-topic, but I think Gwynne Shotwell is overseeing most of the day-to-day operations at SpaceX by this point.

Impressively detailed for such a small build. Every brick is there for a reason.

Hang on, so the elixir can transform:

• Elderly lady > Elderly gentleman
• Little insect > Groke-like creature
• Sandpit > Lake

What a strange elixer…

Nope, they’re still there!

Here’s one on the deep sea divers: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-wednesday-full-episode-1.4634676/the-surprising-trait-of-the-deep-diving-sea-nomads-of-southeast-asia-1.4631379

The Middle East and the Gobi desert come to mind. Asia is pretty big.

Or, enough protection that you live long enough to reproduce before dying a terrible, agonizing death.

I think it’s protective when you have one copy of the gene, and detrimental when you have two copies. Unfortunately, malaria was a strong enough pressure that the sickle cell gene was selected for, up to a certain percentage of the gene pool.

Indeed:

‘Yes, sir,’ said Riddle again.
It was impossible to tell what he was thinking; his face remained quite blank as he put the little cache of stolen objects back into the cardboard box. When he had finished he turned to Dumbledore and said baldly, ‘I haven’t got any money.’
‘That is easily remedied,’ said Dumbledore, drawing a leather money-pouch from his pocket. ‘There is a fund at Hogwarts for those who require assistance to buy books and robes. You might have to buy some of your spellbooks and so on second-hand, but –’
‘Where do you buy spellbooks?’ interrupted Riddle, who had taken the heavy money-bag without thanking Dumbledore, and was now examining a fat gold Galleon.

– HBP13

“No, no, it’ll be boosted beyond the environment. It’ll not be in the environment.”

The gentleman pictured is one Mr. Thomas de Prinse of the Explosions&Fire YouTube channel. He recently finished up a synthesis of dimethyl cubane-1,4-dicarboxylate. While this is impressive feat to accomplish with hardware store chemicals in a shed, it is not novel or groundbreaking enough to warrant a Nobel Prize.

Someone has then created this portrait of him, replicating the style often used in Nobel Prize announcements (see this year’s as an example), with a few differences, such as misspelling ‘Nobel’ as ‘Noble’, substituting ‘Swedish’ for ‘Swiss’, and writing ‘This is a work of satire.’ down the side.