Sternhammer

joined 1 year ago
[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 3 points 1 month ago

I think it’s pretty good for what it’s trying to do, which is relay scientific data to non-technical readers.

[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 4 points 2 months ago

Judging by their ships, they have gravity generators which are small enough and have a small enough ratio of energy consumption to energy generation to be used in something like the Millenium Falcon.

Indeed and it’s quite clear that the Falcon has two gravity planes perpendicular to each other: 1. the plane that supports everyone on the main deck (cockpit, crew lounge, etc.) and 2. the gun battery gravity plane at 90 degrees. This is easiest to see in A New Hope during the TIE Fighter battle in the escape from the Death Star. Han and Luke are sitting back-to-back, separated by a short corridor that sits perpendicular to the main deck. I don’t think most people notice this because it’s not obvious.

[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 5 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (10 children)

Technically not ‘convicted’ until sentenced but that day is coming.

[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 2 points 4 months ago

lazy and unprofessional

This is a key aspect of Trumpism: it’s all about the grift and that means the shortest path to money.

[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 21 points 5 months ago

Yes, additive colour theory is based on red, green and blue (RGB). These are the colours you see if you look at your TV screen very closely.

Subtractive colour theory uses cyan, magenta and yellow. In printing black, abbreviated ‘K’, is added for contrast—CMYK. These are the inks used to print the dots you see if you look closely at a magazine photo.

I think people are confused by this because they’re taught a bastardised version of subtractive colour theory, using red, blue and yellow, at a very early age.

[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 2 points 5 months ago

It wanted to end its suffering. Blue jaunt.

[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 11 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Tower Bridge has its own website which has a little information about what’s inside (though it’s mostly trying to get you to do a tour).

[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 2 points 7 months ago

Yes, they’re good books. Ripping yarns. Their charm lies in seeing the underdog earthlings (humans and cetaceans) fight against the odds. There’s a strong vein of what you might call earthling exceptionalism running through the series.

[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 7 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I managed to get through the first book but it was embedded cultural mores like that that made it tough going for me. That’s probably a shortcoming in me more than any fault of the book—science fiction should take you to places that challenge you—but it wasn’t worth it for me personally.

[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Re: dickie for car boot (what Americans would call the ‘trunk’); some old two-seater cars had a third seat in the boot, known as a ‘dickie-seat’, at least in the UK, so perhaps it’s an old term that still survives in Indian English.

[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 2 points 7 months ago

I wonder if doing the Moon Walk would get you burnt at the stake for witchcraft a few hundred years ago.

[–] Sternhammer@aussie.zone 5 points 8 months ago

I re-read the trilogy and progressed through them at a good pace but got bogged down on the later books (which I haven’t read before). I think the writing shows its age and are a little longwinded at times.

Groundbreaking story in concept and scope, that hasn’t changed for me.

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