The Discerning Texan

All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.
-- Edmund Burke

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Space Dreaming

When I was in college I was introduced to Science Fiction--and what a world unto itself that was--enough to take me away from all my so-called "problems" and into a new world. I guess it started when, in the same semester I took an Astronomy Class called "Are we Alone--the Search for Extraterrestrial Life" and took an English Sci-Fi class at the same time. What a year! Asimov, Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke--all the greats. But probably my favorite Sci-Fi book ever is 'The Mote in God's Eye' by Pournelle and Niven. Another "first contact" book, but really well done. And... I discovered all my Dad's back issues of Scientific American and Avaition Week and Space Technology. Also, this is right about the time Star Wars came out--you can imagine what a great trip to the big screen that was for me...

Anyway I was clicking over at Glenn's site this morning and came across this:

I'M NOW READING PAUL GILSTER'S Centauri Dreams: Imagining and Planning Interstellar Exploration. I'm thinking of taking my Space Law seminar a bit further afield than usual, with stuff like this, An Introduction to Planetary Defense, and maybe Interstellar Migration and the Human Experience. Any other suggestions?

It has been years since I went through what I call my "Sci-Fi phase", but as I looked at the links above, it was hard not to want to dive into them instantly; I have always been interested in Space, and although Texas had and has one of the pre-eminent Astronomy schools (it owns and operates the UT McDonald Observatory in West Texas), it's incredible how much more we know about the Universe now than when I was at UT. So, I'm biting: An Introduction to Planetry Defense it is...

Between these books and my monthly issue of Wired, I should be able to escape our current sorry state of affairs at least a few hours each week...

As an aside--my interest in science is also what pisses me off about this whole Global Warming thing; sorry guys, I'm just not buying into consensus science. Science teaches us two things: 1) it either is..or else it isn't, no matter how popular "is" is; 2) Science itself is about constant and unceasing skepticism, not chasing the Academic money train. So, please excuse my monthly obligatory links for the uninitiated: great minds don't always think alike; and fortunately, for many skeptics real science marches on.

Labels: Space Exploration, Space Warfare

DiscerningTexan, 8/05/2007 05:52:00 PM | Permalink | |

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Another HUGE Missile Defense Success

When even Carl Levin has to grudgingly admit success, you know this is a big deal. Watch the video!

Labels: Military Technology, Missile Defense, Space Warfare

DiscerningTexan, 4/14/2007 09:58:00 PM | Permalink | |

Monday, April 09, 2007

More Missile Defense Success

One wonders whether we still have videos of all those Democrats who opposed Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative as being something out of "Star Wars" and saying that it could never work... Because the United States military would like to serve them up a nice helping of fresh crow.

Meanwhile, here are some reasons why the Russians might want to rethink their stance on putting our missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland.

Labels: Europe, Military Technology, Space Warfare

DiscerningTexan, 4/09/2007 05:59:00 PM | Permalink | |

Monday, February 26, 2007

Iran's "Sputnik"

This is very, very serious; if Iran gets nukes AND the ability to deliver them long-range, it is not just Israel that has cause for concern.

Faster, please.

Labels: Iran, Military Technology, Space Warfare, War strategy