August 2012
“Next week, while we’re all watching NBC, a nuclear-powered, MINI-Cooper-sized super rover will land on Mars. We accurately guided this monster from 200 million miles away (that’s 7.6 million marathons). It requires better accuracy than an Olympic golfer teeing off in London and hitting a hole-in-one in Auckland, New Zealand. It will use a laser to blast rocks, a chemical nose to sniff out the potential for life, and hundreds of other feats of near-magic. Will these discoveries lead us down a path to confirming life on other planets? Wouldn’t that be a good story that might make people care about science? But telling us this story means more than just the composition of the rocks (sorry, Mars geologists). It’s about the team that makes it happen.
No one producing an Olympic teaser asks, “What’s the importance of 100 meters?” No, they tell us about the athletes who dedicate their lives to running the race, because dedication and triumph are what make a human running 100 meters interesting. If NBC can get us all misty-eyed about 100 meters, imagine what NASA could do with 200 million miles.
The Mars race is about human survival and understanding our place in a vast and terrifyingly beautiful universe. And the stories of its athletes (mathletes?) should be world-class, because they accomplish near-impossible tasks on a cosmic scale — the hardest sport you could ever compete in. It requires dedication and doggedness that only the most passionate people in the universe could deliver. Unfortunately, this drama plays out behind closed doors. We won’t have insights into the sacrifice, scandal, discovery, divorce, hardship, and drama that it takes to work for a decade delivering a one-ton super rover to another planet. It’s the biggest irony that the most junior engineer at NASA is fearless in the face of trying to send a robot to Mars, but the career bureaucrats are afraid to tell that engineer’s story of failure or success.
NASA will say that they’re doing the best they can and stretching their education and outreach budgets to the max. But if they hope to stay in business, they need to tell us how they’re pushing the limits of humanity with over-the-top, risky-ass missions that will answer questions about who we are as a species on this planet.” —
No one producing an Olympic teaser asks, “What’s the importance of 100 meters?” No, they tell us about the athletes who dedicate their lives to running the race, because dedication and triumph are what make a human running 100 meters interesting. If NBC can get us all misty-eyed about 100 meters, imagine what NASA could do with 200 million miles.
The Mars race is about human survival and understanding our place in a vast and terrifyingly beautiful universe. And the stories of its athletes (mathletes?) should be world-class, because they accomplish near-impossible tasks on a cosmic scale — the hardest sport you could ever compete in. It requires dedication and doggedness that only the most passionate people in the universe could deliver. Unfortunately, this drama plays out behind closed doors. We won’t have insights into the sacrifice, scandal, discovery, divorce, hardship, and drama that it takes to work for a decade delivering a one-ton super rover to another planet. It’s the biggest irony that the most junior engineer at NASA is fearless in the face of trying to send a robot to Mars, but the career bureaucrats are afraid to tell that engineer’s story of failure or success.
NASA will say that they’re doing the best they can and stretching their education and outreach budgets to the max. But if they hope to stay in business, they need to tell us how they’re pushing the limits of humanity with over-the-top, risky-ass missions that will answer questions about who we are as a species on this planet.” —
Andrew Kessler, The Huffington Post. Why You Should Be More Interested in Mars Than the Olympics.
Kessler, who spent ninety days inside NASA to write Martian Summer: Robot Arms, Cowboy Spacemen and My 90 Days with the Phoenix Mars Mission, believes the agency is “so frightened of failure that they’re willing to sacrifice their greatest asset: the ability to inspire.” In other words, they no longer tell a good story.
Know who could help? Kick ass science journalists.
Sidenote: AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards applications are due tomorrow.
(via futurejournalismproject)
Listen
so i tossed the live version of brass goggles in the wub machine and
it’s the most amazing thing i’ve ever heard
(i had to make an album clip of this too.)
July 2012
ranebowstitches replied to your post: How in the world do I reply to posts?!?!?!
Do you mean reply to replies? You need the Firefox/google chrome extension “Missing E”. If you’re using Internet explorer you’re out of luck.
No, like when someone posts something, how do I reply? Like how did you reply to my post just now?
Some posts you can’t reply to. If there’s a little chat bubble at the top you can reply. I believe if you have missing e you can always reply.
freeskywarp replied to your post: why is my dash so dead?
HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF HAVING A LIFE
I’M SORRY. I TAKE IT BACK.
Okay then.
i’m weird ok
but when i say i’m weird i don’t mean like your cute and quirky girlfriend
i mean fucking weird
Play
Succinylcholine Chloride: earlofurl replied to your post: That Late night paramedic pharmacology... →
freeskywarp.tumblr.com
earlofurl replied to your post: That Late night paramedic pharmacology and crap…
The only thing I’m complaining about is how you inadvertently sent me on a 20 minute info binge about Lumbee Native Americans.
That’s an interesting side effect though! There’s a genetic reason…
wait what? I missed a info binge on Native Americans? O_o
I posted the pharmacology article on succinylcholine and there’s an interesting side effect with a certain tribe in NC.
interesting… Has it been tested on other tribes? (I’m Mohawk)
I don’t have a clue. Definitely something to look into though.
Dunno.. left my drug cards in the truck.. We’re being taught the NREMT-P protocals, on top of the PA protocals.. don’t take em out! YOUR NOT AN …. oh fuck it yes you are. cause i almost piss myself every time i read one of your late night meds
We’re taught at NREMT standards but dosages are usually left up to our med directors. Almost every service in the state with the exception of a few, (coughmecklenburgcough), have gone to the state protocols. Generally they’re the same everywhere in NC now.
I’m glad they’re making you laugh though.
Your doses what list are you working off of? National list?
North Carolina state protocols. Are they differing from yours? If it’s a problem I can stop putting dosages in. I assumed that wouldn’t be that different but you know what they say, assumptions are for assholes. Seems to fit the bill for me. :D
Succinylcholine Chloride: earlofurl replied to your post: That Late night paramedic pharmacology... →
freeskywarp.tumblr.com
earlofurl replied to your post: That Late night paramedic pharmacology and crap…
The only thing I’m complaining about is how you inadvertently sent me on a 20 minute info binge about Lumbee Native Americans.
That’s an interesting side effect though! There’s a genetic reason…
wait what? I missed a info binge on Native Americans? O_o
I posted the pharmacology article on succinylcholine and there’s an interesting side effect with a certain tribe in NC.
i promise to be more sleep deprived the next time i write up a drug article for the late night paramedic pharmacology and crap so it’s less boring since i seem to channel my inner asshole far better with less sleep.
The only thing I’m complaining about is how you inadvertently sent me on a 20 minute info binge about Lumbee Native Americans.
That’s an interesting side effect though! There’s a genetic reason for it but I don’t really remember the information.
I remember picking up a patient that was being transferred. She was on a respirator and as we’re walking in there was a doctor dressing down a nurse rather loudly in the hall. Apparently she gave sux instead of whatever he had ordered and the poor woman was on under for weeks.
Yeah, better to know that ahead of time instead of learning it later when you’re getting chewed out by your med director, haha.
That Late night paramedic pharmacology and crap was harder to write. Sux is not a fun drug to write about. At all. So if it’s not as funny I’m sorry but please direct your anger at the drug and not me because fuck sux.
