The Skeptics Guide to the Universe Forum

Connections
Puzzle #170
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Quote from: jt512 on Today at 02:36:46 AMMy experience is that the best and brightest in these fields go into academia.

The best physicists go to work for the government at places like Lawrence Livermore or Los Alamos (or even JPL). Many of those places have strong links to academia, but the work is for the government.

I don't really disagree with you, in general, but there are exceptions to the experience you have described. In some fields (oil and mineral extraction; maybe pharmacological research) there are those who are in it for the money.

Quote from: jt512 on November 27, 2023, 07:37:21 PM

Quote from: daniel1948 on November 27, 2023, 06:51:23 PMSome scientists choose to work in fields actively harmful to society, or, more commonly, to work in whatever field they can find work. People who are not independently wealthy have to work for a living, and scientists are no different. Most people, including scientists, will take whatever job pays the most. Often this means screwing over the poor on behalf of the rich.

Holy shit, are you ever ignorant about scientists. Let me guess: you know none are just talking out of your ass.

For almost my entire entire adult life almost my entire circle of friends has comprised scientists. I can thus tell you that you are categorically wrong. Scientists choose to work in the field they love, indeed are passionate about. They dedicate their lives, not to making a buck, but to the discovery of new knowledge. Any scientist working in academia has made the conscious choice not to take the best-paying job precisely so they can work on exactly what fascinates them.

You have no idea what you're talking about, and are just reciting long-discredited Marxist bullshit.

I personally know Geologists who went into the field hoping to make a fortune.

Connections
Puzzle #169
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Puzzle #168
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Our guesses were in reverse order

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Puzzle #167
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SoCal TV highlights, Nov. 26-Dec. 2: 'Slow Horses,' 'Faraway Downs' and more

QuoteSunday — Nov. 26

Crikey! Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman co-star in "Faraway Downs," a new serialized version of Baz Lurman's 2008 period drama "Australia" featuring previously unseen footage and set in — checks notes — Australia. Anytime, Hulu

The movie was widely panned, now they're spinning off a TV series.

But, about halfway through the movie I realized it wasn't so much about the history of Australia, but a history of Australian cinema. On that level the movie actually works.

We'll see about the TV series.

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Puzzle #166
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Puzzle #165
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Connections
Puzzle #164
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Quote from: daniel1948 on November 21, 2023, 06:29:19 PM

Quote from: arthwollipot on November 21, 2023, 04:41:20 PM

Quote from: daniel1948 on November 21, 2023, 10:31:23 AMCost is the real obstacle to space colonization. Making it just safe enough is obscenely expensive.

Which is why it is being done by billionaires, who aren't constrained by normal human emotions.

Nobody is doing space colonization. Bezos is trying to start a space tourism business for billionaires, sub-orbital and eventually LEO, and Musk is running a for-profit business taking people and supplies to and from the ISS. Musk talks about colonizing Mars, but what he really wants is for the government to pay him to transport supplies and people. He'll invest his own money in building the capacity, but that's with a view to selling transport services. He won't finance a colony. He expects to make his investment back.

I think he expected to make money on Twitter too

Connections
Puzzle #163
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Carbshark don't dance.

Quote from: Tassie Dave on November 20, 2023, 08:24:35 PM

Quote from: Harry Black on November 20, 2023, 04:36:27 AMHeadgear in boxing seems likely to cause more brain damage.

I have the same view of helmets in American Football. It can be argued that the players are sustaining worse long term brain injury (CTE) by wearing the helmets. They go in much harder and faster than they would if they weren't wearing a helmet.

American Football would be impossible without helmets.

Also, their helmets have come a long way in the last few years.