It really was 40 years ago...

Which is true. The initial comment was about whether we had the
technology - not whether we could afford it..

UKRM hot air

Ice asteroid?

<Hand-wave>

That's what you pay scientists for. Especially if they know that they
are going to be on the spacecraft..

And all of which uses current technology?

Phil

 

You are on a planet in the warm-water zone. Plenty of energy is pretty
much guarenteed - from solar power (if nothing else).

Phil.

 

Hmm.. is anyone else reminded of the the Asimov story "Silly Asses"?

Phil

 

There are /other/ faiths ?

Say what, Willis ... ?

Paul.

 

And the fun in that being ... ?

Paul.

 

That's my brother, that is

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45935000/jpg/_45935977_majortim_bbc_226l.jpg

(Briton Major Timothy Peake named as Europe's latest astronaut)

P.

 

toilet paper? these are not some arab bogs we're talking about. our
ubermensch spacebottoms will be gently and hygienically rinsed and caressed
by a perfumed spray from our patented wonderbidets!

 

Of course there are. People will believe anything

I make no claims as to their veracity of course.

Phil

 

Only if you're travelling first class, but it's ok, everyone else will
be sent on the Veronica Moser training course before travelling.

 

not if bond had an old mac laptop with os 8 on it. that can be used to
upload a virus into any imaginable present or future technology. didn't you
see independence day?

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, dog

I don't want to go then, thank you very much.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

I have already made the greatest contribution to the fight against climate
change that I can make: I have decided not to breed. Now quit bugging me and
go and talk to the Catholics.

 

That enjoyable meal you just had? Guess what that was 2 days ago..

Phil

 

It's sad, but not surprising, that even when young you were not
considered attractive.

 

oh, ok. with a solar panel on my roof i can probably change the temperature
of a bath of water by about 30 degrees over a period of seven hours. how
many solar panels do i need to hydrolise enough water to supply a large,
entirely hydrogen-powered human colony in real time?

bear in mind that the distance from the sun to mars is rather greater than
the distance from the sun to earth in your calculations, so apart from
anything else the energy requirements of the colony in order to maintain a
comfortable habitat and not freeze to death in short order are rather more
strenuous than they would be on earth.

 

So, a wooly hat is needed as well as a solar cell.

 

you're right, of course. none of the scientists in it were evil megalomaniacs
threatening world stability from a subterranean moonbase, so it was entirely
implausible.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Simon Atkinson

Naah. Big pipe, pump all the CO2 up there. We cool down, they warm up.
Sorted.

NEXT!

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

I have already made the greatest contribution to the fight against climate
change that I can make: I have decided not to breed. Now quit bugging me and
go and talk to the Catholics.

 

And if you have a nice large mirror array focused on the top of a
tower?

Which is why you dig into the soil. Putting your initial habitats
underground also gets round the pesky 'huge amounts of ultra-violet and
infra-red' problem.

Phil

 

I say old chap, do you want to run the UK Space Centre? Chap of your
resourcefulness could be useful y'know.

And a wooly hat is about as much as your budget would stretch to too.

Phil

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Jim

I wouldn't worry. The first ship will have barely touched down when
there'll be a tap at the airlock:

"Good afernoon, sorr. Me and der boys have a little tarmac left over,
wondered if you moight loik a noice little UV shelter, cheap?"

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

I have already made the greatest contribution to the fight against climate
change that I can make: I have decided not to breed. Now quit bugging me and
go and talk to the Catholics.