Paul Marks

Goose #1 to its followers: "As you see, the humans are simple creatures that form a straight line to point things at we more intelligent life forms..."

Incredible. I've heard of fire extinguishers flying into them, too, and killing people.

This is a deeper dive than my brief NewScientist op-ed into the RAeS conference on the dangerous idea of cockpit AI replacing airliner copilots. Kicked into the long grass for now, unions worry the cost-cutting idea will be back.

So long, Elon: the cuts didn’t go to plan, but you completely shredded your reputation | Marina Hyde Judging by Musk’s approval ratings, Tesla investors won’t be the only ones happy to see the dethroning of the king of Doge, says Guardian columnist Marina Hyde

So long, Elon: the cuts didn’t go to plan, but you completely shredded your reputation | Marina Hyde

China is going the way of Japan: making robots the do idiotic tricks rather than being useful. When Japan needed robots to inspect Fukushima post meltdown, all they had were dancing Asimos and robot dogs. Caused a big rethink. ;-)

Hi folks. Are you related to the Elsevier Science journal, Space Policy?

SuperHeavy and Starship launch ...

Another destructive (i.e. no recovery) rocket test imminent: booster and second stage will be ditched in the Gulf of Mexico and Indian Ocean respectively. Two holds so far.

Making America Grounded Again

Musk’s Possible Role in Meink, Isaacman Nominations Continues to Raise Concerns spacepolicyonline.com/news/musks-p...

Why pilots are worried about plans to replace co-pilots with AI A cost-cutting initiative in the world of passenger aviation could see flight-deck staff reduced to just a captain, with their co-pilot replaced by AI. It may save money, but it's a risk too far, argu...

Airlines plan to replace copilots with #AI pilots in future, aiming to reduce costs but perhaps raising unacceptable risks in unusual situations, explains @paulmarks12.bsky.social

www.newscientist.com/article/mg26... #aviation #automation #safety

Government faces claims of serious security and data protection problems in One Login digital ID | Computer Weekly The Government Digital Service (GDS) was warned by the Cabinet Office and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) that its One Login digital identity system had “serious data protection failings” an...

@computerweekly.bsky.social has learned of serious security and data protection issues surrounding One Login, the UK government's flagship digital identity system 🧵(1/4)

www.computerweekly.com/news/3666225...

They are talking nonsense. #SpaceX is an avid filer of patents, mainly covering #Starlink satcoms technology, rather than rocketry. Are we to suppose they'd open-source all that? Unlikely given the runaway race to LEO.

OMG. Combustion is so effing unforgiving.

@uk.theconversation.com Your error is still in the story: there is no parachute on the Mars sample return capsule.

pursuing economic policies that were outdated as of 4 months before the declaration of independence was written is really really something isn't it

Black swans from Mars? The real risks of sending alien samples home NASA and the European Space Agency are planning to retrieve rocks and dust from the Mars for study on Earth. The agencies don’t think the samples will contain anything that’s alive. But nobody can put...

thebulletin.org/2023/10/blac...

Wrong: there's no parachute on the return capsule. It's coming in too fast, on an interplanetary ballistic trajectory. NASA can only pray the capsule is not breached by space debris, or its (terminal velocity) ground impact - potentially releasing biohazards we cannot combat in our atmosphere.

And the U.S. EPA has not received answers to what will happen in the event of a capsule breach. You also do not mention how you design a containment facility for potential martian pathogens microbiologists have never seen before: extremophile particle size could be way too small for BSL-4 filters.

Wrong: there's no parachute on the return capsule. It's coming in too fast, on an interplanetary ballistic trajectory. NASA can only pray the capsule is not breached by space debris, or its (terminal velocity) ground impact - potentially releasing biohazards we cannot combat in our atmosphere.

Wrong: there's no parachute on the return capsule. It's coming in too fast, on an interplanetary ballistic trajectory. NASA can only pray the capsule is not breached by space debris, or its (terminal velocity) ground impact - potentially releasing biohazards we cannot combat in our atmosphere.

I should also include the footnote index to the above.

If you read the actual letter attached to this Axios report, it doesn't only go after Elon Musk, but it calls Jared Issacman, the nominee for the NASA Administrator position into question as well. Mr. Issacman faces his confirmation hearing this week. Here's an excerpt:

Exclusive: House Democrats probe Elon Musk's conflicts of interest with NASA SpaceX is one of NASA's largest private sector contractors.

Via @axios.com - Exclusive: US House Democrats probe Elon Musk's conflicts of interest with #NASA www.axios.com/2025/04/07/h...

Chronicles of Naania ...

This is high art

A poster from a protest in the US this weekend. The poster is a painting of Trump’s upper body and head. In the middle side of his head is an ocean with the words ‘Gulf of Stupidity’

A sign from protests in the US this weekend 👏

Farewell, Gaia: spacecraft operations come to an end The European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft has been powered down, after more than a decade spent gathering data that are now being used to unravel the secrets

Farewell Gaia! Incredibly successful mission, that has utterly transformed our knowledge of our home galaxy.

www.cam.ac.uk/research/new...

I was privileged to visit the sensor chip fab for Gaia - this was early noughties - and held one of the spacecraft's imaging CCDs in my hand. Always felt a strange connection, ever since.