A kilometer-scale, multi-100-megawatt phased-array laser to beam power to a vehicle that converts it to electrical power for a multi-megawatt electric propulsion system that produces a specific impulse of 58K s. This will enable velocities of 100 to 200 km/s, and would enable a mission to the solar gravity lens location of 550 AU in less than 15 years. This will be 9 to 18x faster than the Dawn Mission (11.5 km/s).
Month: December 2019
Everest Chaos
It was one of the most arresting viral photos of the year: a horde of climbers clogged atop Mount Everest. But it only begins to capture the deadly realities of what transpired that day at 8800m. These are the untold accounts of the people who were there
Primitive Technology
After more than 4 years of anonymity, the man building all of the tools, huts, weapons, and other Stone Age technologies in the wilds of Australia has revealed himself as John Plant. And in this video compilation from October, he announces that he has a book out: Primitive Technology: A Survivalist’s Guide to Building Tools, Shelters, and More in the Wild
Beer Industry
In July 2018 I made a poster illustrating the connections between breweries. I’ve expanded and updated it a few times since then, both thanks to people who have commented with suggestions and because big breweries haven’t stopped buying smaller breweries. Below is the most recent update. As always let me know if you see anything incorrect, but please include a source confirming it.
Under the Weather
As psychiatrists and philosophers begin to define a pervasive mental health crisis triggered by climate change, they ask who is really sick: the individual or society?
Gregor J. Rothfuss 