Mars robots
Apparently the european version of the Mars Rovers is at the initial design stage and they’ve got to decide which of the main designs to go with.
They are talking about making the project bigger by adding a satelite to the package so that they don’t have to rely on the Americans. This should be a good idea but with the failure of the beagle project are the powers that be going to approve the extra money? The two designs are basically an option for a basic package and an option for everything. I’d like to think that the EU will approve the greater option and that this is the only way forward for space exploration to rival that of the americans but I’m not convinced that they are willing to spend the money…
Who knows…
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Ice cream sticks
Why when you buy an ice cream does it have to have chocolate half way down the stick so that its impossible to eat without getting chocolate all over your fingers!
It’s just annoying and surely it’s a waste of chocolate!
Pah!
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F1 Engines
2.2lt V6 Turbos seem to be the flavour of the day for Max in his continued attempt to pull the teams and the manufacturers kicking and screaming into a world where F1 has more ‘relavance’. His plan is to cut the costs and to get more technology that would benefit road cars onto the grid.
Now while Max can be appaulded for trying I’m not sure that the engines are one of the ways to go, the new proposals that the FIA have sent to the manufacturers - not the teams mind you - are aimed at the rules for the powertrain. They have even been sent to Ford and Volkswagon as they might join in the future. There also seem to be rules that deal with power boost buttons etc… I can’t help but feel that this would weaken the image of F1. In my humble world F1 is the pinicle of car racing and does not need to be cheapened with these kind of rules, it’s one of things that I don’t like about A1GP. I know the arguements for them and actually they do make sense in some of the lower formulas but not for a sport that’s all about the difference the Drivers can make. Look at Renault this year - can anyone honestly say that they aren’t missing Alonso’s technical feedback and blistering pace? Or that Ferrari have the same consistancy as last year? McLaren are reaping the benefits of having two consistantly fast drivers with good developmental feedback from their experienced test drivers.
I’m sure that these rules will get watered down before they are accepted but I’m worried about the future direction of the sport and what it could become. Perhaps Jean Todt would be better…
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Changing hands
With Brown set to succeed Tony Blair in the next month or so, the French having already appointed a new President and the Americans having to soon what will the state of world politics be for the next few years?
Blair, Bush and Chirac have had their differences over the last few year but they have all been in power for a considerable amount of time and their personalities have influenced the way others think of their countries. With all of these nations about to get new and very different leaders (Unless the US elects another Republican) how will that landscape change? I have no idea really I’m just a computer scientist but I can’t see things staying the same.
At the moment each of these nations has been relatively outrospective, they have been concerned with world issues and making the world and safer and cleaner place but each of the new leaders has reasons not to continue with this precedent - the French are dying for internal reform and I can’t see Sarkozy being too worried about whats happing outside of the French economy really, Brown has already said that his main focus will be on home issues such as the NHS and Education and the Americans, whoever they elect will have to deal will Bushs negative impact on their foreign image before they can even consider looking any further, coupled with a slowing US economy they’ll probably have their work cut out!
This could be bad news for humanitarian issues and climate change, with China also seeming not interested in these issues then could there be a swing wawy from internationalism and back towards nationalism…?
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Facebook seems to be evil
Charlotte recently forced me onto facebook at knife point - well almost.
This however means that I’m now trying to get more friends and keep that upto date as well. Hopefully now I have imported my blog into it I can leave that alone and get on with some hard research…
Facebook seems to be quite a good way to keep up with those active people who do a lot on it, maybe that’s a good thing? Although it does raise problems such as how do you say no you don’t want to be friends? (Not that I’ve done that to anyone)
Facebook good? Facebook Bad?
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