In the interest of full disclosure, I am an atheist, but this is not intended to mock religion. It’s more an exploration of how I would approach these ideas if I were to believe in God. Are you feeling lost and alone, like your life has no purpose? Welcome everyone to Kalin’s imaginary church where we want you to know that God loves you regardless of who you are or what you believe. But I’m sure you’ve heard that line so many times it’s lost all meaning. And that’s what…
Read MoreTag: Science and Space
Why We Need to Invest More in the Space Industry Even Though We have Problems Here on Earth
This is a deeply problematic question. The subtext behind this question of course is, “space travel holds little to no value to humanity.” Also, “space travel somehow takes away resources from things that actually help humanity.” Both of these subtexts are so false that it feels like gaslighting to informed people. The child-like over-simplification of such a complex issue feels to space enthusiasts as though it is deliberately designed to make us feel stupid. That may not be the case, but that is how it feels. This question is rarely…
Read MoreWhy do People Hate Technology? (Jixuan and Sebastion)
A couple weeks ago I posted about some threats I got from an old friend who hated me due to my support of technology. I sent the video to my favorite tech YouTubers, Jixuan and Sebastion which inspired them to prioritize a video they’d been planning. They didn’t mention my situation, but I found the video to be a really fascinating look at how technology affects our mental health and why emerging technologies can lead to such vicious hate. It also discusses the old argument of whether you inherently have…
Read MoreSpace Events Happening in 2021
The space industry is on track to make 2021 even more spectacular than 2020. Here is everything happening in 2021, in order of awesomeness. NASA already had a mostly successful static fire test of their not reusable Space Launch System in early January 2021. It’s still scheduled for its first launch in late 2021. SLS is basically Space Shuttle 2.0, outdated and overpriced, it’s almost already obsolete but will still be cool to see it fly. Joe Biden put a moon rock in the oval office, subtly signifying his support…
Read MoreThe Space Industry is a Beacon of Hope in Difficult Times
I really believe that space news does not get nearly enough mainstream attention. It has far more affect on our daily lives than most political news and just about all celebrity news, yet it seems to be only a niche subject. Is that because there is rarely any bad news coming out of the space industry? Because there’s nothing to get really angry about? Is it because the effects on our lives often take a few years to be felt? Or is it because it has a stigma that it’s…
Read MoreBuilding a Problem-Solving Factory
I’ve been following closely the astounding progress in Boca Chica as SpaceX designs and builds their new Starship, all-purpose spacecraft. They’ve built 10 prototypes, 3 of which have already flown, constantly improving on the design and build process. Thanks to Gwynne Shotwell’s inspiring leadership and Elon Musk’s engineering genius, they’ve done this in a fraction of the time and cost that NASA takes for similar accomplishments. They have repeatedly said that they’re not building a Starship. They’re building a Starship factory. The focus is on the factory, not the ship.…
Read MoreMore about Starship Serial Number 8
This is a good, easily understandable overview of everything that happened with Starship Serial Number 8 the other day. Perfect for “amateurs” like myself. Turns out it did reach its goal of 12.5 kilometers and the engine failures during ascent were actually deliberate shutdowns so they could get more data about shutdown and restarts and how the other engines react to problems. There at the end something went wrong with the tank and the engines didn’t get the right mixture of fuel and propellant so it wasn’t able to slow…
Read MoreCongratulations Starship Serial Number 8!
This stuff unfortunately doesn’t hit the mainstream media nearly enough, but SpaceX performed an historic test launch today. Starship Serial Number 8 (the 8th prototype) attempted to fly to 12.5km. I believe there was an engine failure during ascent but it was able to continue on with just two engines. I’m not sure if it made it to 12.5km but it successfully did its “belly-flop” maneuver, which I think is the first time that’s ever been done with a rocket. Then it drifted down for a surprising amount of time,…
Read MoreWhy I’m a Space Nerd
The best reason to be a space nerd is compassion for the unknown millions of people who are suffering because they don’t have access to the vaccines, therapies, artificial organs, and other medical treatments that can only be developed, implemented, or manufactured in low gravity. But you may also like how the space industry improves the technology of practically all the tools we use to make our lives better on a daily basis, from refrigerators, air conditioners, cars, airplanes, computers. You name it. You may also want some ultra-high speed…
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