Mad Mikey's Blog

February 03, 2007

Research Project

I am a geek....hear me roar! I'm starting to prepare for my 'Final Exam' paper in Physics and wanted some feedback on the possible topic: interstellar travel.

I'm taking this Physics course because it's cool (in a geeky sort of way) and just like the last Physics course I took (with the same prof) I was slightly more interested in the application(s) of what I learned as compared to the pure scientific research possibilities. In this case, it's more along the lines of how could a possible expedition to another star system be done?

While politely ignoring Star Trek and the possibility of warp drive (going faster than the speed of light), what method/technology could be pursued to propel the spacecraft to the destination as close to the speed of light as possible?

I started (briefly) hitting the Internet for proposed spacecraft engine systems and I'll have to sort out what's possible versus what's pure crap.

Anyone follow this type of stuff as a hobby and/or interest? I'd love to get pointed towards materials that might shed more light (no pun intended) on this.

And for anyone who'd think that this is stupid and that being a geek is the ultimate low in human existance....just remember: you're reading this thanks to a few geeks.

UPDATE: First, I'd like to thank Mike H. for leaving me a link about some projects that are being kicked around at NASA. I had looked at them previously and wasn't too sure about using them.

As for this update, I'm now sitting on the fence about the topic of my research paper. Initially, I was thinking about interstellar travel (as I initially posted here) , but now I'm toying with the topic being time travel and what are the possibilities of achieving it.

So far, there's lots of materials on the subject here in the UCSD Geisel library, but I have to sort through it all to see if there's anything I can use that doesn't require an advanced degree in mathematics to understand it all.

Honesty, it seems like a 'cool' subject to research.....I just have to boil it down for the common person to understand it what with writing a paper on it.

More later this week as I make a final decision on the topic.

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Funnier Side to Dialysis

My Nephrologist told me about these cartoons when I mentioned possibly writing a book about being sick.

(Cartoon politely glommed from Global Dialysis)

The humor in this cartoon might be lost on some people......just consider why I was in the hospital recently.

Posted by Mad Mikey at 02:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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January 31, 2007

Animal Farm

Animal Farm by George Orwell The other evening my daughter was sitting on the couch reading a book and being curious as to what it was, I asked her what was the name of the book. And I was quite surprised to hear that it was Animal Farm by George Orwell.

Initially, I was a bit surprised that a 7^th grader would be reading something as 'heavy' as this even though I haven't read it myself and didn't really know what the depth or complexity of this book were really like.

She was a little way into the book and I asked her how she liked it. She replied "I like it alot!" I was satisfied with her answer and went about my business.

A few minutes later my wife called her into the kitchen to help with something involving dinner so she marked her place in the book, put it down, and went to help my wife.

Being curious as to what Animal Farm was like, I picked it up and started to read the introduction to the book. I soon found myself totally engrossed in the book and soon passed where my daughter had left off. Over the last few nights, I've been reading it a little here, a little there and I have to say that it's a totally interesting book.

I'll have to finish it without interfering with my daughter's assignment to read it for her English class.

While I'm still reading it I have to say that it isn't the hard-core mentally draining thinking novel that I thought it was. But then again....I might be missing some of the finer points in the book without realizing it.

Who knows.....maybe I'll read 1984 and see what that's like.

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January 30, 2007

Vista to Doom

The wife and I saw this announced on the evening news last night:

Microsoft debuts Vista in global marketing blitz

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp rolled out Windows Vista at retailers in 70 countries on Tuesday, delivering a new computer operating system that aims to better manage the explosion of digital media and protect users from the dangers of the Internet.

The world's biggest software maker marked the launch of its first all-new Windows operating system in five years with a marketing blitz, including commercials featuring basketball star Lebron James and appearances by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on morning and late-night chat shows.

Windows runs on more than 95 percent of the world's computers, and the long-delayed new version is the first major release of a new Microsoft operating system since it introduced Windows XP in 2001.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft called Vista the most important release of its dominant operating system since Windows 95 more than a decade ago, when shoppers waited for hours to be among the first to run the new software.

Consumer fanfare of that magnitude seems unlikely since Vista is not the dramatic leap in technology of past releases, but the new Windows could ultimately be just as successful.

I will confess that I know practically nothing about this new operating system but I think that I can predict with some certainty: it'll be a huge pain-in-the-ass much like Windows 95 was when it debuted.

I'm thinking that it might be a minor improvement upon the Windows XP system that I'm running currently, but what the main cause of trouble for most people will be this: in order to get the full potential out of Windows Vista, you'll have to have a newer computer system that's capable of running Vista.

And that's just what everyone will want - a new operating system that requires a $2000-plus investment in a new PC.....

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January 28, 2007

Ear Worm

Ever have a song from the past that you cannot get out of your head?

Here's mine for today.

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About Me

Who is Mikey?

Mikey playing with digital camera
Mikey is a forty-something U.S. Navy veteran that is currently taking a break from being a full-time student at UC San Diego studying electrical engineering.

He's also a husband, a father, a former Independent/Democrat and is currently dealing with dialysis and getting on the national kidney transplant list.

The words written here are his opinions and his observations on the stupid things in life. If you do not like them or do not agree with them: tough squishies. In America, you're entitled to Freedom of Speech not Freedom to Not Be Offended.

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February 03, 2007

Research Project

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Funnier Side to Dialysis

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January 31, 2007

Animal Farm

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January 30, 2007

Vista to Doom

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January 28, 2007

Ear Worm

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