Comments on: The practical side of the transit of Venus http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:36:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Diamond John Barber http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441853 Diamond John Barber Tue, 05 Jun 2012 04:59:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441853 The planet's science and astronomy communities will have all available instruments trained on this rare event.  All of them busily collecting data, computing algorithms, carefully tabulating results...and that is when they attack our blind side. The planet’s science and astronomy communities will have all available instruments trained on this rare event.  All of them busily collecting data, computing algorithms, carefully tabulating results…and that is when they attack our blind side.

]]> By: teapot http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441822 teapot Tue, 05 Jun 2012 03:43:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441822 Hey Maggie I just found out about this project to crowd-source the measurement of the Astronomical Unit through observation of Venus crossing the Sun and geo-tagging via Twitter - all automated to go live on their site. They are looking for participants and I thought it might be something the Boingers would be interested in. http://transit2012.org/ Hey Maggie I just found out about this project to crowd-source the measurement of the Astronomical Unit through observation of Venus crossing the Sun and geo-tagging via Twitter – all automated to go live on their site. They are looking for participants and I thought it might be something the Boingers would be interested in.

http://transit2012.org/

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441732 Antinous / Moderator Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441732 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil

]]> By: Hardley http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441709 Hardley Mon, 04 Jun 2012 23:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441709  Could someone explain the Singularity reference?  Could someone explain the Singularity reference?

]]> By: PrettyBoyTim http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441688 PrettyBoyTim Mon, 04 Jun 2012 23:14:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441688 I'd have to get up at 5:00am to see it. I don't think I can be bothered. I did watch it in 2004. I suppose it'll be pretty much the same. I’d have to get up at 5:00am to see it. I don’t think I can be bothered. I did watch it in 2004. I suppose it’ll be pretty much the same.

]]> By: edgarhjelte http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441451 edgarhjelte Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:08:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441451 We don't need the singularity. Aubrey de Grey says we've got good odds to live to be a thousand, and he's got a cooler beard than all of us combined, so he should know. We don’t need the singularity. Aubrey de Grey says we’ve got good odds to live to be a thousand, and he’s got a cooler beard than all of us combined, so he should know.

]]> By: NelC http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441392 NelC Mon, 04 Jun 2012 19:30:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441392 Looks like the UK sky will be solid cloud on Wednesday morning, which is a shame, as I have to be up before dawn anyway. *sigh* Oh, well, I didn't really need any more intimations of mortality. Looks like the UK sky will be solid cloud on Wednesday morning, which is a shame, as I have to be up before dawn anyway. *sigh* Oh, well, I didn’t really need any more intimations of mortality.

]]> By: CH http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441388 CH Mon, 04 Jun 2012 19:28:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441388 Note, that for the Eastern Hemisphere the transit is during the morning on Wednesday the 6th. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Venus,_2012 Note, that for the Eastern Hemisphere the transit is during the morning on Wednesday the 6th.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Venus,_2012

]]> By: relawson http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441356 relawson Mon, 04 Jun 2012 19:01:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441356 It's pretty much awesome that tomorrow is also my bday. party! I'm going to build this to watch it! hopefully the weather cooperates http://www.transitofvenus.org/docs/Build_a_Sun_Funnel.pdf It’s pretty much awesome that tomorrow is also my bday.

party!

I’m going to build this to watch it! hopefully the weather cooperates http://www.transitofvenus.org/docs/Build_a_Sun_Funnel.pdf

]]> By: Stefan Jones http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441347 Stefan Jones Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441347  Remember that EULA whose "I accept" button you clicked so casually? At age 80 you'll be reporting to a Soylent Corporation "welcome center."  Remember that EULA whose “I accept” button you clicked so casually?

At age 80 you’ll be reporting to a Soylent Corporation “welcome center.”

]]> By: Wreckrob8 http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441339 Wreckrob8 Mon, 04 Jun 2012 18:50:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441339 Disregarding any directly scientific benefit the transit of 1769 resulted in the cessation of hostilities between European powers, allowing passage through their adversaries' territorial waters, as they sent missions all around the globe to observe the phenomenon in as many places as possible. That's one good thing. Disregarding any directly scientific benefit the transit of 1769 resulted in the cessation of hostilities between European powers, allowing passage through their adversaries’ territorial waters, as they sent missions all around the globe to observe the phenomenon in as many places as possible.
That’s one good thing.

]]> By: EH http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441168 EH Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441168 Transit...HUH Of Venus, y'all What is it good for? Transit…HUH
Of Venus, y’all
What is it good for?

]]> By: Senor Schaffer http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441153 Senor Schaffer Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441153 Why don't you think I will live to be 141 years old? Pretty presumptuous. Why don’t you think I will live to be 141 years old? Pretty presumptuous.

]]> By: xzzy http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441147 xzzy Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441147 It amuses me that there's places out there still using CDE. I guess it could be FVWM too, which is still amusing, but not quite so much. It amuses me that there’s places out there still using CDE.

I guess it could be FVWM too, which is still amusing, but not quite so much.

]]> By: Rich Keller http://boingboing.net/2012/06/04/the-practical-side-of-the-tran.html#comment-1441139 Rich Keller Mon, 04 Jun 2012 16:29:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=164628#comment-1441139 The transit  of  Venus is cool, but I keep  thinking it has something to do with Anaïs Nin taking the cross-town bus. The transit  of  Venus is cool, but I keep  thinking it has something to do with Anaïs Nin taking the cross-town bus.

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