A White House petition that closed, successfully, today.

Reflections on fusion history, current events, and predictions for the 'fusion powered future.
Post Reply
User avatar
Chris Bradley
Posts: 2930
Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 7:05 am
Real name:

A White House petition that closed, successfully, today.

Post by Chris Bradley »

Please excuse me if you find this off topic, but it has both a comic element to lighten the mood, yet also perhaps (who can say in the larger scheme of things) it might play just a small part in bringing some attention to the promotion of new endeavours in the most advanced of technologies.

Heaven only knows that such technologically based stimulus over the doom-and-gloom of financial-sector-sourced austerity is surely needed right now?

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petiti ... 6/wlfKzFkN

Well, it hit the required number of petitioners!

...
Attachments
death_star_petition.jpg
User avatar
Jim Kovalchick
Posts: 717
Joined: Wed Apr 13, 2011 8:00 pm
Real name:

Re: A White House petition that closed, successfully, today.

Post by Jim Kovalchick »

Chris, in my opinion, your important contributions to this forum are so consistent, you deserve some slack when it comes to posting something off topic.

By the way, I am curious how you were able to resist replying back in a helpful way to the recent post by the fellow from India who wanted help in building an Iron Man suit.

Jim K

The post I was talking about:

"I am M Tech student and just been wondering if i can make a Iron Man armour (i know sounds stupid) but seeing mechatronically it is simple (minus the jobs that JARVIS does for tony). Anyways so i was just googling arc reactor and stuff and google pushed me at FUSOR.

Very keen to know and make something happen if i could.I am from mumbai and bit resourceful with things, if you are around and share same interest please get me on twitter.com/aky_m"
John Futter
Posts: 1848
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 10:29 pm
Real name: John Futter
Contact:

Re: A White House petition that closed, successfully, today.

Post by John Futter »

Its probably a good thing that the death star will be fusion powered.
This will give the fusion projects about three years to iron out their problems (:-)
User avatar
Chris Bradley
Posts: 2930
Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 7:05 am
Real name:

Re: A White House petition that closed, successfully, today.

Post by Chris Bradley »

A somewhat predictable response... some attempt at humour also, maybe!?

(as at previous link)

"OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE RESPONSE TO
Secure resources and funding, and begin construction of a Death Star by 2016.
This Isn't the Petition Response You're Looking For
By Paul Shawcross

The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn't on the horizon. Here are a few reasons:

The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it.
The Administration does not support blowing up planets.
Why would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a Death Star with a fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?
However, look carefully (here's how) and you'll notice something already floating in the sky -- that's no Moon, it's a Space Station! Yes, we already have a giant, football field-sized International Space Station in orbit around the Earth that's helping us learn how humans can live and thrive in space for long durations. The Space Station has six astronauts -- American, Russian, and Canadian -- living in it right now, conducting research, learning how to live and work in space over long periods of time, routinely welcoming visiting spacecraft and repairing onboard garbage mashers, etc. We've also got two robot science labs -- one wielding a laser -- roving around Mars, looking at whether life ever existed on the Red Planet.

Keep in mind, space is no longer just government-only. Private American companies, through NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office (C3PO), are ferrying cargo -- and soon, crew -- to space for NASA, and are pursuing human missions to the Moon this decade.

Even though the United States doesn't have anything that can do the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs, we've got two spacecraft leaving the Solar System and we're building a probe that will fly to the exterior layers of the Sun. We are discovering hundreds of new planets in other star systems and building a much more powerful successor to the Hubble Space Telescope that will see back to the early days of the universe.

We don't have a Death Star, but we do have floating robot assistants on the Space Station, a President who knows his way around a light saber and advanced (marshmallow) cannon, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is supporting research on building Luke's arm, floating droids, and quadruped walkers.

We are living in the future! Enjoy it. Or better yet, help build it by pursuing a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field. The President has held the first-ever White House science fairs and Astronomy Night on the South Lawn because he knows these domains are critical to our country's future, and to ensuring the United States continues leading the world in doing big things.

If you do pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field, the Force will be with us! Remember, the Death Star's power to destroy a planet, or even a whole star system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force.

Paul Shawcross is Chief of the Science and Space Branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget

Tell us what you think about this response and We the People."
Post Reply

Return to “Fusion --- Past, Present, and Future”