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Joined 3 years ago
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Cake day: June 9th, 2023

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  • Project Orion

    Imagine a ship full of nuclear bombs. The ship has a blast shield at its back end. The ship poops out a series of bombs, each of which explode and push the craft forward.

    This was a seriously funded research project. They launched functional (non-nuclear) prototypes and penciled out a Mars mission using this technology. The project was thankfully cancelled due to the signing of the 1963 partial nuclear test ban treaty. Because maybe detonating a bunch of nukes in the atmosphere isn’t such a good idea, when most of us still need that atmosphere after the rocket is gone.

















  • Cycling: Get a bicycle and start exploring your area. It doesn’t need to be a nice bike; check garage sales and Craigslist and get whatever fits comfortably. Wander off your usual routes and you will encounter new corners of your town that you never knew existed.

    Music: Pick up a used acoustic guitar, electric keyboard, banjo, or whatever you can find. The world is full of inexpensive books and free YouTube videos to teach new students.

    Drawing: Make doodles, little comics, or sketches of whatever is around you. A pencil and paper are all you need. Look up YouTube videos for daily sketching practice exercises.

    Amateur radio: An entry-level license involves a basic quiz and a nominal fee. Cheap radios can be had for less than US$100. If you meet an old timer with a garage full of gear they might hand you a pile of old equipment for free.

    Of course, any of these can become expensive and time-consuming hobbies if you go down the rabbit hole. But that just means you have found something you love.