New York Times on the Web Forums Science

Missile Defense

Russian military leaders have expressed concern about US plans for a national missile defense system. Will defense technology be limited by possibilities for a strategic imbalance? Is this just SDI all over again?

gisterme - 01:05pm Jul 6, 2001 EST (#6685 of 6688)

rshowalter wrote: "...-- do you really thing trigonometry (sines and cosines) are independent of the basic facts involved in computations based on the pythagorian theorem ?..."

Not at all, Robert. Did I say that? Didn't mean to if I did. The Pythagorean Theroum lies at the very foundation of trigonometry.

gisterme - 01:13pm Jul 6, 2001 EST (#6686 of 6688)

lunarchick wrote: "...Spherical aberration Blurring of a telescope image; it is due to the fact that the lens (or mirror) does not bring the light-rays falling on its edge and on its centre to exactly the same focal point..."

I believe that was the inital flaw in the HST design, lunarchick. That tiny fu!k-up in the mirror design/fabrication is why the HST is now wearing some very expensive glasses! Proves that mistakes can be made and corrected at the highest technological levels.

rshowalter - 01:15pm Jul 6, 2001 EST (#6687 of 6688)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

Chaison tells a very interesting story about that in The Hubble Wars . . . part of the story is that, in this case, the "black" surveillance technology was in advance of the Space Telescope technology, and wasn't shared.

Mistakes sure can happen.

rshowalter - 01:16pm Jul 6, 2001 EST (#6688 of 6688)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

I think that MD6681gisterme 7/6/01 12:56pm .. is a good idea, that might, properly executed, be comforting ( with proper inspections ) to both the US Navy and the Russians.

Both the US Navy, and the Russian nation, are human organizations that want to avoid quick destruction, and step-by-step changes that can't be accomodated.

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense