The economist Arnold Kling inadvertently did a great job of describing how we need to shift the paradigms of spacecraft design. I’ve replaced only one word in this quote:  “We tend to think of the task of engineering as one of making systems hard to break. An alternative to consider... [Read More]

On the lab blog, how to think about the difference between eddy-current actuators and traditional grippers. Would you rather pick up an egg with your fingers or a monkey wrench? 

Saturday Stories! Some cool, possible, but not yet feasible engineering *BURP*   I feel like this comic sums up how everything works in real life Ideally medicine is just converging to doctors with the ability 'lay on hands' Didn't the Russians already try this in the 60's? There's nothing wrong... [Read More]

Two tinfoil-hat-line-skirting thoughts.  Uranium In Space – I haven’t heard it discussed, but it seems like one of the most valuable things to mine in space would be uranium or other fissile material. Nuclear reactors are incredibly valuable in space. They are basically the only option for long-term power to... [Read More]

In so many parts of our lives, our focus becomes a tunnel towards just ‘making it work’ at whatever cost. For now, I’m going to avoid the snake filled bog that is the exploration of that idea in the realm of morality.  But in engineering and science, dogged focus on... [Read More]