...and I happened to bump into this news story about it:

https://www.elcabildo.org/en/nasa-announces-voyager-1s-stunning-new- discovery-at-the-outer-limits-of-our-solar-system-50137/

which, naturally, caused me to "worry" that perhaps when we attempt
to send personnelled flights outside the Solar System...

we'll have some of the astronauts develop glowing eyes and God-like
psychic powers, with naturally unfortunate results!

...instead of having to wait for the edge of the Galaxy for that.

John Savard

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Thu, 3 Jul 2025 03:07:57 -0000 (UTC), John Savard wrote:

...and I happened to bump into this news story about it:

https://www.elcabildo.org/en/nasa-announces-voyager-1s-stunning-new- discovery-at-the-outer-limits-of-our-solar-system-50137/

which, naturally, caused me to "worry" that perhaps when we attempt to
send personnelled flights outside the Solar System...

we'll have some of the astronauts develop glowing eyes and God-like
psychic powers, with naturally unfortunate results!

...instead of having to wait for the edge of the Galaxy for that.

John Savard

The phrase "wall of fire" occurs five times in that brief story. I
hypothesize that we are are under the influence of a cosmic force that
injects slogans into the public discourse. Originally it affected mainly journalism (hence this story), but has spread further, such as "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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John Savard <[email protected]d> schrieb:

...and I happened to bump into this news story about it:

https://www.elcabildo.org/en/nasa-announces-voyager-1s-stunning-new- discovery-at-the-outer-limits-of-our-solar-system-50137/

It would be interesting what the Voyager data could tell us about
the feasibility of Bussard ramjets.

They have been a staple of SF for a long time (see Niven), but the
density of charged nuclei in interstellar space may be too small
for them to work well.
--
This USENET posting was made without artificial intelligence,
artificial impertinence, artificial arrogance, artificial stupidity,
artificial flavorings or artificial colorants.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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In article <1045ghm$34ch$[email protected]>,
Thomas Koenig <[email protected]> wrote:

John Savard <[email protected]d> schrieb:

...and I happened to bump into this news story about it:

https://www.elcabildo.org/en/nasa-announces-voyager-1s-stunning-new-
discovery-at-the-outer-limits-of-our-solar-system-50137/

It would be interesting what the Voyager data could tell us about
the feasibility of Bussard ramjets.

They have been a staple of SF for a long time (see Niven), but the
density of charged nuclei in interstellar space may be too small
for them to work well.

About half a century ago, Heppenheimer published a paper showing
the classical Bussard ramjet would be about a billion times better
at radiating energy than generating it. This in turn led to the
invention of magsails, if I recall correctly.

--
My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Thu, 3 Jul 2025 07:47:39 -0000 (UTC), Charles Packer
<[email protected]> wrote:

On Thu, 3 Jul 2025 03:07:57 -0000 (UTC), John Savard wrote:

...and I happened to bump into this news story about it:

https://www.elcabildo.org/en/nasa-announces-voyager-1s-stunning-new-
discovery-at-the-outer-limits-of-our-solar-system-50137/

which, naturally, caused me to "worry" that perhaps when we attempt to
send personnelled flights outside the Solar System...

we'll have some of the astronauts develop glowing eyes and God-like
psychic powers, with naturally unfortunate results!

...instead of having to wait for the edge of the Galaxy for that.

John Savard

The phrase "wall of fire" occurs five times in that brief story. I >hypothesize that we are are under the influence of a cosmic force that >injects slogans into the public discourse. Originally it affected mainly >journalism (hence this story), but has spread further, such as "One Big >Beautiful Bill Act."

Well, there was (IIRC) an ancient theory that the "fixed sphere of
stars" was actually a fixed sphere with a black coating that was
peeling off in places, and that the "stars" were simply glimpses of
the Eternal Fire beyond.

Some of those articles were illustrated, with a quite impressive fire
next to the spacecraft. The reality, of course, is a bit different:
the high temps are a scientific measure, sharing with fire as we know
it only an energy level.

Is this the same probe that is being touted as having woken up and
sent a message after 20 years (IIRC) of silence? Or is that something
else?
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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James Nicoll <[email protected]> schrieb:

In article <1045ghm$34ch$[email protected]>,
Thomas Koenig <[email protected]> wrote:

John Savard <[email protected]d> schrieb:

...and I happened to bump into this news story about it:

https://www.elcabildo.org/en/nasa-announces-voyager-1s-stunning-new-
discovery-at-the-outer-limits-of-our-solar-system-50137/

It would be interesting what the Voyager data could tell us about
the feasibility of Bussard ramjets.

They have been a staple of SF for a long time (see Niven), but the
density of charged nuclei in interstellar space may be too small
for them to work well.

About half a century ago, Heppenheimer published a paper showing
the classical Bussard ramjet would be about a billion times better
at radiating energy than generating it.

What is the physical mechanism? Bremsstrahlung?

This in turn led to the
invention of magsails, if I recall correctly.

I'd rather have a nuclear salt water reactor, but I'm told a prompt
critical reactor is very hard to control...


--
This USENET posting was made without artificial intelligence,
artificial impertinence, artificial arrogance, artificial stupidity,
artificial flavorings or artificial colorants.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Thu, 3 Jul 2025 08:55:18 -0000 (UTC), Thomas Koenig
<[email protected]> wrote:

John Savard <[email protected]d> schrieb:

...and I happened to bump into this news story about it:

https://www.elcabildo.org/en/nasa-announces-voyager-1s-stunning-new-
discovery-at-the-outer-limits-of-our-solar-system-50137/

It would be interesting what the Voyager data could tell us about
the feasibility of Bussard ramjets.

Notwithstanding the somewhat important issue (at least to the crew) of
how one gets home again....

They have been a staple of SF for a long time (see Niven), but the
density of charged nuclei in interstellar space may be too small
for them to work well.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

The Horny Goat <[email protected]> wrote:

<[email protected]> wrote:

It would be interesting what the Voyager data could tell us about
the feasibility of Bussard ramjets.

Notwithstanding the somewhat important issue (at least to the crew) of
how one gets home again....

It's not looking good. Density beyond the heliopause is not as high as
had been previously suspected.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

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