# Technology doesn't work that way - SamuelA's Pit Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 3, 2017, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420 "2017-12-03T00:52:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 23
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/441 "2018-01-03T22:40:36Z")
Just a word of encouragement to all our hardworking posters. You’ve all done well but **SamuelA** is going to need more support if he’s going to win this race. This is how things currently stand among the dedicated threads for our current leading pittees: Well in the lead and the current favorite for an easy win: **Shagnasty, the Misogynistic Prick** , at 1270 posts Just coming around the first bend in the #2 spot but far behind: **SamuelA, the Bloviating Moron** , at 439 posts In the #3 spot but pretty much out of the running: **Urbanredneck, the Trifecta of Ignorance** , at 74 posts Word from the stable is that if **Bloviating Moron** can get on the bridle in a comfortable fast trot there is still a chance that he can overtake the gelding **Misogynistic Prick**. But we need to cheer him on, folks. He needs your support. Give it your all. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/442 "2018-01-03T22:45:10Z")
I have to admit, there is a certain entertainment value in watching a young person so full of themselves and convinced that they have learned everything of value; ranting and raving about how they know everything and everyone else is a moron. As I told my 18 year old niece when she graduated high school and went off to college; “Your world is this big (holds hands up to basketball size) and you know this much of it (moves hands very slightly inward), so you think you know everything. But this world is, well, as big as this planet, and you only know this much (holding up hands again). So be open to learning and accept that you don’t actually know everything.” As that So Crates guy once said; “ **The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.** ” Which leaves SamuelA straight out of the wisdom game. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/443 "2018-01-03T23:12:17Z")
**SamuelA** , I could point to many specific examples where you are completely wrong about pretty much anything you profess to be knowledgeable about, and I could make reasoned arguments against any of your idiotic claims. But I don’t want to risk getting the **JohnT** treatment. It’s much better to have you miss my posts and not saddle me with inane responses, so I’ll stick with childish insults. Your level of stupidity coupled with unawareness is unparalleled on this board. I’ve seen the occasional poster dumber than you, but none so convinced of their superiority with so little justification. Your claims of victory after being schooled on your ignorance are transparent to the intelligent posters here. Even the below-average posters on this site could eat a bowl of alphabet soup and shit out a more scientifically correct response than any of your posts. ---
**Author:** ![SamuelA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/444 "2018-01-03T23:29:41Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Your claims of victory after being schooled on your ignorance are transparent to the intelligent posters here. But I wasn’t schooled. I showed the posters that they were wrong, with specific evidence and arguments. They were wrong, except in a few cases, where I did admit fault. Since _you_ can’t see that, guess you aren’t an intelligent poster. Ignored. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/445 "2018-01-03T23:39:51Z")
_Dammit!_ ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/446 "2018-01-03T23:42:32Z")
W00t! In your face, **JohnT**! ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/447 "2018-01-03T23:46:03Z")
A truly intelligent poster would have been able to work a fish pun into the ignoring announcement. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/448 "2018-01-03T23:49:01Z")
People, poeple, we are blessed to have the smartest man on the planet posting pearls of teh smart just for us . . . 'course just why the “smartest man on the planet” is busy posting on a message board instead of doing sciency stuff, well… Maybe SamuelA is the SMotP’s computerized brain simulator? Yeah, I got nothing! CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/449 "2018-01-03T23:54:42Z")
Is there any way that we can attract more posters to this thread to get ignored by our omnimoris poster? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/450 "2018-01-04T00:33:49Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > **SamuelA** , I could point to many specific examples where you are completely wrong about pretty much anything you profess to be knowledgeable about, and I could make reasoned arguments against any of your idiotic claims. But I don’t want to risk getting the **JohnT** treatment. It’s much better to have you miss my posts and not saddle me with inane responses, so I’ll stick with childish insults. > > Your level of stupidity coupled with unawareness is unparalleled on this board. I’ve seen the occasional poster dumber than you, but none so convinced of their superiority with so little justification. Your claims of victory after being schooled on your ignorance are transparent to the intelligent posters here. Even the below-average posters on this site could eat a bowl of alphabet soup and shit out a more scientifically correct response than any of your posts. > [@SamuelA](#): > > But I wasn’t schooled. I showed the posters that they were wrong, with specific evidence and arguments. They were wrong, except in a few cases, where I did admit fault. > > Since _you_ can’t see that, guess you aren’t an intelligent poster. > > Ignored. > [@JohnT](#): > > _Dammit!_ > [@TroutMan](#): > > W00t! In your face, **JohnT**! I will say, his ignore list is a post-it note taped to the side of his laptop monitor. He will still read and respond to you… you know, on your posts that are worthy of being un-ignored. We’ve seen this on this thread, as a matter of fact. So, don’t w00t at me too soon… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/451 "2018-01-04T00:36:41Z")
The \*\*nanobrained fuckferret \*\*ignored me? Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/452 "2018-01-04T00:44:39Z")
Fear not. His ignore is different than everyone else’s, just like everything else he says. The post-it comment was not hyperbole. **JohnT** I believe! You can do it. You _can_ get ignored. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/453 "2018-01-04T00:49:46Z")
Quick race update: **Bloviating Moron** has advanced ten lengths to 449, but the gelding **Misogynistic Prick** has gained 11, for a net loss of one length for **Bloviating Moron**. Come on, folks, we can do better! But for a moment of seriousness: > [@TroutMan](#): > > **SamuelA** , I could point to many specific examples where you are completely wrong about pretty much anything you profess to be knowledgeable about, and I could make reasoned arguments against any of your idiotic claims. But I don’t want to risk getting the **JohnT** treatment. It’s much better to have you miss my posts and not saddle me with inane responses, so I’ll stick with childish insults. > > Your level of stupidity coupled with unawareness is unparalleled on this board. I’ve seen the occasional poster dumber than you, but none so convinced of their superiority with so little justification. Your claims of victory after being schooled on your ignorance are transparent to the intelligent posters here. Even the below-average posters on this site could eat a bowl of alphabet soup and shit out a more scientifically correct response than any of your posts. Absolutely spot-on and well said, **Troutman**. I don’t fault people for not being particularly bright or not knowing things. My main problem with **SamuelA** is that although I can tolerate a good deal of justified arrogance among the truly knowledgeable, it totally drives me nuts when exhibited by a self-aggrandizing pompous moronic blowhard like him. He is convinced he owns the sum total of knowledge in something that he took some courses in, and facts hold no sway against his massive pomposity, despite the fact that he doesn’t even understand the basic meanings of the very words that he uses, like “computation” or “neuroscience”. I laid out just the latest of many, many example [in post #435](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20700733&postcount=435), but in case that’s too long for the casual reader, I give you a perfect abbreviated illustration in these two pronouncements: Exhibit A: [Don’t challenge a computer engineer on their understanding of computation](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20693885&postcount=351) Then, just three days later: Exhibit B: [… I was fuzzy on the meaning of computation, from a CS course 10 years ago …](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20699347&postcount=389) 😃 But in his own delusional world, **SamuelA** has “checkmated” everyone in sight, and put everyone who doesn’t agree with him on ignore. Maturity and intelligence personified, I say. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/454 "2018-01-04T02:00:50Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > But in his own delusional world, **SamuelA** has “checkmated” everyone in sight, and put everyone who doesn’t agree with him on ignore. Maturity and intelligence personified, I say. And when his world is empty and devoid of other people, he’ll just whine about how stupid everyone is, pat himself on the back for “winning” and move on to a new place. Both on-line and in real life. I wonder how he is with his own boss. If they disagree, does he call his boss a moron and then try to ignore him? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/455 "2018-01-04T03:24:08Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > … > I wonder how he is with his own boss. If they disagree, does he call his boss a moron and then try to ignore him? I think you have to be 15 for a work permit. He’s still got a year or so before he has to leave his safe space and get a job. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/456 "2018-01-04T04:31:40Z")
> [@SamuelA](#): > > Now my motivations were different than your guesses. (1) I did read the Washington Post article first, I didn’t lie about that. But that lobby group’s article, that I only skimmed, seemed more credible. I don’t care. > [@SamuelA](#): > > (2) Sorry about any personal attacks. I don’t care. I’ve been called far worse by far better men. > [@SamuelA](#): > > (3) Yep, my bad I don’t care. > [@SamuelA](#): > > (4) \*\*“Eventually, the brass adopted the idea that, when it came to nuclear matters, they were at the beck and call of the president. It was not generals’ responsibility to make the order; it was their responsibility to carry it out.” \*\* > > Isn’t this exactly the point I was making? Like, wasn’t this the entire topic of discussion? Not sure why you put this here. It was to illustrate to you that even Flag Grade military officers acknowledged they couldn’t ‘go rogue’ and had to answer the President’s orders. > [@SamuelA](#): > > (5) It’s the War Powers Act of 1973? It goes [both ways.](https://www.loc.gov/law/help/war-powers.php) > [@SamuelA](#): > > Wait. So the original topic of discussion was that **you** said that Congress was \*helpless \*to stop the President from killing us all. Something that is a real, though small risk. I don’t care. This is a redirect, and it belongs in the other thread. * * * **SamuelA** I will now raise the questions on the “assumptions” you have made for your ‘estimates.’ I’ll be “_nice_”. I will point out where your assumptions are either lacking, or do not cut the mustard due to politics or law. This is not “nitpicking”; imagine you’re trying to sell this to a panel of Engineers (you are). > [@Redirecting asteroids on an impact course by momentum transfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redirecting-asteroids-on-an-impact-course-by-momentum-transfer/804718/98): > > Asteroid is 1.4×10^12 kilograms, a number I googled for a 1 kilometer asteroid. There are gaps here: Based on what composite material? And you’re not clear on 1 km diameter or radius. > [@Redirecting asteroids on an impact course by momentum transfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redirecting-asteroids-on-an-impact-course-by-momentum-transfer/804718/98): > > In order to push it’s impact probability down acceptably, a 1 cm/second change in velocity is needed. (I read that in a wired magazine article as being enough) There are gaps here: What is it’s distance from Earth? And what is it’s current velocity? Link to that article please. That change in velocity is only valid at certain ranges from the Earth. The closer it gets, the more of a velocity change on the asteroid you need. Swapping the frame of reference (and point of view) for a second to the asteroid (a puck) because we can’t move the Earth (you); if I take an accurate slapshot at you from the far end of the rink, you only need to move 0.5 m/sec until that puck crosses the ice for you to avoid it. If I’m 3 meters away from you with the same accurate slapshot, you need to move a kilofuck quicker to get out of the way. But, since we can’t move the Earth, we have to move the asteroid. You need a megafuckton more energy the closer it gets to move it aside. So, you need to define how far away the asteroid is before you assume a 1/cm change in velocity. You need to assume a distance and velocity (ETA: I do this later for you), because this will A) tell you if you need a higher change in velocity, and B) will give you an estimated time to impact which will drive other factors (e.g. spacelift) later. . . > [@Redirecting asteroids on an impact course by momentum transfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redirecting-asteroids-on-an-impact-course-by-momentum-transfer/804718/98): > > Nuclear pulse charge + small thrusters for guidance is assumed to be 300 kilograms, with a 150 kiloton yield. ISP is assumed to be 7500. (10k-20k from a paper on Project Orion, reducing it because you need a guidance system) There are gaps here: What warhead are you using? Are you going to design a warhead from scratch? [Hint: no you’re not, not even in 10 years]. The Project Orion Drive was abandoned as wildly impractical [Hint: you will not detonate nuclear weapons over American soil, nor can you detonate them in the atmosphere due to the [PNTBT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partial_Nuclear_Test_Ban_Treaty) as you pass through the atmosphere on the way to space.] Spacelift will come later. You will also need to tell me the blast overpressure of your chosen weapon’s effect in a vacuum when it is fuzed for a PD (or point detonation)–it will affect the force you impart on your asteroid. Why do you assume a 150 kT yield, and how does that correlate to blast overpressure in a vacuum? > [@Redirecting asteroids on an impact course by momentum transfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redirecting-asteroids-on-an-impact-course-by-momentum-transfer/804718/98): > > So how many nukes do you need? > > (1.4×10^12)(0.01) = (7500\*9.8)(300)(n) > > n = 634. So 300 kilograms \* 634 = 190,200 kilograms must reach the asteroid. This will be recomputed when you fill the earlier gaps. You have a faulty assumption: I do not understand why you are claiming a 300 kg nuclear-tipped projectile will impart 300 kg of force onto this asteroid. You don’t need nuclear weapons for this, you need giant fucking 300 kg stones. On detonation, there may or may not be 300 kg of force imparted by the nuclear explosive. You assume a 150 kT device–again, how much force will that impart on detonation in a vacuum? > [@SamuelA](#): > > . . . I used the yields of actual devices for a Fermi estimate. Let’s test your background : which warheads hit 3 kilograms/kiloton? Do optimized nukes exist that are that good or not? I do not understand your 3 kg/kT correlation. Are you talking about primaries, secondaries, tertiaries, or total system mass? [Hint: there is no correlation between system mass and nuclear yield]. What ‘actual device’ did you use, and please link a citation for it. > [@Redirecting asteroids on an impact course by momentum transfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redirecting-asteroids-on-an-impact-course-by-momentum-transfer/804718/98): > > Falcon heavy stated payload to mars is 16,800. So you need 11 launches to do it. > > 16,800 _what?_ Also, of course, you need to actually develop those nuclear pulse charges. Maybe you can’t get a really efficient one in the time you have and you need 10 times as many inefficient ones. Not all the rockets will make it. You do not understand how difficult it is to build, test, and deploy a nuclear weapon with respect to politics or engineering. And, why won’t all of the rockets ‘make it’? > [@Redirecting asteroids on an impact course by momentum transfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redirecting-asteroids-on-an-impact-course-by-momentum-transfer/804718/98): > > Bigger asteroids - 10 kilometer spheres - yeah, it’s not good. 1000 times the mass, this problem becomes 1000 times harder. Now you would need to hope you can eject craters in it, which in turn means it better be made of the right kind of material for that. You haven’t done any sort of assumption of what the asteroid is made of… Here’s how a legitimate estimate should be done (to start): A 1km diameter asteroid, of Lead (the densest material–worst case scenario) is headed towards Earth. It’s volume is 0.523 km^3 (or 5.23x10^14 cm^3). With lead at 11.34 gm/cm^3, you’re kind of fucked with 5.93\*10^12 kg of mass coming at you. For arguments’ sake, we shall assume we have spotted it 10 years before it crosses the point of our orbit (and hits us directly–acceleration or deviation due to gravity notwithstanding). This is a perfect, solid sphere tumbling (rotating about all three axes, but I am simplifying the rotational dynamics for you, otherwise targeting and imparting moments of inertia due to blast cannot be speculated unless we had a real-world shape to discuss) in space, zipping along at 10,000 km/sec, magically on orbital plane. 10,000 km/sec \* 31,536,000 sec/year \* 10 years gives you a range of 3.15x10^12 km from Earth. We will assume, for academics, that 1 cm/sec adjustment imparted orthogonally to it’s trajectory (our orbital plane) shall be sufficient to “lift” it above the Earth. This range and forces involved will come into play once you have a warhead identified. This is where we stop for now. Do you now see how complex of a problem this is, and that you cannot just gloss over it with handwaving? You really screwed the pooch by not identifying a weapon system. And here is no correlation between system weight and yield. I am no longer interested in participating in your science fair project. I simply highlight where you’ve passed over some _very_ important details. Tripler Mr. Fermi, I hope I do you justice. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/457 "2018-01-04T04:56:29Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/458 "2018-01-04T04:57:31Z")
Mods, ignore my own reporting. I thought I’d put it in the wrong thread. Post #456 stands as is. Tripler Thanks guys. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/459 "2018-01-04T05:25:56Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > Mods, ignore my own reporting. I thought I’d put it in the wrong thread. Post #456 stands as is. > > Tripler > Thanks guys. You did. I moved it. You’re welcome.😉 ---
**Author:** ![SamuelA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420/460 "2018-01-04T06:46:29Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > I don’t care. Well, you did some good work on the asteroid one. But the way your attitude is, if I did spend a year+ building a computer simulation of the asteroid, you’d say it wasn’t detailed enough. I could spend 10 years and a billion dollars, if I had it, and you’d say it wasn’t a real rocket. I could spend 30 years and a trillion dollars, if I had it, redirect some asteroids, and you’d say it was too unrealistically easy… As for using simple analysis of complex problems : that’s a [well accepted method of engineering](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_problem). The idea is you proceed in order of increasing cost. Find out if the idea maybe could work in theory first, with an analysis that could fit on a napkin. Then, in a series of increasingly complex and expensive stages, you do more and more detailed models, then eventually physical prototypes, then integration prototypes, then eventually flight hardware, then eventually some test flights, then a first mission. There is nothing wrong with as simple, basic analysis to see if you’re even in the ballpark. Says most credible scientists and engineers, it’s not me saying it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-doesnt-work-that-way-samuelas-pit-thread/803420.md?page=24)