Ask a PhD candidate rocket scientist anything.

[OP No.2275959]

It's me again. If you're like me, you're disgusted at the content of 99% of the posts on /sci/. The vast majority of even sci-related posts seem to come from teenage boys looking at wikipedia articles far beyond their level of comprehension.

So let's talk about fluid mechanics, or grad school, or something.

Prefix your post with your level of education so I can better address your question.

[Anonymous No.2275967]

Does IQ mean anything to you
mines 142 but I don't understand most things people talk about on this board but I would like to.

[OP No.2275978]

>>2275967
>Does IQ mean anything to you

has scoring well on an IQ test ever helped humanity in any way at all?

any "intelligence" is purely masturbatory if you don't do anything with it.

[Anonymous No.2275981]

>>2275967

IT ONLY TOOK ONE POST FOR SOMEONE TO TRY AND MAKE THIS INTO ANOTHER IQ THREAD.

CARE TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT RELIGION WHILE YOU'RE AT IT?

[Anonymous No.2275984]

How often do you visit /sci/? If the answer is "often" or something along those lines, why do you come?

[underageb&, similarly disappoint with lack of rigor on /sci/]

[Anonymous No.2275988]

Is that you in the pic??

[снайпер No.2275992]

How do you feel about ATK essentially stealing half a billion dollars from NASA for the Ares rocket that will never be completed?

[MonkeyPaintR No.2275996]

>>2275959
I personally know a phd rocket scientist. I swear hes an idiot.
I really expected more intellectual curiosity, and natural tendency to understand how things might work. But this dude really doesn't.

Is this the typical kind of person in your field?

Highly specialized and not good for much else?

[OP No.2276000]

>>2275981
seriously. maybe a gay engineer image? =(

>>2275984
>How often do you visit /sci/? If the answer is "often" or something along those lines, why do you come?
Maybe a couple times a week, checking the first 1 or 2 pages.

I'm not sure "why." i'm generally just a light 4chan user, occasionally looking at /b/ and /s/.

for better or worse, it seems like i come to /sci/ only when hungover and my SO is still in bed, whatever that's worth.

[Anonymous No.2276002]

>>2275996
I personally know a tripfag. I swear hes an idiot.
I really expected more intellectual curiosity, and natural tendency to understand how things might work. But this dude really doesn't.

Is this the typical kind of person in your field?

Highly specialized and not good for much else?

[OP No.2276010]

>>2275992
>How do you feel about ATK essentially stealing half a billion dollars from NASA for the Ares rocket that will never be completed?

I definitely wouldn't describe ATK like that. What I feel bad about is that NASA is controlled by whatever political party happens to be in power that makes up policy changes largely just for show (i.e. obama wants to distance himself from bush in any way possible -> change nasa projects, same for dubya distancing from clinton, etc.)

By it's very nature, expensive space exploration projects operate on say, 20 year time lines. If one administration initiates a long-term project, and then another administration comes along and just axes it, we can hardly blame that on the contractors.

[Anonymous No.2276016]

Anti-matter propulsion OP. Will it work?

[MonkeyPaintR No.2276020]

>>2276000
>>2276002

Im not trollin. It really bothered me when I met him.

I always imagined that when I grind through all the schooling that I could be with other people I could relate to.

Sadly disappointing

[OP No.2276021]

>>2275996
>I really expected more intellectual curiosity, and natural tendency to understand how things might work. But this dude really doesn't.
>Is this the typical kind of person in your field?
Typical? Not exactly. I agree it's kind of depressing, and those types aren't entirely rare. I am a bit surprised being at a rather illustrious university at how many grad students just plain lack passion for their work. A lot of people go to grad school for the wrong reasons (maybe their parents went to grad school so they're pressure, maybe they don't want to get a real job, etc) and they tend to just end up being incredibly mediocre in every way, despite any kind of degree they may have attained.

The right reason to go to grad school is that you're fascinated and inspired by doing research in your field. Humility aside, I have that in spades.

[OP No.2276024]

>>2276016
>Anti-matter propulsion OP. Will it work?

>>2275959
>The vast majority of even sci-related posts seem to come from teenage boys looking at wikipedia articles

[Anonymous No.2276026]

>>2276020
i lol a bit when other's take up my troll post's. lol a bit, die a bit, net gain zero,

[Anonymous No.2276027]

>>2276016

OP I need to know god damn it. Is anti-matter propulsion for a mission to mars technologically and economically feasible?

[Anonymous No.2276031]

>>2276027

How could he possibly speculate? That's some pie-in-the-sky cold-fusion shit. You could see it in thirty years, or someone could figure out it's impossible, or everyone could just keep guessing about it forever.

[Anonymous No.2276033]

>>2276024

How is anti-matter propulsion a wikipdedia-esqe topic? In what way precisely was my question invalid?

[Anonymous No.2276034]

How much do you make a year as a PhD student (in the US?)

[Anonymous No.2276036]

>>2276027
fuck you dog, don'r interrupr please.

[Anonymous No.2276037]

>>2276016
Not op, but this is why i hate /sci/. You people always discuss the most fantastic, far-off projects like antimatter propulsion, terraforming and space combat and avoid discussing normal nuts & bolts engineering and current space projects.

It's all so... Entry level and childish, somehow.

[Anonymous No.2276040]

>>2276031
I don't see how it is a particularly speculative question. NASA was happy to use anti-matter propulsion for one of the upcoming mars missions.

I remember reading about it in 2006 even.

[MonkeyPaintR No.2276041]

>>2276021
funny thing is the dude loves rocket science.

[OP No.2276043]

>>2276027
It's a dumb question. Very obviously matter/antimatter reactions (a) exist (b) are very powerful, and could thus hypothetically propel shit. you know, basic mechanics.

your task now is to look up the total amount of antimatter stored by some manner on the earth and the energy content possible. that'll be your answer.

[снайпер No.2276046]

>>2276010
I definitely would describe it as theft.

Inserting some new wording into a bill at the last second to ensure that NASA has to payout 500 million dollars, AFTER the Ares project was canceled? How is it not theft? The money is going into a black hole, and the only one who wins out is ATK.

The very same ATK who lobbied against SpaceX getting NASA funding, and the same ATK who refuses to innovate and is trying to shoehorn their SRB's onto everything.

[Anonymous No.2276049]

Would you build a pokemon team around ATK and AGI or rather lots of DEF?


[math undergrad]

[Anonymous No.2276051]

>>2276046
Sir, are you angry to the point of no return or are you trying to stitch together dessert confdiments. In other words, U MAD? sew sew jelly,

[Anonymous No.2276052]

>>2276037

Ask /sci/ a question from the first two years of any undergraduate science major, get a dozen insightful answers.

Ask /sci/ a moderately difficult senior-year math or science question, or an interesting everyday problem, get ignored.

Ask /sci/ something crazy and unanswerable, get a hundred cocksure responses and a vigorous debate.

Some guy asked a question about engineering large structures out of gingerbread the other day. This probably should have been some soup'n'nuts shit to engineering students, but everyone ignored him. Meanwhile, homework threads, religion threads, and IQ threads, everywhere.

At least we don't have camwhores here...

[OP No.2276053]

>>2276046
I'm not up on all the bookkeeping there.

Aerospace lobbyists doing that kind of thing isn't exactly a new fad though.

[Anonymous No.2276054]

>>2276034
>>2276034
>>2276034
You skipped my question OP.

[OP No.2276056]

>>2276052
Agreed on all counts. I suspect it's a strong function of the typical /sci/ age and education level.

At 26 and with a couple degrees, I feel a bit of a dinosaur here.

[Anonymous No.2276061]

>>2276056

You're bringing the rest of us up.

Take that as a compliment, or take that as a warning.

[OP No.2276062]

>>2276054
Sorry! my bad. meant to get to that.

I can only speak for engineering, but if you're fortunate (unfortunate?) enough to get a stipend in some social science shit, it's generally about the same.

it depends largely on where you live, and the cost of living associated with it. it's never a very large sum. typical stipends are in the neighborhood of $1600-$2500/month. plus waived tuition and health insurance. it's almost always enough to live somewhat comfortably on, especially if you have no kids.

[Anonymous No.2276064]

>>2276062

Not bad. Minimum wage, plus a free education.

[Anonymous No.2276065]

>>2276062
Did you do an MSc? I'm planning on getting a PhD in about a year and a half if all goes well during my masters.

[Anonymous No.2276068]

>>2276064

>$1600-$2500/month

>Minimum wage
Where the fuck do you live and your making that much on min wage a month?

[OP No.2276073]

>>2276064
>Not bad. Minimum wage, plus a free education.
Yeah, it's not a bad deal at all. Not exactly "free" as I'm being paid for funded research projects, but yeah.

Though when people run the numbers, you have to account for lost wages... I turned down $80k/year jobs after MS to go for PhD, so consider that kind of salary multiplied times the years in grad school minus the stipend received, and short term you're missing out on a decent amount of money. Long term tends to show higher lifetime earnings though.

... but it's seriously not about the money. there's a lot better ways to make more money than getting a phd in science/engineering. but i'll take a lifetime of pretty good pay doing work i'm thrilled about.

[OP No.2276077]

>>2276065
>Did you do an MSc? I'm planning on getting a PhD in about a year and a half if all goes well during my masters.
Yes I did.

[Anonymous No.2276078]

>>2276068

I guess it's not minimum, but I used to do 40 to 50-hour weeks at 9 bucks an hour, which occasionally amounted to the lower bound he gave.

But, yeah, better than minimum wage, then.

[OP No.2276079]

>>2276068
I have to post this every time it comes up...

[Anonymous No.2276099]

Lockheed Martin Skunkworks and other places that work on classified projects.
What do you know about them, would you want to work there, do you think this kind of knowledge should be released to the public?

[Anonymous No.2276105]

This thread made me lol. Someone asks a rocket scientist about rocket science (i.e. propulsion), and OP doesn't know shit.

[OP No.2276106]

>>2276099
>What do you know about them,
aside from personally talking to employees there, no more than you, i imagine.
>would you want to work there,
i'd entertain the idea. i have no desire to work at any of the god-large aerospace corporations, but if skunkworks still has a much smaller, more focused group, i'd consider it.
>do you think this kind of knowledge should be released to the public?
some of it is. eventually.

working in aerospace in america, i fully accept the need for secrecy in weapons fields.

as an aside, look at the public docs released by nasa at ntrs. i find the generosity of america to be nothing short of amazing. i know for a fact that foreign nations spend huge portions of their defense and research budgets (not to mention space programs) pouring over the NTRS docs. it's astonishing how much scientific research we've simply given to the rest of the world.

[OP No.2276116]

>>2276105
so in 2006, a very small research project specifically designed to look into the feasibility of anti-matter propulsion was initiated. presumably, the people given this grant are best equipped to answer your 16 year old friend's question. those researchers, with greater resources and experience in the field than anyone else on the planet, have not come up with a set answer.

so to sum up, you want me, a lone phd student, to tell some kid with presumably no degree something that teams of professional researchers haven't figured out in order to "know shit", AND you want me to do it on /sci/?

fuckin kids.

[Anonymous No.2276119]

>>2276116

looks like you a bit mad because this kid posed a smart question and then claled you out on it.

fucking phd idiots.

[Anonymous No.2276125]

>it's astonishing how much scientific research we've simply given to the rest of the world.

Science doesn't have a nationality. Quarks aren't European or American. Why would you be astonished that scientific work is made public?

This is parochial flag waving twaddle. You are amazed how much America has given to the world??

Science developed in Europe, and you have the audacity to say 'you are amazed at how much you americans give the world'.

Just fuck off.

[OP No.2276133]

>>2276119
this is why /sci/ can't have nice things.

i'll leave you to your
>religion
>iq
>evolution
>i can't draw a free body diagram of a rocket but explain to me the intricacies of nuclear propulsion
threads.

[Anonymous No.2276138]

>>2276125
Troll.

[OP No.2276141]

>>2276125
ntrs.nasa.gov

look at it. i'm not talking fundamental research like is found in every academic journal across the globe. i'm making no absurd claim like america invented science. i'm talking about very very application-oriented research in the aerospace field. i personally know indian and chinese grad students that previously worked in their home countries that used NTRS *on a daily basis.* the same is true in euro companies.

i'm talking experimental wind tunnel results all the way through "we built a motherfucking space shuttle, here are all the plans to build one yourself."

now, before (after) you go off calling me a standard dick-waving american, i challenge you to find a service similar in scope to NTRS from any other nation or private corporation. the nearest analogy i can think of is if pfizer started releasing all their new drug designs to the public and didn't patent them or profit from them.

without *american* public funding for aerospace research, and the subsequent gift of this knowledge to all nations that contributed nothing to advancement, there would be no ESA, and certainly no chinese or indian space programs.

[Anonymous No.2276142]

>>2276133

IQ and evolution posts are troll bait. However I see nothing wrong with an anon asking you a question about propulsion, given that the thread is called 'ask PhD candidate rocket scientist anything'.

Note the 'anything' part of the topic?

Also try not to end every post with 'kid' - being condescending on 4chan is just palpably absurd. Doing a PhD does make you a cosmic exception to the universe, nor does it permit you to insult people without reason. I suggest you grow up.. kid

[Anonymous No.2276150]

>>2276141

AMEEEERRRIIKKKAAA FUCK YEAAAA

[OP No.2276152]

>>2276142
>However I see nothing wrong with an anon asking you a question about propulsion, given that the thread is called 'ask PhD candidate rocket scientist anything'.

My OPs are usually a bit more explicit beyond what I wrote here:
>The vast majority of even sci-related posts seem to come from teenage boys looking at wikipedia articles far beyond their level of comprehension.
but that's exactly what I was looking to avoid.

I usually start with some kind of request to not ask questions like "what do you think of XXXX UNFUNDED THEORETICAL RESEARCH PROJECT", because in the past, invariably the person asking such a question didn't understand any of the fundamentals involved, and didn't like the answer they were given.

they're pie-in-the-sky questions, whose wikipedia source is painfully obvious.

In this particular case, we have A SIX WORD POST asking for a diatribe on the current state of the art in antimatter research. come on.

[Anonymous No.2276155]

OP, what can you tell us about trinitramide?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinitramide

[OP No.2276160]

>>2276155

I´m sorry but i don´t know what that is..

[Anonymous No.2276165]

>>2276152
Protip: If you don't want to answer stupid questions. Don't post on 4chan. Also don't make a thread titled 'ask a fucking rocket scientist anything'.

Complaining about the general ignorance of /sci/ posters in regards to rocket science and fluid mechanics ON A PUBLIC BOARD is absurd.

Who is the idiot here? The guy that made a post on 4chan expecting phd level discourse, or the guy who asked a relatively straight forward question. As I said.. grow up.

[Actual OP No.2276166]

>>2276160
ugh. yeah that's not OP. don't you have some religion/evolution troll threads to create?

[Actual OP No.2276171]

Okay everybody, i´m not really a phd candidate rocket scientist, i just wanted to seem smart and special on the internet and you people made me able to do it, thank you /sci/.

[Anonymous No.2276174]

Can you tell me why is it impossible to build silent helicopters? I though that if you spin the blades fast enough you could get a sound in the ultrasound range so that humans can't hear it. But that seems impossible.

[Anonymous No.2276180]

>>2276141
>>2276141


So Nasa releases docs showing how to build space ships? I've never heard of anything like this before. Why do they do it and isn't it dangerous?

[OP No.2276181]

>>2276174

we dont really study that in rocket science.

my primary focus is to find the largest cocks and guzzle the gum out of them

[Anonymous No.2276186]

When zeh rockett iz up,
whoo carez it came down,
itz not my department,
i'm Wernher von Braun!

[Actual OP No.2276195]

>>2276165
In what sense is a fundamentally unanswered question "relatively straight forward"? As I pointed out, and you painfully ignored, there are active research projects to answer this very question, and they don't have an answer. If the question was straight forward, the research would be over, and we'd just have our yes/no answer, wouldn't we?

That basis, combined with the unfathomably vague question as written, leads me to the conclusion that the question is a BAD QUESTION. It's a stupid question; it really really is. Furthermore, I can't imagine someone with enough technical background to understand the concepts behind even simple propulsion mechanisms that would actually ask a question of that form. If you want a good response, ask a good question. e.g, if I were to ask a similar question, I might phrase it as:
>What are the challenges involved in manufacturing and storing of antimatter propellant? What difficulties arise in a hypothetical antimatter rocket that don't arise in conventional chemical rockets?

And I've had a number of these threads, and all have been packed with actual good discussion focusing on real engineering problems and grad school questions. This one is an outlier. Need to remember to only post on Sundays, I guess.

[Anonymous No.2276197]

>>2276174

What if you had two sets of rotors that spun in opposite directions?

[Anonymous No.2276198]

I'm at my second year of MSc in control engineering, starting fluid mechanics in about a week. What should I expect? What is important to grasp?

[OP No.2276199]

>>2276195

actually, i think youve lost quite a bit of credibility tonight.

i wouldnt be surprised if your next threads turn out the same way.

[Actual OP No.2276201]

>>2276180
It still takes an awful lot of manpower/brainpower to bring such complex work to fruition. Dangerous? I'd say it can be, a little bit. The information is generally pretty aged, but without question, foreign militaries have actively used the research for their own weapons.

[Anonymous No.2276207]

Why do you call yourself scientists when you are actually engineers?

[Anonymous No.2276210]

I'm thinking about going into physics or computer science but not sure which way to go.

What type of math should I take?

Right now I've only had just algebra and I'm taking pre calc and trig this semester so I can do calc next semester.

[Actual OP No.2276214]

>>2276174
>Can you tell me why is it impossible to build silent helicopters? I though that if you spin the blades fast enough you could get a sound in the ultrasound range so that humans can't hear it. But that seems impossible.

Hey, well written question.

The conceptual problem I think you're having is in how sound emanates from moving objects. You're not just hearing sound equivalent to the frequency of the rotor blades. Sounds is just a pressure wave. And there's certainly sound/pressure waves coming directly from the blades, but they're also moving a ton of air, which itself has many complex pressure waves creating an awful lot of noise. Really, any kind of propulsion is going to create noise, as imparting momentum involves creating pressure waves.

... as for the ultrasonic question..... say if humans can't hear over 20kHz, or 20,000 cycles per second, even ignoring the massive pressure waves created by the flowfield itself, you're thinking of a rotor moving at 1,200,000RPM. that's..... fast.

[Anonymous No.2276226]

2nd year EE

I'm not really a chemistry expert, but I was curious what kind of fuel your average rocket uses. Again, my grasp of chemistry is tenuous at best, but don't be afraid to get a little technical; I can always look up terms if need be.

[The Other OP No.2276227]

>>2276210
>I'm thinking about going into physics or computer science but not sure which way to go.

This is a really good question. Thank you for asking this really good question. I suggest you study maths, start with multiplication, and move on to division. Thanks for the good question.

[Actual OP No.2276230]

>>2276198
brush up on your basic thermodynamics. but most people start having problems with the fundamental calculus involved in fluids... divergence theorem, surface integrals, and such. if you're comfortable with those already, don't sweat it. in controls, i'm sure you have a good handle on the math side, so don't worry.

>>2276210
um, what are your options? in high school you're pretty limited. take as much math as you can, and of course calculus. physics is all things calculus in ways you can't yet imagine, but CS is centered in discrete math.

don't worry about picking physics or CS yet. your first year of studies will be almost identical anyway.

>>2276199
>posts saying there's no credibility to be had on sci
>poses as OP
>says credibility is lost
>is dumb and should be hitting the books.

[The Other OP No.2276231]

>>2276226
>I'm not really a chemistry expert, but I was curious what kind of fuel your average rocket uses.

Thanks for the wonderful question. A rocket needs a lot of fuel. Fuel makes rockets go fast. Thank you for your question.

[The Other Other OP No.2276232]

>>2276227

This is a great question, thanks for asking. The math behind both of your options is quite satisfying. But you seem to be a bit confused on the overall conceptual basis of these things. I feel confident that what you have achieved from this answer will greatly benefit you. Heil Hitler.

[Anonymous No.2276234]

Mond or Relativity?

[The Other Other Other OP No.2276237]

>>2276232

Great comment. The conceptual basis of this comment indicates a strong knowledge of satire. Thank you for this comment. Also this was a great comment.

[Anonymous No.2276238]

What are your thoughts on alternative rocket fuel which is less harmful to the environment? Also do you think human colonization of other planets is a realistic goal for this century? i think we should try the sea first

[Anonymous No.2276239]

>>2276227

ok thanks! Think I'll learn reverse multiplication next.

[Anonymous No.2276241]

>>2276234

You had better answer this

[Anonymous No.2276246]

Do you know Mario Livio? If so tell him that his anonymous tipster says fuck you. Also, Mond or Relativity?

[Anonymous No.2276250]

This thread

[Actual OP No.2276251]

>>2276226
There's 2 major kinds of rocket fuel / motors, and a third hybrid of those two: solid fuel and liquid fuel.

liquid fuel rockets usually have two components: fuel and oxidizer. IIRC, the earliest german rockets were kerosene and liquid oxygen. LOX and liquid hydrogen is another common one. there's additives and such for various reasons, but the essential chemistry of burning fuel is pretty simple.

solid rockets are still fuel/oxidizer, but simpler to build/store since you don't have to worry about pumping liquids into a combustion chamber. i can't tell you any more than wikipedia, as i'm not a chemist.

[The Other Other Other Other OP No.2276252]

>>2276237

Great response again, I'm extremely happy to answer this question. As you may know, unbeknownst to me, I'm a huge cock guzzling faggot. Therefore fluid dynamics is right up my alley. I love doing all sorts of integrals involving the divergance of the velocity vectors and all sorts of fun stuff. I like to know exactly where the cum will be hitting my face!

Heil Heil Hitler

[Anonymous No.2276259]

pathetic troll is pathetic.

i guess it's absurd to complain about trolls on 4chan, but JFC. i hope troll gets sodomized by a 9 foot tall black engineer.

[Anonymous No.2276264]

Why doesn't OP use a trip?

[Anonymous No.2276265]

Why is mario livio such a thieving doucherocket? Also, Mond or relativity?

[The Other Other Other Other Other OP No.2276266]

>>2276264

Great question. As you may know, I'm not very good at computer programming. Therefore I dont have the necessary c++ skills required to setup an encrypted trip.

Let me assure you, I am working my hardest to acquire this knowledge.

[Anonymous No.2276270]

>>2276265

Hmm. Great question. As for mond vs relativity it would appear that OP is skeptical about your motivation and believes you are setting a trap for him. Which you are clearly doing. Wait, why am i talking to myself? Answer the question op. Just dont answer it wrong.

[Anonymous No.2276280]

>>2276270

Cmon you pretentious windbag, mond or relativity? Also, why does mario livio enjoy penis ever so much?

[Anonymous No.2276284]

Hey OP, how much do you relate to Werhner Von Braun?

>Mon visage quand you'll end up working on missile tech to obliterate small children instead of making rockets to explore the solar system.

[Anonymous No.2276288]

>>2276280

You there "rocket scientist"? Mond or relativity. If anyone is suited to best take a stance on the issue, it should be a "rocket scientist" , no? Also, why does mario livio enjoy rectally inserting blunt objects after stealing peoples theories and claiming them as his own?

[Anonymous No.2276298]

>>2276284

Mon visage when McNamara.

[Anonymous No.2276299]

>>2276259

why he got to be black though dog?

[Anonymous No.2276302]

>>2276288

I agree with this poster. Mario Livio is clearly a thieving cocksucker with little to no capacity for original thought. Tell him to blow me. Also, mond or relativity?

[Anonymous No.2276305]

>>2276302

well it would appear op has put his tail between his legs and gone home. So long as he relays the message to the inept and aforementioned Livio, all is well.

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2276312]

>>2276288
i don't do relativistic physics. neither do rockets.
>>2276284
>Hey OP, how much do you relate to Werhner Von Braun?
I don't. I don't even work in rockets really, but just fluids.

[Anonymous No.2276315]

>>2276305

If your pretentiousness leads to you to compensate for your gross inadequacy again, let me give you some advice beforehand. Standing next to a midget doesnt make you a giant. Also, tell mario livio hes looking for evidence in the wrong areas. If hes going to steal my idea, the least he could to is make it look good by finding some evidence for it. He'll never do that studying supernova's.

[Anonymous No.2276323]

>>2276312

You do newtownian physics, which is part of the question. If anyone should have some comprehension of astro physics one would presume it would be a "rocket scientist". Wouldnt it mr.pious? Also, do you know livio?

[Anonymous No.2276333]

This thread is now about Harvard Mathematician, Pianist and Satirical Songwriter Tom Lehrer.

Gather round while I sing you of Wernher von Braun,
A man whose allegiance
Is ruled by expedience.
Call him a Nazi, he won't even frown.
"Ha, Nazi Schmazi," says Wernher von Braun.

Don't say that he's hypocritical,
Say rather that he's apolitical.

"Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down?
That's not my department," says Wernher von Braun.

Some have harsh words for this man of renown,
But some think our attitude
Should be one of gratitude,
Like the widows and cripples in old London town
Who owe their large pensions to Wernher von Braun.

You too may be a big hero,
Once you've learned to count backwards to zero.
"In German oder English I know how to count down,
Und I'm learning Chinese," says Wernher von Braun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPrAuF2f_oI

[Anonymous No.2276334]

>You do newtownian physics

Fucking lol'd hard.

[Anonymous No.2276349]

tl;dr OP is an outrageous faggot.

/thread

[Anonymous No.2276351]

>>2276334

lol over a typo all u want

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2276360]

>>2276323
I'm an aerospace engineer, not an astrophysicist.

Enjoy browsing theoretical physics articles on wikipedia and thinking you have any real understanding of them, while real sciducks get honest-to-god degrees.

[Anonymous No.2276365]

>>2276360

Confirmed for faggot.

[Anonymous No.2276367]

>>2276360

You refuse to even discuss the issue on a merely philosophical level then make the specious argument that i lack understanding of it? Explain to me using the scientific method how it is you could draw this conclusion with the evidence before you.

[Anonymous No.2276370]

>>2276360

the verdict is in

[Anonymous No.2276379]

>>2276360

[Anonymous No.2276380]

>>2276365
>>2276370

Funny thing is op, these arent even me. If you go around referring to yourself as a rocket scientist, you should fully expect to be treated by people as i have done to you. Also, do you know mario livio?

[Anonymous No.2276381]

>>2276323
It looks like someone doesn't understand what rocket science is. It has nothing directly to do with astrophysics.

[Anonymous No.2276394]

>>2276381

Its about the pretentiousness involved with referring to yourself as a "rocket scientist". One would think that a person so haughty would understand astrophysics enough to have a simple talk about it

[Anonymous No.2276414]

So do you or do you not know mario livio? You boys over at nasa gave him the keys to hubble to search for evidence of dark energy. Do you even work at nasa? Or are you just a huge faggot?

[Anonymous No.2276418]

>>2276394
Again, it looks like someone doesn't understand what rocket science is. Rocket scientists do not necessarily have any knowledge of astrophysics because they deal with the real application of developing and controlling spacecraft. No one has ever implied that a rocket scientist should also be familiar with all fields that are related to space (such as astrophysics), although it is true that some aero engineers were formally physicists who might also be into astrophysics.

Calling yourself a "rocket scientist" as an aerospace engineer is perfectly fine and I don't see how it is pretentious.

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2276422]

>>2276394
as much as i like to engage underage trolls in physics discussion on 4chan... yeah.

there's no pretentiousness involved with calling oneself a rocket scientist if you are actually a rocket scientist. but there is an immense ego problem involved in alternating "faggot" images with demanding serious discussion of a topic too technical for you to understand. it's like i'm a geneticist, and you're a fundamentalist. get fucked, kid.

[Anonymous No.2276431]

>>2276418

Load of rubbish. Have you not heard the phrase "It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure it out". The term "rocket scientist" is generally associated with the highest of all intellects in society. Logical to assume one of such grandeur would have studied astrophysics to some degree........ being a rocket scientist and all.

Besides, i have a grudge with nasa. They gave the hubble keys to the great Mario Livio resulting from an ingenious idea about dark energy which he totally came to himself with no help from others......... fucking prick.

[Anonymous No.2276442]

>>2276422

The faggot images werent me. Amusingly enough, them being here proves my point. They too assumed that a "rocket scientist" should understand the upper echelon of physics enough to have a generalized discussion about it.

And yes sir, it is pretentious. You are an aeronautical engineer. Calling yourself a rocket scientist is just douchey. You still havent told me whether or not you know livio.

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2276447]

>>2276431
by this logic, brain surgeons should also be astrophysicists.

have you considered writing a letter to nasa to voice your grudge? i'm sure they would appreciate hearing where they went wrong. i suspect they'll mail you a check in response.

[Anonymous No.2276462]

>>2276447

Grudge is for giving the keys to such a bonehead. Not the inherent act of handing them out. The man is clearly a moron. Talk to him for 5 minutes and you will see it.

Yes. Brain surgeons should have some understandings of other areas of anatomy. It would and should be assumed that their knowledge base exceeds only their direct field of study. Im asking a nasa employee something about space. Not the same as asking a brain surgeon about space. But were i to ask a brain surgeon about blood disorders....... i would presume him to know enough to have an opinion.

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2276463]

>>2276442
>demands "philosophical" discussion on entirely technical subject and expects to be taken seriously.

[Anonymous No.2276481]

>>2276462
OP said he is a PhD candidate, not a NASA employee

[Anonymous No.2276484]

>>2276463

You said you dont know relativistic geometry. Not possible to have a technical discussion. Besides, your assertion is entirely fallacious. Its called theoretical physics for a reason. Relativity isnt a "fact" and the evidence is "subjective". Humorously enough, do you even know how einstein passes his theory of special relativity into the community? Was it with "technical" facts? No, those came later. It was done with a philosophical thought experiment involving a light year long spaceship and 2 guys shooting light beams back and forth.

All i want from you is to know whether or not you know livio. Also i wanted you to know your place on the food chain, which your hesitance shows you do. So im content with now just knowing whether or not you know that douche.

[Anonymous No.2276489]

>>2276431
Yes, I've heard the phrase, and it implies rocket science is difficult/complicated, which it is to some degree. Unfortunately, the implications of a common phrase have absolutely no bearing on the materials studied by an aero engineer. The fact that you have poor misconceptions about OP's field because of how a phrase is used doesn't mean that he is somehow incompetent.

>>2276442
An aerospace engineer who works with rocket engines is a rocket scientist. There is absolutely no assumption of astrophysics knowledge involved. I'm sorry that you misunderstood the term.

[Anonymous No.2276492]

>>2276481

well, my bad. His disposition with respect to certain questions about nasa led me conclude he worked there.

[Anonymous No.2276504]

>>2276489

I was under the impression he worked for nasa. Which if true refutes your stance.

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2276524]

>>2276484
>You said you dont know relativistic geometry.
I don't believe I said that. I have functional knowledge of relativity needed in core graduate coursework involved with orbital mechanics.

>Its called theoretical physics for a reason. Relativity isnt a "fact" and the evidence is "subjective". Humorously enough, do you even know how einstein passes his theory of special relativity into the community? Was it with "technical" facts? No, those came later. It was done with a philosophical thought experiment involving a light year long spaceship and 2 guys shooting light beams back and forth.
Wow. Just, wow. There's just so much... wow. Did you just... wow. Pic related, it's my brain after reading that.

[Anonymous No.2276533]

>>2276524

Op is clearly a troll. Its proven. That guy is a dick, but he's actually right. You are a moron op

[Anonymous No.2276536]

>>2276504
even if the dude does work for NASA, it doesn't neccesarly mean he knows anything about this mario guy.
the dude's an engineer, not a physicist.

[Anonymous No.2276548]

>>2276524

Then answer the question. Mond or relativity.

That is widely known as the most brilliant thought experiment of all time. Since the technological age time dilation is now used as evidence for his theory. Before that technology existed, the thought experiment was the evidence.

But really? You somehow feel that............ What? omg.......... did u just say......... omg....... mind=blown, is a rational rebuttal, then i pity you. You single handedly serve as proof that the retention of knowledge is in no way associated with intellect

[Anonymous No.2276553]

>>2276536

If he did work there, there is a strong possibility he would as least know of the man who controls hubble.

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2276569]

>>2276533
An overarching statement that a "thought experiment" (backed up by very sound mathematics) can't constitute "fact" would disregard essentially every mathematical proof in history. Furthermore, reducing the initial special relativity paper to mere guesswork is additional evidence that the poster has no ground to discuss anything related to theoretical physics, and has gained all snippets of information from wikipedia.

[Anonymous No.2276575]

>>2276569

Obviously the paper existed. Would you like me to cut and paste what i wrote? I said it wasnt accepted in the community "until" he proposed the thought experiment. Which wasnt in the paper.

[Anonymous No.2276583]

>>2276569

Though i must say, i find it rather amusing that you feel the need to debate relativity with specious and vapid assumptions without ever discussing it and yet somehow feel as if you have proved something.

[Anonymous No.2276588]

>>2276569

No. Einstein came up with the idea, and only later was it filled out with detail and mathematics. This is just a historical fact.

Also I'm not the other guy, but he is correct on this point.

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2276595]

>>2276575
>it wasnt accepted in the community
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_review

[Anonymous No.2276599]

>>2276588

In fact Feynman even mentions this in his famous physics course.

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2276611]

>>2276588
http://www.pro-physik.de/Phy/pdfs/ger_890_921.pdf

yup, no math in there. none at all. you are totally right. pure thought experiment, and no mathematical justification at all. in fact, special relativity is just the luckiest guess in the history of the world. total scheister, that einstein guy.

[Anonymous No.2276614]

>>2276611

No one said anything about a guess. The point was merely that a great deal of the theory was both communicated and indeed developed on the basis of simple thought experiments.

And there is nothing wrong with that. It is just part and parcel of both physics and philosophy.

[Anonymous No.2276618]

>>2276611

First off op, taking the intellectual high ground about an issue which you refuse to discuss or take a stance on isnt an option for you.

Second, the math came later. Special relativity was at first a purely philosophical theory. The math came from the theory. Not the theory from the math.

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2276631]

>Special relativity was at first a purely philosophical theory.

You're an idiot, and I have nowhere close to the infinite patience required to explain how unbelievably wrong you are both in history and a basic understanding of math, physics, and scientific research works.

[Anonymous No.2276632]

>>2276611

general relativity is the great facade, not special.

[Anonymous No.2276643]

>>2276504
I don't think it refutes it at all. NASA hires plenty of people who aren't astrophysicists, although many of them may be familiar with Livio.

The point is, you're trying to discuss something with OP that he clearly isn't familiar with, and I'm trying to say that it's because you're reaching outside of the field. Rocket science doesn't involve astrophysics except at a Newtonian level as applied to spacecraft, which certainly doesn't involve MOND or general relativity (much) today.

But this thread has derailed, might as well post furry porn.

[Anonymous No.2276644]

>>2276631

More ad hominem? I dont feel the need to, like you, make baseless accusations. Had you the slightest comprehension of anything related to his work you would know i was right.

But sure. Duck the mond vs relativity question. Refuse to take a stance on one side of the issue. Make ad hominem accusations about a persons understanding of the issue you refuse to discuss with entirely erroneous justifications. Walk home feeling better about yourself. Moron.

[Anonymous No.2276655]

>>2276643

Yet op still feels the need to justify himself against my accusations of his inferiority. As i said earlier, im against the pretentiousness related to referring to yourself as a 'rocket scientist'. His responses prove me right with respect to his intent of this thread.

Example. I wouldnt feel the need to defend myself if someone called me a purple elephant. Would you like to know why i wouldnt? Its simple. Im not a purple elephant.

[Anonymous No.2276660]

>>2276644
>Had you the slightest comprehension of anything related to his work you would know i was right.

That the theory of relativity was initially developed on the basis of an a priori thought experiment is historical fact. If he knew anything about the history of science, and/or the history of special relativity he would know this. That this indubitable fact is also part of the Einstein wikipedia page and that he knew nothing of it is just hiliarious, especially given that OP has spent most of this thread saying how little everyone knows.

page is hilarious, given that a good deal of his

[Anonymous No.2276708]

>>2276660

You going to go erroneously ad hominem on him too op?

[Anonymous No.2276741]

What have i learned from all of this? Calling yourself a rocket scientist on 4chan is a bad idea. Thanks guys.

[Anonymous No.2276764]

What are your hopes for initiatives to reach Mars? How likely do you think they'd be successful in the next 30 years? Do you think we'll have the resources soon to put away suggestions of making it a one way expedition?

[Anonymous No.2276799]

He called himself a rocket scientist becuase all the armchair 'experts' who are actually lazy as fuck all overreact at the term 'engineer', and this way he gets to have proper discussions without all the

>BAAH ENGINEERS ARE FAGGOTS

bullshit. Scroll up if you don't believe me, it's hilarious how it finally clicks in their mind that he's actually an aeronautical engineer.

>Herp scientists are geniuses while any scientist who actually works ni the real world applications is a faggot

Mechanical Engineer undergrad here. How do I get into rocketry and spacecraft and all that jazz, or do I need an aerospace degree. Feels bad man :(

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2276809]

>>2276799
>Mechanical Engineer undergrad here. How do I get into rocketry and spacecraft and all that jazz, or do I need an aerospace degree. Feels bad man :(
It's hard to find two majors with more overlap than ME and AerE, especially at a fundamentals level. Good friend of mine did BS/MS/PhD in ME and is currently designing rocket engines in private industry.

Focus hard on fluid mechanics and combustion, and take any aerospace-related classes you can.

[Anonymous No.2276812]

>Mechanical Engineer undergrad here.

So you fix cars and that?

[Anonymous No.2276820]

>>2276812
>mathematician
So you f(x) cars?

[Anonymous No.2276843]

What's your opinion of Trinitramide?

[Anonymous No.2276847]

OP. I'm an undergrad aerospace engineering. How do feel the job market is currently. What are you career goals: industry, academia, a mix?

[Anonymous No.2276858]

>>2275959

Show me the different pressures and main stress points in a basic solid fuel rocket.

[Anonymous No.2276866]

Someone explain relativity to me. I have a bachelor's degree in math but haven't taken many physics classes.

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2276883]

>>2276847
Aerospace job market is very good in the near future -- a large number of retiring aerospace engineers right now.

Right now I'm trending towards applied research. I have some industry work I'm doing before I finish my PhD, so hopefully that should help me decide between academia and industry. It's nice to have options.

[Anonymous No.2276890]

>>2276883
Thanks man.

[Anonymous No.2276902]

Masters in EE here.

Been offered a phd, pretty worried it'll be stupidly ronery and not worth it, given I could earn twice as much in industry.

[Anonymous No.2276963]

>>2275959

Have you thought about switching to finance and doing quant work?
Seen some jobs for Phds starting at 300k

[Anonymous No.2276973]

>>2276809
Awesome thanks

>>2276812
mfw

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2276982]

>>2276963
>Have you thought about switching to finance and doing quant work?
>Seen some jobs for Phds starting at 300k
Any job I want?

I'd rather get 150k for work i love than 300k for work i don't.

[Anonymous No.2277026]

>>2276982

you motherfucker

[Anonymous No.2278665]

>>2276251

Everything you ever wanted to know about rocket propellants is in a (unfortunately out of print) classic book called Ignition! by John D. Clark.

[Anonymous No.2278723]

1950's Project Orion

1. Build a spacecraft that shits little nuke bombs out of it's "anus"
2. Nukes asplode behind a hydrolic absorption plate on the spacecraft
3. F=ma
4.?????
5. dat DELTA V

Then you use giant magnetohydrodynamic ion thrusters to slow your approach to the target.

Why is this a bad idea? Make NASA do it.

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2278845]

>>2278723
It's not a bad idea. but we don't live in a technocracy. space exploration has been entirely funded by governments, which are subject to the whims of a very uneducated and downright retarded populace.

i'm drunk now, <span class="math">\psi[/spoiler]ducks

[Anonymous No.2278862]

>>2278723
fucking retarded.

Congratulations, most retarded post I've read this year.

sure, nuclear physics is governed by f=ma.

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2278979]

>>2278862
nuclear propulsion certainly is. at least, F = time rate of change of momentum. <span class="math">F=\frac{\partial H}{\partial t}[/spoiler] certainly still holds

[Inurdaes !V1sPhobos. No.2278990]

>>2278845
>It's not a bad idea. but we don't live in a technocracy
For now.

[Anonymous No.2278999]

>>2278979
Wrong again Retard.

Nuclear propulsion is governed by an exponential decrease in payload and increase in acceleration. Not the kindegarten proportional relation that you associate with f=ma.

[Anonymous No.2279000]

>>2278990
Technocracies are pipedreams. I've never heard a single person describe an implementable plan of one that wasn't basically a democracy or a republic.

[Inurdaes !V1sPhobos. No.2279029]

>>2279000
>mfw my version is a democracy/technocracy/meritocracy mix
Deal with it

[Anonymous No.2279033]

>>2278999
>>2279000
Why are triples so hostile tonight?

[Anonymous No.2279040]

>>2279029
>meritocracy
Oh god here we go. My friend at work is all on this, but the more I talk with him, the more it sounds like it's not practicable if there is an incentive to cheat the system.

[Anonymous No.2279041]

>>2279033
See? Check my agreeable dubs.

That's how you guys should behave.

[Anonymous No.2279048]

>>2279040
>Attacking people for harmless ideological differences on an insignificant science boards
Gee, happy new year to you too.

[OP !X5agE.m2oc No.2279052]

>>2278999
....................................................................................................
..........................

wat

i mean, i didn't write a proportional relation. i wrote (FUCKING POST LINKED TO YOU DUMBASS). you're fucking stupid. right now i can't tell if you're a dropout, a freshman, or a community college student, but i have it narrowed down. i can tell that you couldn't actually work out the rocket equation from first principles.

pathetic fucking child. I have two advanced degrees. you don't even have a 4 year degree. get fucked.

[Anonymous No.2279054]

>>2279029
Yet you're too lazy to actually work towards your goal.
You've posted countless times on this glorious technocracy, yet you do nothing to forward your idea.

Pic related; I remember that thread, asshole.

[Anonymous No.2279055]

>>2279048
You have a curious definition of attacking people. At best, I attacked the idea of meritocracies as practicable. Attacking a belief is not the same thing as attacking the person.

[Anonymous No.2279061]

I just started a second undergrad degree in Physics/Astronomy and I found out Goddard Spaceflight Center is offering an internship through my University over the Summer.

I didn't exactly have a great first semester, but this is something I'd really like to be involved in, is there anything I can do to improve my chances of being selected?

[Anonymous No.2279069]

>>2279054
Implementing a technocracy isn't something that one person can achieve... for one there's not really any land available to found a new country on.

[Anonymous No.2279070]

>>2276020
This has always bothered me when people say this. They expect that just because you have a PhD, you must be perfect in every way and know everything about every field. I heard someone complain the other day about how their professor shouldn't be misspelling words since they have a PhD. What does that have to do with spelling skills? Anyway, your friend can probably engineer the shit out of rockets, probably knows a lot more math and physics than the average, even above average, person, and is probably very book smart in his field. It's not like he got a PhD in common sense, or a PhD in life. You can excell in one field and lack in another. He's probably a very smart guy

[Anonymous No.2279079]

Should I go with aerospace or mechanical engineering?

[Anonymous No.2279085]

Hey OP, I talked to you awhile ago about considering grad school (I forget if I mentioned it, but I was the high-angle-of-attack aerofoil guy). I decided to go with it. I'll be starting my masters studies in September after a little traveling.

:D

[Inurdaes !V1sPhobos. No.2279093]

>>2279054
see
>>2279069
but >>2279069 is wrong about the land part.

I fully concede a technocracy cannot be achieved today. Therefore I am waiting for the necessary technologies to make it achievable, and awesome. This will be most likely around the mid 2030's. The planning stage will begin along with recruiting other interested people and their expertise once I have secured a way to get funding for the project, so around 2020.

But I'd rather not hijack this thread so if anyone wants to hear more create another one, or something.

[Anonymous No.2279095]

OP still around?

What's your thoughts on compulsory (K-12) education in our oh so grand US of A?

[Anonymous No.2279117]

>>2279093
By not available I meant more along the lines of expensive as fuck.

Further you've got to make sure you're not buying it as a citizen of the country you're buying it from else when you're trying to declare the land a new country it would be considered along the lines of a rebellion or secession.

[Anonymous No.2279122]

>>2279079
Yes.

In all seriousness. The mechanical degree is more general, so you will have more career opportunities. However difference between mechanical and aerospace is very small, so if you are interested in an aerospace field, you should just go for that. Also, look into the departments at the schools you want to go to and how they compare to your interests. At my school, if you wanted to specialize in aerospace propulsion, you would be better off with a mechanical major/aerospace minor.

[Inurdaes !V1sPhobos. No.2279136]

>>2279117
>Further you've got to make sure you're not buying it as a citizen of the country you're buying it from else when you're trying to declare the land a new country it would be considered along the lines of a rebellion or secession.