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CEPS Well Hung Parliament (CEPS Social/Off Topic)

i don't want it to seem like i'm making light of a tragedy, but tathra has been in the news over here a bit lately, after a nasty fire;

For a tiny town, Tathra has had its fair share of tragedy

No town relishes the idea of being automatically linked to separate tragedies, but in the case of Tathra, it's impossible not to feel disbelief at the things that have befallen the seaside town.

As residents steel themselves to confront the damage of out-of-control bushfires that raged into the town without warning on Sunday, the attention of the rest of the country is once again on the Bega Valley Shire.


Tathra is said to mean "beautiful country" in a local Aboriginal dialect, and like many Australian coastal towns, it's a popular holiday spot thanks to its picturesque beaches and sleepy charm.

But for a town of just 1600 people, it has had more than its fair share of tragedy.


In 2008, young father Shane O'Neill was fishing off the famous wharf with his two young sons, Riley and Travis, when the younger, in a pram, fell five metres into the water below.

In the ensuing panic, the older boy, just two years old, fell in as well, with their father behind them. All three died in the rough seas below the wharf.

Six years later, in 2014, local resident Christine Armstrong was taken by a four-metre shark while swimming near the wharf.


A keen swimmer and member of the local surf club, she was with out with a group of regular swimmers, including her husband, when she disappeared.

And now, around 70 homes and businesses have been destroyed, dozens of families without homes, and part of the town are in ruins, after a bushfire crossed the Bega River and tore through seven kilometres of bushland into the township.

Although there have been no reported deaths, residents are once again left reeling as they assess the damage.
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i'm not one to be outdone, however....this story was also posted tonight (aus time);

Scientists plan to use high powered lasers to track and shoot away space junk

Space junk is a real problem that could trap humans forever on Earth — so now Australian scientists are working on powerful ground-based lasers to shoot it all away.

EOS Space Systems has been building and developing tracking systems for satellites and space debris at Mount Stromlo in Canberra.

And the company's CEO, Professor Craig Smith, says researchers have developed a photon pressure laser that "is able to nudge space debris objects around, change their orbits."

The first step for scientists would be to use low-powered lasers to detect and follow identified objects in space.

"With the laser tracking systems we track objects and predict collisions to high accuracy," Professor Smith said.

If a piece of space debris then looked like it could have a collision with another piece, then a laser would be used to change its orbit.

The next step would be to keep "ramping up the power to bigger and bigger lasers."

Computer generated image of the amount of space junk near earth. Photo: Computer generated image of objects in Earth orbit that are currently being tracked. (NASA)
"Then we can start moving it enough to what we call 'de-orbit' the satellite by reducing its velocity enough that it starts to change orbit height.

"It eventually hits the atmosphere and the atmosphere takes over and drags it and burns it up."

However, Professor Smith said scientists would have to ensure they did not break debris into two, which would then only add to the amount of pieces in orbit.

"The real trouble is you make it harder. If they get smaller they get harder and harder to track, and so they start to become invisible — but also still lethal to satellites."

Australia 'is best place for laser technology'

Space junk might sound innocuous enough, but as the Hollywood film Gravity reminded cinema-goers it can be a killer — especially if you are an astronaut hanging about in space and getting in its way.

Equally it can also destroy satellites, of which there are many circling the Earth.

Dr Ben Greene, the chairman of the Space Environment Research Centre, said there were "hundreds and thousands of space debris that are a size where they would threaten satellites."

"We're losing multiple satellites a year now to space debris," he said.

Artist's impression of the Sky Muster satellite Photo: Satellites often fall victim to space debris. (Supplied: NBN Co)
Under the worst-case scenario for space debris, a cascading series of collisions could render the near-Earth orbit a no-go zone for satellites and space craft.

Hence the urgency in finding ways to get rid of space junk.

Efforts are underway to make space flight less messy, such as eliminating spent rocket boosters which are currently dumped in space.

In Europe, space harpoons and space nets are being developed for catching larger pieces of debris.

But right here in Australia the focus has been on using concentrated light to nudge the space junk out of harm's way.

And Dr Greene said Australia was the obvious place to station the laser technology.

"It's most likely going to be from Australia, because you need a decent-seized platform to work from and you need good weather. And Australia has both," he said
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=D
 
fucking scientists. who needs em?! bloody eggheads.

good thing trump is in power right?

But right here in Australia the focus has been on using concentrated light to nudge the space junk out of harm's way.
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lol.
i've always shunned the spotlight ;)
 
I've known SJ for a while now, and if there's one thing I can say about the guy, it's that he's slowly forming a debris cloud in Earth's orbit.
 
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