Gregg Easterbrook, in an article penned twenty years ago, points out the realities of the Columbia’s design purpose:

“While all five engines are screaming, there will be acoustic vibrations reaching 167 decibels, enough to kill an unprotected person. In orbit, the shuttle will drift through -250°F. vacuum, what engineers call the “cold soak.” It’s cold enough to embrittle and shatter most materials. During reentry, the ship’s skin goes from cold soak to 2,700°F., hot enough to transform many metals into Silly Putty… After reentry, it cascades through the air without power; finally thunking down onto the runway at 220 m.p.h… The shuttle’s design goal is to take this nightmare ride 100 times. “

Something to think about.

In looking through the news reports, it’s time to pause and reflect on how brave seven people were in pursuing their dreams. Godspeed.

Today I found a link on the mighty Metafilter about antique radios, which is a hobby I’ve kind of put aside while the house has been shaping up. There’s a pretty nice list of sets on this site, which looks to be someone’s personal collection, as well as a list of other sites and links to tube resellers (a must-have when dealing with 60-year-old radios), dial covers (which were made from cellulose plastic and frequently melted or glazed), and other parts. At some point I’m going to post a section on this site with my personal collection, which numbers currently at seventeen. (And I’ll light a candle for the Emerson Catalin radio I saw, and did not buy, six years ago in Fell’s Point.) There is no better way to listen to Prairie Home Companion or Big Band music than through an AM tube radio.