Speed kills!

[glenrobbo]

On 20th February, 1962, a 40 year old American by the name of John Glenn was launched into Earth orbit and travelled at a speed of just over 17,522 mph. Foolhardy, you may think, but to compound his defiance of what we all know to be sensible, he returned to space again in 1998 at the age of 77, becoming the oldest man to orbit our planet, this time achieving an even higher speed.

Small wonder then, that yesterday it was announced that he had died at the age of 95 years, leaving a wife and two children.

You have been warned: Speed kills.





God Speed John Glenn.

[drf765]

glenrobbo said:

On 20th February, 1962, a 40 year old American by the name of John Glenn was launched into Earth orbit and travelled at a speed of just over 17,522 mph. Foolhardy, you may think, but to compound his defiance of what we all know to be sensible, he returned to space again in 1998 at the age of 77, becoming the oldest man to orbit our planet, this time achieving an even higher speed.

Small wonder then, that yesterday it was announced that he had died at the age of 95 years, leaving a wife and two children.

You have been warned: Speed kills.





God Speed John Glenn.

God-speed indeed.

He would have died earlier if he had hit something at 17,522mph I suggest.

[Johnnytheboy]

Think how much longer he would have lived if he'd attempted to exit the Earth's atmosphere more slowly.

Someone will be along to abuse him, me and the OP shortly, no doubt.

[mac96]

Of course, in 1962, 17,522mph on, for example, the A1 would not have been exceeding the speed limit, so presumably safe...

[singlecoil]

drf765 said:

God-speed indeed.

He would have died earlier if he had hit something at 17,522mph I suggest.

[tigger1]

mac96 said:

Of course, in 1962, 17,522mph on, for example, the A1 would not have been exceeding the speed limit, so presumably safe...

He probably hit a lot of little things - rabbits, kids, birds, space debris. A series of unreported collisions.

Maniac. The world is a greater place because of risk-takers like him, and I hope as a species we can continue to allow people to take such risks.

[Mill Wheel]

drf765 said:

glenrobbo said:

On 20th February, 1962, a 40 year old American by the name of John Glenn was launched into Earth orbit and travelled at a speed of just over 17,522 mph. Foolhardy, you may think, but to compound his defiance of what we all know to be sensible, he returned to space again in 1998 at the age of 77, becoming the oldest man to orbit our planet, this time achieving an even higher speed.

Small wonder then, that yesterday it was announced that he had died at the age of 95 years, leaving a wife and two children.

You have been warned: Speed kills.





God Speed John Glenn.

God-speed indeed.

He would have died earlier if he had hit something at 17,522mph I suggest.

Which is why it is important to ensure that the risk of hitting anything is kept to a minimum, because if he had not maintained that speed, he would have fallen back to earth instead of his controlled descent.

[DaveH23]

drf765 said:

God-speed indeed.

He would have died earlier if he had hit something at 17,522mph I suggest.

As my driving instructor once told me.

Speed doesn't kill.

It's the sudden stop that kills you.

[glenrobbo]

I think that in the face of the evidence that many so-called astronauts have repeatedly travelled at speeds equal to, or far in excess of 17,500 miles per hour, there should be a blanket speed limit of 50 mph imposed on all vehicles moving within our solar system.
This limit should be enforced by average speed cameras and random speed traps set up in unmarked space vans. Heavy fines and points should be imposed, with a totting up process meaning a ban comes into effect at a certain total.

Hopefully that will prevent such reckless and inconsiderate behaviour in future.

[Rude-boy]

DaveH23 said:

drf765 said:

God-speed indeed.

He would have died earlier if he had hit something at 17,522mph I suggest.

As my driving instructor once told me.

Speed doesn't kill.

It's the sudden stop that kills you.

Better the barrel roll down the track than the 83 - 0 in 2 inches

[singlecoil]

glenrobbo said:

I think that in the face of the evidence that many so-called astronauts have repeatedly travelled at speeds equal to, or far in excess of 17,500 miles per hour, there should be a blanket speed limit of 50 mph imposed on all vehicles moving within our solar system.
This limit should be enforced by average speed cameras and random speed traps set up in unmarked space vans. Heavy fines and points should be imposed, with a totting up process meaning a ban comes into effect at a certain total.

Hopefully that will prevent such reckless and inconsiderate behaviour in future.

You might get a laugh here with that (I assume that's your intent), but if you post that on the geek jokes thread they'll be laughing at you rather than with you.

[Who me ?]

glenrobbo said:

On 20th February, 1962, a 40 year old American by the name of John Glenn was launched into Earth orbit and travelled at a speed of just over 17,522 mph. Foolhardy, you may think, but to compound his defiance of what we all know to be sensible, he returned to space again in 1998 at the age of 77, becoming the oldest man to orbit our planet, this time achieving an even higher speed.

Small wonder then, that yesterday it was announced that he had died at the age of 95 years, leaving a wife and two children.

You have been warned: Speed kills.

Now, I and a lot of others have wondered where Pitmansboots, or his other alter ego nomes de plume might be best placed. And here we have it- in a small space police vehicle ( with a limited supply of oxygen ,to limit his speaking capacity,and a limited battery supply, to limit his posting capacity), but with access to an emergency supply of air(we'd nor want him to suffer as he's made other's suffer, would we?
Up there he could report on the speed of space vehicles, and perhaps some gremlin from another galaxy might think him a thing of love and whisk him off to a distant galaxy, and after finding out that there were more od his disposition on planet Earth ( country UK) send out love party to take this sort back to their distant part of the galaxy, and rid us of the speed freaks.




God Speed John Glenn.

[andrew]

how do they know he did 17,522 mph ?

surely the radar guns aren't calibrated that high ?

or was it some early sort of averaging camera ?

[mycroft]

singlecoil said:

glenrobbo said:

I think that in the face of the evidence that many so-called astronauts have repeatedly travelled at speeds equal to, or far in excess of 17,500 miles per hour, there should be a blanket speed limit of 50 mph imposed on all vehicles moving within our solar system.
This limit should be enforced by average speed cameras and random speed traps set up in unmarked space vans. Heavy fines and points should be imposed, with a totting up process meaning a ban comes into effect at a certain total.

Hopefully that will prevent such reckless and inconsiderate behaviour in future.

You might get a laugh here with that (I assume that's your intent), but if you post that on the geek jokes thread they'll be laughing at you rather than with you.

Ive always thought Glen was (and still is) a funny chap , thought the above was funny .
Your comment seems a bit I'm cleverer than you ,your not as funny as you think you are . Not very kind really .
I need a kitchen design doing , I assume your really good :-).What do you charge.

[Johnnytheboy]

singlecoil said:

You might get a laugh here with that (I assume that's your intent), but if you post that on the geek jokes thread they'll be laughing at you rather than with you.

Evidence of a sense of humour, at least.

[singlecoil]

mycroft said:

singlecoil said:

glenrobbo said:

I think that in the face of the evidence that many so-called astronauts have repeatedly travelled at speeds equal to, or far in excess of 17,500 miles per hour, there should be a blanket speed limit of 50 mph imposed on all vehicles moving within our solar system.
This limit should be enforced by average speed cameras and random speed traps set up in unmarked space vans. Heavy fines and points should be imposed, with a totting up process meaning a ban comes into effect at a certain total.

Hopefully that will prevent such reckless and inconsiderate behaviour in future.

You might get a laugh here with that (I assume that's your intent), but if you post that on the geek jokes thread they'll be laughing at you rather than with you.

Ive always thought Glen was (and still is) a funny chap , thought the above was funny .
Your comment seems a bit I'm cleverer than you ,your not as funny as you think you are . Not very kind really .
I need a kitchen design doing , I assume your really good :-).What do you charge.

It goes to show how what one person finds funny, another might not. Glen's post seemed to serve an agenda which we don't all share, those that do will laugh, those that don't will groan.

I certainly don't think I'm cleverer than him or anyone else here. What I've noticed over the years is that various people know more about different subjects than other people. I can go on some parts of the forum here and give advice, and go to other parts to ask for it. SP&L though is mostly about the point scoring, a bit like a tennis match with lots of people playing at once, some in teams, some individuals, no umpire and no scoreboard (not that an opponent will ever acknowledge a point scored anyway ).

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Speed doesn't kill, but rapid deceleration will get you every time.

[eatcustard]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Speed doesn't kill, but rapid deceleration will get you every time.

If you are driving at say 100mph and you hit a dog who is standing still, the dog dies but as he was not moving, how can deceleration kill him?

[silverfoxcc]

eatcustard said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Speed doesn't kill, but rapid deceleration will get you every time.

If you are driving at say 100mph and you hit a dog who is standing still, the dog dies but as he was not moving, how can deceleration kill him?

Ah but the dog might suffer from rapid acceleratio!!!

[eatcustard]

Double post