12 JAN 2012 by ideonexus
Two Factions of the Model Railroad Club
There were two factions of TMRC. Some members loved the idea of spending their time building and painting replicas of certain trains with historical and emotional value, or creating realistic scenery for the layout. This was the knife-and-paintbrush contingent, and it subscribed to railroad magazines and booked the club for trips on aging train lines. The other faction centered on the Signals and Power Subcommittee of the club, and it cared far more about what went on under the layout. This w... 1 
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notesThe club is were many hackers came from in the early days of computing. Half its members were into history and total control over a miniature world, the half that would become hackers were interested in the technology beneath the plywood.
01 JUL 2011 by ideonexus
Two Examples of Leaping to Conclusions without the Facts
Let me give you two examples of leaping to conclusions without
the full facts. Back in the 1890’s, a certain California newspaper
was apprehensive about the harmful effects the railroads would
have on the environment. If the trains crossed the Mojave to get
to the Pacific, this newspaper editorialized, “the huge iron rails
will reverse the Earth’s magnetic field with catastrophic effects.”
Now that’s real science! One hundred forty years ago, the Royal
Society in England warned agai... 1 notes
notesPeople, even scientists, thought the train would come apart and asphyxiate its passengers at speeds of 35 MPH, and the rocket was disregarded by the military until the Germans adopted it.
