MetaFilter posts tagged with iridium

Les Paul, 1915-2009

mrg — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:05:59 -0800

Les Paul, musician, pioneer of multitrack recording, and creator of one of the most successful and recognizable guitars in history, passed at the age of 94. Known to guitarists around the world through the guitar that bears his name (built initially using a hunk of 4"x4" lumber), Les Paul also is credited with being the first to develop multitrack recording in 1955 to overcome the noise problem of using the overdubbing technique used at the time. Aside from releasing many popular jazz guitar albums throughout the 40s and 50s, he had a radio program and a short TV show with his wife, Mary Ford, in the early fifties. He won two Grammys for his 2005 album American Made World Played (bringing his total to 7), and even recently played regularly at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York. He has left a lasting influence on American music and culture.

Is LEO too Crowded?

Chinese Jet Pilot — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:48:03 -0800

"They ran into each other. Nothing has the right of way up there. We don't have an air traffic controller in space. There is no universal way of knowing what's coming in your direction." An unprecedented collision of two orbiting satellites yesterday highlights the increasing threat of space junk.

Iridium is not a phone company

pxe2000 — Tue, 31 Aug 2004 05:27:32 -0800

A Blog entry about a guy who melted a kilo of Iridium in New Jersey with Oliver Sacks. There are also pictures and movies of the 200,000 eV electron beam furnace in action. Theo Gray, co-founder of Wolfram Research was there too (the pictures are all his). For any laymen who may have wondered in, Iridium is not a phone company, it is a precious metal that shares an element group with the likes of Platinum and Rhodium.

baylink — Thu, 07 Dec 2000 10:41:09 -0800

FLASH: Iridium Saved. I don't get to write too many two word flashes... The DoD, specifically DISA, signed an 11th inning 2 year $72 million contract with Iridium LLC, saving them from splashing the constellation. [more...]

Steven Den Beste — Sat, 18 Mar 2000 14:32:24 -0800

One of the worst economic miscalculations of all time ends not with a bang, but with a whimper. Over 5 BILLION dollars was poured into Iridium (and $2 billion of that came from Motorola), and most of it is going to burn up in the atmosphere over the next two years as they deorbit their 60 satellites. (They have to bring them down so that they aren't a traffic hazard.)

Next time someone tries to tell you that capitalism can do no wrong, ask them about Iridium.