I'm flyyyyyyyyinnnnng....

July 23, 2003 8:59 PM

Yet another part of Kim Stanley Robinson's wonderful Mars Trilogy is now a reality.
posted by freebird (16 comments total)

well okay, still need less gravity and more wind. But still...oh and there's silly JS and Flash and stuff on that last link.
posted by freebird at 9:37 PM on July 23, 2003

Hmm, last link has lots of pretty flashy things, quite exciting, but low on content, first link is good though.
posted by Grod at 10:06 PM on July 23, 2003

this would be cool. hopefully the terraforming part of his story won't come true.
posted by evening at 5:10 AM on July 24, 2003

Dang. I was really hoping for the immortality drugs. But I guess this is OK...
posted by BT at 5:13 AM on July 24, 2003

good luck with business guys - skallas

They'll be fine. Skydivers love new gear, crappy website or no.
posted by Tubes at 6:30 AM on July 24, 2003

A little bit red there, aren't we evening?

Hazzah for Sax, John, Frank, Maya, etc.
posted by pjgulliver at 7:01 AM on July 24, 2003

I was with Robinson until he dissed Pushkin about halfway through Blue Mars. Now I'm want to send him to Mercury, where the tyrants will beat some remedial reading into him.
posted by languagehat at 7:18 AM on July 24, 2003

no, I'm more golden/mediterranean colored.

oh, right...
posted by evening at 7:58 AM on July 24, 2003

Dont spoil Blue Mars for me Mr. Hat. I'm starting it Saturday.
posted by Dantien at 9:00 AM on July 24, 2003

The big trick KSR keeps pulling is: present all opinions as equally valid. Enjoyably postmodern, to me; I'm never bothered when a character I love comes out with an opinion I loathe (like when Nadia suddenly insists on having a death-penalty).

Have fun reading Dantien! Lots of interesting and challenging and enigmatic stuff in Blue Mars...

Oh and those birdsuits, they'll need some smart stiffening, servo's and AI. Maybe some small balloon to tow you up instead of a big airplane.
posted by disso at 10:52 AM on July 24, 2003

Lord, Just reading the first paragraph of the Popular Science article gave me vertigo. Looks like fun for those who can deal, though.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 11:02 AM on July 24, 2003

disso: The Pushkin dis is not put in a character's mouth; it's unmistakeably the author's opinion, especially since it's completely tangential to the novel, just an offhand remark about names of craters (so don't worry, Dantien, I'm not spoiling anything for you—enjoy the book!).
posted by languagehat at 11:30 AM on July 24, 2003

KSR's fourth volume, The Martians, is an interesting accompaniment, though differing in significant ways from the trilogy proper. It's got lots of fun Martian mountaineering, though! And if you're into that, try Antarctica.

BT - I thought maybe this would be about space elevators, but a longevity breakthrough would've hit the spot!
posted by Songdog at 12:17 PM on July 24, 2003

"William Speed Weed"?
posted by kindall at 1:07 PM on July 24, 2003

Check this video -- which I saw a month ago. Insane!
posted by mkn at 4:06 PM on July 24, 2003

I've actually seen these suits in action.

A couple of years ago I went skydiving (my first time) and one of the uber-experienced guys (he had done hundreds of jumps) was wearing one.

It turns out that it reduces your terminal velocity from about 120MPH to around 60MPH, and in doing so, it almost doubles the amount of time that you're in free-fall.

Its really not that groundbreaking; It just increases your drag and slows you down. Its not like it allows you to fly up or anything.
posted by bshort at 11:45 AM on July 25, 2003