On 23/8/20 7:26 pm, xxxxxx@gmail.com wrote:
> Just a mild point Alex:
>
> There's 2 Toms (at least) - myself (kaladorn/TomB) and the inestimable
> Thomas Rux (retired Submariner and great entertainer of young 'uns and
> CT comparative historian).
>
> I have worked with something akin to sonar, but it was monitoring
> surge currents in an industrial chiller system with an ultrasonic
> sensor (non-invasive) in a communications cable plant (I was
> developing the monitoring system). Tom Rux, on the other hand, has
> jammed himself into a sardine can with a whole other bunch of those
> afraid of open spaces so that they could cruise the seven seas. That
> is a whole other level... ;)
>
> I figured the IW period put us at about the point where we could,
> reasonably, start to see things in other star systems. That might also
> imply a minimum TL to be doing that effectively (you can try earlier,
> but your resolution and accuity go up as your sensors get better). And
> of course, being able to mix optical with various multi-spectral
> sensors and any emissions you detect would help in determining what
> systems contained.
>
> I think by about 2200, assuming we don't go all Deep Impact,
> Interstellar, Independence Day, or Twilight 2020, we ought to be able
> to see into other systems with a decent amount of return on the time
> and effort. Of course, nothing takes away the fact that any intel you
> get will be (distance in light years) years old by the time you see
> it. Your intel may be very accurate, but the speed of light says it
> may be quite dated (which means jumping in could find something
> entirely other).
> <snip>
> Tom B / kaladorn
> (I will sign like this hereafter just to be distinct from Thomas Rux)
>
Don't I feel like a right pillock.

That'll learn me not to hack and post to the TML at the same time - at
least for the next 20 minutes or so.

Seems that writing an invariant checker pings some of the same neurons
in my noggin as distinguishing between Da Famous Tom R and Tom B/kaladorn.

Keep in mind that PA is in the _early_ IW period - the TC has just
formed, those who were in primary school when Strider et al buggered off
have yet to reach flag rank, there are no known Terran-Vilani hybrids,
the AZS is still quite capable of administering a proper and thorough
shoeing to the TCN, etc.

Alex