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jbrenner assigns HOMEwork - Planning Atlantis

Posted by $ jbrenner 10 years, 9 months ago to The Gulch: General
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An assignment I give my students in almost every course I teach is what I call a questions and issues sheet. Students are asked to come up with a list of at least 25 questions and issues on a process design, product design, or failure analysis of my choosing. Students start by brainstorming either by themselves or in groups for 0.5 to 1 hour, and then categorize their questions and issues into the following categories: technical/engineering, economic, legal, regulatory, quality, environmental, safety, health, logistical, project management, and social impact. It is better for the questions and issues to be in the form of a question such that the question can be answered with a yes/no or a number. In that way, the exercise serves as a checklist to keep the project on track. Points are given for the number of questions, category coverage, identification of all of the key issues, depth of insight, creativity, and for thoroughness of the list. A critical issue not considered is often the project killer. Your assignment is to participate in this exercise for the development of a physical Atlantis.


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  • Posted by jpellone 10 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I'm pretty used to boats/ships Robbie. 20 years in the Navy and I did about 9 years on ships from carriers to fast frigates. I actually enjoyed the solitude of the open sea. Going out on the deck at night watching the plankton glow as the water breaks from the bow. Very peaceful and relaxing.
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  • Posted by jpellone 10 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I have a good idea for number 9. You can build any size house using 10' x 40' shipping containers. Make it 3 stories high or 5 containers wide. They only cost around $2k each and they can be put together very quickly.
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  • Posted by Notperfect 10 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    You my friend shall have another point on me. I am all ears and will take on any extra work here after.
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  • Posted by teri-amborn 10 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Yes ... but you don't realize that the concept was written in the law of Moses: "Thou shalt not boil a kid in its mother's milk."
    If you feed the genetically similar dead things to living things you get Mad Cow Disease and CWD and things of that nature.
    Strangely, that's why pig is non-kosher. Pigs are the closely related to humans on the DNA scale. DON'T EAT YOUR COUSINS!!! ........well ... there are some of us that would want some clarification .....
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  • Posted by $ 10 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.


    I'm going to wait about a week for feedback total.

    The US could be repaired if a sufficient number of Americans had the willingness to repair it, but the American public is too invested in what they can get from their government. John F. Kennedy would be disappointed in this generation in that respect.

    The Republicans actively bash anyone who makes a serious attempt at correcting the situation, so they are only somewhat better than the Democrats who are actively leading a charge over the cliff.

    The founding fathers gave us a republic, Over the past 100 years we have not kept it. In 2012, it could have been reasonably argued that America could have been repaired, but when it doubled down on socialism, the debt reached levels that are beyond the tipping point. When Romney got blamed for losing the election for making his infamous 47% statement to donors, he didn't realize that he was underestimating the percentage that were beyond hope of convincing of the merits of the founding fathers.
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  • Posted by robgambrill 10 years, 9 months ago
    Dr. Brenner, If you haven't yet called time on the half to one hour huddle and we are still brainstorming, I would like to offer up one of my favorite quotes which I think has some bearing on how to proceed...

    "I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain."

    John Adams

    I don't think the U.S is beyond repair. The founding fathers gave us a pretty damned good start, and maybe it isn't too late to get it back on track.

    So for question one may I suggest...

    1) Can we reform the U.S.A. back into a republic based on personal liberty (turn the U.S. into Atlantis)?

    ... A hypothetical flowchart bifurcates almost exponentially at that point.

    If the answer is yes, however, the "American Atlantis" could be used to point the way for the rest of the world.

    I call this the "Halfway there" option. It uses what we have to build what we want.

    .
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  • Posted by Robbie53024 10 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Buying it, and divorcing it from national affiliation are different matters. Again, good luck.
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  • Posted by jpellone 10 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Well, I can take care of number 3. My Brother in law is a captain for large pleasure boats. The best part is he is ultra Conservative...
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  • Posted by robgambrill 10 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I once worked at a frozen food plant. Blast freezers operate at -30 to -50 degrees Fahrenheit. A rather challenging environment to say the least, but we were able to effect repairs (work/survive) inside the freezers while they operated.

    I can't help but think back to those days when someone talks about colonizing Mars or the Moon. Minus 30 is a warm summer day on Mars.

    Antarctica is a tropical paradise in comparison, and it has air and water, plus lots of raw materials. In some ways it is the last terrestrial frontier.
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  • Posted by $ 10 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Thanks, Zenphamy. I have learned about Schulman here in the Gulch, but have not read his work yet.
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  • Posted by Zenphamy 10 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    conscious1978, Yes -- "Along Side Night" by J. Neil Schulman, recently released 30th Anniversary Edition, involves exactly such a scenario with all the associated problems.

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