I often find amazing entertainment on FARK. Today being no exception I came across this story about a crazy guy working on a flying saucer. And of course everyone is meant to point and laugh and go on about their day. But something at the end of the article caught my eye.
Quote:
And there it is. The professor is quite right. Better to have a bunch of quacks sitting around at least TRYING to do something new and different. Even if they have little idea what they are really doing, who knows what they might stumble into. Many of the worlds great discoveries were accidents after all. Thank you Professor Wirz, for setting at least one person straight.
Quote:
Richard E. Wirz is an assistant professor at UCLA and formerly a senior engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory who specializes in spacecraft integration and developed the world's first miniature noble gas ion thruster. He says Carrington's flyer-saucer has about as much chance of getting airborne as a dead elephant.
...
But Wirz said the Moon Man should be supported not scorned.
"Don't discourage the guy," the professor said.
"One of his 100 ideas might actually be helpful. What would you have him do? Sit around watching reruns of 'Seinfeld?' We'd be better off with more men like him."
And there it is. The professor is quite right. Better to have a bunch of quacks sitting around at least TRYING to do something new and different. Even if they have little idea what they are really doing, who knows what they might stumble into. Many of the worlds great discoveries were accidents after all. Thank you Professor Wirz, for setting at least one person straight.
