Hugh Blair-Smith and Don Eyles in Apollo-class / Daily crono / Strange things in USA,…

Hugh Blair-Smith and Don Eyles in Apollo-class

Again, but unfortunately for the last time, interesting guests in the Apollo-class. First, Hugh Blair-Smith told about the languages (assembly, of course) he designed for "unknown number of unknown computers" in MIT instrumentation lab in 1960s. One of these computers was of course the Apollo guidance computer. The first languages had only 4 instructions, later they got even 11 commands. Quite fancy it must have been to program those machines. Then Don Eyles told how they used the languages, and the related programming tools, for really programming the guidance computer, and how they modified the programs literally on-the-fly during Apollo 14. They told the astronauts to change the mode-register (telling which program the computer was to run) to "abort". This made it possible to launch from the Moon. Daring things. Read more about them at Apollo 11 and Other Screw-Up.
Hugh also told, that he used to have a 27-28 hours day cycle, which meant that he had only 6 sleep periods a week, and longer days in between. Since his days did not match with the days of others, he used to call his meals by numbers: "meal 1, meal 2, meal 3". It is unfortunate, that my fixed course schedule prevents me from experimenting with these ideas. Later. (Hugh, Don, and mr Jim Nevins on the left, from left to right)

Daily crono

Days are easy now, almost totally at leisure. I woke up at 9am, had a walk to the bank, not laughing, and to my landlord to pay my rent. Then, working at home until noon, walking to MIT, having lunch from the Chinese truck at Mass 77, the Apollo-lecture, coffee with Bill discussing space issues, walking in the Newbury Street, buying European chocolate at Deluga's, working at home, and later having a drink with Kumar. I got to know, that I got 46 out of 50 in the second ERBA-quiz, which was a good enough reason for having a toast. Later, of course, writing blog.

Strange things in USA, part 7

42. The fact that honesty was not among top-10 values in 2003 survey. This explains, why the current administration can tell any number of lies, and still remain in power. In most other Western countries, they would have to resign. In Finland, the prime minister had to resign after she lies in a parliamentary discussion. 43. The fact that the $100-bill is almost unlegal tender. One of the funniest thing to do is to take say 10 $100-bills, roll them up, and go to some supermarket to buy groceries. Boy, they do get scared. 44. The fact, that showing passport is not enough in the bank. They have to get a signature sample from the branch office, in whick I opened my account. 45. CDs are much cheaper than in Europe. I wonder whether this has something to do with the popularity of iTunes. 46. Not having many cars with diesel engines. 47. Being able to buy melatonin over the counter in drug stores. It is a good sleeping aid, when lean studying gets forgotten, and acute stress attack takes over. 48. Measuring distances between places in hours, not in miles or kilometers. 49. The magazines telling how to end of the world is imminent, now NASA has UFOs, but does not acknowledge that etc. One of the funniest stories I have read so far is this. An alien (from another planet, not from Europe) came to Earth and somehow managed to get a child with a woman in Montana or somewhere in the West. But this was not newsworthy, since apparently this happens all the time over there. The news was that the alien came back, and wanted to see his child, but the woman did not want to show the child to the alien. The alien started to stalk the woman and the child. The woman called the police, who arrested the alien. I have to say that this requires extra-terrestial skills in creative writing.

Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs from May to June 2005".