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Apollo 14 50th anniversary images find Alan Shepard's ball and how far he hit it

bbc.com

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Re: Apollo 14 50th anniversary images find Alan Shepard's ball and how far he hit it

#51

Post by sebmellen »

ISL wrote: post #6
sebmellen wrote: post #2

For those who want the TLDR: > "We can now fairly accurately determine that ball number one travelled 24 yards, and ball number two travelled 40 yards," says Cheshire-based Saunders, who has been working with the United States Golf Association (USGA) to mark the anniversary. > "Unfortunately, even the impressive second shot could hardly be described as 'miles and miles and miles', but of course this has only ever bee…

The entire second half of the article is devoted to that question.

Sorry, completely missed that. I was looking for that section but the large picture on my phone's screen somehow "signaled" the end of the article to my brain. Thanks for the heads up :)

Re: Apollo 14 50th anniversary images find Alan Shepard's ball and how far he hit it

#52

Post by sebmellen »

cooperadymas wrote: post #7
sebmellen wrote: post #2

For those who want the TLDR: > "We can now fairly accurately determine that ball number one travelled 24 yards, and ball number two travelled 40 yards," says Cheshire-based Saunders, who has been working with the United States Golf Association (USGA) to mark the anniversary. > "Unfortunately, even the impressive second shot could hardly be described as 'miles and miles and miles', but of course this has only ever bee…

This is the problem with DR... > While those distances may appear underwhelming, it is still an astonishing feat by Shepard > The pressurised suits severely restricted movement, and due to their helmet's visors they struggled to even see their feet. > I would challenge any club golfer to go to their local course and try to hit a six-iron, one-handed, with a one-quarter swing out of an unraked bunker. > Then imagine b…

Thank you, I missed that part of the article entirely.

I was on my phone, and scrolled down to read the article, but those images took up a large part of the screen and I sort of half-consciously took that to signal the end of the article, thus prompting me to ask here.

Re: Apollo 14 50th anniversary images find Alan Shepard's ball and how far he hit it

#54

Post by jamestimmins »

ryandrake wrote: post #29
hedora wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment reminds me of this book: https://time.com/3910020/the-over-parenting-trap-how-to-avoi... > So imagine how surprised I was to discover among my more affluent, well-connected students a growing number who seemed to be lacking the ability to make their way independently in the world, as, frankly, 18-22 year olds always had been able to do and just as crucially, used to desire to do. I’m deliberately being v…

I don't know if this dean's observation is about helicopter parenting or risk aversion as much as it's about how bifurcated and ultra-high stakes the university/credential-pedigree system has become, and how essential it is to optimize for a certain outcome at all costs. When I was high school age, the A students went to good universities and generally ended up with a good professional career, the B students went to…

I understand your point, but don't think the Walmart/Meth comparison is fair. Walmart is full of hardworking people doing honorable work that provides for their families and contributes to their communities.

Re: Apollo 14 50th anniversary images find Alan Shepard's ball and how far he hit it

#55

Post by sebmellen »

favorited wrote: post #5
sebmellen wrote: post #2

For those who want the TLDR: > "We can now fairly accurately determine that ball number one travelled 24 yards, and ball number two travelled 40 yards," says Cheshire-based Saunders, who has been working with the United States Golf Association (USGA) to mark the anniversary. > "Unfortunately, even the impressive second shot could hardly be described as 'miles and miles and miles', but of course this has only ever bee…

It's impressive if you're 40 yards from the pin! But no, it would not be very long on Earth. A Par 4 hole would usually be between 300-470 yards from the mens' tees.

Much appreciated, this is what I was looking for. Turns out the article answered my question in more depth but I missed that part and thus the downvotes.

Re: Apollo 14 50th anniversary images find Alan Shepard's ball and how far he hit it

#56

Post by KMag »

sharadov wrote: post #32
ryandrake wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know if this dean's observation is about helicopter parenting or risk aversion as much as it's about how bifurcated and ultra-high stakes the university/credential-pedigree system has become, and how essential it is to optimize for a certain outcome at all costs. When I was high school age, the A students went to good universities and generally ended up with a good professional career, the B students went to…

I agree, I've some nephews/nieces in college and was talking to their parents about why they were getting them to start applying for tech internships in freshman year, sounded absurd to me. And I was telling them how they should be more adventurous with where they want to work and live after they graduate. But all they wanted to do was work in Silicon Valley ( they grew up around here, so I thought they would want to…

I see what you did there. Very subtle and gentle correction of the GP's misunderstanding of the phrase.

Re: Apollo 14 50th anniversary images find Alan Shepard's ball and how far he hit it

#57

Post by ryandrake »

jamestimmins wrote: post #54
ryandrake wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know if this dean's observation is about helicopter parenting or risk aversion as much as it's about how bifurcated and ultra-high stakes the university/credential-pedigree system has become, and how essential it is to optimize for a certain outcome at all costs. When I was high school age, the A students went to good universities and generally ended up with a good professional career, the B students went to…

I understand your point, but don't think the Walmart/Meth comparison is fair. Walmart is full of hardworking people doing honorable work that provides for their families and contributes to their communities.

Agreed--not making them equivalent. It's a deliberately wide spectrum for folks with few opportunities. The overall point is that what the dean perceived as risk aversion may instead be the chilling effect of the growing lack of opportunity for all but the top 1% of the next few generations. If people want to nit pick about two words, I can't stop them.

Re: Apollo 14 50th anniversary images find Alan Shepard's ball and how far he hit it

#58

Post by eecc »

mandevil wrote: post #19
throwaway0a5e wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I suspect that it's more a generational thing than an occupational one. I've met a couple of test pilots from the '90's and '00's and they were the some of the most by-the-book people I've ever met, they were meticulous and followed their steps precisely, even for quotidian things like making breakfast or pitching a tent. The people who were test pilots in the 90s were people who succeeded under a system of massive…

And test pilots regularly died in the old system, and come home to their children in the current one, so I prefer the current one. The point is that it isn't "they were test pilots, so crazy" it is "in the 1950's and 1960's a lot more death was accepted and because of that, the standards were lower."

In the 60s you needed some crazy cowboy to try and fly a brick strapped to a gas tank. Today you simulate what happens on a Dell laptop and that’s that.

Re: Apollo 14 50th anniversary images find Alan Shepard's ball and how far he hit it

#59

Post by m4rtink »

jamestimmins wrote: post #9

I wonder if things like this would ever happen now. The original Mercury and Apollo astronauts were Air Force test pilots, a group known for picking and choosing which rules they wanted to follow. Sneaking a golf club aboard, not to mention the possibility of falling and tearing his suit, is a non-trivial risk. It's hard to imagine that culture of risk taking still exists, but at the same time, that culture may be wh…

Yea, like launching a car in space on an interplanetary trajectory complete with a mannequin in a space suit at the driving wheel! Completely unthinkable nowadays! ;-)

Re: Apollo 14 50th anniversary images find Alan Shepard's ball and how far he hit it

#60

Post by simonh »

hedora wrote: post #12
jamestimmins wrote: post #9

I wonder if things like this would ever happen now. The original Mercury and Apollo astronauts were Air Force test pilots, a group known for picking and choosing which rules they wanted to follow. Sneaking a golf club aboard, not to mention the possibility of falling and tearing his suit, is a non-trivial risk. It's hard to imagine that culture of risk taking still exists, but at the same time, that culture may be wh…

Your comment reminds me of this book: https://time.com/3910020/the-over-parenting-trap-how-to-avoi... > So imagine how surprised I was to discover among my more affluent, well-connected students a growing number who seemed to be lacking the ability to make their way independently in the world, as, frankly, 18-22 year olds always had been able to do and just as crucially, used to desire to do. I’m deliberately being v…

There's a British children's adventure film called "Swallows and Amazons". A family of children want to go on a sailing trip without adult supervision to camp on an island. Their mother sends a telegram to her husband, who's an officer on a navy ship asking his advice (or permission, it was another time). He sends a telegram back "If not duffers won't drown, if duffers better drowned".
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