publius – // aNONradio //

Back in Texas, after failing to do a show last week with no excuse whatsoever, what do I have to say? There is the potential effect of the New Glenn explosion on the just–announced NASA lunar program ; the inexplicable or at least inexcusable proposal for looser driver–licensing in Germany ; and a little “I … Continue reading "ASFO 2026–06–13"

A very ambitious NASA announcement set back by a very big explosion, the end of “Beyond Petroleum” and other items from the Financial Times, some museums in Britain, my further travels, and other notes of interest.

Blackpool again? My recent visit to a Nuklearia meetup, a degree of comeuppance for Gerhard Schröder, various recent industrial accidents, performance–enhancing drugs in sport, and an answer to a question from SDFer jlamothe about the possibilities of nuclear power for the Yukon Territory.

Recent events in Romania once again lead us to question the notion of “economic efficiency”. Does it really make sense to re–define what we consider good to match the outcome of a theory? Also, further travel plans, and a stab at re–formatting the Man and Atom Briefing Book.

Anything but nuclear strikes again, with a proposal to link Canada and Europe by an undersea electric transmission line. The problem is not that this is a bad idea, per se : it is merely a costly and roundabout way of approaching a problem that we already have a more satisfactory solution for. Also, more … Continue reading "ASFO 2026–05–09"

Blackpool, and why I am not likely to visit Pleasure Beach. This episode recorded ex post facto, because I lost track of time while riding the tram system — the only one in Britain to have been spared. From its northern terminus you can see the Heysham nuclear power stations. Also a “Museum of Water … Continue reading "ASFO 2026–05–02"

Britain! The British Museum, and why I can’t get in even though it’s just outside my window… Also a report on my visit to Thurso, at the northern extremity of Britain ; and (continuing from last week’s Pannonian Ethanol) a brief thought about the perhaps–reasonable justifications for the use of biofuels, as opposed to the … Continue reading "ASFO 2026–04–25"

Anything would be a let–down after last week. This show ended up being mostly about my upcoming travel plans in Britain, and some of the interesting industrial museums there, with a mention of something described as a “Luxury Dreadnought”. Also a discussion of the economics of the Eurail Pass, water damage on printed materials, the … Continue reading "ASFO 2026–04–18"

ARTEMIS II grabbed the imagination of the world, but left us with two thoughts. First, that we somehow have all this to do over again ; and second, it sets before us once more the stark choice of what to do with our scientific–technological mastery over the inanimate world.

ARTEMIS II — an opportunity to re–define the First of April, or a golden opportunity for conspiracy nuts? Also, wars and rumours of worse ; and a thought about “financialization” and why it poses a problem in the modern world.

South Australia — not just for sea chanties anymore? Related, petrol rationing in New Zealand, and the difficulty of getting and maintaining political support for slow–maturing measures against problems which appear as occasional crises of moderate duration. Also, Artemis II, supply–chain attacks very literally, re–stranded whales, computer–related (but not –generated this time!) idiocy, and more … Continue reading "ASFO 2026–03–28"

Justus Freiherr von Liebig — why does it always come back to him? Oil refineries burning — who could possibly have foreseen this? A Canadian spaceport… in Nova Scotia? Also, meter–gage railways of provincial Spain, and possible consequences of helium supply constraints. Supplementary Show 2026–03–24 From the 1955 book Atoms for Peace by Donald O … Continue reading "ASFO 2026–03–21"

Tenerife — metacentric height — Artemis II — Ursula van der Leyen’s “strategic mistake” and the predictable German reaction — “Commander in Chief” — Eastercon?

Money museum reviews : Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago — from railroad to whale–road — challenges inherent in using cryogenic methane as a ship fuel — idiocy masquerading as science, with an anti–nuclear payload — more unconscionable, blatantly unlawful, and above all stupid acts of aggression by the present US government…

Congratulations to Électricité de France on reaching 1600 MW of output at Flamanville 3, their first new power reactor in over 20 years, which had an unsurprisingly troubled gestation — condolences to NASA on having to move its Artemis 2 stack back from the pad to the VAB, due to problems with the “interim” cryogenic … Continue reading "ASFO 2026–02–28"

Margaret “Tina” Thatcher, FenCon XXI and their Science Guest of Honor, the difficulties of fitting display materials into a very small borrowed car, and my continuing printer woes take up most of the time this week. Supplementary Show 2026–02–27 (second part) Audio from four new film transfers : Atomic Power Comes of Age, a trailer … Continue reading "ASFO 2026–02–21"