Kon-Tiki

[gfish]

I'm finally reading Kon-Tiki. Three members of the team were recruited via the following letter:

Am going to cross Pacific on a wooden raft to support a theory that the South Sea islands were peopled from Peru. Will you come? I guarantee nothing but a free trip to Peru and the South Sea islands and back, but you will find good use for your technical abilities on the voyage. Reply at once.

Sigh. Someday, if I am very lucky, I will either send or receive a message like that.

Comments

[koruja.livejournal.com]

Perk Up Little Camper, someday you will, someday you will :)

[dymaxion.livejournal.com]

I think if I got something like that, I'd totally assume that it was some bizarre form of spam.

[adularia.livejournal.com]

But on paper?

Would sealing wax help?

[dymaxion.livejournal.com]

On paper, I'd still be pretty suspicious. Sealing wax definitely fixes the "not actually sent by a human" potential.

I think I'm just too paranoid, or something. :-)

[tithonium.livejournal.com]

I am now envisioning some machine that prints incoming spam on parchment with a fountain pen, folds it up, seals it with wax, and sends it to random people.

If I was more bored and a LOT less lazy, I would totally look into this horror.

[dymaxion.livejournal.com]

This gets you half way there: http://www.robots.com/blog.php?tag=53.

Paper folding would be the hardest part. Also, it'd be better to generate your own spam -- you could make it fit in with the context of the medium much better that way.

[gfish.livejournal.com]

Automatic folding is a well solved problem (http://www.amazon.com/MBM-Simplimatic-Folder-Sheets-Minute/dp/B0007TG4ZO/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1200367439&sr=1-5).

[basal-surge.livejournal.com]

But I use sealing wax on my letters all the time. 'tis not actually a task I 'd think you can trust to a robot.

[vixyish.livejournal.com]

Don't be silly. If you got something like that, you'd totally assume that it was from Fishy.

[basal-surge.livejournal.com]

I'd be in for it. T H was a nutter, but he was a keen nutter who did cool stuff.

[maida-mac.livejournal.com]

Dayum. I'd forgotten about that, it's been ages since I've read that. I'd have went in a heartbeat, at least the me of now.

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Change "Peru" for "Mars" and do it reasonably soon, and I'm liable to go with you.

What was that thingy you did on the Vomit Comet? or am I thinking the wrong guy?

[gfish.livejournal.com]

That was GYRE (http://depts.washington.edu/gyre/), a robot for testing visual station-keeping in freefall using compressed air thrusters.

[tfabris.livejournal.com]

Surely you already have? Like, last summer?

[gfish.livejournal.com]

That was a good start, but it wasn't exactly a leap into the unknown. Dozens of people paddle the Mackenzie every year.