| |
KB2VXA > INFO 08.10.09 11:25l 40 Lines 1993 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 2943_VK2WET
Read: GUEST
Subj: Re: G6XCJ > wave
Path: IZ3LSV<IK2XDE<DB0RES<OE6XPE<UA6ADV<CX2SA<VK2DOT<VK2TV<VK2WET
Sent: 091008/0049Z @:VK2WET.#MNC.NSW.AUS.OC #:2943 [Kempsey, QF68KV] $:2943_VK2
From: KB2VXA@VK2WET.#MNC.NSW.AUS.OC
To : INFO@WW
Hi Rodge and all,
Where is the bridge crew? There is the captain and his mate, one on the
bridge at all times minding the computer running the ship and geneally
bored silly. When it comes to ferries and the like going into and out of
the slip is a manual operation but while underway the computer is at the
helm guided by GPS. With large non passenger ocean going vessels there is
also a skeleton crew aboard mostly doing nothing until they're hijacked
by Sumali pirates when they're locked up somewhere below deck. The only
time they're busy is while in port working with the shore crews dealing
with cargo. There is no radio room anymore either, that's all telefax and
sat phone. As a matter of fact I just happened to speak with the last
shipboard operator, a Polish fellow on his last voyage who was a ham, I
believe it was on 20M back in 1999. He wasn't too pleased being forced
into retirement, mostly he was wondering what he would do next, some I
guess really miss the sea which was their home and their life.
Not to worry, not only are modern systems reliable and have plenty of
backup, ships are just as safe or dangerous as they always were. Now if
you want to worry about something the next time you hop a plane, remember
the pilot only takes off and lands it, all the rest of the time it's a
robot at the controls. It's perfectly capable of takeoff and landing too,
the only reason there's anybody in the cockpit is because people are
scared. Alright, I'd be scared too if my flight ran into a flock of birds
over New York and ditched in the Hudson River, somehow I think that
situation would be awfully confusing to a robot.
I leave you with this thought, many of today's subways and shuttle trains
have no crew aboard, they're run entirely by a central computer.
73 de Warren
Station powered by JCP&L atomic energy, operator powered by natural gas.
Message timed by NIST: 00:49 on 2009-Oct-08 GMT
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
