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Mad Scientess Jane Expat

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Can Europe Probe Uranus? [20110104|16:11]
Mad Scientess Jane Expat
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[the weather today is |tittering]
[with a hint of |Centhron - Dreckstrueck]

I defy anyone to be able to read this promotional blurb in National Geographic about the proposed Uranus Pathfinder mission with a straight face.

Europe Asks If It Can Probe Uranus


Choice quote: Considering the vast distances, we've got a decent start on accumulating facts about the seventh planet. But according to [lead project scientist Chris] Arridge, "we've only really scratched the surface of Uranus."
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Comments:
[User Picture]From: ginasketch
2011-01-04 16:09 (UTC)
bahahaha
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[User Picture]From: innerbrat
2011-01-04 16:16 (UTC)
Uranus has the most powerful known winds in the solar system.
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[User Picture]From: ginasketch
2011-01-04 16:22 (UTC)
That part made me giggle the most. I am 12.

Edited at 2011-01-04 04:22 pm (UTC)
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[User Picture]From: chickenfeet2003
2011-01-04 16:24 (UTC)
Me too! I also liked:

"Uranus has two sets of rings, and the outer set is brightly colored"
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[User Picture]From: ginasketch
2011-01-04 16:26 (UTC)
AHAHAHA i totally missed that. Dammit, I'm not immature enough. Must work on that.:(
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[User Picture]From: nanila
2011-01-04 16:28 (UTC)
You should all be ashamed of yourselves. ASHAMED. :D
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[User Picture]From: ginasketch
2011-01-04 16:30 (UTC)
Without a bright companion such as Jupiter, Uranus can be fairly hard to spot.
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[User Picture]From: becala
2011-01-04 17:17 (UTC)
Damn it, people already singled out the 4 quotes I zeroed in on immediately.
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[User Picture]From: nanila
2011-01-05 20:53 (UTC)
You should see the full proposal. It's priceless.
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[User Picture]From: becala
2011-01-05 20:57 (UTC)
When I was in Catholic school, we had to do an open-topic research paper/presentation for English class, and the captain of the football team chose Uranus as his topic. I think I made it halfway through without cracking up. It was when he started a sentence with, "If you were to dig a hole in Uranus..." that I lost it.
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[User Picture]From: sneakypeteiii
2011-01-04 18:56 (UTC)
Some jokes never get old. May Uranus forever be a planet that captures our desire for something that is "so big...I can't believe it's just so round...it's like, out there!"
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[User Picture]From: nanila
2011-01-05 20:54 (UTC)
Uranus looks like one of those rap guy's girlfriends!
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[User Picture]From: melissa_maples
2011-01-04 19:56 (UTC)
"One of the big mysteries about Uranus is that it doesn't emit much heat at all."
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[User Picture]From: nanila
2011-01-05 20:56 (UTC)
Uranus should be hotter.
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[User Picture]From: doccy
2011-01-04 20:30 (UTC)
*winces* They've scratched the surface of Uranus? Surely that would hurt. Have they looked at investing in some kind of topical cream?

Also... Voyager 2 "paid Uranus a visit"?? Is that code for "booty call"? o_0
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[User Picture]From: nanila
2011-01-05 20:57 (UTC)
Are you suggesting that Uranus would like us to use lube if we're going to penetrate further into its interior?

You're probably right.
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From: pbristow
2011-01-04 21:08 (UTC)
[TRIES NOT TO SPILL BEER WHILE WIPING TEARS FROM EYES/LEGS]
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[User Picture]From: nanila
2011-01-05 21:00 (UTC)
As long as you don't get beer on Uranus, it's OK.
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[User Picture]From: bryangb
2011-01-04 23:38 (UTC)
LOL! How did they get this one past the editor??
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[User Picture]From: nanila
2011-01-05 21:01 (UTC)
Probably because it's a genuine proposal!
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[User Picture]From: bryangb
2011-01-05 21:35 (UTC)
I mean all the innuendoes!
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[User Picture]From: nanila
2011-01-05 21:54 (UTC)
Answer remains the same!

I don't think it's possible to write about Uranus without someone managing to perceive innuendo, so I suspect they just ran with it.
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[User Picture]From: seismic
2011-01-07 02:44 (UTC)
I managed but it took me a number of tries and using my stuffy announcer voice!
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[User Picture]From: nanila
2011-01-07 16:55 (UTC)
Oh, well done. I still haven't been able to make it all the way through without sniggering.
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