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YES!

5 (9.4%)

Only if I could turn it off.

16 (30.2%)

Would it hurt?

3 (5.7%)

NO. The rise of the machines & all that.

4 (7.5%)

NO. I'm a Luddite (I'm posting this via snail mail)

4 (7.5%)

No. Just, no.

14 (26.4%)

IT'S A CARTOON!

0 (0%)

Waffles. Definitely Waffles.

0 (0%)

I'd prefer something Bluetooth instead.

2 (3.8%)

Is that a Nook, a Kindle or an iPad Hanners has?

5 (9.4%)

Total Members Voted: 51

[jwhouk]

I'm thinking more of suite-like quarters - a second set of bunk beds on a common wall, where the two sets are like berths in a sleeper train, with a doorway or a common bathroom between the two.

I still think she's got a "normal" room, whereas the guest ones are a bit smaller - they don't have to be heated/cleaned/whatevered as much, saving energy.

(EDIT: Notice also that the Lt.'s bunks had built-in drawers, while Marigold & Marten's had a separate "chest".)

Now for all the geeks out there - was Marigold's "fall" worse in the artificial 1g than it would have been on Earth?

[jwhouk]

Also - I would disagree with Hanners. Even if you're tethered in a bag, it would probably feel a lot like sleeping on a waterbed. Which would sound, at least to me, like a good deal.

[RyanW1019]

Although wouldn't it be awful to be strapped in so tightly that you couldn't move around? I know I often get uncomfortable lying in the exact same position for 20 minutes before I fall asleep.

And if the gravity is the same, there should be no difference. If anything, there's a greater likelihood that her fall would have been worse on Earth (i.e., the station might not be rotating fast enough to generate 1 full g, but is almost certainly not rotating faster than necessary for 1 g).

[Akima]

Ouch! That's a nasty head first fall for Marigold. Even if Marten had super-fast reflexes, and facing the way he is, he'd only have seen Marigold falling at the last moment, I doubt he could had done anything effective.

Oh, and according to the Spincalc, the minimum radius for a comfy 1g environment in a spinning station is about 224 meters. It's easily smaller for weaker gravity.

Spincalc obviously runs with an assumption that 2rpm is comfortable. My much larger estimate was based on the 1rpm that is generally quoted for comfort even of "highly susceptible" individuals. And yes, Atomic Rockets is a fantastic site, though nearly as much of a time-sink as TVTropes.

Now for all the geeks out there - was Marigold's "fall" worse in the artificial 1g than it would have been on Earth?

Marigold would have fallen in a curved path instead of straight down, but she'd hit the floor just as hard. We don't know how the room is oriented in relation to the space station's spin, so we don't know whether the curve would be "along" the front of the bunks, away from the bunks, towards the bunks etc. If I have to guess, I'd go for the bunks being set "across" the direction of spin with Marten facing "down-spin". Marigold would be used to "down" being straight down, whereas the pseudo-gravity acting on her as she climbed into the bunk would have been "pulling" her backwards slightly, which no doubt caused her fall in the first place.

Edit: See Section 5 of this article.

[Is it cold in here?]

Does the fact that guests have to double up mean that lots of people have come on board for the party?

[Soulsynger]

I'm torn... what is it? Does Marigold just have a bit too much weight for her arms to hold onto a ladder or does she simply lack motor control? Oo

And well... the top bunk is a butt and Marten is also a butt. (for not helping)

[Schmorgluck]

Spincalc obviously runs with an assumption that 2rpm is comfortable. My much larger estimate was based on the 1rpm that is generally quoted for comfort even of "highly susceptible" individuals. And yes, Atomic Rockets is a fantastic site, though nearly as much of a time-sink as TVTropes.

Spincalc definitely needs an update, its most recent scientific source dates as far back as 1985.

[JonathanXS]

Chalk another one up for craaaaaaaaaaaazy faces!

[no one special]

I had a bunk bed as a kid - the upper bunk had a rail on it.  I always appreciated that; too bad Hannelore didn't have one 

[Is it cold in here?]

Isn't Hannerdad from a generation which would be disturbed by assigning unrelated people of the opposite sex to the same bedroom?

[TinPenguin]

Hannerdad also invented sentient robots and lives on a space station. I don't think he is a typical representative of his generation.


Edit: Also, I wouldn't be surprised if his work on gendered AnthroPCs might have affected his attitude towards gender in humans.

[pwhodges]

I'm that generation and see no problem with it - especially in such a constrained environment.  I see it as no different from the sharing that was inevitable in the cabins when I trekked up Mount Kenya.

[Border Reiver]

sleeping alcove suck, and so does the top bunk. 

[WAYF]

It's a bed, with a ladder!!

I honestly can't help but think about what could be happening back on Earth right now...

[Deadlywonky]

Angus walking around with another condom on?

[Sylentknight]

Male and female astronauts don't sleep separately as yet, considering the cost, every square inch of space is utilized. There's also a expected amount of maturity. That's not to say Jeph won't have some fun with this situation.

[RyanW1019]

My theory: although most people are getting distracted by the "lol Marigold falling" hilarity, Jeph is using this ("this" being Marten and Marigold sleeping separate from Hanners) as a way to isolate Hannelore, so she can go have some serious dialogue/character development with her dad. Thoughts?

[DSL]

Isn't Hannerdad from a generation which would be disturbed by assigning unrelated people of the opposite sex to the same bedroom?

Doubt HannerDad involves himself much in bunk assignments. Betcha Station handles that, and is unconcerned at best and in it for the laffs at worst.

 @Ryan: One can hope, but Jeph's driving this bus. Ship. Whatever. I can't imagine he'd pass this up, but he's been known to tease the fans before.

To those objecting to the possibility of Maurice being Lt. Potter's Dad -- maybe she gets her looks from her Mom. It happens. But it's firmly in the fun repeat fun speculation stage, for the purposes of the caption contest.

[Mr. Doctor]

I don't know about you guys but I found the position of the ladder very awkward... Making it more difficult to get to the top bunk than it needs to be. First... the ladder is besides the bed. I've always seen the ladder to be on the side where the feet are supposed to be and connecting both bunks... Like this.

/rant

[CompSarge]

I don't know about you guys but I found the position of the ladder very awkward... Making it more difficult to get to the top bunk than it needs to be. First... the ladder is besides the bed. I've always seen the ladder to be on the side where the feet are supposed to be and connecting both bunks... Like this.

/rant

I've seen recessed bunks with ladders off to the side before. Can't remember where it was (it was a while ago), but they exist.

[jwhouk]

The bunks are built-in, so you'd expect the ladders (like the ones leading from the central hub) to be "built in" as well.

They're also probably recessed for safety, in case there's a loss of spin.

EDIT: Found something similar from a New Zealand furniture maker.

[jwhouk]

What Kind of a Space Station IS this?

One that needs more cookies.    - 12 (19%)
One that needs more girl scouts.    - 4 (6.3%)
Next up - the local barista brews virtual java!    - 1 (1.6%)
The Major is a former hipster.    - 2 (3.2%)
The Major is an AnthroPC!    - 0 (0%)
The Major knows Pintsize.    - 3 (4.8%)
There really aren't that many Military people on board.    - 8 (12.7%)
The station cook is also in charge of bioscience!    - 6 (9.5%)
Big Reveal: Hanners was born at Disneyland!    - 0 (0%)
Fort Courage has nothing on this place.    - 0 (0%)
Nor does the 4077th.    - 3 (4.8%)
Waffles!    - 4 (6.3%)
Where's Pintsize in all this?    - 5 (7.9%)
Or at least, why no APC's?    - 4 (6.3%)
Monty Python Skit Dead Ahead!    - 7 (11.1%)
I sued Ben Affleck - aw, do I even need a reason?    - 4 (6.3%)

Total Voters: 63

[Mr. Doctor]

Found something similar from a New Zealand furniture maker.

Well that looks good... But in this case it worked pretty bad for Marigold since it seems the ceiling high enough to make her move easier.

[Is it cold in here?]

Marigold could have been put in a cot in Hannelore's quarters: Hannelore has said she couldn't handle a permanent roommate, but she's had a sleepover on her couch.

So maybe Jeph's point is indeed to see what Hannelore does in isolation.

Suddenly I'm getting mental pictures of Station singing child Hannelore to sleep. He must have been a parent figure: always there, providing for her materially.

[Carl-E]

Singing, or just playing some mp3's of lullabys? 

[slydon]

Meh. This joke fell a little flat there.

[Skaltura]

.. I see what you did there.

[ecstaticjoy]

Marten looks really good in that color. Is that weird to say?

[Kugai]

Hmmmmm

MariBear is definitely not a Top Bunk Person - as much as she'd like to be   

As for Marten not doing something to break her fall, I think he was just caught by surprise - as you can see on his face - that she fell at all.  One of those 'Deer In Headlights' moments.

[Method of Madness]

Marten looks really good in that color. Is that weird to say?

[moderator]Nah, you're alright.[/moderator]

Also, re: zero g sleep.  Rather than being tethered, I'd want a bed with a mattress both below and above me.

[LTK]

When you're weightless, there is no above or below. And I'd find it rather hard to breathe when sandwiched between two mattresses. Ever tried sleeping between two pillows?

I think the biggest problem with zero-G sleep is that any movement against a solid surface ejects you from your place. So to sleep comfortably you'd either have to be restrained, like in a tethered sleeping bag or just roped against the bed, or sleep while floating freely, so there's no net force pushing you anywhere. I'm honestly curious as to how comfortable the latter would be. If you managed to stay still in space, can you find a position that's comfortable to sleep in without any force acting on your body?

[Sorflakne]

Implying that sleeping quarters are at a premium despite the size of the station, thus re-raising the question of why Lt. Potter's quarters are so large.

She's an officer.  Officers get bigger and/or better quarters.

[Skaltura]

Lt is the lowest (2nd Lt) or second lowest (1st Lt) commissioned officer rank there is, these guys usually don't get private quarters.

[J]

could be that station's just not really set up for guests, so personnel quarters are allocated a more generous parcel of space than guest quarters.

[jwhouk]

could be that station's just not really set up for guests, so personnel quarters are allocated a more generous parcel of space than guest quarters.

Which is probably why there haven't been too many birthday parties for the boss, either.

Even with the layout and size of the ship that I've posited over in the Spinning Station thread, there's still not a whole lot of room for people on the ship.

EDIT: It would also appear that she's low person on the totem pole. If the Station has a military presence aboard, it's probably a.) not that many people, and b.) made up of officers, not NCO's.

[jwhouk]

Comic Up.

...Okay, so I think I know what the next poll will be: "How many of you WANT that Intracranial Communcations Unit installed?"

EDIT: So there's no misconstruing - that's Hanner's iPad and/or eReader she's holding. Relatively primitive technology.

[WAYF]

Hannelore looks really good in blue!

Also, AIs need to stop being so elitist about technology.
Interestingly, Hannelore called it "racism"... Are machines divided up into races based on what kind (and how artifically intelligent) they are?

Has anyone thought of the possibility that Beatrice might show up to this party? Or would that be too awkward?

[jwhouk]

Racism? I don't see her saying that...

[WAYF]

#1001:

Winslow: Why the heck do you people still use machines that can't think?

Hannelore: Winslow, don't be racist!

Incidentally, I would say no to an intracranial communications unit. Aside from anything else, you can log in and out of Twitter, you can stop talking, and you can hang up a phone. But an intracranial communicator would be far more difficult.
For example, I deleted my Facebook account once it became apparent that I wasn't getting anything out of it. I don't think opting out of intracranial communicators would be nearly so easy.
Also, it would be lodged inside your brain and that gives me serious shivers.

[jwhouk]

#1001:

Winslow: Why the heck do you people still use machines that can't think?

Hannelore: Winslow, don't be racist!

Ohhhhhh... I think that's the opinion of AI's towards non-sentients. Kinda the same way we have opinions towards our computers or TV's.

[jwhouk]

Simple Question: Top or Bottom Bunk?

Top Bunk.    - 6 (28.6%)
Bottom Bunk.    - 2 (9.5%)
Either.    - 3 (14.3%)
Neither - I hate bunk beds.    - 1 (4.8%)
I'd rather sleep on the floor.    - 1 (4.8%)
Waffles!    - 1 (4.8%)
Tethered in Zero G!    - 7 (33.3%)

Total Voters: 21

[Carl-E]

Seems I am unique. 

Then again, I can sleep anywhere, anytime, including standing up (for short periods of time). 


Re: Intercranial communications devices. 

Since they exist, someone  must have wanted them.  But how do you avoid the whole "voices in my head" thing? 

[Is it cold in here?]

Station asks for explicit permission before appearing in front of Hannelore, but not from Lt. Potter.

[LTK]

Seems I am unique.  

Then again, I can sleep anywhere, anytime, including standing up (for short periods of time).  


Re: Intercranial communications devices.  

Since they exist, someone  must have wanted them.  But how do you avoid the whole "voices in my head" thing?  

Don't see what you mean. We have small in-ear speakers already, and those don't make us go crazy. Intracranial communication just saves you the trouble from converting your information into another medium, and lets it go straight from electromagnetic waves to neuron firing patterns without having to go through air first. People with cochlear implants have this already.

But since QC is in the future, their intracranial communication devices might also be able to transmit images, video, smells, tastes and tactile sensation. Maybe even abstract thought patterns! I'd sign up for that in a heartbeat.

[DSL]

Well, Hanners clearly wears the pants in this relationship (even moreso with Spaceship ...)

More serious  thought ... this is what a confident Hanners looks like when the confidence isn't simulated by  meds. Very good.

[Oh dear]

Station asks for explicit permission before appearing in front of Hannelore, but not from Lt. Potter.

Not to mention that he can scan anyone down to molecular level, and already did (at least for Marigold and Marten)... why does he have to ask if she's decent first? Plus, the hologram isn't needed for him to be there, it's just a physical illusion, no? Or is Station different from Spaceship? I assume since he's not a real person and also not taking secret naked pictures to put all over the net that there's not really a necessity for that kind of etiquette. Although I guess it's still polite? I would think it would be seen as more necessary for first time visitors to be asked than people who've lived there for a while and are used to Station.

I think I am overanalyzing things.

[Soulsynger]

Intracranial communications? ... like... Twitter and Facebook in your head? Oh, this HAS to be a marketing thing. (scheme) °O

[ ... ] Maybe even abstract thought patterns! I'd sign up for that in a heartbeat.

This is an Ian M. Banks~ian nightmare.
I shudder to think about the possibilities of manipulation inherent in this. (similar to viruses, only in an argumentative way... flawless reasoning can be deadly)

[Is it cold in here?]

I think I am overanalyzing things.

You are in the right place!

Maybe Station doesn't feel free to switch on his cameras in Hannelore's room until he gets permission? And to fit human social norms, he makes himself visible if he's looking at someone?

Hannelore is looking confident now, but she's in an environment full of psychological triggers. One stray smell, one charged word, and she could have a flashback. I hope she doesn't.

[Akima]

Well, Hanners clearly wears the pants in this relationship (even moreso with Spaceship ...)

Station appeared to be terrified at the possibility that Hanners was still angry with him (I use the male gender because that's how he chooses to present himself).

[J]

Station asks for explicit permission before appearing in front of Hannelore, but not from Lt. Potter.

Not to mention that he can scan anyone down to molecular level, and already did (at least for Marigold and Marten)... why does he have to ask if she's decent first? Plus, the hologram isn't needed for him to be there, it's just a physical illusion, no?

simplest answer would probably be that he's required to follow some sort of rules regarding privacy & etiquette when interacting with people. for example: he might not be allowed to track people around the station without a reason, or directly observe people without making his 'presence' known via a projection.