I should say that in the matter of the demise of the innocent hikers, I am not convinced that the book has published the last word, the definitive chapter on what happened. I imagine something different. This causes me no distress. The book has been encyclopedic in its presentation of facts, and I will not consider that I have read it thoroughly until a few more go-rounds. My ego need not be stroked constantly.
For instance, the bowl in the snow near the barren tent-site was twice described, but not analyzed, as I recall after one hasty reading. It was perhaps 7-8 meters wide, and from what I recall, a meter deep. This is the profile that one would expect to see if a helicopter is hovering above snow, even perhaps ten to twenty meters above snow. So why don't you set down a helicopter in the snow? It is incredibly dangerous, even to be twenty meters above the ground if there are the risk of down-drafts. And when you set your trusty helicopter down in snow, does it have a special "keel" for landing in snow? Otherwise, it sinks to the level of the firm rock. If that is three meters, the whole body of the helicopter is sunk in the snow to the level of the doors, which is bad. And the main blades and the tail blades get uncomfortably close to the snow. If they touch the snow, they suddenly decelerate, and are flung off, destabilizing the rotor entirely, such that it will explode into shrapnel. Very messy. If you survive, you have to explain this to your chief. Also very messy.
As for phrase "overdetermined system is almost always inconsistent, it has no solution" that is not necessarily true. Overdetermined systems can be congruent. Perhaps what should be thought of is "chaos theory" which insists that infinitesimal variations in starting conditions Within a period called Lyupanov time
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyapunov_time the system becomes chaotic. After a Lyupanov interval has elapsed, one cannot look back and see the starting conditions whatsoever. I am more comfortable with using the understanding of chaos theory in pondering the issues of 1079 than I am with simple linear matrix algebra of overdetermined systems. For anyone who does not find any meaning in this paragraph, don't worry.
It is hard for us now to understand the depth of fear that the name
Lavrenty Beria used to strike into the heart. A story was that Beria had gone to meet Stalin at his dacha, not knowing he was elsewhere. Stalin panicked because Svetlana his daughter was home, and he was afraid Beria would rape her. If you can frighten Stalin, you can frighten anyone.
And as a general observation, I suggest that although farts are flammable, they are not especially useful in illuminating the environment.
Topic: Nigel's thoughts on the book (Read 29152 times)
