News Retired NASA astronaut charged with murder in DUI crash that killed 2 young sisters

[Urwumpe]

That's a bit weird because in my mind the most important aspect of murder is intent. :blink:

Intent yes, but not alone. You can intentionally kill somebody without committing a murder.

That is why the statement "All soldiers are murderers" is wrong, but legal in Germany (Protected by freedom of speech), while calling a soldier personally a murderer is a wrongful accusation.

 

[RisingFury]

Combining sleeping pills and alcohol is also known to be suicidal... can't really imagine an astronaut to do that accidentally.

Apparently a lot of astronauts have trouble sleeping as one of the side effects of space flight. NASA has a bunch of recommendations on what to do in that case. I wonder if it didn't work.

Or it could just be the obvious: Alcohol + sleeping pills = bad judgement, which lead to a car crash.

 

[Enjo]

I didn't post the name because he's kind of famous (for me at least) and very recognizable from the picture (the one on the left anyway...). But yeah, I could have posted the name... sorry.

It's OK. Quite frankly I didn't know him. I just do the maths.

 

[Quick_Nick]

Apparently a lot of astronauts have trouble sleeping as one of the side effects of space flight.

16 years after flight? I don't doubt that he could have hundreds of reasons for having trouble sleeping, but I feel like you're reaching for a connection to his former occupation.

 

[RisingFury]

16 years after flight? I don't doubt that he could have hundreds of reasons for having trouble sleeping, but I feel like you're reaching for a connection to his former occupation.

Maybe not 16 years after, but all this time.

 

[C3PO]

Intent yes, but not alone. You can intentionally kill somebody without committing a murder.

That is why the statement "All soldiers are murderers" is wrong, but legal in Germany (Protected by freedom of speech), while calling a soldier personally a murderer is a wrongful accusation.

I should have added "illegal" to my statement. There are several ways homicide can be legal, like in battle, self defense or execution etc. It has to be unlawful killing to be classified as murder.

 

[Urwumpe]

I should have added "illegal" to my statement. There are several ways homicide can be legal, like in battle, self defense or execution etc. It has to be unlawful killing to be classified as murder.

That is approaching circularity. :lol:

 

[ADSWNJ]

Alcohol + sleeping pills = bad judgement, which lead to a car crash.

Alcohol + sleeping pills = bad judgement, which leads to a car crash + not wearing seatbelts = disastrously bad judgement, which leads to a tragedy.

IMHO, had they been wearing seatbelts, then this is a routine DUI and no major story.

 

[Urwumpe]

IMHO, had they been wearing seatbelts, then this is a routine DUI and no major story.

Maybe with some injuries - crashing at 100 km/h is not harmless. But seatbelts and air bags can do quite some miracles.

 

[Fabri91]

...crashing at 100 km/h is not harmless...

It's mostly a question of how quickly you slow down: for example veering off the road on a highway with proper guard rails and traffic going in one direction separated from the one going the other way is immensely preferable to doing so on one of these roads, despite the much slower speeds.

 

[Urwumpe]

It's mostly a question of how quickly you slow down: for example veering off the road on a highway with proper guard rails and traffic going in one direction separated from the one going the other way is immensely preferable to doing so on one of these roads, despite the much slower speeds.

Generally you can say that unless you are lucky enough to stay on the road and under control, it will be very dangerous. Even leaving the road at 100 km/h is not harmless (unless you are professional Rally driver)

 

[ADSWNJ]

Generally you can say that unless you are lucky enough to stay on the road and under control, it will be very dangerous. Even leaving the road at 100 km/h is not harmless (unless you are professional Rally driver)

Not harmless, of course, but given the perpetrator and the two adults in the car were all wearing seatbelts and all survived with bumps and bruises (and mental scarring for life, sad to say), I think we can reasonable say that the two children would be alive today had their parent (= driver, with responsibility for them) insisted on them being belted up. It's crazy really... 2.50am on a highway, of course you want a seatbelt on because you will be going to sleep.

Autonomous cars, or manual cars with autonomous override ... this is the only long term solution. Silicon brains beat carbon & water brains.

 

[Urwumpe]

Autonomous cars, or manual cars with autonomous override ... this is the only long term solution. Silicon brains beat carbon & water brains.

Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

 

[steph]

Eagerly awaiting the era where cars with collision avoidance get heckled on the road by drivers pretending to crash into them

 

[Star Voyager]

I met Jim 3 years ago at the Atlantis opening at KSC and he was very much a depressed jerk. I asked him a few space-related questions and his response was "I don't like to talk about that stuff anymore".

 

[jedidia]

I asked him a few space-related questions and his response was "I don't like to talk about that stuff anymore".

No sure if that qualifies for being a jerk...

 

[Star Voyager]

I got that impression because we were underneath Atlantis, surrounded hundreds of his colleagues and enthusiasts and he basically walked away after a formal introduction through a friend. If he didn't want to talk, why was he there? It just left a bad taste in my mouth. After reading about this horrific incident, I can't say I was too surprised.

 

[Keatah]

I met Jim 3 years ago at the Atlantis opening at KSC and he was very much a depressed jerk. I asked him a few space-related questions and his response was "I don't like to talk about that stuff anymore".

I'm continually amazed at the amount of "former greats" that don't like discussing the past.

Just recently I experienced the problem with some programmers. Seems like they don't want to even remember past efforts, despite their software having been popular and even still useful today.

If it makes them look like asses, then so be it.

 

[Urwumpe]

Just recently I experienced the problem with some programmers. Seems like they don't want to even remember past efforts, despite their software having been popular and even still useful today.

Trying to get into contact with Derek Smart? :lol:

 

[jedidia]

Trying to get into contact with Derek Smart?

He doesn't strike me as the type who doesn't want to discuss past achievements. Quite the opposite. :lol: