The 24 hours of Le Mans (2013)

Thoughts, , ,

I finally made the pilgrimage to Le Mans in France for the 24 hours (motor car race) last month.

I dont know really know what to say about it. Beyond the facade of the history and and the obvious facts about the race I can only try and put it into words what the 24 hours IS, to me anyway.

It is the most pure human and machine pairing in motorsport that I have ever experienced. There is something magical about the progression of time into the night and back into the day. You feel the struggle of the 24 hours just like the drivers and mechanics do, it is a unique experience.

The cars for some reason can quickly become something more than the drivers inside of them, this is an extremely odd sensation, I have never really revered and willed on a racing car before.

Unfortunately during this 24 hours we experienced loss of a drivers life and that was tough to deal with but at the same time I become acutely aware of the reality of motorsport properly for the first time. It really is life in the fast lane, life at the limit, where success and failure stand side by side and control and calculation err more towards chance and luck.

I can’t wait to do it all again.

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You need to play this: Kerbal Space Program (Games)

Games, Space, , ,

OK, this has absolutely nothing to do with my recent space related posts nor does it require you to like any of that kind of stuff, this is a game that is getting peoples attention across the world (the small team of developers are based in Mexico!)

Check out this new promo video, and yes, it really is that cool.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkDOOsGg-9I&hd=1]

If you haven’t guessed this already, It’s a rocket/space flight/space mission etc sandbox simulator/game that can easily suck hours of life out of your day once you get hooked. Think GTA/ Theme Hospital or The Sims for example.

The premise is simple, you are given access to an huge assortment of rocket parts to start with and you build a rocket from scratch snapping appropriate parts together and then you take your creation outside and launch some cute little astronaut beings called “Kerbals” out to space! The simulation aspect to the game is I guess pretty realistic. Achieving orbit took me 5 hours of trial and error, where error equals a horrifying explosion and violent death of your poor Kerbals, always.
Actually, my first time making orbit I somehow overshot the perfect trajectory for earth orbit by carrying too much speed and ended up losing my cute friends in an orbit around the sun, never to return. Ooops.

From your base the universe is your oyster, you can put anything into space providing that you can build a rocket to safely loft into orbit, you can build more rockets, space stations, satellites… whatever. You can also if you wish take your Kerbals out to other planets and land (if you have build a lander that is) and perform whatever wacky assignments you want!

You really need to play it rather than me tell you about it, check out the trailer and if any of it appeals to you at least download the Demo or go ahead and buy the full game for a bargain price of $23 (~£15!)

More information can be found on their website and forums.
http://kerbalspaceprogram.com

These guys are a small team and what they have done and are still doing is something special, and far too much fun.

-R