Nuclear Iran

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has responded to the latest IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) report on Iran's nuclear programe, saying that Iran will not cease its nuclear development programme.

Reach for the sky

I found this House of Commons parliamentary paper when looking for something else. It was the title "Report from the Select Committee on Sky-writing"that grabbed my attention and from then on I was captivated by it. The item is from a bygone era compared to nowadays where we are so used to all sorts of technology and advertising.
The Committee that produced this paper was appointed to consider the use of appliances for projecting writing, and other displays on the sky, or for broadcasting speech or other sounds from aircraft.
The Committee, when discussing smoke writing, sees no harm in this and indeed states that “perhaps only in a small measure, provides employment for pilots.”
However, private sky writing should be prohibited on a Sunday and in certain cases when there are parades and demonstrations.
However, Sky shouting did not have such a favourable result, it had not met with commercial success in foreign countries, and “in any case the objectionable character of sky shouting as described by those who have heard it, is beyond question.” Raucous noise therefore would be forced on anyone whether they would wish it or not so the committee put its foot down on that idea.
Night sky writing has a number of problems associated with it, clouds are needed, but not all clouds will do plus there was the problem about timing, in the summer it is too light.
There is also a danger for coastal navigation. It is a shame that the estimated time of one hour per night that is suitable for sky projection could not be checked by the Committee.
There are 186 pages of evidence that goes with the report not even including the appendixes.
This House of Commons paper was no 95 in session 1931-32 and was printed on 23rd June 1932.