How Does Botany Impact Our Daily Meals?

[D H]

How is that a thorough literature review? Sounds rather lazy!

Aerospace is an anomaly. A good chunk of the knowledge in aerospace is in the heads of those with well-aged flatulence (i.e., the old farts in the company). We can't publish a lot of what we know because of security and ITAR restrictions. The articles that are published pretty much stand on their own merit.

Suppose you come up with a spankin' new spacecraft control algorithm. It doesn't have much to compete with: The phase space control schemes used since the 60s, various optimal control schemes such as H-infinity control, and that's about it. You cite one or two articles on phase space control, one article on basic concepts of optimal control, two or three articles on specific optimal controls, and your done. You don't have to cite the literature on the 'ilities (controllability, stability, fuel frugality, safety, ...) (yes, safety is an 'ility) because everyone who can read your article knows exactly what the metrics are -- and you had dang well better have shown in the text of the article that your spankin' new control algorithm spanks the existing lot of controllers when it comes to the 'ilities.

 

[jim mcnamara]

the only thing worse than biology is botany.

Hey! I resemble that remark. :) Didja ever eat cantaloupe, spaghetti with tomato sauce?
No Botany == no veggies and pretty much no meat either.