nudge

Her crash footage still gives me the shivers... Got to admire her love and passion for racing; not everyone would be so enthusiastic about getting back into the car after such an experience. Most professional drivers have such a strong will power and determination in general though... I closely follow Wickens and his way to recovery after that horrific crash, and it's just unbelievable how optimistic and determined he is despite the extent of his injuries and uncertainty of full recovery. Same with Billy Monger. Or Alex Zanardi. Very inspiring.

For some reason I thought you were going in May Disregard all the nature suggestions then; it's going to be way too cold and too grey to enjoy it. Spring is the best for that for sure... I'd probably go to Rotterdam then; that's the next logical choice for that time of year I think.

Yes, directly on the border. I only passed by a few times and that's a long time ago; so can't tell much about it to be honest. Would highly recommend Monschau as an alternative though; it's a small town but very beautiful...

Depends on what you're looking for Chris... Rotterdam is not a particularly beautiful city (unless you like modern architecture), but I personally prefer it over Amsterdam. Good nightlife and friendly people. Less touristy. Haven't been to Alkmaar, definitely go there if you like cheese though Near Amsterdam, you could go to Haarlem and Volendam. Both beautiful and a very local experience. If you're going in May you might as well check Keukenhof gardens in Lisse. Haven't seen anything like that before. Zandvoort is quite nice too. I didn't really like The Hague. Maastricht is very beautiful but it's in the south so a bit longer journey. I spent about two years in North Holland and Friesland and loved it... Mostly for the nature and small towns/villages as there are no big cities there. Frisian islands are nice, but probably still a bit cold and windy in May.

ESA's and Roscosmos' ExoMars mission is arguably more important and promising in terms of searching for traces of life as it's been specifically designed for that and is explicitly focused on searching for biosignatures. Nasa's Mars 2020 rover can detect potential organic compounds in rock samples by taking images and acquiring spectra at various scales, but it doesn't have the tools to perform any sort of biological analysis, so it will be basically collecting and storing interesting rock samples from the best possible sites for eventual sample return to Earth to be examined here (if such sample return mission ever happens). Also, its drill can only dig 6-10 centimeters deep (same as the current Opportunity rover), so it's just scratching the surface which is a very harsh environment for organic molecules to survive due to intense radiation and oxidants. Meanwhile, ExoMars rover has a completely different approach - it has been equipped with a drill that can go as deep as 2 meters (!) so the chances of finding preserved organic compounds are better; and it also has a diverse suite of instruments designed specifically for that, including the most advanced mass spectrometer to be sent to space ever and an analytic instrument called MOMA (Mars Organics Molecule Analyzer) that is able to detect organic molecules at extremely low concentrations and will directly target biomarkers and conduct sample analysis on site.

Not a football forum though...

Sorry... I followed it live yesterday on another forum haha.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo has successfully reached the edge of space and returned back yesterday... Beautiful aircraft; beautiful views

What a brilliant collaboration... Giger's work was amazing. They actually have a museum for him in Switzerland as well as two bars that are decorated true to his style. Here's the original article with some additional photos as well...

Mars Colony Prize - Design the First Human Settlement on Mars The Mars Society is holding a special contest called The Mars Colony Prize for designing the best plan for a Mars colony of 1000 people. There will be a prize of $10,000 for first place, $5,000 for second and $2500 for third. In addition, the best 20 papers will be published in a book - “Mars Colonies: Plans for Settling the Red Planet.” https://www.marssociety.org/mars-colony-prize-design-the-first-human-settlement-on-mars/ Should start working on it @Bluewolf

I'll keep you updated!

Haha, I'll consider it but it's a bit of a detour to be fair... Going to Switzerland on my way back for a few days most likely as well, so will see how much flexibility I have, both financially and timewise... Could do with an Alt and a proper Currywurst though!

I'm going to Europe in May/June, maybe I should fly via Düsseldorf then

A long time ago haha. Left Europe almost 5 years ago, last time in Germany probably 7 years ago.

Geschmackssache... both are nice, I personally prefer Köln. Better beer in Düsseldorf though. I personally prefer Eifel region over everything else in Germany anyway; but that's because I'm just not into cities.

It's probably more like 3-4 hours by train, Chris. I'd go to Köln instead if I were you. Or Eifel for nature.

It's just pointless. Competing in a women-only F3 equivalent series will not help talented female drivers to get into F1. They need to compete with the best and most talented drivers starting from young age (karting) in order to develop their skills and not at a gender-segregation series; you don't get to the top by beating a field of lower-skilled drivers...

I'm surprised (positively) that she's recovering so fast! I mean she's already starting with light training Van Amersfoort Racing missed out on the new F3 series, but that's probably a positive for Sophia as she can continue where she left of. Would have loved to see her in HWA though.

Pretty much hehe

It's just a rebranded FIA Formula 3 European Championship... or rather a successor to it, to be precise, as FIA F3 Europe merges with GP3 in 2019 to form a new FIA Formula 3 Championship which will be an official feeder series to F1 and F2. So the "new" Formula European Masters is still a DTM-supporting Formula 3 category with the same Dallara car.

@Tommy

Hihi

Is this from the Iron Sky?

Secret Nazi moon base for sure