This Isn't the Petition Response You're Looking For 191
New submitter fractalVisionz writes "The White House has officially responded to the petition to secure resources and funding to begin Death Star construction by 2016, as previously discussed on Slashdot. With costs estimated over $850,000,000,000,000,000 (that's $850 quadrillion), and a firm policy stating 'The Administration does not support blowing up planets,' the U.S. government will obviously decline. However, that is not to say we don't already have a Death Star of our own, floating approximately 120 miles above the earth's surface. The response ends with a call to those interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields of study: 'If you do pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field, the Force will be with us! Remember, the Death Star's power to destroy a planet, or even a whole star system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force.'"
Little worried about their science credentials... (Score:3, Informative)
FTA "Even though the United States doesn't have anything that can do the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs..."
Parsec [wikipedia.org] is a unit of length!
Z
Re:Little worried about their science credentials. (Score:3, Informative)
/wooooooooooooooooosh
Re:Little worried about their science credentials. (Score:5, Informative)
You're on Slashdot and you don't recognize this line?
Besides, the use of distance instead of time has been widely explained:
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Parsec [wikia.com]
Or, the put it in terrestrial terms, imagine that the Kessel Run has to cross a sea with a giant whirlpool vortex - a more capable ship (or a risk taking captain) can skirt closer to the whilrpool, so a captain could boast that he did the Kessel Run in only 12 leagues while others take the longer way around.
Re:Nice (Score:4, Informative)
$850 quadrillion is chump change to Disney.
Disney makes $9billion in profit annually. To put that in perspective, Oracle makes $8billion, Intel makes $12billion, Apple makes more than that in a quarter (in fact, Apple could buy Disney with the cash they could have in the bank). Phillip Morris made $8billion, and AIG made $17billion. FYI