And so goes the whole dynamic of the developmental process. You can never say for sure when the thing will be done. You'd think people who are in the business of education and science would understand this concept, but they don't seem to... or at least the ones who hire us don't seem to.
When we first got approached by the group that wanted the orrery, they were looking at one of our mobiles - a free flowing model of the solar system. No motors, no electronics, no precision regarding dates. The planets could swing clockwise or counter, depending on the breeze. You could reach up and bump one and change it's dynamic. They looked at it, loved it and asked "Can you build an orrery?"
We knew we could, so we said "You Bet!", told them it would be developmental and therefore only have an "estimated" delivery date. And how they've complained! Compared us to building contractors that *CAN* set delivery dates - cause they've built however many buildings before, like eight million contractors before them. They are not dealing with developmental. It ain't "off the shelf." You can't go to K-Orrery and pick one up. Wal-morrery is all out of 'em.
The Supercollider can't possibly have a "deliver by" date. The first of anything complex can't. It's the nature of it.
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