AR Husker Fan Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Massive pre-invasion construction project, I'm thinking... Quote Link to comment
NUance Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 A mysterious haze high above Mars has left scientists scratching their heads. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31491805 My guess? Weed. Space weed. : Quote Link to comment
strigori Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 That would make it even more enticing to the future colonists! http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/02/16/100-finalists-selected-for-one-way-trip-to-mars The Mars One mission is a non-profit group that seeks to begin human colonization of Mars by landing teams of four on the Red Planet beginning in 2024. Quote Link to comment
ZRod Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 So I've been thinking about this lately. It took us about 12 years to get to the moon from when Sputnik was launched. It's been 43 years since we last had a man on the moon yet we haven't even had a manned flight orbiting mars yet. Kind of sad really, especially when you think about the exponential advancement of technology. Quote Link to comment
strigori Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 So I've been thinking about this lately. It took us about 12 years to get to the moon from when Sputnik was launched. It's been 43 years since we last had a man on the moon yet we haven't even had a manned flight orbiting mars yet. Kind of sad really, especially when you think about the exponential advancement of technology. 2 parts. 1 Mars is several orders of magnitude harder to get to. Time wise, and without any gravity, the time spend in space (over a year and a half round trip) has been a serious concern. And 2, the politicians that fund space programs dont want to. Its expensive, and being a bunch of businessmen, they can't see farther than a fiscal year. So long term advances gained mean nothing. Quote Link to comment
ZRod Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I understand both of those issues, and really I think the second one is the only obstacle. We are more than capable of figuring out how to get people there, it's just funding it and having people understand it's important. Quote Link to comment
strigori Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I understand both of those issues, and really I think the second one is the only obstacle. We are more than capable of figuring out how to get people there, it's just funding it and having people understand it's important. See the link I posted a few posts above. Someone does have a plan do go, with the goal of a colony even. We are plagued by moron politicians who ridicule the use of flies in research into genetics. Too often we have people with the mentality that not knowing anything about science or tech is virtue. 1 Quote Link to comment
ZRod Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 I understand both of those issues, and really I think the second one is the only obstacle. We are more than capable of figuring out how to get people there, it's just funding it and having people understand it's important. See the link I posted a few posts above. Someone does have a plan do go, with the goal of a colony even. We are plagued by moron politicians who ridicule the use of flies in research into genetics. Too often we have people with the mentality that not knowing anything about science or tech is virtue. I think that's more of what I was getting at. I think privatization of space travel and exploration is a good thing. Through out history exploration and colonization hasn't been just a government funded effort. But I think the government should have a bigger role in it than we currently do (outside of this world that is). Never has a nation had more capital or opportunity to contribute to exploration than we do now, and all we do is cut funding to it and let the bureaucracy that it's become run unchecked. Quote Link to comment
strigori Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I understand both of those issues, and really I think the second one is the only obstacle. We are more than capable of figuring out how to get people there, it's just funding it and having people understand it's important. See the link I posted a few posts above. Someone does have a plan do go, with the goal of a colony even. We are plagued by moron politicians who ridicule the use of flies in research into genetics. Too often we have people with the mentality that not knowing anything about science or tech is virtue. I think that's more of what I was getting at. I think privatization of space travel and exploration is a good thing. Through out history exploration and colonization hasn't been just a government funded effort. But I think the government should have a bigger role in it than we currently do (outside of this world that is). Never has a nation had more capital or opportunity to contribute to exploration than we do now, and all we do is cut funding to it and let the bureaucracy that it's become run unchecked. Yeah, even with solid private run things, something as massive a project as a traveling through space could really benefit from the gains being backed by a government. I want to slap some sense into people who think endlessly electing businessmen and lawyers into our government is a good thing. We would really benefit from having more engineers involved. People who tend to think long term, and not on a fiscal year basis, or how to "get yours" in any way you can without going to prison. Quote Link to comment
Landlord Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Through out history exploration and colonization hasn't been just a government funded effort. Throughout history exploration and colonization have mostly come on the backs of slavery and genocide as well though =/ Quote Link to comment
strigori Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Through out history exploration and colonization hasn't been just a government funded effort. Throughout history exploration and colonization have mostly come on the backs of slavery and genocide as well though =/ That tended to be more of an end result. Colonies came before slaves, and genocide came from introducing diseases that killed most of the population, and then fighting over the land. So unless we find Martians, I don't see the same results. Quote Link to comment
ZRod Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Through out history exploration and colonization hasn't been just a government funded effort. Throughout history exploration and colonization have mostly come on the backs of slavery and genocide as well though =/ More like what Strig said. I would hope we've learned our lesson and if we did find ETs we would treat less advanced civilizations with the respect every being deserves, but I have my doubts. Quote Link to comment
Landlord Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 Through out history exploration and colonization hasn't been just a government funded effort. Throughout history exploration and colonization have mostly come on the backs of slavery and genocide as well though =/ More like what Strig said. I would hope we've learned our lesson and if we did find ETs we would treat less advanced civilizations with the respect every being deserves, but I have my doubts. We still can't even do that with ourselves. Anyways, the point I was getting at was that in a perfect world, government exists for the protection and prosperity of it's people, and government regulation should, and on rare occasion actually does, go a long way towards that end, whereas a 'free for all' approach would likely have uglier and less humane results. Quote Link to comment
ColoNoCoHusker Posted February 24, 2015 Share Posted February 24, 2015 Some nice vintage Space related images for sale (originals, not repros). Short but cool slideshow in the article http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/24/science/space-photos.html Quote Link to comment
AR Husker Fan Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 Scientists discover black hole so big it contradicts growth theory. Quote Link to comment
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