OT Things to ponder

[Orm]

If we were to send people on a mission to Mars and the travellers died on the journey, or even after arrival. Wouldn't that be tantamount to murder?

[geofflambert]

It's not as bad as that. It would be like developing Alzheimer's at a tenfold rate or something like that.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

It's not as bad as that. It would be like developing Alzheimer's at a tenfold rate or something like that.

Well. They are sent on a one way mission and not expected to return.

[geofflambert]

Yes and that's not what people really mean by colonization. It is not sustainable. Send all the robots you like, they are not so vulnerable. Their food will be the Sun. They don't get cancer. Their internal systems can be made to be robust rather than delicate, like ours. Mars will never be home to us.

[MakeeLearn]

Space travel is a fantasy. Outside of our earth we are merely playing in the yard. Once it was thought science would explain religion... and it just revealed it as a bigger enigma.

[geofflambert]

We have to be careful about referencing religion. That's as big a boo-boo if not bigger than politics in the forum. Once it was thought by some, but not others. Democritus and Aristotle never thought any such thing.

[MakeeLearn]

....

[geofflambert]

[:)] Knock it off please. Mike Peters as funny as he wants to be could be banned here.

[wdolson]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

We have to be careful about referencing religion. That's as big a boo-boo if not bigger than politics in the forum. Once it was thought by some, but not others. Democritus and Aristotle never thought any such thing.

Matrix kind of frowns on that topic too.

As far as space exploration goes, the crew of a space craft is most vulnerable during a solar storm. The ship's water tanks can be used as a radiation shield. If you know a solar storm is going on, the crew gets into a space in the middle of a toroidal shaped water tank in the center of the ship and waits it out. I believe one

Humans will need to go out into space eventually. The asteroid belt is going to eventually be vital for some materials that are going to run short here on Earth. With our current tech, we can only dabble in space, but someday we will get cheaper ways to get out of this gravity well. SpaceX already has plans to cut the costs to get a load into orbit by a factor of 10. That's the first step.

There has been a lot of talk for decades about building an elevator to get into orbit. It would go from a base on the equator up to a station in geosynchronous orbit. Carbon fiber nonotubes appear to be the key technology to making it possible. No other material we know of is strong enough.

We also need to develop some better drives once we're out of Earth orbit. The chemical rockets we have today won't get us anywhere fast enough. One idea to explore the solar system is to sail on the solar wind. The acceleration is relatively small, but it has the advantage of being constant. To return, you tack into the solar wind like a sailing ship does with normal terrestrial wind.

Humans may not colonize space in our lifetimes, but I think it's likely they will eventually. Economically it's going to become necessary at some point.

Bill

[MakeeLearn]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

[:)] Knock it off please. Mike Peters as funny as he wants to be could be banned here.

I will remove it if its too much,


This is interesting, if it crosses let me know and I will remove it also.

[MakeeLearn]

wdolson

We also need to develop some better drives once we're out of Earth orbit.

One is never out of a orbit. Transitions from orbit to new orbit. Checkout the simulator "Oribitor" its free and shows space travel as it really is.

[geofflambert]

Some things are mostly forbidden here but reinterpreting Michelangelo is way, way beyond the pale. Please remove. [;)]

[MakeeLearn]

Bomber Gas has been a landmark in the Portland area since 1947, when it arrived and became the region's most unusual filling station.

is it still there?

[MakeeLearn]

.....

[MakeeLearn]

one wheel....

[geofflambert]

ORIGINAL: MakeeLearn

.....

Which one is Ben-Hur?

[geofflambert]

A flipping Ford Model A just drove by my house. Have I been caught in a worm hole?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

A flipping Ford Model A just drove by my house. Have I been caught in a worm hole?

Then stop sticking your head down wormholes. Wait for the worms to come out so you can eat them.

[MakeeLearn]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

A flipping Ford Model A just drove by my house. Have I been caught in a worm hole?

Out for a Sunday drive.

Model A production ended in March, 1932, after 4,858,644 had been made in all body styles. 1927-32.

[geofflambert]

That soft chug-chug-chug-chug sounded like an original engine.