Space

ColoNoCoHusker said:
A mysterious haze high above Mars has left scientists scratching their heads.
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http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31491805
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My guess? Weed. Space weed.
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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.

 
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ZRod said:
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.
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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.

 
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.

 
ZRod said:
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.
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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.

 
strigori said:
ZRod said:
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.
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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.
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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.

 
ZRod said:
strigori said:
ZRod said:
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

 
Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:
ZRod said:
Through out history exploration and colonization hasn't been just a government funded effort.
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Throughout history exploration and colonization have mostly come on the backs of slavery and genocide as well though =/
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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.

 
Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:
ZRod said:
Through out history exploration and colonization hasn't been just a government funded effort.
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Throughout history exploration and colonization have mostly come on the backs of slavery and genocide as well though =/
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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.

 
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ZRod said:
Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:
ZRod said:
Through out history exploration and colonization hasn't been just a government funded effort.
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Throughout history exploration and colonization have mostly come on the backs of slavery and genocide as well though =/
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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.
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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.

 
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