agent69
Member of DD Central
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Post by agent69 on Nov 19, 2024 23:14:08 GMT
I've always thought that space exploration is a waste of money. However, I am fascinated by the Universe. is what's brought us a huge amount of modern communication and science. Without it, we wouldn't have a fraction of modern communications. We wouldn't have GPS - both on a consumer level and on a commercial one, with huge increases in efficiency and accuracy in everything from construction to farming to logistics. We wouldn't have so much of our knowledge of the universe that you find fascinating. We wouldn't have so much awareness of climate change. There's a very, very long list of things built on space exploration... I accept that the side effects of space exploration have been a number of useful inventions. However, I question whether those same inventions couldn't have been made at a fraction of the cost without it. My issue with space exploration is that it consumes mind boggling amounts of money trying to answer questions that nobody cares about. So just a few examples:
- Did the universe begin with a big bang 13.7m years ago?
- How big is the Universe?
- What is the ultimate fate of the universe?
- Our galaxy is heading for a collision with our nearest neighbour, when will it occur and what will it be like?
- How many planets in the Univers have intelligent life on them. Which one is closest?
- How long will it be before the sun expands and fries the entire contents of the Earth?
- Where abouts in the Universe is the biggest black hole?
The problem with all of this is the scale of things. The farthest man made object from Earth is the Voyager 1 space probe. It has been heading away from Earth at 60,000 kmph for the best part of 50 years. Even though it's 25 billion km from Earth, it will take another 70,000 years to get to the next nearest star. I've just seen the latest SpaceX launch and it uses the same basic propulsion unit that Frank Whittle invented in the 1930's. Don't waste your money on space rockets and fancy telescopes, spend it on inventing a new propulsion system that will go 1000 times faster than a jet engine.
There are probably billions of planets out there with intelligent life on them, but it's all a bit academic given we have no chance of ever meeting them. Even if you could travel at the speed of light it would still take 11 years to get to the first planet that might have life on it, and over 50 billion years to get to the far side of the Universe. It's all a waste of money.
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adrianc
Member of DD Central
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Post by adrianc on Nov 19, 2024 23:40:33 GMT
I've just seen the latest SpaceX launch and it uses the same basic propulsion unit that Frank Whittle invented in the 1930's. It... doesn't. Whittle was behind early development of the jet engine. Jet engines require atmospheric oxygen to work, so don't work in spacecraft. Spacecraft use rockets, which carry all their own propellant internally. They have a history going back to the 4th century BC, but modern engines owe most to the work of Robert Goddard in the 1920s. But they have developed quite a lot since then...
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registerme
Member of DD Central
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Post by registerme on Nov 20, 2024 0:49:27 GMT
It's all a waste of money. What little value you place on wonder  .
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Post by crabbyoldgit on Nov 20, 2024 6:13:10 GMT
But what worries me in the wee small hours is that Betelgeuse is due to go bang. Overdue.  do not worry about Betlegeuse it is to far away to cause trouble and if it is trouble it will come at the speed of light so we will all be dead before we know anything about it. |
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Post by bernythedolt on Nov 20, 2024 22:37:04 GMT
"Space exploration" is what's brought us a huge amount of modern communication and science. Without it, we wouldn't have a fraction of modern communications. We wouldn't have GPS - both on a consumer level and on a commercial one, with huge increases in efficiency and accuracy in everything from construction to farming to logistics. We wouldn't have so much of our knowledge of the universe that you find fascinating. We wouldn't have so much awareness of climate change. There's a very, very long list of things built on space exploration... I accept that the side effects of space exploration have been a number of useful inventions. However, I question whether those same inventions couldn't have been made at a fraction of the cost without it. My issue with space exploration is that it consumes mind boggling amounts of money trying to answer questions that nobody cares about. So just a few examples:
- Did the universe begin with a big bang 13.7m years ago?
Ooh, ooh, I can answer that one. No. 13.7m yrs ago, the dinosaurs had long since died out. The mammals that existed back then were quite pleased, celebrating the 52 millionth annual extinction remembrance of their erstwhile fearsome predators, thanking their gods for the massive asteroid strike a mere 52 million years earlier that finally saw them off. 13.7 bn yrs ago though, that was a very different kettle of fish. 
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michaelc
Member of DD Central
Say No To T.D.S.
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Post by michaelc on Nov 20, 2024 23:10:13 GMT
"Space exploration" is what's brought us a huge amount of modern communication and science. Without it, we wouldn't have a fraction of modern communications. We wouldn't have GPS - both on a consumer level and on a commercial one, with huge increases in efficiency and accuracy in everything from construction to farming to logistics. We wouldn't have so much of our knowledge of the universe that you find fascinating. We wouldn't have so much awareness of climate change. There's a very, very long list of things built on space exploration... I accept that the side effects of space exploration have been a number of useful inventions. However, I question whether those same inventions couldn't have been made at a fraction of the cost without it. My issue with space exploration is that it consumes mind boggling amounts of money trying to answer questions that nobody cares about. So just a few examples:
- Did the universe begin with a big bang 13.7m years ago?
- How big is the Universe?
- What is the ultimate fate of the universe?
- Our galaxy is heading for a collision with our nearest neighbour, when will it occur and what will it be like?
- How many planets in the Univers have intelligent life on them. Which one is closest?
- How long will it be before the sun expands and fries the entire contents of the Earth?
- Where abouts in the Universe is the biggest black hole?
The problem with all of this is the scale of things. The farthest man made object from Earth is the Voyager 1 space probe. It has been heading away from Earth at 60,000 kmph for the best part of 50 years. Even though it's 25 billion km from Earth, it will take another 70,000 years to get to the next nearest star. I've just seen the latest SpaceX launch and it uses the same basic propulsion unit that Frank Whittle invented in the 1930's. Don't waste your money on space rockets and fancy telescopes, spend it on inventing a new propulsion system that will go 1000 times faster than a jet engine.
There are probably billions of planets out there with intelligent life on them, but it's all a bit academic given we have no chance of ever meeting them. Even if you could travel at the speed of light it would still take 11 years to get to the first planet that might have life on it, and over 50 billion years to get to the far side of the Universe. It's all a waste of money.
1/ How big is it? Couldn't it be infinite? i.e. as big as you can possibly imagine can never be anywhere near big enough. 2/ Isn't it possible that even if there is intelligent life, that that life is so much more intelligent than us that we probably wouldn't want to meet them? i.e. If they are to us as we are to slugs, I don't think I would like to "meet" them.
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Post by bernythedolt on Nov 20, 2024 23:19:18 GMT
Not in the news as such, but mildly amusing (to my warped sense of humour anyway). I walked past (an ostensibly) homeless beggar today, sitting on the pavement in the freezing cold snap that’s descended upon us. Naturally felt sorry for him, but at the same time being aware that some do it as a disgusting scam to cheat money out of people. Instead of money, I asked if he was hungry. “Yes”, he said. “Ok, I’ll get you a sandwich, what would you like?”. “Chicken”, came the reply. I popped into Waitrose, spotted a really appetising looking chicken & bacon sandwich, drink and crisps deal for a fiver. Thinking of his well-being, though, *something* made me stop and swap it for a healthier chicken & salad sarnie. Upon return, based on skin hue and language, it suddenly dawned on me this chap down on his luck was quite likely a muslim. He took a really good look at the sandwich too (presumably to ensure no bacon…..) Thank goodness my sixth sense had kicked in! Just how low would it have felt to have offered a hungry muslim beggar a chicken & bacon?  Lucky break for me... and I wish the same for him too. |
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benaj
Member of DD Central
N/A
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Post by benaj on Nov 21, 2024 5:44:59 GMT
I searched about “Alex Jones” this morning. Obviously, there must be many Alex Jones living on this planet and duckduckgoose digged up an old article from 2017.
But I never expected anything like this for “Alex Jones”
“Alex Jones bares all as she strips totally NAKED in boob-baring charity calendar“ 🤣
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Post by bracknellboy on Nov 21, 2024 8:56:03 GMT
Not in the news as such, but mildly amusing (to my warped sense of humour anyway). I walked past (an ostensibly) homeless beggar today, sitting on the pavement in the freezing cold snap that’s descended upon us. Naturally felt sorry for him, but at the same time being aware that some do it as a disgusting scam to cheat money out of people. Instead of money, I asked if he was hungry. “Yes”, he said. “Ok, I’ll get you a sandwich, what would you like?”. “Chicken”, came the reply. I popped into Waitrose, spotted a really appetising looking chicken & bacon sandwich, drink and crisps deal for a fiver. Thinking of his well-being, though, *something* made me stop and swap it for a healthier chicken & salad sarnie. Upon return, based on skin hue and language, it suddenly dawned on me this chap down on his luck was quite likely a muslim. He took a really good look at the sandwich too (presumably to ensure no bacon…..) Thank goodness my sixth sense had kicked in! Just how low would it have felt to have offered a hungry muslim beggar a chicken & bacon? Lucky break for me... and I wish the same for him too. Good for you for the thought to get him something. And to follow through. Kudos sir. Double Kudos for making it a Waitrose meal deal and not an Aldi one Yesterday when I went into Tesco's there were two guys at one of the self service checkouts. One of them was unkempt and had an duvet wrapped around his shoulders (in rather good nick, so I wonder whether he had been recently given it). The other was an everyday Joe. I guessed this guy was doing similar. That sight combined with the current cold snap made me immediately think of when I was up in Manchester for a few days for a trade show. When the Beast from the East was in full flow. Some sad sights on the streets despite the initiatives to help the homeless during that storm. It seemed to me too that homelessness had significantly increased from a few years previously as well.
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adrianc
Member of DD Central
Posts: 9,978
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Post by adrianc on Nov 21, 2024 8:57:40 GMT
I searched about “Alex Jones” this morning. Obviously, there must be many Alex Jones living on this planet and duckduckgoose digged up an old article from 2017. But I never expected anything like this for “Alex Jones” “Alex Jones bares all as she strips totally NAKED in boob-baring charity calendar“ 🤣 Whatever floats your boat. 
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