01-20-2004, 05:21 AM | #161 | |
Elf Lord
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There is another pipe dream here, which you acknowledge: the attraction of space exploration. I understand that, and share it. It may even be the most important benefit to us as a species (i.e. a collective sense of adventure). Thinking about that feeling, one of the things it gives is tremendous confidence in humanity's technological capabilities, which I would argue is misplaced. From this comes the sense that we can solve all of our problems with technology. While this may be true, if we don't manage to redirect the collective political will in the right areas, your great- (x N) grandchildren are not going to be around to enjoy their holidays on Mars. |
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01-20-2004, 09:49 AM | #162 | |
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01-20-2004, 02:15 PM | #163 | |
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01-20-2004, 05:06 PM | #164 |
Elven Warrior
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Re: Do we still need a space program?
When we stop reaching for the stars, we may as well turn off the life support machine and stop bothering to potter around on this tiny planet - let's leave the Earth to the mice or dolphins and hope that they will have a strong enough spirit of adventure to lead this planet's inhabitants into the future.
In short, the long term future of mankind is out there, not sitting here on this pretty, but truely tiny and exhausable little rock. |
01-22-2004, 06:03 PM | #165 | |
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The Spirit Rover may be dead. There was something going on that interfered with communications- but now they haven't heard anything from it in 24 hours. What is up with that planet?
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01-22-2004, 06:39 PM | #166 | |
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Don't you still have another lander that's going to land soon?
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01-22-2004, 06:46 PM | #167 | ||
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01-22-2004, 08:27 PM | #168 |
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Just goes to show you doing remote control work on a distant planet is really REALLY hard. no other way to put it. yer gonna have a lot of failures no matter what. This is kind of why some people argue for manned missions despite the expense. But unfortunately the enthusiasm for that has already vanished like the wind after Bush's big speech on it. freaking tease...
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01-23-2004, 08:20 AM | #169 |
Elf Lord
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Really? That's genuinely surprising.
Although I have argued against manned missions, I agree with your comment there that having a human to hit Ctrl-Alt-Del would be infinitely better (in functional terms). Computers are just very fast idiots, after all. |
01-23-2004, 11:25 AM | #170 |
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the cost of a manned mission has a very high price tag as far as cost alone. That's why the unmanned missions are favored, even though they are pricey, they don't cost nearly as much. On the other hand, machines only do what you tell them to do. They do not improvise. A manned mission has more of a chance for success than an unmanned one.
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01-23-2004, 01:32 PM | #171 | |
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Still, I don't favour a manned mission to a planet where we can't even keep a robot operating for a certain period of time just yet. It's too great a risk.
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01-23-2004, 02:22 PM | #172 |
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I wonder if that thing was using Microsoft software. Might explain a few things...
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01-23-2004, 02:44 PM | #173 |
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If space exploration is going to be judged on 'price' or 'cost' alone, we really had better give up now. In the foreseeable future, there is no way that the cost will be outweighed by the benefits obtained. But in the long term (and I mean after all of those currently registered on the Moot have been dead for many, many years) our decendants will look back and thank us for spending those dollars.
If the Pilgrim Fathers had thought about the cost, would there be an America now? |
01-23-2004, 05:36 PM | #174 |
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NASA got signals again! (only lasted about 10 minutes though)
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01-23-2004, 05:57 PM | #175 |
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This is good news because it could mean the problem is software related and not hardware related. Which would mean it would be more fixable. Its so bizare though. Working fine then garbage then silence for days. then... communication. All I know is if the next thing we hear from the rover is "My God, it's full of stars!" Im hiding under the bed.
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"People's political beliefs don't stem from the factual information they've acquired. Far more the facts people choose to believe are the product of their political beliefs." "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Last edited by Insidious Rex : 01-23-2004 at 06:02 PM. |
01-24-2004, 09:18 AM | #176 |
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I'm sorry, did I misunderstand....? Is this a thread on "do we need a space program?" or is it a thread on "how's the Mars Mission going?" Someone do tell....
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01-24-2004, 12:20 PM | #177 |
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I think you can tuck them both under the same umbrella really. But feel free to make another thread if you want to seperate general space exploration from specific mars exploration. I dont see the point though.
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"People's political beliefs don't stem from the factual information they've acquired. Far more the facts people choose to believe are the product of their political beliefs." "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Last edited by Insidious Rex : 01-24-2004 at 12:21 PM. |
01-24-2004, 03:45 PM | #178 | |
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01-24-2004, 05:11 PM | #179 |
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Because like I said I dont see the point. But heres one for you: what is the prime purpose of doing something like this (exploring mars)? Does there need to be an immediate benefit from it or should it be a more long term focus?
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01-24-2004, 05:29 PM | #180 |
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I don't see the point either. The two are hand in hand. The Mars Rover one will have a quick death anyway. We should just have this one to discuss Space Exploration.
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