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Proud for once ....
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Proud for once ....
... to be human. It is things like this that, for me, make human existance have a purpose:
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Quite how I reconcile this idea with my normal green and sustainable leanings, I am not quite sure
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Quite how I reconcile this idea with my normal green and sustainable leanings, I am not quite sure
Chilli-head- Admin and Boss man
- Posts : 3305
Join date : 2010-02-23
Location : Bedfordshire
Re: Proud for once ....
Yes, it's a remarkable achievement to have something whizzing along for 10 years & land it on a rock millions of miles away.
I find it difficult to get excited about this type of research with the massive cost involved as I can not see any practical application that will help the current or future state of the world. I hope that there is one.
I find it difficult to get excited about this type of research with the massive cost involved as I can not see any practical application that will help the current or future state of the world. I hope that there is one.
Ploshkin- Posts : 1779
Join date : 2013-07-18
Location : Mid Wales
Re: Proud for once ....
The nature of science is a search for knowledge and understanding, not solutions for immediate problems. But without knowledge and understanding you can't solve problems. It particularly irks me that whenever there is a "big science" story on the BBC, there will always be rush of comments to the effect of "What good does it do ? We should spend it on healthcare / feeding the starving / ..." Without science there would be no healthcare, and a lot more people starving.
So much has been gained by the sciences of the vey big and the very small. Consider a current problem (sorry for the pun) - a child swallows a button battery. The effect of the electric current on wet body tissues will quite likely cause terminal bleeding. Using our understanding of quantum tunneling, a rather special coating is in development that only conducts electricity under the pressure of the battery contacts, and not in the gut. Without the abstract understanding of quantum mechanics, which was most likely very expensive to verify, we would not know where to start.
Should Earth be threatened by a large impact from space, the ability to land something on a comet might suddenly have a very interesting application, no ?
So much has been gained by the sciences of the vey big and the very small. Consider a current problem (sorry for the pun) - a child swallows a button battery. The effect of the electric current on wet body tissues will quite likely cause terminal bleeding. Using our understanding of quantum tunneling, a rather special coating is in development that only conducts electricity under the pressure of the battery contacts, and not in the gut. Without the abstract understanding of quantum mechanics, which was most likely very expensive to verify, we would not know where to start.
Should Earth be threatened by a large impact from space, the ability to land something on a comet might suddenly have a very interesting application, no ?
Chilli-head- Admin and Boss man
- Posts : 3305
Join date : 2010-02-23
Location : Bedfordshire
Re: Proud for once ....
Thank you CH for putting a different perspective on this for me. I was of a similar, non-excited, view as Dandelion, but you've just helped me look at the bigger picture.
I think my biggest concern about any type of space travel/research is just human condition that causes us to take something over, bleed it dry and move on. I feel strongly that we should be learning to live within our means in the place we call home. However, your comments put a different slant on that for me now - doesn't change how I feel, but can see that, without trying, we can never know.
I think my biggest concern about any type of space travel/research is just human condition that causes us to take something over, bleed it dry and move on. I feel strongly that we should be learning to live within our means in the place we call home. However, your comments put a different slant on that for me now - doesn't change how I feel, but can see that, without trying, we can never know.
freebird- Posts : 2244
Join date : 2011-10-19
Age : 67
Location : Powys
Re: Proud for once ....
Chilli-head wrote:
Should Earth be threatened by a large impact from space, the ability to land something on a comet might suddenly have a very interesting application, no ?
That was what occured to me when we heard the news: it could have interesting applications. I assume that the science needs a bit more refining and honing, but it's a start.
Dandelion- Admin
- Posts : 5416
Join date : 2010-01-17
Age : 67
Location : Ledbury, Herefordshire
Re: Proud for once ....
Bit of a digression, but for fathers' day C-H Jnr bought me a CD of "Rosetta" by Vangelis, the composition of which was inspired by this mission. Very good choice
Chilli-head- Admin and Boss man
- Posts : 3305
Join date : 2010-02-23
Location : Bedfordshire
Re: Proud for once ....
Isn't it nice when your kids start to make thoughtful choices. Enjoy the music.
freebird- Posts : 2244
Join date : 2011-10-19
Age : 67
Location : Powys
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