I think the point defense laser system nets are cooler, but that works too I guess.
The Science Thread
I consider myself a rabid science enthusiast even though I'm studying Business Finance and Statistics. This seems like a good thread, especially since so much science journalism is apparently written by people who have no knowledge of science (see recent reports on quantum entanglement communication and solid state light for example) or statistical design (several recent rather amateurish psychology papers I've read), this could be a good thread to talk and discuss things.
I myself have been interested in sustainable energy (isn't everyone lol) and propulsive mechanisms for space travel. Ion engines, space sails, nuclear engines, VASIMIR rockets, conventional redox engines, maybe a mix of all of the above.
Same here, mate. Although I do have IT amongst my papers, I am not too sure how much that would count.
So I'm just going to drop this question here in light of Obama's recent declaration that we're somehow getting to Mars by 2030--
Should we try to go to Mars right now? Why or why not?
So I'm just going to drop this question here in light of Obama's recent declaration that we're somehow getting to Mars by 2030--
Should we try to go to Mars right now? Why or why not?
Going to Mars would the start of an amazing adventure. Sending Apollo 11 to the Moon was one of the biggest steps humanity took and it was instrumental in sparking people's interest in Science and Technology. Sending a manned mission to Mars would be an even bigger step.
Secondly, the sense of discovery and exploration. Despite all that we've discovered about the Red Planet and whether or not it's possible for organic life to thrive in the Martian environment, sending a manned mission to Mars would answer a lot of questions that are currently unanswered.
Also, how cool it would be to step on the surface of Mars and gaze out into the depths of Space, knowing that the shining dot on the horizon is our home-planet. Plus, the possibility of discovering the ruins of a long-dead Civilization appeals to the inner sci-fi geek in me, however unlikely it may be.
NASA estimates that the estimated cost is around 500 billion dollars. Lot of money. Could maybe create more tangible change by using it here on Earth to help people (I also believe in going to Mars, just playing devil's advocate here).
That's true. Clean, sustainable sources of energy, tackling global warming, world-hunger and preserving endangered flora and fauna take precedence over Space Exploration.
On the other hand, problems we solve by going to Mars can help accelerate technology back on Earth (just look at the ridiculous number of useful patents NASA filed during the Apollo missions). I think the problems dealing with the psychological problems (one of the if not THE greatest issue) especially could break major ground here on Earth.
I didn't quite grasp your last statement, friend. Perhaps a bit more elaboration?
The psychological problems with going to Mars, i.e, how to make people get along with each other when they're basically spending 3 years in cramped quarters doing nothing at all. The pursuit of solving that problem might lead to better antidepression medication, or better treatment for social disorders such as autism, or other such things. Similarly, scientists trying to overcome the challenge of going to the moon created many new scientific technologies and applications that were useful on Earth.
First home use approved walking aid for physically handicapped people. Next comes futuristic body armor with high tech exoskeletons.
What is the speed of dark? What is the speed of ignorance? Watch and find out.
I liked this video. Especially the last 5 min of the video.
Anyone have any thoughts on the Radio Frequency resonant cavity thrusters (the alleged "impossible engine") a NASA research team is working on? The tests they recently ran are very interesting, even though they're far from conclusive.
Here's a snippet from the published test results:
"Test results indicate that the RF resonant cavity thruster design, which is unique as an electric propulsion device, is producing a force that is not attributable to any classical electromagnetic phenomenon and therefore is potentially demonstrating an interaction with the quantum vacuum virtual plasma." source
Anyone have any thoughts on the Radio Frequency resonant cavity thrusters (the alleged "impossible engine") a NASA research team is working on? The tests they recently ran are very interesting, even though they're far from conclusive.
Here's a snippet from the published test results:
"Test results indicate that the RF resonant cavity thruster design, which is unique as an electric propulsion device, is producing a force that is not attributable to any classical electromagnetic phenomenon and therefore is potentially demonstrating an interaction with the quantum vacuum virtual plasma." source
This is almost surely not going to work. I certainly wouldnt bet any money on it. On the face of it, it violates the conservation of momentum, which isnt going to happen. I mean, there would have to be some seriously exotic and unknown physics going on for this to work.
If I did have to bet money, I'd bet that the (incredibly small) thrust they're seeing is simply a fault or lack of alignment in their test device.
This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that some person comes along with a device or tech that seems to violate a law of physics. It happens pretty regularly in fact. It's a curiosity, but it wont lead anywhere.
Look at what two years on Mars did to the Curiosity Rover
http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/20/6046609/its-hard-out-there-for-an-interplanetary-robot
Humanity will take to the cosmos soon enough, with all the confidential stuff the govt has hidden I would be surprised if they hadn't already. I keep getting this strong feeling that there are military bases on the moon and that the military was at Mars long before the public got there. God knows whether Obama already plays poker with the alien minister every Saturday night.
Humanity will take to the cosmos soon enough, with all the confidential stuff the govt has hidden I would be surprised if they hadn't already. I keep getting this strong feeling that there are military bases on the moon and that the military was at Mars long before the public got there. God knows whether Obama already plays poker with the alien minister every Saturday night.
While I agree that humanity will one day be out there exploring the stars, I have to say I'm not with you on the other stuff. =)
Humanity will take to the cosmos soon enough, with all the confidential stuff the govt has hidden I would be surprised if they hadn't already. I keep getting this strong feeling that there are military bases on the moon and that the military was at Mars long before the public got there. God knows whether Obama already plays poker with the alien minister every Saturday night.
While I agree that humanity will one day be out there exploring the stars, I have to say I'm not with you on the other stuff. =)
Well just my opinion though, no harm in having one right? I hope we'll have a Mass Effect universe with humanity at the center soon. We might even have "speciesm" soon (does that even exist). Followed by super soldiers and Commander Shepards.
Humanity will take to the cosmos soon enough, with all the confidential stuff the govt has hidden I would be surprised if they hadn't already. I keep getting this strong feeling that there are military bases on the moon and that the military was at Mars long before the public got there. God knows whether Obama already plays poker with the alien minister every Saturday night.
While I agree that humanity will one day be out there exploring the stars, I have to say I'm not with you on the other stuff. =)
Well just my opinion though, no harm in having one right?
Not at all. The more opinions the better. =)
Humanity will take to the cosmos soon enough, with all the confidential stuff the govt has hidden I would be surprised if they hadn't already. I keep getting this strong feeling that there are military bases on the moon and that the military was at Mars long before the public got there. God knows whether Obama already plays poker with the alien minister every Saturday night.
While I agree that humanity will one day be out there exploring the stars, I have to say I'm not with you on the other stuff. =)
Well just my opinion though, no harm in having one right?
Not at all. The more opinions the better. =)
You're clearly one of the smartest people I've ever met on Comic Vine, its refreshing to get away from the drag of ignorant fanboys and trollers on youtube once in a while. Your wisdom should be shared with everyone.
Man this thread has been dead lately. =(
Here's something to think about. The Saturn V rocket that we used to go to the Moon was basically one giant bomb, weighing 3,000 lbs, most of it similar to high explosives. Check it out:
Science is too methodical at times, but too much of that has also given breaktroughs in the most unexpected ways.
@willpayton: I don't know if you have ever seen this image of Saturn's solar eclipse but I thought this is really cool.
@willpayton: I don't know if you have ever seen this image of Saturn's solar eclipse but I thought this is really cool.
I have. Yes, it's absolutely beautiful!
Do you think that cell phone use causes brain cancer?
Watch this video if this concerns you, and find out.
http://knowledgenuts.com/2014/03/24/the-weird-science-and-fringe-theory-of-deja-vu/
http://knowledgenuts.com/2015/02/03/you-have-to-turn-on-your-memory-to-make-it-work/
http://knowledgenuts.com/2014/03/30/human-brains-have-nearly-unlimited-storage/
http://knowledgenuts.com/2015/02/02/the-men-who-poisoned-themselves-for-food-safety/
@willpayton: science is fun :)
I love this thread. ^_^
Probably the best debunking of any Ancient Astronaut/Alien theory, I've ever seen. @willpayton, thoughts?
Aliens exist
Course they do. It would be a matter of hilarious stupidity to think that humans are the sole 'intelligent' species in the Universe.
Aliens exist
Course they do. It would be a matter of hilarious stupidity to think that humans are the sole 'intelligent' species in the Universe.
In the grand scale of things. Earth is just a tiny proton on a speck of dust floating in an ocean that is part of a giant sea.
Aliens exist
Course they do. It would be a matter of hilarious stupidity to think that humans are the sole 'intelligent' species in the Universe.
In the grand scale of things. Earth is just a tiny proton on a speck of dust floating in an ocean that is part of a giant sea.
Poetic! But true.
Although the Ancient Astronomer theory is pure hogwash....as evidenced by Mr. Tyson's short lecture in the video above. :D
Aliens exist
Course they do. It would be a matter of hilarious stupidity to think that humans are the sole 'intelligent' species in the Universe.
In the grand scale of things. Earth is just a tiny proton on a speck of dust floating in an ocean that is part of a giant sea.
Poetic! But true.
Although the Ancient Astronomer theory is pure hogwash....as evidenced by Mr. Tyson's short lecture in the video above. :D
I'm at school so I can't watch it right now/ I'll watch when I get home :)
I love this thread. ^_^
Probably the best debunking of any Ancient Astronaut/Alien theory, I've ever seen. @willpayton, thoughts?
He's absolutely right. The human brain is great as interpreting very complex scenes and actions. But those same abilities that evolved over millions of years also have their weaknesses, biases, and blind spots. Part of why it's good is that it has a tendency to make up stories to explain things. Many times those stories are right and help us navigate the world, but those stories can also fail miserably and give us wrong information and beliefs.
This is why science has a whole process for how we collect, deal with, interpret, and replicate data. Science is based on the idea that humans are unreliable and fallible creatures. That's why science works, even in spite of how susceptible we are to being wrong.
As far as do aliens exist and are visiting us... yes I believe that there's life on other planets in our galaxy, but no I dont believe we've been visited by them. Certainly if they did come here they woudlnt be interested in kidnapping random people and performing weird experiments on them... or on cows, or whatever.
@willpayton:- Again, imo, the best explanation as to why we haven't been able to make contact with other extra-terrestrial civilizations. Kinda scary if you think about it.
http://news.yahoo.com/signs-alien-life-found-2025-nasas-chief-scientist-212655192.html
Signs of Alien Life Will Be Found by 2025, NASA's Chief Scientist Predicts
Humanity is on the verge of discovering alien life, high-ranking NASA scientists say.
"I think we're going to have strong indications of life beyond Earth within a decade, and I think we're going to have definitive evidence within 20 to 30 years," NASA chief scientist Ellen Stofan said Tuesday (April 7) during a panel discussion that focused on the space agency's efforts to search for habitable worlds and alien life.
"We know where to look. We know how to look," Stofan added during the event, which was webcast live. "In most cases we have the technology, and we're on a path to implementing it. And so I think we're definitely on the road."
Former astronaut John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, shared Stofan's optimism, predicting that signs of life will be found relatively soon both in our own solar system and beyond.
"I think we're one generation away in our solar system, whether it's on an icy moon or on Mars, and one generation [away] on a planet around a nearby star," Grunsfeld said during Tuesday's event.
Many habitable environments
Recent discoveries suggest that the solar system and broader Milky Way galaxy teem with environments that could support life as we know it, Grunsfeld said.
For example, oceans of liquid water slosh beneath the icy shells of the Jupiter moonsEuropa and Ganymede, as well as that of the Saturn satellite Enceladus. Oceans covered much of Mars in the ancient past, and seasonal dark streaks observed on the Red Planet's surface today may be caused by salty flowing water.
Further, NASA's Curiosity rover has found carbon-containing organic molecules and "fixed" nitrogen, basic ingredients necessary for Earth-like life, on the Martian surface.
Farther afield, observations by NASA's Kepler space telescope suggest that nearly every star in the sky hosts planets — and many of these worlds may be habitable. Indeed, Kepler's work has shown that rocky worlds like Earth and Mars are probably more common throughout the galaxy than gas giants such as Saturn and Jupiter.
And just as the solar system is awash in water, so is the greater galaxy, said Paul Hertz, director of NASA's Astrophysics Division.
The Milky Way is "a soggy place," Hertz said during Tuesday's event. "We can see water in the interstellar clouds from which planetary systems and stellar systems form. We can see water in the disks of debris that are going to become planetary systems around other stars, and we can even see comets being dissipated in other solar systems as [their] star evaporates them."
Looking for life
Hunting for evidence of alien life is a much trickier proposition than identifying potentially habitable environments. But researchers are working steadily toward that more involved and ambitious goal, Stofan and others said.
For example, the agency's next Mars rover, scheduled to launch in 2020, will search for signs of past life and cache samples for a possible return to Earth for analysis. NASA also aims to land astronauts on Mars in the 2030s — a step Stofan regards as key to the search for Mars life.
"I'm a field geologist; I go out and break open rocks and look for fossils," Stofan said. "Those are hard to find. So I have a bias that it's eventually going to take humans on the surface of Mars — field geologists, astrobiologists, chemists — actually out there looking for that good evidence of life that we can bring back to Earth for all the scientists to argue about."
NASA is also planning out a mission to Europa, which may launch as early as 2022. The main goal of this $2.1 billion mission will be to shed light on the icy moon's potential habitability, but it could also search for signs of alien life: Agency officials are considering ways to sample and study the plumes of water vapor that apparently erupt from Europa's south polar region.
In the exoplanet realm, the agency's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), an $8.8 billion instrument scheduled to launch in 2018, will scope out the atmospheres of nearby "super-Earth" alien planets, looking for gases that may have been produced by life.
JWST will scan the starlight that passes through the air of super-Earths, which are more massive than our own planet but significantly less so than gaseous worlds such as Uranus and Neptune. This method, called transit spectroscopy, will likely not work for potentially habitable Earth-size worlds, Hertz said.
Searching for biosignature gases on small, rocky exoplanets will instead probably require direct imaging of these worlds, using a "coronagraph" to block out the overwhelming glare of their parent stars, Hertz added.
NASA's potential Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope, which may launch in the mid-2020s if given the official go-ahead, would include a coronagraph for exoplanet observations.
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