Space and Astronomy Megathread (MERGED)

[Matt]

Meh, notify me when something really exciting happens. Like actual alien contact.

This is the problem with this space program. Nothing is gained by it. We've spent billions of dollars to get some blurry pictures of rocks. Scientists will now take years debating whether or not the patterns on the blurry rocks actually mean anything and ultimately, the answer will just be "maybe, so let's spend billions of more dollars on another mission so we can get more inconclusive evidence!"

 

[Duke]

So, is this the catalyst for an alien invasion?

 

[obin_gam]

Hooray for science! This is great!

 

[SuperFerret]

Meh, notify me when something really exciting happens. Like actual alien contact.

This is the problem with this space program. Nothing is gained by it. We've spent billions of dollars to get some blurry pictures of rocks. Scientists will now take years debating whether or not the patterns on the blurry rocks actually mean anything and ultimately, the answer will just be "maybe, so let's spend billions of more dollars on another mission so we can get more inconclusive evidence!"

Seriously.

I find it strange how many people are freaking out with excitement over this, many of whom never expressed any interest in astronomy before. It's the same thing with the Olympics.

 

[The Squirrel]

Today's debbie downer moment has been brought to you by Matt and Superferret.

 

[SuperFerret]

Hey, it's cool. I'm not saying it's not, but you'd think that everyone was some astronomy nut judging by the responses to this.

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

How long did it take for that rover to land on Mars?

 

[The Squirrel]

Hey, it's cool. I'm not saying it's not, but you'd think that everyone was some astronomy nut judging by the responses to this.

I've always been interested in space travel, so watching the live stream last night was cool to me.

 

[BaneBeatBats]

its another freaking planet. how could you not be excited over this? If everyone shared your pessimism, man never would've made it out of africa. we'd still be wondering what the hell is on the other side of the ocean.

 

[Piper Maru]

I've always been interested in space travel, so watching the live stream last night was cool to me.

Same here!

 

[Piper Maru]

edit.

 

[knowsbleed]

Curiosity > Olympics

 

[SuperFerret]

its another freaking planet. how could you not be excited over this? If everyone shared your pessimism, man never would've made it out of africa. we'd still be wondering what the hell is on the other side of the ocean.

It's another freaking planet that we've been sending rovers to since the 70's. I guess I'm being pessimistic with my whole not being excited for doing what we've done before and being surprised about how people who've never expressed an interest in astronomy before becoming fair weather fans of NASA over this.

Want to get me to go insane? Find life or put a man there, another little robot is cool but not something to celebrate over if you're not an astronomy buff.

 

[Nave 'Torment']

The real deal for me was the build-up. It didn't hurt that NASA turned this into Inception-level drama. We've landed on Mars people. Even if you don't believe in aliens, or among the three people on the planet not into space-travel, you can at least appreciate the effort that they put into this. Those billions of dollars were better spent here than funding a war-effort, and it was surprisingly less than what you'd expect it'd cost to... y'know... actually friggin go to another planet.

[YT]Ki_Af_o9Q9s[/YT]

 

[Nave 'Torment']

You guys want pessimism? Here:

 

[Piper Maru]

^

Hah, that's awesome! I wonder if there are any astronomy threads for space geeks like myself.

*Goes searching*

 

[terry78]

I think it is getting pretty close in time for us to start sending manned ships up there. We have barely scratched the surface of the galaxy.

 

[DBryan]

This is the problem with this space program. Nothing is gained by it. We've spent billions of dollars to get some blurry pictures of rocks. Scientists will now take years debating whether or not the patterns on the blurry rocks actually mean anything and ultimately, the answer will just be "maybe, so let's spend billions of more dollars on another mission so we can get more inconclusive evidence!"

At the very least, the success of this mission brings them closer to eventually putting humans on Mars. Curiosity is the largest and most complicated piece of machinery they've put on the red planet. They've had to develop new technology to pull this off, and sooner or later that technology gets around to the rest of the world.

There have been many developments in space exploration that have been beneficial to the rest of humanity. You wouldn't be able to use mobile phones if it weren't for the work of these guys.

 

[gohei_]

It's only a matter of time now before they find an abandoned research base from an old extinct race known as the Protheans.

 

[Asteroid-Man]

We already have a space thread:
http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=263084

 

[DBryan]

This is a pretty big development though, no?

 

[DBryan]

Anyway, something about the anti-science attitude really, really bugs me. Especially when you read anti-science posts on the damn internet.

Science - it works!!

 

[SuperFerret]

Nevermind.

 

[Piper Maru]

We already have a space thread:
http://forums.superherohype.com/showthread.php?t=263084

I found it earlier using search. Good to see other fans of astronomy on here!

This is a pretty big development though, no?

I wholeheartedly agree.

 

[DBryan]