|
||||||||
Space and Astronomy Thread |
![]() |
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#2851 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 558
|
Quote:
I doubt it - even in the far future. The distances are simply far too vast - we are effectively alone in the universe no matter how many possible civilisations there could be in our own galaxy. Even the Oort cloud is probably beyond us. |
|
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#2852 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: The Sixth Circle of Hell
Posts: 20,184
|
Quote:
Okay, perhaps that particular planet is a very long way away, but there are closer ones. We'll definitely require near light speed propulsion, I'll grant you, which seems quite fanciful at the moment. As do space bending technologies. But until they were discovered or invented a lot of modern science and technology was unimaginable by most people.
Which do you think we'll solve first (if any); the hard problem of consciousness or mega propulsion technology? As for mega-propulsion technology it would require vast amounts of money and as the space race is long over I cannot see any of the problems being solved in the near future (even with unlimited funds). Certainly nothing approaching light speed - our probes (like New Horizons) have barely increased in velocity in decades. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2853 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 21,645
|
Quote:
But the speed of light is still the barrier - even if we approach it with probes in the far future the visible universe is just so impossibly massive
Of course, attempting to communicate their findings with those left behind would be the ultimate exercise in futility... |
|
|
|
|
|
#2854 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 558
|
We need to find a way to bend the fabric of space.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2855 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 10,236
|
Quote:
I think we are actually on our way to solving the problem of consciousness.
As for mega-propulsion technology it would require vast amounts of money and as the space race is long over I cannot see any of the problems being solved in the near future (even with unlimited funds). Certainly nothing approaching light speed - our probes (like New Horizons) have barely increased in velocity in decades. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2856 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 21,645
|
Quote:
Interesting. I would say the opposite. Something like the hard problem of consciousness seems unsolvable to me, as there are no known steps to take in the right direction and no real impetus to try. Propulsion on the other hand is something that mankind makes good use of, and there are incremental improvements to be had, as well as a host of proposed alternatives. New Horizons is our fastest spacecraft to date and I'm sure we'll surpass that one day soon. The fact that we are continuing to improve things, no matter how slowly, bodes well for the future.
Circumventing those relies on highly speculative new physics, and so might never be possible. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2857 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 10,236
|
Quote:
I disagree. The problem of consciousness is clearly soluble, because it has already been solved by evolution. The problem of propulsion, on the other hand, is subject to well-known constraints imposed by physics.
Circumventing those relies on highly speculative new physics, and so might never be possible. I'm talking about the hard problem of consciousness. Evolution has created consciousness, it hasn't explained it. And just like propulsion it is subject to the constraints imposed by the laws of physics.There's no necessity to circumvent those laws to reach other solar systems, nor could even the most speculative new physics circumvent those laws. They are immutable, as far as I understand. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2858 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: The Sixth Circle of Hell
Posts: 20,184
|
Quote:
If we could approach sufficiently close to the speed of light, the massive size of the Universe would be no impediment to the travellers themselves, thanks to relativistic time dilation.
Of course, attempting to communicate their findings with those left behind would be the ultimate exercise in futility... But as you say the communication of the wonders seen by anybody on a near-light speed ship to those on earth would be impossible. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2859 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 21,645
|
Quote:
I'm talking about the hard problem of consciousness. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2860 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: County Durham
Posts: 78,619
|
Quote:
But the speed of light is still the barrier - even if we approach it with probes in the far future the visible universe is just so impossibly massive
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2861 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 21,645
|
Quote:
Even at lightspeed, we still might as well be in a clapped out banger car.
You would of course have to abandon all hope of ever returning, since the Sun would have lived out its entire life and died, wiping out the Earth in the process, while you were away. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2862 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 4,020
|
Quote:
If we could approach sufficiently close to the speed of light, the massive size of the Universe would be no impediment to the travellers themselves, thanks to relativistic time dilation.
. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2863 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 4,020
|
Quote:
Interesting. I would say the opposite. Something like the hard problem of consciousness seems unsolvable to me, as there are no known steps to take in the right direction and no real impetus to try. .
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2864 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,400
|
For anyone in the Yorkshire area, there's an exhibition on at Magna Science and Adventure:
http://www.visitmagna.co.uk/events/ |
|
|
|
|
|
#2865 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,549
|
This is probably one of the most incredible rocket launch videos I have ever seen. It's a slow motion video of the Apollo 11 Saturn V launch from the boosters perspective. There is just something beautiful about watching something so powerful, as the Saturn V, belching out all that fire.
https://vimeo.com/4366695 |
|
|
|
|
|
#2866 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 5,354
|
Quote:
This is probably one of the most incredible rocket launch videos I have ever seen. It's a slow motion video of the Apollo 11 Saturn V launch from the boosters perspective. There is just something beautiful about watching something so powerful, as the Saturn V, belching out all that fire.
https://vimeo.com/4366695 As John Glenn said: Quote:
I guess the question I'm asked the most often is: "When you were sitting in that capsule listening to the count-down, how did you feel?" Well, the answer to that one is easy. I felt exactly how you would feel if you were getting ready to launch and knew you were sitting on top of two million parts -- all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2867 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,549
|
Quote:
I think the word "awesome" was invented for the Saturn V. Imagine what it must have been like sitting on top of that!
As John Glenn said: File archive of the Apollo missions. http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html |
|
|
|
|
|
#2868 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,927
|
Quote:
'Earth 2.0' found:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33641648 Never knew it had been lost. Jon Jenkins told the press conference: "The sunshine from Kepler's star is very similar to sunshine from our own star, and plants could be able to photosynthesise just the same.". "It would feel a lot like home." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sc...-10411792.html In reality, it might be like Venus or Planet Ultra-Sahara with polar temperatures of 60*C+ temperatures. More evidence needs to be gathered, e.g. about this planet's atmosphere*, before any informed comments are made. *It's been done before: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal...ture09602.html |
|
|
|
|
|
#2869 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 10,236
|
The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) spacecraft has taken a series of photographs of the Moon transiting the Earth (video).
I'm surprised how dark the Moon looks compared to the Earth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2870 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 4,020
|
Quote:
The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) spacecraft has taken a series of photographs of the Moon transiting the Earth (video).
I'm surprised how dark the Moon looks compared to the Earth. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2871 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 10,236
|
Quote:
I think most people don't realise the moon is darker than coal. It reflects only about 12% of light whereas Earth reflects about 40%. I have read some astronauts saying Earth seems to glow like a neon lamp in comparison.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#2872 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,063
|
Quote:
The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) spacecraft has taken a series of photographs of the Moon transiting the Earth (video).
I'm surprised how dark the Moon looks compared to the Earth. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2873 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Solihull
Posts: 7,274
|
'Speed' or velocity isn't really an issue, even today. We could easily build a probe and send it off in some direction at an incredibly high velocity if we wanted, by which I mean non-relativistic velocity. Gravity assist such as the orbits used by New Horizons is a gift that keeps on giving if you're prepared to go round and round again. The thing is as far as solar system science missions are concerned, you don't want to go too fast. New Horizons was already far too fast to go into orbit around Pluto. Much quicker and the fly-past wouldn't have garnered much useful data. There's just no demand for going really fast today because you've always got to slow down when you arrive where-ever you're going.
The feasibility of journeying to another star system has nothing to do with the distance. It's about how long it would take. Hundreds of years, thousands, maybe a lot longer. Do we have the technology to sustain life and the technology the life relies on? Can we put people to sleep for really long periods and then safely awaken them? Or do we build vast colony ships where generation after generation of people live and die knowing that it will be their distant descendants who colonise the new system. Nothing about such an undertaking is utterly implausible. Economic, social and political pressures will make it inevitable one day. People do pretty mad things to survive or in the hope of better life, you only have to look at the situation in the Med at the moment to see that. When the first Homo Sapiens left Africa they weren't thinking about how unimaginably far the other side of the planet was or how they'd never get to see the Pacific Ocean (obviously because they had no idea what lay over the horizon, but you get my point). All they were thinking was "I hope we can find somewhere in that direction where the gazelle are a bit more abundant, the lions and bit less so and the neighbours aren't so noisy and won't keep stealing our food". Fast forward a hundred thousand years and the species has colonised the entire planet, literally one step at a time. If (and it's the biggest if there is) we learn to live away from this place, either in space or on other planetary bodies then hopefully we'll make ourselves immune to the sort of catastrophes that could wipe us out while we are whole dependent on this single home. Then it's just a matter of time, and that's one thing there's plenty of, cosmologically speaking. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2874 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: East London
Posts: 25,846
|
Not sure if it's been posted before, but here's a nice video taken from the ISS - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOAEIMx39-w
Best viewed in 4K, if your equipment can manage that. |
|
|
|
|
|
#2875 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 5,354
|
Quote:
As Mr Driscoll pointed out in 1973, there is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact, it's all dark.
|
|
|
|
![]() |
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 03:39.




I'm talking about the
I'm surprised how dark the Moon looks compared to the Earth.