Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Bryan See on September 28, 2016, 05:35:46 am
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Recently, SpaceX has released a video depicting a CG concept of its Interplanetary Transport System, formerly known as the Mars Colonial Transporter.
Kinda reminds me a gigantic version of the Falcon 9 rocket in use.
And as for Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species:
It's very exciting prospects for all of us and HLP, as well as Malaysians, if we want to get out from a dying planet, which, according to Libertarian candidate for US President, Gary Johnson, gets encompassed by the growing sun in billions of years. However, in his last year's GQ interview, he expressed concern that this might be foiled by aggressive Earthlings.
Most of us instinctively assume that technology relentlessly marches forward, but there have been times before now in human history—after the Egyptians built the Pyramids, for instance, or after the multiple advances of the Roman Empire—when the civilizations that followed could no longer do what had been done before, and perhaps there's a complacency and arrogance in assuming that this won't happen again.
There's a window that could be opened for a long time or a short time where we have an opportunity to establish a self-sustaining base on Mars before something happens to drive the technology level on Earth below where it's possible. So does the base become self-sustaining before spaceships from Earth stop going?...I mean, I don't think we can discount the possibility of a third World War. You know, in 1912 they were proclaiming a new age of peace and prosperity, saying that it was a golden age, war was over. And then you had World War I followed by World War II followed by the Cold War. So I think we need to acknowledge that there's certainly a possibility of a third World War, and if that does occur it could be far worse than anything that's happened before. Let's say nuclear weapons are used. I mean, there could be a very powerful social movement that's anti-technology. There's also growth in religious extremism. Like, I mean, does ISIS grow…?
He failed to mention the rise of Donald Trump and his alt-right, far right political parties in Europe, and Russian ultranationalism under Vladimir Putin via Putinism; and he even failed to acknowledge the looming pro-Putin Trump presidency with policies that are potentially disasterous to space, science, tech and innovation.
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I'm sorry, how is our planet "dying"?
I disagree with the idea that we can permanently escape Earth's gravity well before we kill the planet and thus kill ourselves. I feel like a lot of the popular notion these days is to "escape" Earth - he even said it in the beginning of the talk: At some point there will be a dooms day event.
I think that if we can't manage living in a closed system as plentiful and easy as on our homeworld, then we can't master it on a world with a completely different atmosphere and soil content matrix.
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CtclcmcXgAIHuPf.jpg)
And then, at the end of the proceedings, he uttered "I am.... Iron Man"
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Oh yea for real, I was getting Tony Stark vibes with that mustache.
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I'm sorry, how is our planet "dying"?
I disagree with the idea that we can permanently escape Earth's gravity well before we kill the planet and thus kill ourselves. I feel like a lot of the popular notion these days is to "escape" Earth - he even said it in the beginning of the talk: At some point there will be a dooms day event.
I think that if we can't manage living in a closed system as plentiful and easy as on our homeworld, then we can't master it on a world with a completely different atmosphere and soil content matrix.
Yes. Humans harmed their mother, and Republican candidate for US President, Donald Trump, is going to deliver the final blow by calling for more energy exploitation. Worse, there is still a possibility of a conventional war turning nuclear rapidly, leading to the third World War, which is worse than anything that's happened before. Or even, there could be anti-technology movements. Not just from Trump, but also Vladimir Putin and Aleksandr Dugin's Eurasianism.
Therefore, we need to leave Earth very soon. With the Interplanetary Transport System by Elon Musk and SpaceX, we can escape the debacle and the coming oppressive winter from Russia.
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All this fearmongering is pure crap. The planet's fine. Not 100% fine, but it will be manageable. Don't buy into hypes. Both this kumbayah SPACE **** YEAH ****, nor the WE'RE ALL DEAD HERE crap that comes from typical misanthropists. Both are exxagerations.
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Yeah, the ITS is an awesome machine. Even if we never get to Mars using it (the mission plan as presented is perhaps not optimal (https://jalopnik.com/heres-how-to-fix-the-big-problems-with-elon-musks-mars-1787163420)), having a very low-cost transporter capable of lifting 500 tons into LEO or to the Moon is very good (Charlie Stross has a few very interesting things that can be done with it (http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2016/09/what-else-can-you-do-with-a-bi.html)).
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Yeah, the ITS is an awesome machine. Even if we never get to Mars using it (the mission plan as presented is perhaps not optimal (https://jalopnik.com/heres-how-to-fix-the-big-problems-with-elon-musks-mars-1787163420)), having a very low-cost transporter capable of lifting 500 tons into LEO or to the Moon is very good (Charlie Stross has a few very interesting things that can be done with it (http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2016/09/what-else-can-you-do-with-a-bi.html)).
(from the comments): Sunshades to counter the greenhouse effect ... with advertisements on the inside! AARRGHHH /head explodes.
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And what about 3D printers we carry aboard the ITS? I'm sure with these, we can create anything, from basic equipment to clothing to buildings, etc.
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Uh, not so much.
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You mean a few, Mongoose. Theoretically, we can send in Cubesats to Mars from a mothership, whether by NASA, ESA, or Roscosmos.