3 ms·

Planet discoveries have historically gone to those who first laid eyes on it. I don’t see how this would be any different, and they should get to name it.

kbenson 7y ago
That's a good way to get a star named Starry McStarface, if that name is not already taken. I wholeheartedly endorse this, and the idea of a human originated intelligence eventually exploring a system with a name/designation like that brings a smile to my face.
- yesenadam 7y ago
  >>Planet discoveries have historically gone to those who first laid eyes on it. >That's a good way to get a star named Starry McStarface Huh? I thought that was from voting, i.e. democracy : "The Boaty McBoatface saga is not the first time online polls have gone awry. Greenpeace launched a campaign to name a humpback whale in the South pacific in an attempt to keep them from being poached by the Japanese. The poll prompted a voting frenzy after Mr Splashy Pants was put forward – and ended up winning 78% of the vote. Similarly in 2012, soft drinks brand Mountain Dew was forced to abandon a poll to name its new apple-flavoured drink after it was hijacked by message board 4chan who ensured that “Hitler did nothing wrong” won the vote. The city of Austin, Texas, also learned the perils of public voting after a poll to rename the Solid Waste Services Department ended up with an overwhelming number of votes to call it The Fred Durst Society of the Humanities and Arts as an ode to the Limp Bizkit singer." https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/17/boaty-mcboatface-wins-poll-to-name-polar-research-vessel https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/17/boaty-mc...
  - kbenson 7y ago
    Yes, it was from voting, but I would say that it's from people that don't have a reputation to protect given some authority and choosing to exercise it to maximize some other value they hold, and the context I was reading the comments in (if not necessarily so much this thread) is that random people can still have an impact on finding new stars and naming them. All it takes is someone that values 5 minutes of internet fame (or even just a joke to share with friends) over any respect of the scientific community. The easier it is to find a new star, the more likely I think that will be the case.

kbenson 7y ago

That's a good way to get a star named Starry McStarface, if that name is not already taken. I wholeheartedly endorse this, and the idea of a human originated intelligence eventually exploring a system with a name/designation like that brings a smile to my face.

yesenadam 7y ago
>>Planet discoveries have historically gone to those who first laid eyes on it. >That's a good way to get a star named Starry McStarface Huh? I thought that was from voting, i.e. democracy : "The Boaty McBoatface saga is not the first time online polls have gone awry. Greenpeace launched a campaign to name a humpback whale in the South pacific in an attempt to keep them from being poached by the Japanese. The poll prompted a voting frenzy after Mr Splashy Pants was put forward – and ended up winning 78% of the vote. Similarly in 2012, soft drinks brand Mountain Dew was forced to abandon a poll to name its new apple-flavoured drink after it was hijacked by message board 4chan who ensured that “Hitler did nothing wrong” won the vote. The city of Austin, Texas, also learned the perils of public voting after a poll to rename the Solid Waste Services Department ended up with an overwhelming number of votes to call it The Fred Durst Society of the Humanities and Arts as an ode to the Limp Bizkit singer." https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/17/boaty-mcboatface-wins-poll-to-name-polar-research-vessel https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/17/boaty-mc...
- kbenson 7y ago
  Yes, it was from voting, but I would say that it's from people that don't have a reputation to protect given some authority and choosing to exercise it to maximize some other value they hold, and the context I was reading the comments in (if not necessarily so much this thread) is that random people can still have an impact on finding new stars and naming them. All it takes is someone that values 5 minutes of internet fame (or even just a joke to share with friends) over any respect of the scientific community. The easier it is to find a new star, the more likely I think that will be the case.