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Edit: Seems people don't like being faced with reality. Screw it. Let's burn this mother down, we only have one, right. YOLO ---- It may not be impossible, alb

by wahsd 12y ago

Edit: Seems people don't like being faced with reality. Screw it. Let's burn this mother down, we only have one, right. YOLO ---- It may not be impossible, albeit debatably frivolous, but it sure as hell is dangerous as it will increase exponentially more damaging pollution and degradation of the upper atmosphere. I don't think people quite appreciate the risk with which we really are frivolously toying. Understand, there is no fall-back, no fail-safe, no do-overs, no mulligans. Once the atmosphere is damaged, once the already engaged process of global climate change is exasperated by millionaires and billionaires who want to fly into space simply to take a looksie at the planet from high up because of their narcissistic impulse for exclusivity and domination is blind and self-destructive; there is a point of no return, where the system of a human habitable ecosystem starts collapsing. There will be no god to save us, no god to fix anything. Once it's done, it's done. Finished, Fin, Ende, Finito.... Game Over... no lives left. Some people claim, well, we'll just populate other planets. Again, a psychopathic and narcissistic mentality. So billionaires will ruin this planet and then jet off to another planet, leaving this one do wither and die along with the billions of people who you will surely also belong to? Is that the plan? I hate to be the bearer of bad news that pops your fantasy dream bubble. Reality is that this whole idea of space tourism and inter-planetary travel and terra-forming is really the equivalent of a cat hoarder living in a squalid shit and trash smeared shack venturing out to figure out how to take on a predatory loan to buy a nice new car. The priorities are so delusional and screwed up, it's incomprehensible to anyone with any bit of a level head.

eksith 12y ago
Their problem may not be with what you said, but how you said it. I fear the particular "brand" of space tourism offered by Virgin is probably frivolous in that it's at a level not too far removed from the "Vomit Comet" that astronauts, and paying customers, frequently use. Space tourism that does reach Low Earth Orbit is probably a play-thing for the rich as well, but I see that as a stepping stone to a greater voyage in our solar system and beyond. We're getting better at recycling our waste products and there is already a ton of research coming from the ISS on long-duration living in space. These alone have already contributed immensely to our understanding of the world around us and have lead to new technologies that are already in use or are about to enter the market soon. Likewise, space tourism will bring its share of productive advances. Let's not forget that it took millennia after the invention of sailing to get to flight. Although it only took decades from flight to space travel, it's unrealistic to expect such exponential advances in the next phase of our exploration. I doubt we'll have humans landing on Mars in my lifetime, but I wouldn't put it past the lifetime of the next generation.
logfromblammo 12y ago
Are you suggesting that, of all possible ways that human civilization might be ended, it will be atmospheric degradation from space tourism that turns out to be most directly responsible?

by wahsd 12y ago

eksith 12y ago

Their problem may not be with what you said, but how you said it. I fear the particular "brand" of space tourism offered by Virgin is probably frivolous in that it's at a level not too far removed from the "Vomit Comet" that astronauts, and paying customers, frequently use. Space tourism that does reach Low Earth Orbit is probably a play-thing for the rich as well, but I see that as a stepping stone to a greater voyage in our solar system and beyond. We're getting better at recycling our waste products and there is already a ton of research coming from the ISS on long-duration living in space. These alone have already contributed immensely to our understanding of the world around us and have lead to new technologies that are already in use or are about to enter the market soon. Likewise, space tourism will bring its share of productive advances. Let's not forget that it took millennia after the invention of sailing to get to flight. Although it only took decades from flight to space travel, it's unrealistic to expect such exponential advances in the next phase of our exploration. I doubt we'll have humans landing on Mars in my lifetime, but I wouldn't put it past the lifetime of the next generation.

logfromblammo 12y ago

Are you suggesting that, of all possible ways that human civilization might be ended, it will be atmospheric degradation from space tourism that turns out to be most directly responsible?