4 ms·

And as was asked in that thread, of all the human endeavors in which entire lives are spent and sometimes lost, why focus in particular on this one?

melling 12y ago
Because we can iterate more quickly and conquer space faster. In 200 years, if we do it my way we'll have far more humans living in space than if we do it a few humans at a time. The point that you're completely missing is that I'm not saying that humans shouldn't eventually head out into space, it's that we should quickly interate our machines and other technology before we make the big push.
- protomyth 12y ago
  > The point that you're completely missing is that I'm not saying that humans shouldn't eventually head out into space, it's that we should quickly interate our machines and other technology before we make the big push. Which means we will never do it. People are not as concerned about the national debt because they don't think they will have to pay it. Ditto for a lot of other events and practices. The related item to that short-sightedness is that things that don't excite the public won't get done. We are already dealing with a generation or two that didn't get their jet-pack, flying cars[1], cyberpunk, or space planes to vacation space stations. Getting the PR to get funding for something that won't happen in the current generation's lifetime is a no go. 1) yes, impractical and dumb, but it was a sign of the supercool sci-fi tech - hell, we don't even have an SST anymore
  - melling 12y ago
    We didn't get our humanoid robots either. How about we finish that job then send a few thousand of them throughout the solar system? Start exploring, mining asteroids, building bases, building other robots in space, etc. We can justify the research money spent on them because it has a direct payoff: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Why-Japan-has-fallen-in-love-with-human-looking-5954450.php http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Why-Japan-has-fallen-in-l...
    - protomyth 12y ago
      Because your basically saying no human is going to get to journey into space in the near term, so why would the current generation fund it? No PR or dream, no funding. The possibility of Virgin Intergalactic is far more enticing to the public than probes. I, and I would bet most children, didn't dream of sending a probe to Mars, we dreamed of going ourselves.
      - melling 12y ago
        What percentage of people passed the Marshmellow experiment? http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshmellow_test http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshmellow_test
        protomyth 12y ago
        There is a rather large difference between "deferred gratification" and "never".
        melling 12y ago
        That's why you choose the marshmallow now and can't wait "15 minutes". You want instant gratification now. I want the human race to move way out into the solar system, permanently, and in a big way. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140919.html http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140919.html
        protomyth 12y ago
        And I don't believe the general public will fund it without the hope, however distant, of getting into space themselves. They have been promised too much that hasn't come true and scientists are currently telling them that they are doomed anyway.

melling 12y ago

Because we can iterate more quickly and conquer space faster. In 200 years, if we do it my way we'll have far more humans living in space than if we do it a few humans at a time. The point that you're completely missing is that I'm not saying that humans shouldn't eventually head out into space, it's that we should quickly interate our machines and other technology before we make the big push.

protomyth 12y ago
> The point that you're completely missing is that I'm not saying that humans shouldn't eventually head out into space, it's that we should quickly interate our machines and other technology before we make the big push. Which means we will never do it. People are not as concerned about the national debt because they don't think they will have to pay it. Ditto for a lot of other events and practices. The related item to that short-sightedness is that things that don't excite the public won't get done. We are already dealing with a generation or two that didn't get their jet-pack, flying cars[1], cyberpunk, or space planes to vacation space stations. Getting the PR to get funding for something that won't happen in the current generation's lifetime is a no go. 1) yes, impractical and dumb, but it was a sign of the supercool sci-fi tech - hell, we don't even have an SST anymore
- melling 12y ago
  We didn't get our humanoid robots either. How about we finish that job then send a few thousand of them throughout the solar system? Start exploring, mining asteroids, building bases, building other robots in space, etc. We can justify the research money spent on them because it has a direct payoff: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Why-Japan-has-fallen-in-love-with-human-looking-5954450.php http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Why-Japan-has-fallen-in-l...
  - protomyth 12y ago
    Because your basically saying no human is going to get to journey into space in the near term, so why would the current generation fund it? No PR or dream, no funding. The possibility of Virgin Intergalactic is far more enticing to the public than probes. I, and I would bet most children, didn't dream of sending a probe to Mars, we dreamed of going ourselves.
    - melling 12y ago
      What percentage of people passed the Marshmellow experiment? http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshmellow_test http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshmellow_test
      - protomyth 12y ago
        There is a rather large difference between "deferred gratification" and "never".
        melling 12y ago
        That's why you choose the marshmallow now and can't wait "15 minutes". You want instant gratification now. I want the human race to move way out into the solar system, permanently, and in a big way. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140919.html http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140919.html
        protomyth 12y ago
        And I don't believe the general public will fund it without the hope, however distant, of getting into space themselves. They have been promised too much that hasn't come true and scientists are currently telling them that they are doomed anyway.