Interesting Science Stuff Thread

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Heh I was looking at that earlier.

Its old news, the BBC does an article on those about once a month,I would be slightly more interested if they had of said that the Chinese have created a device which pulls it all down (NASA isn't doing to well and the ESA is a joke) but we never will, our only hope is that we create a space elevater (cant spell Americanisms) but thats never going to happen unless we get rid of regional space agencies and switch to one global UN one (like on Thunderbirds and the Mars doctor who) but again it won't happen because our governments are so petty. If only we could cast aside our differences.

But is really good if we go to space, Earth is a pretty amazing planet on its own and is it worth the light years of journey to go to another system that chances are doesn't even have suitable planets. Unless scientists find a way around current physics (which probably wont happen) we are stuck here.

Such pessimism! Maybe we should just curl up and quit trying.

"A man's reach must exceed his grasp or what's a heaven for?"

[Jamesrules90 133]

Pessimism or Realism. We won't leave the planet.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Pessimism or Realism. We won't leave the planet.

There are several conditions to getting off this ball of dirt.

1. Stop all the petty squabbling. Nations must cease to exist as jealous organisms. Hard to do in a predatory species.
2. Poverty and want need to be done away.
3. A much more gentle and civil society needs to evolve and catch up with technology.

Road blocks.

1. National religions.
2. What's mine is mine and you can't have it.
3. What's yours is mine and I am going to get it.
4. My sons are better than your sons.

Interestingly, we are all brothers under the skin. We share something like 90% of our DNA with everybody. A bas le difference.

[Cobraroll 138]

^I think it's way more than 90%, considering that Chimpanzees are 99.7 percent identical to humans, genome-wise. I think I read somewhere that we share 96% of our DNA with dolphins and even 60% with bananas.

Makes you think how much a single per cent has to say, though.

[blade2k5 1,523]

Pessimism or Realism. We won't leave the planet.

I think your crystal ball has failed you. I give it less than a hundred years and we'll be all over the solar system. No doubt about that whatsoever.

[spiritualfire 138]

Pessimism or Realism. We won't leave the planet.

I think your crystal ball has failed you. I give it less than a hundred years and we'll be all over the solar system. No doubt about that whatsoever.

Hello all. Actually I just watched an interesting video by physicist Dr. Michio Kaku on YouTube concerning our development on this planet at the technology rate. We're not doing so hot. Allow me to find the link here..... If you're curious to see it.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

In the NGS special that aired here yesterday, they were talking about the space elevator. With new nanomaterials, it won't be a steel cable, and they do have a working prototype elevator that can at least haul a cable using photoelectric cells powered by a high powered laser.

With a station in geosynchronous orbit over the Pacific, such a system could put a lot of stuff into space, which could be distributed to various bases and stations using NERVA rockets with the hydrogen that could be collected in NEO. Of course the NERVAs could never land anywhere.

Who knows, maybe we could collect all that space garbage we've left up there and salvage it into useful materials. No point in not using what's to hand. The junk miner cometh.

  Edited September 5, 2011 by A Nonny Moose  

[Jamesrules90 133]

In the NGS special that aired here yesterday, they were talking about the space elevator. With new nanomaterials, it won't be a steel cable, and they do have a working prototype elevator that can at least haul a cable using photoelectric cells powered by a high powered laser.

With a station in geosynchronous orbit over the Pacific, such a system could put a lot of stuff into space, which could be distributed to various bases and stations using NERVA rockets with the hydrogen that could be collected in NEO. Of course the NERVAs could never land anywhere.

Who knows, maybe we could collect all that space garbage we've left up there and salvage it into useful materials. No point in not using what's to hand. The junk miner cometh.

The huge problem with a space elevator is the fact that you need to have a counter weight at the top with enough mass to have a decent amount of gravity, you also have the problem that it would be a huge terrorist target, you crash a plane into that (sorry if any offence is caused), you cause billions of dollars of damage and you have a huge carbon fibre/nanotube cable smashing down and since there will be something at the top (regardless of whether you need a counterweight since a space port will be at the top) you will cause the kind of damage that wiped out the dinosaurs. Also you have the problem of the planets radiation belt you send someone up there and they will get dangerous amounts of radiation since it wont be as fast as a rocket and therefore exposed for longer. Its a nice idea but needs a lot more consideration and planning due to the problems that will be caused if it goes down and the dangers it poses to astronauts.

Also Blade2k5, thats a very optimistic viewpoint, unless we can do what A Nonny Moose suggested about conditions we will not be able to get our act together and do very much. Maybe a small colony on mars but anything bigger than that wont happen due to the sheer distance involved and the fact that the outer solar system isn't suitable for human life.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

If you want to find out what happens to a small group sent to Mars read Robert A. Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. (romp).

[astronelson 339]

In the NGS special that aired here yesterday, they were talking about the space elevator. With new nanomaterials, it won't be a steel cable, and they do have a working prototype elevator that can at least haul a cable using photoelectric cells powered by a high powered laser.

With a station in geosynchronous orbit over the Pacific, such a system could put a lot of stuff into space, which could be distributed to various bases and stations using NERVA rockets with the hydrogen that could be collected in NEO. Of course the NERVAs could never land anywhere.

Who knows, maybe we could collect all that space garbage we've left up there and salvage it into useful materials. No point in not using what's to hand. The junk miner cometh.

The huge problem with a space elevator is the fact that you need to have a counter weight at the top with enough mass to have a decent amount of gravity,

Actually, you just need a counterweight to make the centre of gravity at geostationary orbit, so it stays upright and in one place. You could make it lighter and further away, or heavier and closer.

you also have the problem that it would be a huge terrorist target, you crash a plane into that (sorry if any offence is caused), you cause billions of dollars of damage and you have a huge carbon fibre/nanotube cable smashing down and since there will be something at the top (regardless of whether you need a counterweight since a space port will be at the top) you will cause the kind of damage that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Actually, since the counterweight will be orbiting slightly faster than it would normally be (the tension in the cable affects the orbital speed), it will drift out slightly. Not enough to actually leave Earth entirely, but we will have a "second moon" of sorts. So no repeat of the K-Pg extinction event.

With a space port, it would be a counterweight in and of itself. But the same holds, it would follow an elliptical orbit, much like most other satellites.

Also you have the problem of the planets radiation belt you send someone up there and they will get dangerous amounts of radiation since it wont be as fast as a rocket and therefore exposed for longer. Its a nice idea but needs a lot more consideration and planning due to the problems that will be caused if it goes down and the dangers it poses to astronauts.

Geostationary orbit lies within the outer Van Allen belt, which has much weaker radiation compared with the inner Van Allen belt. With proper shielding one should be fine.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

The antarctic is crabby.

Warm water at the bottom of a deep kind of implies deep vulcanism, eh?

[Easy Bakes 253]

The antarctic is crabby.

Warm water at the bottom of a deep kind of implies deep vulcanism, eh?

and they just told the crab hunters were there are a lot of them.

although 500m would be pretty hard to crab in.

[spiritualfire 138]

Curious question: Even if an elevator was achievable, how would the pressure be regulated on both sides? Meaning, the one half protruding into space and the other extending back toward earth.

[Easy Bakes 253]

Curious question: Even if an elevator was achievable, how would the pressure be regulated on both sides? Meaning, the one half protruding into space and the other extending back toward earth.

the "cars" that travel along the elevator would be sealed and pressurized.

still a long way away from a space elevator,the materials that would be required are still not strong enough.

[astronelson 339]

Curious question: Even if an elevator was achievable, how would the pressure be regulated on both sides? Meaning, the one half protruding into space and the other extending back toward earth.

The simple answer is you don't. It's not a closed shaft, rather a rail along which cars travel up and down. The cars are kept at constant pressure (likely similar to that aircraft are pressurised to), and the orbiting station is kept at the same pressure. Much like they do with spacecraft and the ISS, except higher up and with a connecting cable.

[Jamesrules90 133]

The antarctic is crabby.Warm water at the bottom of a deep kind of implies deep vulcanism, eh?

The antarctic is crabby.Warm water at the bottom of a deep kind of implies deep vulcanism, eh?

and they just told the crab hunters were there are a lot of them.although 500m would be pretty hard to crab in.

So many puns :noway:.

Oh well look on the bright side, it will make drilling for oil there easy </sarcasm>

No but seriosuly this is very bad, if the Antarctic gets warm some animals will go extinct and (seriously) oil drilling will be easier there. My dad says that whoever controls the sandwich isles controls Antarctica due to the fact that they are the last deep water dock before the Antarctic.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

No but seriously this is very bad, if the Antarctic gets warm some animals will go extinct and (seriously) oil drilling will be easier there. My dad says that whoever controls the sandwich isles controls Antarctica due to the fact that they are the last deep water dock before the Antarctic.

The Hawaiian group, which is a state of the United States of America. Well, deep water dock used to mean a depth of 15 fathoms. I wonder what it is now? Does anyone know if there is oil in the antarctic?

I should think the Aussies would have a better claim, but Antarctica is international territory, so are you going to war over it?

Maybe someone should ask the Whizzer of OZ. And watch out for the Lion, the old girl still has a few bites as the Argentinians discovered.

  Edited September 7, 2011 by A Nonny Moose  

[Cobraroll 138]

I think (and hope) we'll never build a Space Elevator. However, I approve heavily of the idea.

The thing about the Space Elevator is its design. Scientists have made some quite nifty plans, and listed the problems with the elevator in its current state. And the key to solving any issue is defining the problem.

So we have a list, saying "if we can overcome this, we'll be able to send things out to space more efficiently". Then scientists and engineers from all over the world look at the list, and some of them think "wouldn't it be better if we did it this way?". Then they sit down and make their own lists. For instance, the space elevator would need to be constructed from the top down. What if we made something that could be constructed from the bottom up? What difficulties would we need to overcome then?

Pointing out the problems with the space elevator enables us to see alternative solutions more easily. Many of these solutions still carry the same problems as the space elevator, but at least people are working on those as well. We're basing our work on the space elevator, trying to find better solutions while the project is still on the drawing board. In time, I think we'll come up with something that works as a space elevator, but is far from what we're imagining now. For instance, check out the Launch Loop or the Space Fountain.

[astronelson 339]

It would be rather strange for the furthest south deep water port to be in the Northern Hemisphere. And indeed, there are a great deal many that are further south. New Zealand has a few, and that's way closer to Antarctica than Hawaii is. We've got a few here in Australia ourselves, although we don't seem to be able to make Japan recognise our Antarctic territorial waters. They keep hunting... I mean, doing "scientific research" on whales down there.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

It would be rather strange for the furthest south deep water port to be in the Northern Hemisphere. And indeed, there are a great deal many that are further south. New Zealand has a few, and that's way closer to Antarctica than Hawaii is. We've got a few here in Australia ourselves, although we don't seem to be able to make Japan recognize our Antarctic territorial waters. They keep hunting... I mean, doing "scientific research" on whales down there.

Yes, I rather thought someone had missed the Commonwealth of Nations. I think our deep water port of Halifax may be closer than Hawaii. Straight down the Atlantic.

What are the limits of your territorial waters in the south? We claim everything up to 200 miles past the tip of our farthest arctic island.

If the Japs don't stop eating intelligent warm-blooded ocean beings, it will be time to stamp them out again. They not only eat whales, they eat dolphins too. C'mon Cascadia, let's hear it for a Force 10 slip. We'll take the penalty on our shores to fix their overpopulation problem.

Go Sea Shepherd!

[astronelson 339]

We claim sovereignty over this area, although that's only recognised by four countries: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Antarctic_Territory

The territorial waters, assuming sovereignty, extend 200 nautical miles out from the coast.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

We claim sovereignty over this area, although that's only recognised by four countries: http://en.wikipedia....rctic_Territory

The territorial waters, assuming sovereignty, extend 200 nautical miles out from the coast.

My understanding of the Antarctic treaty is that it is no man's land in perpetuity. I don't recognize your territorial claims either. However, I am totally against "research" whaling.

Only the Inuit are allowed to take whales in Canada and by traditional methods. One whale keeps a community alive for an entire year. They use every scrap, and they eat the blubber, not render it for oil. I believe there are some tribes in Alaska (U.S. state) that are also allowed the same privilege. This is very carefully controlled. Most species of whales are protected in Canadian waters. Arctic wildlife management is something we take very seriously. Almost everything that moves up there is protected. Like all deserts, our arctic regions are very delicate.

[Jamesrules90 133]

It would be rather strange for the furthest south deep water port to be in the Northern Hemisphere. And indeed, there are a great deal many that are further south. New Zealand has a few, and that's way closer to Antarctica than Hawaii is. We've got a few here in Australia ourselves, although we don't seem to be able to make Japan recognise our Antarctic territorial waters. They keep hunting... I mean, doing "scientific research" on whales down there.

I meant the South Sandwich Isles baring mind that Hawaii isn't called the sandwich isles anymore I expected more from you people although I could have been more clear.

[astronelson 339]

It would be rather strange for the furthest south deep water port to be in the Northern Hemisphere. And indeed, there are a great deal many that are further south. New Zealand has a few, and that's way closer to Antarctica than Hawaii is. We've got a few here in Australia ourselves, although we don't seem to be able to make Japan recognise our Antarctic territorial waters. They keep hunting... I mean, doing "scientific research" on whales down there.

I meant the South Sandwich Isles baring mind that Hawaii isn't called the sandwich isles anymore I expected more from you people although I could have been more clear.

Well excuse me for thinking of the larger one with a population of 1.36 million that actually has a deep water port, as opposed to a collection of small islands with a total population of 30 that doesn't.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Link.

A deep 6.4 around the subduction zone. Is Cascadia waking up?

[Ocram's Razr 963]

I hope not!

I better avoid decrepit buildings and beaches!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I hope not!

I better avoid decrepit buildings and beaches!

Did you feel this one at all? It was pretty deep and quite a ways out in the Pacific.

If you are on a beach and the water goes out suddenly, run like hell inland.

[Jamesrules90 133]

Link

A fish from Somalia that lives in caves has a body clock twice as long as ours.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

The next big science breakthrough.

Quantum computing and quantum computers. The principle of entanglement, which seems to have pretty solid experimental ground, may be the means of teleporting objects through no-space no-time. This sounds like the next big jump, and is based on a lot of 20th century theory and some 21st century engineering. If this takes off properly, it will solve a lot of current problems.

I hope everyone is ready for the multiple-state qubit.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Medical Research??

Whatever works. A pragmatic approach to increasing the universe of discourse.