Author Topic: Space. The Final Frontier.  (Read 75478 times)

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Offline The Chief

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #300: October 14, 2012, 07:59:39 PM »
Don't knock it til you try it.

Offline bshep86

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #301: October 14, 2012, 09:19:42 PM »
Jump was cool... up until they had that SHAKY cam try to follow him at 700mph. Why couldn't they use his helmet cam? It would have been epic to see his view, not some dot falling across the sky  :doh:

Offline mitlen

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #302: October 14, 2012, 10:10:35 PM »
Jump was cool... up until they had that SHAKY cam try to follow him at 700mph. Why couldn't they use his helmet cam? It would have been epic to see his view, not some dot falling across the sky  :doh:

I imagine the camera shot will come out later.

Offline Coladar

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #303: October 16, 2012, 09:05:22 PM »
Wtf? I had noticed this thread got bumped earlier today, didn't bother reading it. Then saw this article, figured it had to have been discussed. Damn, this is one of the most amazing astronomy stories I've ever read. And I'm a hardcore astronomy geek that even tries to get through two of the peer reviewed Astronomy journals, so I don't say that lightly. It's common sense, clearly planets are around nearly every star. But god damn, Alpha Centauri? The connection to the human psyche is indescribable there. Its Alpha f'ing Centauri.

What shocked me is it wasn't Kepler but HARPS, a ground based planetary detection system. We've come a long way.

http://www.space.com/18089-earth-size-alien-planet-alpha-centauri.html

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #304: October 17, 2012, 08:43:15 AM »
Was Alpha Centauri the destination in "Lost in Space?"

Offline Coladar

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #305: October 17, 2012, 05:53:33 PM »
It was before my time, but Google says yes. Also Avatar's star, and a trillion others. I can't believe this is so quiet, Alpha Centauri IS sci-fi.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Centauri_in_fiction

Offline PANatsFan

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #306: October 17, 2012, 05:55:16 PM »
Most stars should have planets, current detection methods bias the results to the huge weird ones.

Offline Coladar

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #307: October 17, 2012, 05:58:18 PM »
Most stars should have planets, current detection methods bias the results to the huge weird ones.

Yeah, and this ones orbit is 25 times closer to the star than earth to the sun. But astronomy geeks take what little we get to increase awareness, and simply the "earth sized world around alpha centauri" is that once in a decade headline to increase awareness and most importantly, funding. It's depressing it looks like it's buried behind presidential debates and other crap.

Online welch

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #308: October 19, 2012, 04:10:27 PM »
Remembering Mr Dietz, 7th grade math teacher at Mount Rainer JHS in 1960/61, when Alan Shepherd (sp?) was shot to the edge of space. "You can be part of the space program", said Mr Dietz, and that's why we troubled with all that weird stuff like algebra. I still remember him, short goatee, glasses, chalk dust flying, white sleeves rolled up as he made magic on the blackboard.

Maybe the biggest problem today is that people can take their math and science genius and make tons of money anyplace except in teaching. My 9th grade science teachers wore lab coats, talked about the Van Allen Belt and scientific method, and were getting PhD's at U of Maryland. My daughter was taught science by a woman who had quit nursing to be home with her kids, and who liked reaching int the township high school because she could keep the same hours as her sons. Gave extra credit to the students who went to the football games (rah rah!).

Odd, but I suspect that my generation was the last to benefit from the difficulty women have had getting good jobs in private industry.

Offline Coladar

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #309: October 19, 2012, 08:07:37 PM »
You actually bring up a good point that might not exactly be tailored for this thread or forum, but whatever.

I'd have gone the route to get a master's in Astronomy with a secondary focus on planetary meteorology instead of in political science, difficulty of obtaining which was never even a thought. My sole reason for not following my passion was the money aspect. Even privately, astrophysics or astrobiology make crap by and large. Engineers can do decently. But now look at NASA shrinking by the day, now even those with degrees accepting positions that don't pay a *lot* are SoL.

We deride the loss of mathematics and science students, but are too stupid to realize that those intelligent enough to do the work are also smart enough to know they can make a ton of money rising above the ranks elsewhere in other fields and the difficulty of finding work with science's degrees. There was no way I'd go for an insanely difficult degree and then know I'd have a hell of a time finding work, wouldn't be able to stay local in all likelihood, and best case wouldn't make a ton of money. Such a shame, but oh well. Hopefully things improve the next generation and we renew our mandate to travel to the stars and beyond.

Offline Nathan

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #310: October 19, 2012, 08:23:45 PM »
The same is true with teachers.

Online JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #311: October 20, 2012, 10:57:35 AM »
I'd have gone the route to get a master's in Astronomy with a secondary focus on planetary meteorology instead of in political science, difficulty of obtaining which was never even a thought. My sole reason for not following my passion was the money aspect.
woa . . . you can make money with a poli sci masters's?  doing what?


Offline imref

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #312: October 20, 2012, 01:50:04 PM »
Neil deGrasse Tyson answers the question "do you believe in UFOs"?


Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #313: October 20, 2012, 02:46:00 PM »
Entertaining. Thanks!
Neil deGrasse Tyson answers the question "do you believe in UFOs"?




Offline The Chief

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #314: October 20, 2012, 04:14:54 PM »
Entertaining. Thanks!

In what way?  Neil deGrasse Tyson is great, but I can't imagine that video is anything more than the usual "no scientifically valid proof, eye witnesses are liars/drunks/crazy, etc.", which is all well and good, but it doesn't disprove the existence of UFOs any more than crazy witnesses prove them - a point usually lost on people who stump this kind of stuff to make themselves feel smarter than the "believers" they're ridiculing.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #315: October 20, 2012, 04:36:20 PM »
Who said he tried to disprove the existence of UFOs?

In what way is it entertaining? He's funny. Watch it.

In what way?  Neil deGrasse Tyson is great, but I can't imagine that video is anything more than the usual "no scientifically valid proof, eye witnesses are liars/drunks/crazy, etc.", which is all well and good, but it doesn't disprove the existence of UFOs any more than crazy witnesses prove them - a point usually lost on people who stump this kind of stuff to make themselves feel smarter than the "believers" they're ridiculing.


Offline The Chief

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #316: October 20, 2012, 05:03:06 PM »
That isn't what I said.  I'll check it out later, but the title of the video was a bit off-putting, so I assumed the video was probably edited to suit the poster (of the video)'s agenda.

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #317: October 20, 2012, 05:20:56 PM »
You'll probably find the video off-putting if you tend to be a believer rather than a skeptic. But the title of the video is accurate: he literally answers that question from a member of the audience.

That isn't what I said.  I'll check it out later, but the title of the video was a bit off-putting, so I assumed the video was probably edited to suit the poster (of the video)'s agenda.


Offline The Chief

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #318: October 20, 2012, 05:42:45 PM »
I wouldn't classify myself as either, I just think it's funny how "argument from ignorance" is often used as a tool to "prove" one side or the other correct in debates like these, with the side using it blissfully unaware of the irony.  To clarify, I'm not talking about Neil deGrasse Tyson or the video itself, I'm talking about the way in which the poster of the video appears to be wielding it.

As it pertains to the video, I'm sure Tyson is affable and entertaining as always, but I can't imagine his response to such a question ventures very far beyond the boundaries of common sense.

Offline imref

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #319: October 20, 2012, 09:39:07 PM »
It's a bit of a spoiler, but he was having fun with the idea of "oh look, a UFO, it must be an ET" where folks forget the meaning of "U". 

Plus, he's pretty funny.   

Offline Coladar

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #320: October 21, 2012, 03:30:44 AM »
woa . . . you can make money with a poli sci masters's?  doing what?



Private government contractors doing intelligence analysis with a degree focused on international politics can bring decent loot. Very decent.

Offline Terpfan76

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #321: October 21, 2012, 10:15:25 AM »
I wouldn't classify myself as either, I just think it's funny how "argument from ignorance" is often used as a tool to "prove" one side or the other correct in debates like these, with the side using it blissfully unaware of the irony.  To clarify, I'm not talking about Neil deGrasse Tyson or the video itself, I'm talking about the way in which the poster of the video appears to be wielding it.

As it pertains to the video, I'm sure Tyson is affable and entertaining as always, but I can't imagine his response to such a question ventures very far beyond the boundaries of common sense.

My feeling is that space is far to vast to believe we are the only "intelligent" beings in it. If nothing else, there's no proof on either side of the debate, so I'll just say that I wouldn't be surprised to find that there were infact E.T.s.

Offline PANatsFan

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #322: October 21, 2012, 10:17:14 AM »
Private government contractors doing intelligence analysis with a degree focused on international politics can bring decent loot. Very decent.


Good choice, because the only job you'll get with a masters and no PhD in astronomy is high school astronomy teacher (important and fulfilling job with very few positions available anywhere).

Offline CALSGR8

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #323: October 21, 2012, 12:32:08 PM »
Anyone see the Meteor showers last night er ah early this morning?

Offline CALSGR8

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Re: Space. The Final Frontier.
« Reply #324: October 21, 2012, 12:33:43 PM »
Private government contractors doing intelligence analysis with a degree focused on international politics can bring decent loot. Very decent.


Or you could find a job in the various government intel communities!