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History In The Making: NASA's New Horizons Probe Makes Pluto/Charon System Approach Today (*New pics of Pluto/Charon/Hydra Included*)

Mr. Sinister

By Mr. Sinister
in The Tailgate

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Mr. Sinister

Mr. Sinister

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One of my favorite things to imagine--with an eye more on how "daily life" and ALL our social/culture institutions; not just the technology---is what it might be like 5-10,000 years from now.

Think of what might be the nature of the major human institutions and schools of thought--- education, health care, lifespan, philosophy, religions, politics (nations?), personality/brain science ("who/what/why" we are/aren't), commerce, all organizations (how everything's structured or composed).

It's dazzling to imagining how these might be changed, or even cease to be with something very different in place, and how much and what forms (if any) might be more or less the same. What's changed so dramatically in the last 1-to-2000 years in all those areas will (logically should if we don't self-destruct/set things way back) seem like nothing much in comparison. It makes me want to be able to watch. If there's no charge. On a budget these days.

Yeah I think about it everyday. How much the human race has accomplished, and how much we have yet to accomplish. The possibilities are endless. Gonna be a ton of kicking and screaming, and close calls between now and then, though. But ultimately, I think we make it. We always do

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Jumbo

Jumbo

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I've been a sci fi jag lately myself.  I'm sure you've read him, but the Asimov's Foundation series in particular tackles most of those issues in a way that makes me think about the possibilities.  Course I do find myself wandering some (at times a lot) and that's the most fun of all.

 

 

The Foundation saga was the multi-episode franchise I really want (ed for decades) to see done big time right. maybe someday.

 

I don't even want them to try more than the original trilogy at first.

 

Especially not try to do the tie-in Asimov finally accomplished with all the Robot stories interwoven with the Foundation.

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Momma There Goes That Man

Momma There Goes That Man

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Yeah I think about it everyday. How much the human race has accomplished, and how much we have yet to accomplish. The possibilities are endless. Gonna be a ton of kicking and screaming, and close calls between now and then, though. But ultimately, I think we make it. We always do

This post sounds like it was ripped straight out of Intersellar lol
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d0ublestr0ker0ll

d0ublestr0ker0ll

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One of my favorite things to imagine--with an eye more on how "daily life" and ALL our social/culture institutions; not just the technology---is what it might be like 5-10,000 years from now.

Think of what might be the nature of the major human institutions and schools of thought--- education, health care, lifespan, philosophy, religions, politics (nations?), personality/brain science ("who/what/why" we are/aren't), commerce, all organizations (how everything's structured or composed)..

Yeah I think about it everyday. How much the human race has accomplished, and how much we have yet to accomplish. The possibilities are endless. Gonna be a ton of kicking and screaming, and close calls between now and then, though. But ultimately, I think we make it. We always do

I'm on board with you guys, but let's make it really scary. How about 1 million years from now...10 million, 100 million. What will humanity's status be 2 billion years from now? Think about that number. Break it down. It's the time between the pyramids being built, and today, more then 333,000 times.

The Sun will be fine, as it has around 5 billion years until it supernovas. But common sense would tell you that Earth will be but our most cherished relic in a few thousand years (if all goes well).

I even imagine we'll be able to transport planets with vastly improved tech. Earth will be in the Hall of Planets, based 16 parsecs N/NW of Betelgeuse. We'll be creating galaxies up in this piece. Maybe that's our purpose........

2ufz.gif

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d0ublestr0ker0ll

d0ublestr0ker0ll

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In order for us to even think abou tescaping this planet we need to learn how to travel at the speed of light. I don't even think we have a theory of how to make that happen. In fact, I think that the theory is "you don't".

The speed of light is too slow. Proxima Centauri is over 4 light years away.

Going the speed of light is great for extremely local space travel. Our moon is a little over 1 light-second away. Mars is up to 22 light-minutes away.

I think there are other means. It's being discovered that space and time may be a "fabric", bendable perhaps. Theories on wormholes are plausible.

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Mr. Sinister

Mr. Sinister

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In order for us to even think abou tescaping this planet we need to learn how to travel at the speed of light. I don't even think we have a theory of how to make that happen. In fact, I think that the theory is "you don't".

Figure out a way to bend space/time

The speed of light is too slow. Proxima Centauri is over 4 light years away.

Going the speed of light is great for extremely local space travel. Our moon is a little over 1 light-second away. Mars is up to 22 light-minutes away.

I think there are other means. It's being discovered that space and time may be a "fabric", bendable perhaps. Theories on wormholes are plausible.

Agreed

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d0ublestr0ker0ll

d0ublestr0ker0ll

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I'm thinking it takes one great discovery, maybe several, and we'll be able to travel through the cosmos a lot easier.

Maybe not, maybe we're stuck with propulsion. That would be some ****. Teasing us with all these stars in sight. They're practically right next door. Can't even visit our neighbors? Nah, I think we have a lot to discover.

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ExoDus84

ExoDus84

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Yeah I think about it everyday. How much the human race has accomplished, and how much we have yet to accomplish. The possibilities are endless. Gonna be a ton of kicking and screaming, and close calls between now and then, though. But ultimately, I think we make it. We always do

 

mcconaughey_lincoln_640.jpg

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Mr. Sinister

Mr. Sinister

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http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33570131

 

 

 

New Horizons: More Pluto pictures set for release

 

 

Scientists promise to show further close-ups of the dwarf planet, and talk about some of the other types of data acquired during Tuesday's close pass.

 

Already, there are strong indications that Pluto and its main moon, Charon, have been active in the recent past.Meanwhile, the probe itself continues to monitor the diminutive world and its five satellites. Even though it has gone more than three million km beyond the Pluto system, there is still much to learn by looking in "the rear-view mirror". 

 

New Horizons is attempting to study the crescent Pluto, to see if there are hazes and even clouds in its tenuous atmosphere. It is also hunting for rings. It is possible Pluto is surrounded by concentric circles of dusty, icy particles, and these would scatter sunlight in a way that might be easier to detect from "behind" the dwarf planet.

 

 

 

On Thursday Nasa released another view of Charon, as a tease ahead of Friday's briefing. This zoomed in on a rectangular area approximately 390km long.

 

The terrain has relatively few craters, but what really catches the eye is a large mountain that sits in a depression - like a castle surrounded by a moat. "This is a feature that has geologists stunned and stumped," said Jeff Moore, a Nasa scientist who leads New Horizons' geology, geophysics and imaging team.

 

The probe has so far sent back only a tiny amount of its stored flyby data.

 

 

More info at the link, including an enhanced image of Charon's surface. Guess we'll know more on Tuesday.

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PokerPacker

PokerPacker

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In order for us to even think abou tescaping this planet we need to learn how to travel at the speed of light. I don't even think we have a theory of how to make that happen. In fact, I think that the theory is "you don't".

Look up the Alcubierre Drive. It's a theoretical Warp Drive that compresses space in front of it and expands space behind it.

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s0crates

s0crates

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In order for us to even think abou tescaping this planet we need to learn how to travel at the speed of light. I don't even think we have a theory of how to make that happen. In fact, I think that the theory is "you don't".

1. We might be able to escape the planet if we could terraform or construct biospheres on other planets in our solar system. The difficulty is in interstellar travel.

2. We think faster than light travel is impossible, but my understanding is we might be able to circumvent that limitation via wormholes, or some such bending of spacetime.

3. What seemed impossible yesterday is commonplace today.

4. But in general I agree: For the foreseeable future, Earth is where we make our stand. So I'd say we need to take better care of this rock we all live on.

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Mr. Sinister

Mr. Sinister

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http://www.vox.com/2015/7/17/8992709/pluto-photos-new-horizons

 

 

 

Why it's taking so long to get all the Pluto photos

 

 

New Horizons began sending back photos and other scientific data shortly after its flyby. But even traveling at the speed of light, it takes about 4.5 hours for those signals to reach Earth. On top of that, the huge distance means the signal is extremely faint and must be transmitted very slowly: An image that's 1024 pixels wide takes about 42 minutes to come through.

 

The spacecraft also collected lots of data on Pluto's temperature, atmosphere, and interactions with the solar wind (the charged plasma released by the sun), as well as the five moons. It's sent back several photos and many scientific measurements, but it'll take 16 months for it to relay everything.

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sacase

sacase

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I think that we have to change our way of thinking completely. We have to first have the desire to have a permanent presence outside of the earth. I truly believe that it all starts with the moon. I think we have to seriously consider a permanent moon base. Yes its going to take a boatload of money to do that, but at the same time the pure science we will get out of it that will benefit people here will be nothing short of amazing.

 

I also think we need to cut down our time lines. Instead of 20 to 30 years to do something (not traveling time, build time) we need to shorten it down to something like 18 months to 2 years. I get it, these project make jobs for people, but its taking way to long. The empire state building was completed in 13 months (yes I know its a bit different), so I know that if we have the will there is a way. We have to get out of milking every last dollar out of something with these defense contractors. I think that we have the technology now to have a permanent presence on the moon in 3 years. I truly think that two things that are limiting it are political will and a huge screw-up at NASA where we don't even have lift capability.

 

My first goal would be to have a science base/mining colony. The Mining colony's job would be to basically fund the future maintenance and expansion. Later I would develop a launch base on the moon as well and eventually manufacturing.

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Springfield

Springfield

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I agree sacase.

We need to adapt to life in space. That is humanity's greatest quality of course, adaptability. We get the technology and know how and we can live in space. From there, with proper resources, we can go anywhere.

It will absolutely take money. That's our main problem as it stands. Americans don't want to spend money on the space program. Not a knock on the military, but if we had the space budget that was equivalent of the military's budget then we would be habitating Mars and mining resources off of the asteroid belt right now. The fact that NASA is able to accomplish what it does on a shoestring budget is amazing in its own right.

Now a knock on the military. I am 100% against future space exploration moved into some sort of military capacity. I don't want the Air Force exploring the moon, Mars, etc. To me, that takes the wonder and science out of it and makes it seem like we are taking these resources by force. That's just me though.

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