Re: The Dumbing Down of Astronomers


offaxis2@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

Why is it that todays astronomers no longer care for the thirst for
knowledge?

What makes you think that?
They haven't at least not in my neck of the woods.

Why it is more important to have a shiny expensive scope than to teach
the kid next door?

The kid next door is too busy piling on the pounds eating high fat high salt snacks, alcopops and gaming on his Playstation to move more than is absolutely necessary. This is a serious problem to many hobby groups, and not just amateur astronomers either, drama groups, football, model making clubs, gardening (in fact any club that isn't purely sedentary has trouble with aging membership and lack of younger members).

Why is it that price of scopes is more important value of what you do
with it?

It isn't. And incidentally in real terms decent quality telescopes have never been cheaper thanks to better mass production techniques.

What happened to ideal that it doesn't matter what the scope is made of
it matters how well you used it?

That still holds to some extent in the UK where price gouging by the US makers ensures some amateurs still make their own hand built string and sealing wax models. But even here mass produced scopes are more affordable and plentiful now than they have ever been.

What happened to the Sidewalk Astronomers ideal? Any old material good
optics and SHOW THE STARS TO THE WORLD!

Blinded by street lights for the most part.

Why do people think they should ignore the past? So they can improve
their collection?
Why do they have a freaking collection of telescopes are they so empty
inside that possessions is all they know? Stop collecting them start
using them.

I am no great fan of the US acquisitive collectors and speculative investors in exotic designer brand optics for immediate resale when delivered. But if they want to buy such scopes for bragging rights only I don't see what harm it does. They are a tiny fraction of all scopes sold. And in part they subsidise the people who want to buy the same scope to use it. I suspect a fair number of LX200's end up as high tech doorstops in homes that have at least one of every gadget.

Troll no rant yes

You look a lot like a troll.

Modern amateur astronomers now have access to world class research data via the internet and a chance to participate in various pro-am collaborations to cover monitoring transient objects expected to outburst like cataclysmic variable stars. The email and the internet has made this possible IAU circulars were too slow.

It is not by any stretch of the imagination dumbing down. You are offaxis.

Regards,
Martin Brown
.