Re: Barack Obama Pits Space Explorers Against School Children

On 4 Dec, 12:58, simberg.interglo...@xxxxxxxxx (Rand Simberg) wrote:
On Mon, 3 Dec 2007 20:12:37 -0500, in a place far, far away,
"Jonathan" <wr...@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> made the phosphor on my monitor glow
in such a way as to indicate that:

It's pretty clear the military will lead the way into space.

That is not clear at all.

The risk to earth from colonies are numerous. For one
their immense expense could drain our national budget.
Their military uses mean society would get little in return
aside from geopolitical advantages. And the notion
that colonies are somehow more sustainable, more
civilized and stable than an earthbound community is silly.

Just because they're designed by scientists only means
trouble, not a paradise.

They won't be designed by scientists. They will be designed by
engineers and architects.

With the rigid military like
environments too small for democratic or market forces
to play out. And the emotional and psychological stress
of isolation, and I bet long tours of duty. I would think that
colonies would be rife with conflict and difficult as
possible to sustain.

I'm picturing a job somewhat like ..oh.. spending all day
underwater welding, for the military. So there's no
money, no fun and no place to go except back to work.
Great view, but otherwise a living hell.

Why do people seem to fantasize so much about
colonies?

Because they don't think about them as stupidly as you do.

An engineer who is any good works things out. 90% of the world's
population lives on 10% of the land surface. It takes far less mass to
support a desert with SSP than it does to build an O'Neill colony.
This is obvious to any engineer. You are clearly not an engineer. I
reckon you would have called Brunel looney had you lived in the 19th
century. You seem to lack any kind of scientific understanding.

OK, you might argue SSP might not be cost effective. Sure, it might be
even cheaper to have a set of terrestrial mirrors and raise steam. If
this is so it strengthens my case and that of Jonathan. I must say my
first reaction to the dry fountains was "mirrors, steam, turbines,
desalination".

This is what I say. This group seems to be getting totally negative,
totally abusive. I have not forgotten the slurs you have made on me.


- Ian Parker
.

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