Space Exploration

Are NASA's future missions and budget justified?

  • It's worth the time and expenditures

    Votes: 223 66.0%

  • Complete waste of money

    Votes: 41 12.1%

  • We need to explore, but not at the current cost

    Votes: 74 21.9%
  • Total voters
    338
#801
#801
MercyPercy said:
You're still going to age in a zero gravity environment. Your post kind of read that you could almost live forever if you stayed in space. The concept behind what I think you're getting at is general relativity. You could go spend 50 years travelling at light speed around the galaxy and come back and hundreds (or whatever) years have passed by on earth, but you're still 50 years older yourself. You time travelled relative to earth, but you're still dying at your same personal pace.
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You're mixing, as was he, Special Relativity and General Relativity. Time slowing down for motion is Special Relativity. Time slowing for gravity is General Relativity. He is right that gravity affects time.
 
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#802
#802
Grand Vol said:
While your comment is certainly your typical "I have nothing to add to the discussion, but felt like making my fingers move" response, it does bring up a question as to the colonization of the solar system. And that's something that's going to happen sooner rather than later in my opinion.

The real issue is what kind of government would these colonies have? Especially those that were semi or fully self sustained. Take Mars for example if they happen to be able to produce oxygen, water and food for themselves on the planet. As well as the rest of the resources they need in situ. In the beginning stages, they likely would identify with whatever nation sent them, but eventually the urge to control matters for themselves would become pretty strong. At what point does a nation or international consortium grant independence to said colonies and recognize them as de facto nations/worlds to govern themselves? Furthermore, would the colonists be allowed to declare what kind of government they want? And last, but certainly not least, how would these nations on Earth react if a Martian colony suddenly said "we're over you and will chart our own destiny."

Elon Musk, which I consider one of the smartest people alive, said a direct democracy would be the best course where the citizens vote on all issues coming up. Of course all the details would need to be worked out, but it's not a bad idea in principle.

Elon Musk thinks the best government for Mars is a direct democracy - The Verge

However, long before that came to fruition, it does beg the question of which laws and rules would apply and how the nations creating said colony would enforce the laws and what punishment would be. And really stretch the limits on how far the laws of the host nation really go into the cosmos. It's easy to speak about when the ISS is right in orbit and it's (relatively) easy to bring a person back to earth to answer for a crime if one was committed. But a five month or more trip to Mars?

Interesting thought process as well as the historical context of how nations developed and gained independence here on Earth like our own nation.
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As long as technology stays relatively the same, they would have to have their own law and enforcement. It is simply to cumbersome to enforce law on Mars from planet Earth. As for water, they should be able to simple melt ice or drill for water. That will be a huge help.

By the way, Socialists will love that situation.
 
#803
#803
MT LeConte said:
The speed that we are traveling through space does slow down time for us. But only relative to to objects that are not traveling along with us. Everything that is traveling along with us i.e. the virgo cluster is pretty much in sync with us.
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Noticeable time dilation is not synonymous with time dilation. Although, from a sentient being perspective it might as well be synonymous.

MT LeConte said:
Also at 99% the speed of light doesn't mean time is slowed down 99% for us relative to objects setting still. There is a table that shows the effects of relativistic speed on time.

Time Dilation at Low Speeds - Relativity when flying
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Yep. I used a 1:1 ratio to make the concept easier to follow. No need to complicate it further.
 
#825
#825
Easy fellas, she's recently married lol. Unfortunately she feels the bern so it probably wouldn't have worked out anyway...

And yes golfballs those are dreads
 
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