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kiaaA fantastic map from webcomic artist Randall Munroe shows the relative surface areas of all the rocky planets and moons in the Solar system as though they were continents branching off from the oceans of Earth. The map, entitled "Surface Area" on Munroe's site xkcd.com, is a wonderful visualization of the relative sizes of all the major solid bodies in the solar system presented as a familiar world map:
Source
Source
kiaaWe live in exciting times, cosmology-wise. The news keeps coming from left and right, almost daily.
Do we live in a giant void? That could solve the puzzle of the universe's expansion, research suggests
Do we live in a giant void? That could solve the puzzle of the universe's expansion, research suggests
kiaaGrab your binoculars and head somewhere away from the city where you can see the newest addition to the Great Space Debree, Russell's teapot, ehm... I mean, tool bag!
'Somewhere hurtling more than 200 miles above the planet's surface is one of Earth's newest satellites: a tool bag, and it's possible you might be able to spot it with a telescope or good pair of binoculars if you know where to look."
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/11/10/nasa-tool-bag-dropped-by-astronauts-international-space-station/71536725007/
'Somewhere hurtling more than 200 miles above the planet's surface is one of Earth's newest satellites: a tool bag, and it's possible you might be able to spot it with a telescope or good pair of binoculars if you know where to look."
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/11/10/nasa-tool-bag-dropped-by-astronauts-international-space-station/71536725007/
Aliens found in Mexico?
14/9/23 20:46luzribeiroMexican congress hears research about 'non-human' beings during forum on UFOs
Oh wow, how weird it is that this arrives to the scene just a few months after the American Congress hearings, and these two countries are so close as well.
To make a note of..
Jaime Maussan has previously showed off "alien bodies" that was debunked as hoax, so that may be or may not be a marker for how this tale will end.
To me it looks like a hoax somehow.
But who knows. Independent scientist and research labs world wide need accesss and to be allowed to conclude with the same results as the one that has made the first tests.
When several independent labs can get full access, then we might have something of substance to contemplate on, depending on the conclusions.
Anyway, here's a vid of the hearing:
Oh wow, how weird it is that this arrives to the scene just a few months after the American Congress hearings, and these two countries are so close as well.
To make a note of..
Jaime Maussan has previously showed off "alien bodies" that was debunked as hoax, so that may be or may not be a marker for how this tale will end.
To me it looks like a hoax somehow.
But who knows. Independent scientist and research labs world wide need accesss and to be allowed to conclude with the same results as the one that has made the first tests.
When several independent labs can get full access, then we might have something of substance to contemplate on, depending on the conclusions.
Anyway, here's a vid of the hearing:
Friday Cool. Cosmic Eye
11/8/23 20:31nairiporterThis is the original landscape-format version of the short movie Cosmic Eye, designed by astrophysicist Danail Obreschkow. The movie zooms through all well-known scales of the universe from minuscule elementary particles out to the gigantic cosmic web. This project was inspired by a progression of increasingly accurate graphical representations of the scales of the universe, including the classical essay "Cosmic View" by Kees Boeke (1957), the short movie "Cosmic Zoom" by Eva Szasz (1968), and the legendary movie "Powers of Ten" by Charles and Ray Eames (1977). Cosmic Eye takes these historical visualisations to the state-of-the-art using real photographs obtained with modern detectors, telescopes, and microscopes. Other views are renderings of modern computer models. Vector-based blending techniques are used to create a seamless zoom.
luzribeiroThis is an interesting development.
Hundreds of UFOs have been spotted 'all over the world', Pentagon chief admits as NASA unveils findings into first ever study of unexplained phenomena in the skies
- Pentagon reveals expert 'NASA embeds' now cleared for classified UFO briefings
- NASA astrobiologist recommends search for alien 'artifacts' in our solar system
- FAA official asks NASA to help reduce 'stigma' for scientists studying UAP data
Eish. These are curious times. First they admitted there was UAP and agreed to investigate. Now they are admitting there are UFOs and they want it destigmatized and a search to start.
Seems like they're finally willing to lift the curtain and start dripping stuff out to us about aliens, imaginary or not.
In any case, it's thrilling that they're softening up and possibly setting up to admit a cover-up, and hey, why not even go a step further and admit we've already made contact.
The motivation behind this sudden opening up aside, scientifically minded or not, one would have to be very narrow minded IMO, to think that we human beings are the only "intelligent" beings in this vast universe.
Hundreds of UFOs have been spotted 'all over the world', Pentagon chief admits as NASA unveils findings into first ever study of unexplained phenomena in the skies
- Pentagon reveals expert 'NASA embeds' now cleared for classified UFO briefings
- NASA astrobiologist recommends search for alien 'artifacts' in our solar system
- FAA official asks NASA to help reduce 'stigma' for scientists studying UAP data
Eish. These are curious times. First they admitted there was UAP and agreed to investigate. Now they are admitting there are UFOs and they want it destigmatized and a search to start.
Seems like they're finally willing to lift the curtain and start dripping stuff out to us about aliens, imaginary or not.
In any case, it's thrilling that they're softening up and possibly setting up to admit a cover-up, and hey, why not even go a step further and admit we've already made contact.
The motivation behind this sudden opening up aside, scientifically minded or not, one would have to be very narrow minded IMO, to think that we human beings are the only "intelligent" beings in this vast universe.
kiaa
Having read through Liu Cixin's 2nd book from his trilogy Remembrance of Earth's Past, The Dark Forest, I've come across this take on the Fermi paradox:
Dark forest hypothesis (wiki)
The dark forest hypothesis is the idea that many alien civilizations exist throughout the universe, but are both silent and paranoid. In this framing, it is presumed that any space-faring civilization would view any other intelligent life as an inevitable threat,[2] and thus destroy any nascent life that makes its presence known. As a result, the electromagnetic spectrum would be relatively silent, without evidence of any intelligent alien life, as in a "dark forest" filled with "armed hunter(s) stalking through the trees like a ghost".
There's also a nice Kurzgesagt video on the subject (their vids are always awesome):
Youtube link
( Read more... )
Tell it like it is, Joe!
20/2/23 21:49airiefairie"President Joe Biden is expected to make public remarks about a suspected Chinese spy balloon and three other unidentified flying objects that have been shot down over North American airspace since February 4."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/joe-biden-to-finally-break-silence-on-ufos-in-white-house-speech/ar-AA17yX3J
Finally, after pressure from members of both parties, Biden will speak to the balloon issue, and hopefully explain why this has suddenly become an issue.
Strange that they can't just schedule a time for a press briefing. I understand that the timing on the physical can be a little unpredictable, but surely they could slot in time for a prepared statement in the afternoon. Maybe delay the private movie screening.
The talk of UFOs / Aliens is strange. I don't think anyone has seriously suggested that aliens are launching balloons over the US, outside of few joking questions to the press secretary.
Well one way or another, this should be interesting.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/joe-biden-to-finally-break-silence-on-ufos-in-white-house-speech/ar-AA17yX3J
Finally, after pressure from members of both parties, Biden will speak to the balloon issue, and hopefully explain why this has suddenly become an issue.
Strange that they can't just schedule a time for a press briefing. I understand that the timing on the physical can be a little unpredictable, but surely they could slot in time for a prepared statement in the afternoon. Maybe delay the private movie screening.
The talk of UFOs / Aliens is strange. I don't think anyone has seriously suggested that aliens are launching balloons over the US, outside of few joking questions to the press secretary.
Well one way or another, this should be interesting.
kiaaYeah, unless you've been living in a cave you must've heard the news. NASA's DART mission has successfully slammed into the asteroid Dimorphos changing its orbit around Didymos in the world's first planetary defense test.
Naturally, memes ensue.
( Read more... )
Naturally, memes ensue.
( Read more... )
kiaaJust 13.8 billion years after the hot Big Bang, we can see 46.1 billion light-years away in all directions. Doesn't that violate...something?
Well, no. Details under the LINK
- The cardinal rule of relativity is that there's a speed limit to the Universe, the speed of light, that nothing can break.
- And yet, when we look at the most distant of objects, their light has been traveling for no more than 13.8 billion years, but appears much farther away.
- Here's how that doesn't break the speed of light; it only breaks our outdated, intuitive notions of how reality ought to behave.
Well, no. Details under the LINK
- The cardinal rule of relativity is that there's a speed limit to the Universe, the speed of light, that nothing can break.
- And yet, when we look at the most distant of objects, their light has been traveling for no more than 13.8 billion years, but appears much farther away.
- Here's how that doesn't break the speed of light; it only breaks our outdated, intuitive notions of how reality ought to behave.
Friday WTF. Musk vs Bezos
9/4/22 00:47kiaaAnd it's getting rather ugly.
I wasn't aware Bezos and Musk had such a problem.
To be frank, It seems Elon has a huge lead. I have admired his spacecraft from the get go.
He not only has carried passengers to space, he has 3 civilians up in space now.
And his rockets are proven to land back on Earth or on his ship. I understand that Bezos is almost as rich as the Federal Government. Richer if you count Bezos lacks the enormous debts. Musk is going up in wealth as fast as his rockets climb.
So we may thank Musk like we do the Wright Brothers for the US entry into space or in the case of the Wrights, up in the air.
Billionaire vs. billionaire. At least they're the right kind of billionaires (rich, white, & male). /trollface/
I wasn't aware Bezos and Musk had such a problem.
To be frank, It seems Elon has a huge lead. I have admired his spacecraft from the get go.
He not only has carried passengers to space, he has 3 civilians up in space now.
And his rockets are proven to land back on Earth or on his ship. I understand that Bezos is almost as rich as the Federal Government. Richer if you count Bezos lacks the enormous debts. Musk is going up in wealth as fast as his rockets climb.
So we may thank Musk like we do the Wright Brothers for the US entry into space or in the case of the Wrights, up in the air.
Billionaire vs. billionaire. At least they're the right kind of billionaires (rich, white, & male). /trollface/
luzribeiroQuestion: How long until Homo Sapiens develop the technology to launch us out of our solar system and into the Milky Way?
Providing we don't become victims of some worldwide apocalypse or we just wipe ourselves out with our own brazen stupidity.
Or go to bed on Earth and awake on Planet Dystopia to a government more concerned with advancing itself than technology. Authoritarians have no use for technology that has no application to government growth, power and control over the masses.
Or maybe we should just opt for the safest bet... ( Yeah you guessed it )
Providing we don't become victims of some worldwide apocalypse or we just wipe ourselves out with our own brazen stupidity.
Or go to bed on Earth and awake on Planet Dystopia to a government more concerned with advancing itself than technology. Authoritarians have no use for technology that has no application to government growth, power and control over the masses.
Or maybe we should just opt for the safest bet... ( Yeah you guessed it )
kiaaThose billionaires sure are having fun up there.
Jeff Bezos, the Blue Origin founder who flew into space, has come under fire from Elon Musk's loyal fanbase of SpaceX fans.
Dick jokes ensue:
Jeff Bezos, the Blue Origin founder who flew into space, has come under fire from Elon Musk's loyal fanbase of SpaceX fans.
Dick jokes ensue:
Good space news!
7/6/21 22:34nairiporterSpaceX has won a NASA contract to build spacecraft to fly astronauts to the Moon:
https://www.dezeen.com/2021/04/20/spacex-starship-nasa-artemis-moon-landing/
Good for Space X... and looking forward to seeing these new goals realised.
In other news,
NASA has successfully brought a helicopter to the Martian surface, the first controlled flight on another planet:
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-succeeds-in-historic-first-flight
Which is of course totally awesome! And a wonderful spot of sunshine in days filled with so much negative.
We as the human race need to be getting this stuff done, as we will someday have to leave this rock permanently to survive as a species. It will take a long time and a lot of experimentation. The movie "Interstellar" comes to mind. That's certainly a possibility if you think about it. Though even if we don't need to leave to survive, we will need to leave to thrive.
Earth can probably support a far larger population than it does now at even at our current technological level with some minor changes in pollution, waste and efficiency. But there is still a limit. We'll be far better off developing the skills and technology to colonise space before we reach that limit than trying to do it later out of necessity. Out there is the unlimited space, resources and energy that will allow for a longer-term survival of the species and our civilisation. We just have to reach for it.
https://www.dezeen.com/2021/04/20/spacex-starship-nasa-artemis-moon-landing/
Good for Space X... and looking forward to seeing these new goals realised.
In other news,
NASA has successfully brought a helicopter to the Martian surface, the first controlled flight on another planet:
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-ingenuity-mars-helicopter-succeeds-in-historic-first-flight
Which is of course totally awesome! And a wonderful spot of sunshine in days filled with so much negative.
We as the human race need to be getting this stuff done, as we will someday have to leave this rock permanently to survive as a species. It will take a long time and a lot of experimentation. The movie "Interstellar" comes to mind. That's certainly a possibility if you think about it. Though even if we don't need to leave to survive, we will need to leave to thrive.
Earth can probably support a far larger population than it does now at even at our current technological level with some minor changes in pollution, waste and efficiency. But there is still a limit. We'll be far better off developing the skills and technology to colonise space before we reach that limit than trying to do it later out of necessity. Out there is the unlimited space, resources and energy that will allow for a longer-term survival of the species and our civilisation. We just have to reach for it.
airiefairie
Soviet cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev was in space when the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991. Unable to return home, he ended up having to stay in space until further notice.
The cosmonaut eventually returned back to earth on March 25, 1992, after 10 months in orbit - to a nation that was very different to what it was when he had left. The Soviet Union had fractured into 15 nations, presidents had changed, and even his hometown of Leningrad had become St. Petersburg.
Interestingly, at the time, Krikalev was supposed to serve in the military reserves, and was almost issued a warrant for desertion – before the army realised that their reserve soldier was not even on the planet.
asthfghlSome comments I recently came across on an article about Martian colonization and terraforming made me thinking. One said,
"We do need to save our planet, she is drowning."
See, the planet itself will be fine. We won't. Unless we learn to live in drastically different conditions to the ones we've been used to, and have evolved in. The planet has undergone multiple sets of conditions, some drastically differing from others. There've been mass extinctions leading to new eras. The planet will still be here no matter what we do, it'll have a different climate, and different life will evolve in those conditions. The question is not if we can "save the planet" (the term doesn't even make sense). The real question is, will we keep it survivable for humans. By extension, the question is also if we had the capability to increase our chances of long-term survival by spreading to more than one planet in case some cataclysm happens on this one, why shouldn't we take the opportunity.
Populating other parts of the cosmos isn't incompatible with keeping our planet habitable. It's not an either-or dichotomy. Besides, keeping all eggs in one basket is not a wise choice. Say we make our planet perfectly habitable and we stop climate change (hint: you can't stop climate from changing but nevermind). Then an asteroid or a comet slams into Earth. Game over. You'll wish you hadn't been so much of a "Remainer" when you had the chance.
I really don't get the rationale behind the "Remainer" camp. How does expanding to other parts of the Solar system negate the efforts of taking care of this planet? I constantly hear the "why go to space, we must fix our planet first" argument, and honestly I don't get it. Why should this be a choice between two options, either stay here and fix this place, or abandon it and leave to somewhere else? That's not the point of colonization at all. The point of colonization is development. In this case, it's even more than that - it's increasing our chances of survival.
As for Mars, sorry Elon Musk, but your idea does look like a pipe dream. I mean, why terraform the entire planet? It would take effort and resource that is by multiple orders of magnitude greater than creating domed areas that are more easily manageable. Creating a network of terraformed domes around Mars (especially underground) seems the more viable option. Like in The Expanse series.
"We do need to save our planet, she is drowning."
See, the planet itself will be fine. We won't. Unless we learn to live in drastically different conditions to the ones we've been used to, and have evolved in. The planet has undergone multiple sets of conditions, some drastically differing from others. There've been mass extinctions leading to new eras. The planet will still be here no matter what we do, it'll have a different climate, and different life will evolve in those conditions. The question is not if we can "save the planet" (the term doesn't even make sense). The real question is, will we keep it survivable for humans. By extension, the question is also if we had the capability to increase our chances of long-term survival by spreading to more than one planet in case some cataclysm happens on this one, why shouldn't we take the opportunity.
Populating other parts of the cosmos isn't incompatible with keeping our planet habitable. It's not an either-or dichotomy. Besides, keeping all eggs in one basket is not a wise choice. Say we make our planet perfectly habitable and we stop climate change (hint: you can't stop climate from changing but nevermind). Then an asteroid or a comet slams into Earth. Game over. You'll wish you hadn't been so much of a "Remainer" when you had the chance.
I really don't get the rationale behind the "Remainer" camp. How does expanding to other parts of the Solar system negate the efforts of taking care of this planet? I constantly hear the "why go to space, we must fix our planet first" argument, and honestly I don't get it. Why should this be a choice between two options, either stay here and fix this place, or abandon it and leave to somewhere else? That's not the point of colonization at all. The point of colonization is development. In this case, it's even more than that - it's increasing our chances of survival.
As for Mars, sorry Elon Musk, but your idea does look like a pipe dream. I mean, why terraform the entire planet? It would take effort and resource that is by multiple orders of magnitude greater than creating domed areas that are more easily manageable. Creating a network of terraformed domes around Mars (especially underground) seems the more viable option. Like in The Expanse series.
mahnmut
You saw that coming, right? Nah, I'm not talking about yet another great achievement for science and technology. I'm talking about the memes coming after it. ;-)
Bernie Sanders was beamed to the surface of Mars in Twitter's meme fest, and probably somewhere near the top of the list of Mars Perseverance memes.
( And then memes ensued! )
2021, another Space Odyssey
21/1/21 12:30kiaa
Mars, here we come! Those are Elon Musk's words from a tweet in December when he launched the first (almost successful) Starship flight. Humanity's most powerful rocket ever, the start of a new stage in the space race, triggered by innovation in the private sector. Now that the countries and companies have gradually started adapting to the Covid realities, 2021 is about to become a tipping point in space flight beyond Earth's atmosphere.
The next 12 months will probably be a hectic time in space, as we're likely to witness the privatization of near-Earth orbit. Near space will be saturated with spacecraft from new companies who'll build small rockets solely through private investment. The big players in the sector and the national space agencies will in turn redirect their efforts to larger and bolder undertakings, directed at Moon and deeper space, like Mars, Venus and the asteroid belt. But we'll be needing new, more powerful rockets for that. 2021 is expected to give us at least 4 or 5 of those: Starship of SpaceX, SLS of NASA, Vulcan of ULA, the Russian Angara 5A, and probably also New Glenn of Blue Origin, Bezos' space company.
( Read more... )