How Cell Phones are Changing the World
14 years ago
This Bear Is Up a Tree
photo by Scott Granneman
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Read Every Day
What a wonderful day - for the first time since spring classes ended, the NY Times print edition is again on campus - and free. Pick up a copy in a variety of locations. Be aware of your surroundings and see how many NYT news racks you can spot. My favorite story today is an editorial essay titled "A One-Way Ticket to Mars." As indicated, the feasibility of sending a manned spacecraft to Mars is heightened if the crew decides to stay there since returning takes more fuel than can be stored, not to mention the extra weight required by the shields needed to protect the travelers on a round-trip flight. According to the author, numerous scientists and engineers from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory indicated they would be willing to do so for the adventure and the presumable benefit to society. Here's an analogy that Lawrence Krauss provided to support the rationale. He says, "Colonists and pilgrims seldom set off for the New World with the expectation of a return trip..." What do you think of that argument?
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I thought that this was one of the most interesting things I have heard since I can back to Baylor. A no return flight to Mars is crazy but if individuals are willing to take this adventure for science than so be it. If we ever had to relocated to another planet we need to begin discoving them now. I even told my History class this information because we were discussing if Space Travel was one of the most important things in the time period of 1500 to the 2000's and my professor was shocked at the information I presented to the class. If space travel was my passion then I might consider the job but you have to remember that is takes years to get to mars and you would need a massive amount of supplies just to get there.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that NYT is still printing copies of the paper. It would/will upset me if/when they go solely digital.
ReplyDeleteI think that that analogy is a little off base. Setting off for the New World has a chance of not returning, but the place they were going was a land with air and familiar surrounding. A one way flight to Mars is complete chance. There is no evidence that a person can even breathe on the planet let alone survive. I think it is a very interesting idea, but I would never consider it.
ReplyDeleteWow, I get the NY times every day and I didn't see it. I think I still have the paper from yesterday so hopefully I get to read it.
ReplyDeleteI think a man's life is worth more than a space mission.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree, but I definately will pick up the new issue and read the article for myself.
ReplyDeleteIt will certainly be interesting if they are able to pull this off. I think there might be people out there willing to do something like this (I know I would), however they must be a very different breed of people.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine landing on a lonely planet like that, knowing that everything you ever knew you would never see again? Your family, friends, the green grass and trees, your favorite restaurants, all of that gone forever and the only company you would have are the astronauts you went with? In a way, I already have a taste of what this feels like. I transferred from Michigan and at times, I feel stripped from everything I knew of. I have no family in Texas, none of my best friends are here, the physical environment is vastly different, there are no familiar restaurants, etc.. Try going to college out of state or if in state, pick at least six to eight hours away!
It is a pretty existential thought, but I do think there are some people who would do it, just as Christopher Columbus did, or the pilgrims. However they went there for a different purpose. They wanted to start over and begin a new colony/home, and they were going there under what they felt to be the guidance of God.
Traveling to Mars is different. However there are some similarities, and who knows, maybe God has a time when Man will step foot on the "Red Planet."
One thing that comes to mind is that it is interesting enough to look at the sky from earth and think of God, but what would it be like to look at the sky from Mars and think about God, knowing that all other people are on a rock in the cosmos which you will never set foot on again.
I personally would not take the one way trip to Mars, but if people are more than willing to then I say go ahead. They would be benefiting society by doing so and we could learn some very interesting things.
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