New news from Mars thread.

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**MetalOxide**

KingCracker wrote:
Glorioski wrote:
KingCracker wrote:
Leigen_Zero wrote:
gorgon wrote:
Rocket scientists as the "fittest of the species," huh? Maybe in the control room or a lab. Otherwise not so much. They're definitely some kind of specialized mutant strain.

Not necessarily fittest of the species, but all I'm saying is that the vast majority of the global population's offspring are not really looking to advance human beings as a species, they are quite content to live their lives watching TV and then when the species starts to collapse say, 'oh gak I probably should have done something to help' between mouthfuls of deep-fried-chocolate-coated-bacon-flavoured nachos with extra cheese.

gorgon wrote:I mean, human colonization is a ridiculously expensive waste, considering there's no real reason to get off this planet for another billion years or whatever. Still, at least I see an end purpose there...(extremely) long-term survival.

When you look at the rate at which we are screwing things up, it's much, much less than another billion years (probably 1000-2000 if we are lucky...)

Not to mention that the population of humans on Earth is growing at a staggering rate, which mean we consume all the Earths natural resources much faster than before. With more and more humans on Earth, our consumption will just grw and grow. We need to colonize other planets like Mars if not for the simple fact, that we would REALLY need methane and other gases just to power everything when the Earth does run out. And itll be WAY sooner then a billion years.

Or governments could just ignore the oil giants, fund fusion research properly and play humanity's get out of jail free card. That way nobody needs to live on a dead little red planet.

This isnt Star Trek, our governments do not work together for the greater good, and nothing is done without a major corporation making an assload of money from it. Tesla invented free energy around 100 years agoish, and guess what? Im still paying my consumers bill every month.

Yeah, governments only care about cold hard cash and turning advanced tech into weapons... apparently military technology is years more advanced than what we have on the market now.

**GalacticDefender**

gorgon wrote:
Those aren't aliens...they're *ghosts*. MARS IS HAUNTED! OH NOES!

Glorioski wrote:
Or governments could just ignore the oil giants, fund fusion research properly and play humanity's get out of jail free card. That way nobody needs to live on a dead little red planet.

That's it in a nutshell. Mars is the friendliest place for humanity in our solar system, and it's a cold, dead, very inhospitable rock. I don't get the natural resources argument. We'll run out of oil soonish, but we'll have alternatives by then. It's not like there'll be oil on Mars anyway, lol. We might run out of fresh water at some point, but we have oceans full of water and desalinization and recycling projects would have to cost less than the trillions it'd take to have a meaningful colony on Mars. Minerals, etc. are potentially recyclable, and we'll develop new building materials and such with time. Our population is expanding, but only in certain regions, and they'll likely level off too as they become wealthier and more modern. Our problems here are solvable. Our challenges in space are almost infinite.

Earth is our home and a very friendly place for our species. Our best survival strategy is to protect our home for as long as possible, not to seek to prematurely ditch it in favor of infinitely deadlier places. That's why I think it's ridiculous that we p*ss away billions on space stations that don't really do anything and quests for microbial life that don't really help our species, when we should be plowing that money into planetary defense systems. You want a short-term species survival issue? I'd say asteroid/comet/object impacts are a pretty big one, especially when we know they've happened before with disastrous consequences.

It's late. But if it wasn't, I would take the time to explain to you why space exploration is one of the most important of humanity's endeavors. But that will have to wait until tomorrow. But you might not be able to microwave your cheesy cheese burrito with extra cheese if it weren't for NASA. That's only one small, tiny, insignificant thing space exploration has done for us.

**GalacticDefender**

Awesome.

**Captain Fantastic**

Mars looks a lot like Afghanistan, as Jihadin put it. The likeness is uncanny.

**azazel the cat**

GalacticDefender wrote:
gorgon wrote:
Those aren't aliens...they're *ghosts*. MARS IS HAUNTED! OH NOES!

Glorioski wrote:
Or governments could just ignore the oil giants, fund fusion research properly and play humanity's get out of jail free card. That way nobody needs to live on a dead little red planet.

That's it in a nutshell. Mars is the friendliest place for humanity in our solar system, and it's a cold, dead, very inhospitable rock. I don't get the natural resources argument. We'll run out of oil soonish, but we'll have alternatives by then. It's not like there'll be oil on Mars anyway, lol. We might run out of fresh water at some point, but we have oceans full of water and desalinization and recycling projects would have to cost less than the trillions it'd take to have a meaningful colony on Mars. Minerals, etc. are potentially recyclable, and we'll develop new building materials and such with time. Our population is expanding, but only in certain regions, and they'll likely level off too as they become wealthier and more modern. Our problems here are solvable. Our challenges in space are almost infinite.

Earth is our home and a very friendly place for our species. Our best survival strategy is to protect our home for as long as possible, not to seek to prematurely ditch it in favor of infinitely deadlier places. That's why I think it's ridiculous that we p*ss away billions on space stations that don't really do anything and quests for microbial life that don't really help our species, when we should be plowing that money into planetary defense systems. You want a short-term species survival issue? I'd say asteroid/comet/object impacts are a pretty big one, especially when we know they've happened before with disastrous consequences.

It's late. But if it wasn't, I would take the time to explain to you why space exploration is one of the most important of humanity's endeavors. But that will have to wait until tomorrow. But you might not be able to microwave your cheesy cheese burrito with extra cheese if it weren't for NASA. That's only one small, tiny, insignificant thing space exploration has done for us.

I'll take the baton for the moment. Gorgon, let's for the moment stay with your admitted desire for the survival of a species.

First, a rogue asteroid or comet of significant size is a death sentence. A planetary defense system is no more feasable than is trying to stay alive in a gunfight by shooting the incoming bullets out of the air. Wilder scenarios like doomsday via von Neumann machines notwithstanding, we're doing a fantastic job of destroying a very sensitive ecological balance, and we allowed crazy people to build nuclear weapons. Long story short, we are currently in a situation where we have all our eggs in one basket, and we don't seem to care about the upkeep of that basket, and we have allowed crazy people to hold a sword of Damacles over that basket.

Second, you really shouldn't discount the importance of microbial life. If you've ever needed anibiotics, then you have been helped by microbial life. Where do you think Penicillin comes from?

Third, -and this is just speculation- but we may discover oil in Mars. We don't know. And that's why we're going. Because, as a species, our pursuit of knowledge is the defining characteristic that places us above all other species.

So there's three points for you. I'll let someone else pick this up 'cause I'm tired too.

**Relapse**

The first human voice to come to Earth from another planet:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/news/msl20120827.html

**azazel the cat**

Ooh! I forgot another reason for space exploration!

If we don't significantly increase our space exploration, then it becomes increasingly likely that if there are other technologically proficient species out there, then their first contact with us will be Hitler on TV from the 1936 Olympic games. And that's not any good for anybody.

**purplefood**

azazel the cat wrote:
Ooh! I forgot another reason for space exploration!

If we don't significantly increase our space exploration, then it becomes increasingly likely that if there are other technologically proficient species out there, then their first contact with us will be Hitler on TV from the 1936 Olympic games. And that's not any good for anybody.

I would love to be the guy who has to explain that...
"Radio transmission? Oh right that guy... Yeah ignore all that crap he was totally bonkers, started a war, killed millions, shot himself... we think. Anyway do you like the soup?"

**Relapse**

The first song broadcast from Mars:

http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/28/13530584-listen-to-the-first-song-from-mars?lite

**A Town Called Malus**

Couldn't they have picked a better song?

**d-usa**

It's not Call Me Maybe I hope...

**azazel the cat**

Seriously? Wil.i.am?

Wow. What a terrible choice.

**Leigen_Zero**

azazel the cat wrote:
Seriously? Wil.i.am?

Wow. What a terrible choice.

Terrible - Yes

Almost instantly recognisable by well over 3/4 (maybe even closer to 9/10) of the population of the US (and probably rest of world), thus garnering much-needed hype and interest in the mission - Heck Yes

Admittedly it's not the moist poignant of transmissions, but let's face it as a way to generate interest in the mars rover they couldn't get much more mainstream recognition if they had painted the thing red and yellow and called it the McRover.