The Big Picture: Science!
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I was under the impression bob was just fooling around and doesn't expect anyone to take his requests seriously.....MB202 said:
EDIT: except for perhaps the cultured meat, but I immediately dismissed that as impractical for now. we already have a biological machine that produces beef with minimal upkeep and also provides fancy couch surfacing. it's called a cow.
The only way we'll ever get to live in space is when Earth is no longer capable of sustaining the life of the richest countries.
Water/Ice have already been found on other planets, and since we know how to allow plants to grow in space, one of the only major problems left is how we transport enough materials out there in a resonable amount of time. Just think of how long they have been adding components to that international space station.
Water/Ice have already been found on other planets, and since we know how to allow plants to grow in space, one of the only major problems left is how we transport enough materials out there in a resonable amount of time. Just think of how long they have been adding components to that international space station.
Reminds me of an old duck tales comic where astronauts did discover gold on the moon. It was followed by a mad rush as anyone who could scrape together enough parts flew up...
Though it ended as all mining booms do, with traders selling supplies at inflated prices...
Though it ended as all mining booms do, with traders selling supplies at inflated prices...
You're gonna have to do a lot better than oil. There's no way a trip to mars and back for X kilograms worth of oil will cost less than X kilograms of fuel.
Once they can get a stable fusion reactor using Helium 3, we can justify going to the moon though. Much more energy per kg, and we don't even have to lie, the stuff is really there.
And cultured meat isn't big for the same reason organic meat isn't: Too expensive. Plus, even if it manages to be made perfectly, how much would you wanna bet that food-snobs still insist you can taste the difference, and a large number of ludites wouldn't trust the stuff?
Once they can get a stable fusion reactor using Helium 3, we can justify going to the moon though. Much more energy per kg, and we don't even have to lie, the stuff is really there.
And cultured meat isn't big for the same reason organic meat isn't: Too expensive. Plus, even if it manages to be made perfectly, how much would you wanna bet that food-snobs still insist you can taste the difference, and a large number of ludites wouldn't trust the stuff?
Credible scientists (the ones that matter) never lie professionally. Ever. That's the whole point of science.
They can fudge, though, but that's different.
They can fudge, though, but that's different.
So... this one time, The Escapist Community criticized MovieBob for taking an episode too far, when Yahtzee does one every week. To be honest, I've asked myself all these questions, not given myself any answers, but really, where's my jetpack, Enterprise, hambear, and grown meat that I can share with starving children?
No, that would be being an actual astronaut sigh (one can dream).ElectricMegaHamstah said:My GOD You have the best job ever...kingmob said:I'm actually a 'space guy' and in my daily work the biggest problem is that not all those in 'team science' are in it for this reason :\ Seriously, a surprising number of people is in it for the paycheck and the tax benefits (I train astronauts).
Depressing? I know...
But I will consider your input for the next discussion
step 1: space elevatorSofus said:
step 2: make great big ol forges on the moon (magnets for faster forging).
step 3: take advantage of low gravity and friction to launch our new monolithic spaceships (or assemble in lunar orbit)
step 4: journey to mars and beyond.
step 5: ????
1. Cultured meat
While this is a very good idea I suspect that in the short to medium term it will not take off. The promary problem will be that intially the product will be more expensive per unit that natural meat from animal (there is the cost of development to pay off, compared to animals with no additional cost apart from rearing). I will admit that this problem will probadly lessen as development reduces the costs. The far biggest problem would be its public image, would people want to eat artifical meat? especially if it doesn't taste or feel exactly like what its suppost to be?
2. Space travel
yuh1
While the idea would be inpractical, a smiliar "gold rush" concept for the devolopment of space infrastructure has been suggested.
In truth we could probadly build a new fully reusable high capacity launch system and orbital vechile (A bigger version of the space shuttle). But when he had built it we would have a white elphant since we wouldn't need the capacity to launch such volume of objects in orbit. Disposible launch vechiles are for the moment economically affordable so there is not need to develop anymore resusable vechiles.
Anyway high speed interplanetary (earth to mars)would require high power eletric drives (fusion powered) that we lacked the basic technolgy at the moment to devolope, let alone use in practice.
For those who wish to understand the problems of realistic space craft go to Atomic Rockets at http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/ and the Rocketpunk Manifesto at http://www.rocketpunk-manifesto.com/
While this is a very good idea I suspect that in the short to medium term it will not take off. The promary problem will be that intially the product will be more expensive per unit that natural meat from animal (there is the cost of development to pay off, compared to animals with no additional cost apart from rearing). I will admit that this problem will probadly lessen as development reduces the costs. The far biggest problem would be its public image, would people want to eat artifical meat? especially if it doesn't taste or feel exactly like what its suppost to be?
2. Space travel
yuh1
While the idea would be inpractical, a smiliar "gold rush" concept for the devolopment of space infrastructure has been suggested.
In truth we could probadly build a new fully reusable high capacity launch system and orbital vechile (A bigger version of the space shuttle). But when he had built it we would have a white elphant since we wouldn't need the capacity to launch such volume of objects in orbit. Disposible launch vechiles are for the moment economically affordable so there is not need to develop anymore resusable vechiles.
Anyway high speed interplanetary (earth to mars)would require high power eletric drives (fusion powered) that we lacked the basic technolgy at the moment to devolope, let alone use in practice.
For those who wish to understand the problems of realistic space craft go to Atomic Rockets at http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/ and the Rocketpunk Manifesto at http://www.rocketpunk-manifesto.com/
And that episode was awful. He didn't understand anything he was talking about, did not present any of the inherent dangers and painted people with opposing opinions to be paranoid luddites tantamount to torch-wielding villagers. If he'd have done his research instead of waving his church of science banner blindly he'd have seen GMOD foods raise legitimate concerns mostly centered around their environmental and economic impacts. NOT, as he presumed, when you eat them. But that is Bob, a large man full of hot air. It's not that I don't agree with him somewhat a lot of the time, his intentions are good, but the arguments he uses are often angry, flawed and ignorant. And those same opinions are parroted by people who don't know any better, which ruins all chance for rational discussion as the ripples travel outwards. I don't know how many GMOD discussions I've been in where somebody comes in and goes "Carrots, lol! BOB said so!" But you know what, anger sells these days and he seems to be doing well from it so why's he gonna listen to me? He hasn't yet. By the same token why should the powers that be care what he says?KingPiccolOwned said:
I am at present rolling my eyes at his talk of culturing meat.
You can have your objections without using the word "abomination", you know. There are other, perfectly legitimate words. Try "Cross species barriers", "monsanto" or "genetic drift" out some time.Scarim Coral said:
A Movie Bob is what science needs!
Right now there is a surplus of mad doctors and/or meek ones that want to make just one Modern Prometheus at a time. We need action. We need a man to get things done! I want to borrow your jet pack. Let's get this thing moving!
Right now there is a surplus of mad doctors and/or meek ones that want to make just one Modern Prometheus at a time. We need action. We need a man to get things done! I want to borrow your jet pack. Let's get this thing moving!
I meant in the contest of harvesting artificial meat (much more expensive). I mean thinking that creating meat in a lab can solve hunger is naive. It is a capitalism problem as the much "easier" solution is the cheap one. And no URSS by definition was not communism, as if you ever go to history class (college degree level) they will teach you that URSS was a state capitalism (whatever that is).ReiverCorrupter said:
Really? REALLY? You think the only reason we haven't developed space travel is because we're afraid of something we can't see? Why not worry about our souls being anchored to earth and traveling too far ripping it from our bodies leaving us soulless reavers or what about if the first hyperspace jump transforms the whole of the human race into giant jelly penises. Is bacteria really the best unfounded fear you could come up with to keep us from researching space travel?Gluzzbung said:
"That's it, everybody. Pack it up and go home. Apparently there's a chance we might find a deadly space bacteria out there and we just can't take that risk."
With SCIENCE. Duh.MB202 said:
The Rocketter says alcohol based fuel is the key. Start looking there.MB202 said:
Father Time is right. Thrust does not necessarily mean fire. However thrust is often accompanied by fire because the mechanisms for delivering enough trust to counteract gravity generates a lot of heat. But it's not the heat that gets your butt off the ground. It's thr-r-r-r-r-ust.
Actually the bigger question is of fuel. Traditional fuel is heavy (and expensive). Once you make a jetpack big enough to carry enough fuel to keep you airborn long enough you end up with a small fighter jet. However if we could figure out a fuel source that packs a lot of thrust for a little weight and was preferably renewable we could get a person in the air without a whole jet around them. If it was renewable in flight, that would be even better. We'd never need to land.
Personally, I´m not sure whether to be kind of happy or kind of angry about that.Ukomba said:
I mean on the one hand, it implies a certain amount of trust and faith in the power of science and a realization of just how important it is. On the other hands, some people seem to now genuinely believe that the only reason scientists haven´t done X (whereas X can be anything from curing cancer to building a blowjob dispensing anti-gravity device) is due to greed, lazyness or general corruption.
Okay, wait. I have figured out how I feel about this.
It´s definitly "kind of angry".