Space Elevator...Beam me up Scottie!!

[Darth Mandarb]

This conversation did get slightly off-topic didn't it?

My original point (before the tangent of space rocks began) was that space exploration (space elevator) is important.  Furthering space exploration/study would advance the detection of asteroids/comets (even if it wasn't the primary focus) as well as advancing countless other areas that could use a little advancing (IE the problems we face daily here on earth). 

I see this is painfully obvious but, as this thread proves, opinions vary.

I find it very fascinating to ponder on the far future of mankind, in a perspective of thousands or even millions of years. Will we have spread to other planets? What will our civilization(s) be like? How will religion and philosophy be affected by the discovery of other worlds?

I, too, am fascinated by the future ... I consider myself an amateur futurist.  I love considering where we'll be in even 100 years.  I also love going back and watching old sci-fi (tv/movies) and seeing how badly they got it wrong (Disco referencing Back to the Future 2  in that other thread of yours is a great example).  Aliens is another ... apparently in the far future we'll still be using CRT monitors with interlaced video and computer displays with only 2 colors.  I can't wait for the future!!

[MrColossal]

edit: nevermind*

Anyway, something I love about the real world is that something will happen that is unlike the majority of popular science fiction. A space elevator? No one adds that to their science fiction movie because either it sounds unreal or isn't sexy like getting in a space craft and counting down. Man, it's fucking sexy as hell. Anything that gets me to space is so amazingly fuckable.

[Wonkyth]

Sorry, but: Owch.

[Andail]

Eric, time traveller and cosmosexual

[MrColossal]

Mittens 2010: Space

Who's with me? We can all get in a hot tub and just... let the mood take us

[TerranRich]

I'm ready to rock out with my...

Er. I mean yes.

[Atelier]

Will there be martian babes?

[Domino]

See, all this is possible because of the Space Elevator.  

Now we have no reason to not attend Mittens 2010 in Space.  

[Snake]

I'll attend, finally!

[Domino]

Screw the Space Elevator...We need damn Teleporters!!



Here we have, AGA, CJ and MrColossal, about ready to beam up to Mittens 2010.

Future, here we come. 

[ThreeOhFour]

MrColossal looks genuinely displeased in that picture. AGA looks his usual cheery self, though.

And CJ looked more handsome with a beard....

[Eeronaut]

Agreed.

We need to realise that earths days are numbered. There are certain threats to the earth that there is simply nothing we could do about.

We need an alternative if we want the human race to survive into the far future.

A finnish poet/songwriter/bassist wrote (translated by me):
Some day shining ships
will rise on their wings
to carry us from the valleys of sorrow
to the stars, far away
far away

It's from the song "Uusi Ihmiskunta" [The New Mankind].

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mziz5RaHbTo

[Atelier]

Even if I saw 1,000,000 years into the future, and found humans still living on Earth, in the end it makes no difference how and when our species become extinct. There may be an incalculable number of planets like ours that have already ceased to exist somehow. But it's the suffering more than anything we should be worried about. The pains of 6.3 billion people is more important than survival for another 1000 years, only to be destroyed by our own machines.

In the meantime let's play games about it!
http://uk.games.ign.com/articles/970/970511p1.html

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

There seem to be an almost insurmountable number of potential architectural problems a space elevator could run into, which is probably why the idea's not been put forward until now or considered a bit silly.  When you take an external view of it and imagine looking at the thing from space, that would be one hell of a long elevator!  Imagine the potential stresses working against it in the upper atmosphere vs. in space.  Certainly the earthbound section would need to be considerably different from the vacuum portion due to wind sheer, gravity, and such.  I'd be extremely impressed to see something like that achieved with current technology...

And then countries will start using it to export landfills to the moon!

[Domino]

Kind of off-topic, but I saw on the Discovery Channel when I had cable, that Engineers were trying to build an underwater subway system that would go from New York to England.

It was a long railway tube that had to be anchored to the ocean's floor, and the trains would move so fast that you could get there in just a short time.

Damn, I want to watch that again.

If a railway from NY to England can't work, then I assume the Space Elevator will never happen.

Could somebody find that link to the underwater railway?

SK

[Darth Mandarb]

I saw that episode too (it was a program called "Extreme Engineering").  Very cool stuff.

Here is the youTube video for part 1 (of 5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frYWTrEfPRs

Then follow the links to the other parts as well.

[Atelier]

They've already managed to build a chunnel from Britain to France but the train that takes you there isn't very luxury. I propose the train from GB to USA has perspex walls, SCUBA stop offs, and more than one toilet which you don't have to walk through the whole train to get to! 

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

I fully support such a project.  Then I could achieve a European touchdown without ever having to set foot in an evil evil plane.

HOORAY FOR TECHNOLOGY!  Helping us all to avoid phobias since 1900.

[Domino]

I know what you mean about planes...I also will never step foot in an airplane. I did fly round-trip to New York City with my dad back in 1982, and that was the last time I have ever been in an evil plane.

I have not been in a plane since, or will ever fly again. I am scared to death to even go in a plane.

Maybe we could take the Trans-Atlantic train to Europe together. I hope you don't mind a train going 5,000 MPH. 

[Ryan Timothy B]

I know that we're all going to die anyway, and an airplane isn't any less safe than a car.  If I'm going to die, I'd rather it be in an airplane rather than a head on collision with a car where you'll more than likely die a slow painful, blood gushing death.  Not that I fear either transportation.  I just know I'd prefer an airplane crash over a bad car crash, or even some light crashes where it screws up your back for the rest of your life.  Screw that.  I've got an uncle living in a world of pain cause of a bad car crash years and years ago.  I'm sure he would rather have died.