BS: MARS in the Headlights

Subject: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: robomatic
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 12:21 PM

Today 18FEB2021, in a few hours the NASA Perseverance lander is going to attempt a controlled arrival to a crater on Mars. It is scheduled just ahead of 4 PM East Coast Time, which I believe is 9 PM Greenwich (ZULU Time).

You may be a fan of space exploration. If so, visit NASA's web site for the project .

For lovers of the profit motive, there are also other promotions of the day for the calorie defiant.

Wikipedia's site is helpful in describing the history of Mars exploration.

And it's getting crowded:
There are other visitors to Mars from other countries. The UAE has recently achieved orbit over Mars.

China has an orbiting probe with a lander.

Aside from the Perseverance being the latest of several NASA efforts, it is the largest lander yet sent to a very difficult planet to land on. Aside from an almost Volkswagen sized rover, it is going to attempt a flying drone.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 01:30 PM

bloody stupid , they should be spending this money on defeating covid

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Raggytash
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 01:52 PM

The benefits to the human race from space exploration are huge.

Everything from weather data to personal communications across a broad spectrum that includes, for example, water purification systems, cancer detection devices, heart pumps, fire resistant materials etc etc.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: robomatic
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 02:23 PM

"...to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

-Tennyson

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 02:26 PM

Robomatic sounding like M in Skyfall!

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Donuel
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 03:16 PM

I couldn't agree with Raggytash more (1:52 pm) .
"...We were blind and now we see".
All we have to do is believe the results after some astronauts return the Rover samples to Earth to study 11 years or more from now regarding evidence of life on Mars.

As for robo, who am I to argue with me. ;^/

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: robomatic
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 04:11 PM

We just had a successful landing, cheering mission control workers, first photos and now questions from kids for NASA folks.

Can't wait for that helicopter to get tried out.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 05:39 PM

Amazing. You send up a probe, control it to delicately land on a sixpence, collect what will be the most precious samples on earth, send up a tiny helicopter to survey the surroundings and elect Donald Trump...

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Mrrzy
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 05:45 PM

That was SO COOL!

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: robomatic
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 07:26 PM

Steve:

Not in that order. But you voted for Brexit. Not YOU, but the same You you meant, only directed toward you. Not YOU, but, you know...

That was so effin' cool. It was almost like we had a government that practised SCIENCE.

See what I did, there, Steve? ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Bill D
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 07:43 PM

Sandman... you realize that most of the money was spent long before anyone ever imagined COVID?

I doubt you have bothered to read what we hope to learn from this mission.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 07:59 PM

I was regurgitating, levity intended, what my son WhatsApped to me earlier, robo. I think we discussed the "You" thing in another thread recently. Brits use it in the way I did and some yanks think it's intended to be personal. It isn't. I suppose I could have started the post with "The country that sends..." instead of "You," but that seems to me to be adding a layer of heaviness to proceedings.

Anyway, not you. By the way, I think the science was practised in spite of your government...

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: robomatic
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 09:04 PM

Steve I really understood the levity. That was my attempt, however poor, to match it. As for the science references, I won't believe 'em for the simple reason that I don't want to. I prefer to think that the better angels of our nature, as Lincoln mentioned, will master the situation and did you know that Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were born on the same day, and Charles Darwin was provided with texts by the great German traveling scientist Humboldt, and many counties in 'Murrica are named after him?

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 09:11 PM

I did. There's Darwin, Beethoven and precious few other heroes.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: robomatic
Date: 18 Feb 21 - 09:20 PM

Right now there's Navalny. He's a kind of hero. Nemtsov. Tom Brady....oops.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 04:03 AM

The idea appears to be feck up planet earth , so find another planet to desecrate. Capitalist ideology, when you exploit and destroy one thing find another one to destroy

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: JHW
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 05:52 AM

Nature's plan, if it has one, is to overwhelm the Earth, every critter only aimed at it's own survival even at the demise of others. Like this Virus, doesn't care, has nothing to care with yet it happily will do us in. A fungus did in the Elm trees, I liked Elm trees but the fungus won. Sure we are desecrating the Earth but if we step aside it will still do itself in.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 06:19 AM

have you spoken to god, how do you know that? that reminds me of nero fiddling when rome was burning.
there are certain things we can do but if money is misspent on going to mars, there is less money to deal with more pressing priorites

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 07:50 AM

Which president was responsible obama or trump?

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 08:06 AM

The Mars Pathfinder mission cost approximately $265 million including launch and operations. Development and construction of the lander cost $150 million and the rover about $25 million."

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Mrrzy
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 10:30 AM

The point is for humanity to survive our planet, not for our planet to survive...

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 10:33 AM

no, it is for both to survive.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Raggytash
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 10:50 AM

All celestial bodies have a finite limit of their resources. It is inevitable that those resources will, one day, be used up.

Therefore it is imperative for the continuation of the human species that we look to colonise other, more distant, planets.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Mrrzy
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 12:22 PM

Unless we can move the planet out of the way of the sun's expansion to red giant, or prevent that expansion, no, there is no plan for the planet's survival. The plan is for humans to survive the planet.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 12:24 PM

There was another such landing back in July 1997 (I was actually in New York on a stopover when repatriating from Australia to England), as mentioned in this WalkaboutsVerse poem "Efficiency"

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Raggytash
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 12:34 PM

Mrrzy, have you ever read the "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" series by Douglas Adams ............ I think you may be enjoy them!

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 01:31 PM

Raggy tash , you cannot predict the future any more than anyone else you are talking uniformed nonsense, further more to spend 435 million on your long shot is idiocy. Consumer capitalismm,and the WASTE society HAS CAUSED THIS MESS.. WHY NOT RECTIFY IT
who is behind this idiocy ,the richest man in the world.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 01:37 PM

Image result for the richest man in the world 2021
Key Takeaways. Elon Musk is the CEO and co-founder of Tesla; CEO, leader designer, and founder of SpaceX; CEO and founder of Neuralink; and founder of The Boring Company. With an estimated net worth of $197 billion, he is the richest man in the world.25 Jan 2021

if you think this guy is concerned about the environment of planet earth, you are either naive or thick

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Mrrzy
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 01:40 PM

Oh yeah, read it, reread it, even liked the movie!

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Raggytash
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 02:44 PM

Uniformed nonsense, never come across that before :-)

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 03:12 PM

Keystone Kops?

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Donuel
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 04:11 PM

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2102/Mars_Perseverance_FLR_0000_0666952977_800.jpg

better pictures to follow
This was from the left front collision avoidance camera.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: robomatic
Date: 19 Feb 21 - 06:23 PM

Apparently the landing operation was heavily documented with GoPros and there will be a stitchin together of the actual landing in glorious color.

As for those who wonder at the relatively small expense all this exploration is costing, back in the 1780s the Montefiore Brothers sent up what I think was the first hot air balloon, and they even had a payload basket with some animals in it. The large balloon wafted with the breeze catching the eyes of thousands. When the gasbag cooled and it came down it was attacked iwth pitchforks by local farmers. Among the onlookers was one American. You may have heard of him.

Someone asked: "What use is it?" To which Benjamin Franklin answered: "What use is a newborn baby?"

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 20 Feb 21 - 02:17 AM

Someone asked: "What use is it?" To which Benjamin Franklin answered: "What use is a newborn baby?"
that does not answer the question

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: robomatic
Date: 20 Feb 21 - 02:29 AM

The answer WAS a question.
Maybe it still is.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Mr Red
Date: 20 Feb 21 - 03:30 AM

they should be spending this money on defeating covid

Weeeeeeeeeeeeell, maybe, at least Dolly Parton did! And nobody tells her how to spend her money, no suuuuuuree.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Mr Red
Date: 20 Feb 21 - 03:36 AM

Everything from weather data to personal communications across a broad spectrum that includes, for example, water purification systems, cancer detection devices, heart pumps, fire resistant materials etc etc.

Oxygen, don't forget oxygen (from CO₂) - without it you can't say:   A Mars a day helps you work rest and play

(was this only a UK ad?)

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Raggytash
Date: 20 Feb 21 - 08:42 AM

Perhaps we should close the schools and spend that budget on Covid research, I mean to say education shows no immediate results.

In fact I would go further and say education is wasted on some people.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 20 Feb 21 - 04:05 PM

Education shows immediate results
Education is not wasted on anybody.
People who are not educated, Lack Knowledge.
Anybody who says education shows no immediate results is uneducated.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Bill D
Date: 20 Feb 21 - 06:51 PM

None of those tell us anything useful or new...
Trivial, tautological or circular
... and I know of much wasted 'education' ...and knowledge is often rejected for years before it can educate anyone.

too many examples to list.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Feb 21 - 02:39 AM

that is not the point , education has an immediate effect it also has a long term effect . anyone who says that education does not have an immediatede effect is taking bull shit .
BILL D IT DOES TELL US SOMETHING USEFUl.
Education is all important, but even more importnt is how we educate., the poor quality of politicians and civil servants is a result pertly of poor education, and not bothering to educate all members of society, you will not get the best results if you only educate those who can afford to pay for university education.   
    people who are not taught to think ahead, to anitcipate and solve problems, will not make the best polticians or civil servants, the consequence of this for society is that we lose the innovators the problem solvers and Consequentially society will be poorer, we need
those who challenge the established. order a case in point was Galileo.

which brings us to immediate pressing problems that need to be solved... a pandemic. a pandemic that might recur.
The usa should be spending the money it has spent on this folly on redesigning and altering government buildings schools hospitals so that they are custom built to design with covid 19 that is the pressing priority, it also is keynsian economics, and will boost the economy while saving lives

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 21 Feb 21 - 03:40 AM

A good proportion of young people who go to university are time wasters, supposedly studying for totally irrelevant degrees, who are deliberately putting off the day to cast their useless selves into the job market.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Feb 21 - 04:57 AM

bonzo, that suits politicians, because it keeps the unemployment figures down,
my point is that if a country wishes to do the best for the whole nation , they need to ensure that the whole population has the opportunity to be educated, unless the whole population has the opportunity to be educated we will not get the best brains. Anation will not get the best out of its population if university educationis restricted to those who can afford to pay
   there may be a proprtion that" go to university to supposedly study for irrelevant degrees" quote.
The bigger the catchment of people allowed to enter university based on academic merit[ rather than abilty to pay, the more the country will benefit
."A good proportion of young people who go to university are time wasters"
can you provide stats to indicate the exact proportion, or is this just an uninformed opinion

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Bonzo3legs
Date: 21 Feb 21 - 05:20 AM

You should know by now I don't do stats or research. I do need to open a jar of Sainsbury's Strawberry Conserve for my wife and plan tomorrow's tax saving work. What are you doing for your wife Sandman??

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Raggytash
Date: 21 Feb 21 - 09:19 AM

It would seem according to the argument put forward that my education was indeed wasted.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Mrrzy
Date: 21 Feb 21 - 09:46 AM

Nonsense, Raggytash, you made total sense...

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Feb 21 - 12:22 PM

Raggytash , the last time i saw you ,you were driving round whitby in a flash car in what appeared to be a proprietorial manner as if you owned the town, each to their own,, fair enough ,A chacun son gout

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Raggytash
Date: 22 Feb 21 - 01:13 PM

I wonder how one can discern, just from watching someone driving a car, that the driver was doing it in a proprietorial manner.

I also wonder just what was the "flash" car, the only cars we ever owned have either been bought and paid for and frankly what we do with our money has got fuck all to do with you.

Nevertheless, I see it's my turn again to be got at, well you're leaving others alone for a while.

I care not one whit what you think, but I have to ask you one question have you been arguing with the wife again.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Feb 21 - 01:44 PM

No, I have not.

Subject: RE: BS: MARS in the Headlights
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Feb 21 - 03:07 PM

It is hard to see how education has benifited some. Shall we count the ways. Even as trolls go they are perfectly mediocre.

Mr. Sandman (yes) bring us a dream
Give him a pair of eyes with a "come-hither" gleam
Give him a lonely heart like Pagliacci
And lots of wavy hair like Liberace
Mr. Sandman, someone to hold (some-one-to-hold)
Would be so peachy before we're too old

Mr. Grandstand Turn on your magic beam
Mr. Sandman, bring us a dream

a dream like driving
driving on Mars.
beneath the red sky
at night all the stars.
its not a Morris
like some UK small cars.
Mr. Sandman turn on your high beams

Mr Sandman
turn on some tunes
music in thin air
sounds like bad fumes
don't try to grow even one potato
or even leafy legumes
Its just too damn cold.

Mr. Sandman...