Score One for Life

While checking out Yahoo News, I caught my attention on a particular article that featured a new planet astronomers had found recently. Not just any planet, of course, but one that may be habitable.

Why is this important, you say? Because this planet is much like our Earth. Its orbit is in a zone that allows water to stay a liquid, and ables it to create an enviroment like ours.

Heres the article:
Read me

So do you believe we should take the great leap into the unknown, and attempt to see what the planet holds? Or should be focus on the economy?

I also read that article, but since the planet is 20 light years away I doubt we will be getting there in the near future. They also believe it's very unlikely human life could be supported there, just that some form of life could. Therefore, focus on the economy instead.

While I agree with the above statement to an extent, we do need to get out there into space one of these days. The Earth can only support so many of us and the last thing we need is stagnation. Space Exploration and the Economy will go hand in hand one day not so far away as we might think.

Yeah.. We wont be getting close to that planet anytime soon :p We should focus on a balance, for economy and exploration.

Hopefully sometime we could get a better look at it...

Let's get to Mars before we start trying to travel 20 light years.

Ha, yeah Mars and Luna will be nessicary stepping stones. And unless we can create a way to travel faster than light effectively they will probally be the only useful steps we can make, but the fact remains our future is out there in space.

Let's launch a manned probe from OT to make first contact. There's only room for 3 people on the module. Who do you send and why?

Well seeing as how the odds of the success of such a mission is near 0, I nominate Knuckles for a position.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Heraclius

Well seeing as how the odds of the success of such a mission is near 0, I nominate Knuckles for a position.

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OK, 2 positions are left!!!

Well we'd probally want to fill the other two positions with people who could actually contribute to the expedition, but who we could also live without here in OT...

Hmm... that is a tough one.

I nominate Pialpha, for his technology skills.

And Heraclius for his comedy routine.

I have a comedy routine? Elaborate please.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Heraclius

Well seeing as how the odds of the success of such a mission is near 0, I nominate Knuckles for a position.

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Comedy gold right here.

Ah of course. Well I guess I'm going too then... what fun. There is nothing like riding out into the cold dark expanse of nothingness that is space while trapped in a steel can flying at thousands of kilometers per hour with nothing but almost certain death awaiting.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Heraclius

Ah of course. Well I guess I'm going too then... what fun. There is nothing like riding out into the cold dark expanse of nothingness that is space while trapped in a steel can flying at thousands of kilometers per hour with nothing but almost certain death awaiting.

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yeah, but knuckles is hilarious.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Heraclius

Well we'd probally want to fill the other two positions with people who could actually contribute to the expedition, but who we could also live without here in OT...

Hmm... that is a tough one.

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I've already sent Crip. That's why he's been away on...extended leave.

But seriously, 20 light-years may be a vast distance, but we will get there provided we develop the technology necessary for it. For that we need a good economy. So...

Criplockin is away baggin all the space fat chicks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boleslav

yeah, but knuckles is hilarious.

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Well at least I'll have pi to talk to I guess...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Heraclius

Well at least I'll have pi to talk to I guess...

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Being the comedic support, you will have to wear this over your spacesuit

http://fancydressheaven.co.uk/bmz_ca...ge.300x450.jpg

*Makeup not included

Wow this just keeps getting better and better. Do I get to poke a hole in the pressure suit too?

That is completely optional and not recommended, just in case you come back and need to hire an attorney.

Ah alright so if I am the comedy and Pi is the engineering does that make Knuckles the emergency food supply or the sacrifice to the aliens when we find them?

He is our diplomat.

Are you sure we can't go with the emergency food supply? Dehydrated foods get soo boring after a while.

That's why we packed Acer's pantry.
He has the toothpaste kind.

The budding scholar, Neoplatonist and developing philosopher will be available to offer free lectures.

Well between the toothpaste kind and Conrad this trip may be just slightly bearable... still I cannot guarentee that Knuckle's won't suffer a fatal "accident" such as an "explosive suit decompression" or maybe an "overloaded power conduit." Who knows, maybe we'll even have a few "sentient robots trying to kill us all" that we can quell by locking him in with them to "do his duty as a diplomat."

I will bring this wonderful statue on this great voyage into the depths of the cosmos:


http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/512...8601BBB588273B

Being the resident technician, Pialpha would have to accompany/help Knuckles with any technological endeavors.

Is Conrad bringing a statue on this space mission? That would be the most awesome thing, if so.

Ah, well that still leaves me safe and sound while all these "occupational hazards" befall them.

But what if the ship stops working.

You need Pi.
You need Knuckles.

I have a fair amount of mechanical expertise myself, and its not an "if" it is a "when."

Even at the speed of light it's 20 years there and 20 years back, so yes, you will probably be eating those babies, along with your own bodily wastes.

What's for dinner tonight?
Not that **** again!

It went from a new possibly habitable planet, to eating eachother's ****.


Thats just dandy.

Life = 0
OT = 1

Rodri you have it a little off. At .99999 times the speed of light it would take us significantly less time to get there from our point of view. We might be looking at a trip of a few months, though to someone outside of the ship it would be 50 years... gotta love Relativitistic Time.

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Originally Posted by Heraclius

Rodri you have it a little off. At .99999 times the speed of light it would take us significantly less time to get there from our point of view. We might be looking at a trip of a few months, though to someone outside of the ship it would be 50 years... gotta love Relativitistic Time.

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So moving at 99.999% the speed of light will take just a few months to travel 20 light years?

I must have misunderstood the meaning of a light year, explained to me in 3rd grade science class. Could you please explain the math to me?

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Originally Posted by Rota

So moving at 99.999% the speed of light will take just a few months to travel 20 light years?

I must have misunderstood the meaning of a light year, explained to me in 3rd grade science class. Could you please explain the math to me?

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It would take a few months relative to the people inside the ship.

An example:

I am on a jet. You are on the ground. If I were to be on a jet for five hours relative to you, it would feel like a lot less time to me.

They also showed this by putting a clock into a jet for an amount of time. After they took the clock out, they noticed it was set a bit back than a normal clock.

lol.. well if we do manage to get there... we will find out there is already people/aliens living there :) so they will just have to turn back round... send a prob or something out first :)

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Originally Posted by Montros

It would take a few months relative to the people inside the ship.

An example:

I am on a jet. You are on the ground. If I were to be on a jet for five hours relative to you, it would feel like a lot less time to me.

They also showed this by putting a clock into a jet for an amount of time. After they took the clock out, they noticed it was set a bit back than a normal clock.

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Ahhh. Okay.
Yes, I get the "relativistic" time for the occupants.

I was thinking of the actual time it would take for the ship to get there. I was misreading Herac's post. Sorry ;)