patrick.net

Dan8267 says

Your missing the point. Again,

China has also leapfrogged the West in the last two years to emerge as the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels. And the country is pushing equally hard to build nuclear reactors and the most efficient types of coal power plants.

These efforts to dominate renewable energy technologies raise the prospect that the West may someday trade its dependence on oil from the Mideast for a reliance on solar panels, wind turbines and other gear manufactured in China.

I'm not saying China is doing science for the sake of science. I'm saying China is taking the technological lead because economic power is the political and military power of the 21st century.

And I'm saying you're wrong because the us spends many multiples of China on r&d every year. We have the most Nobel prize winners, most frequently cited research papers, 30 of the top 50 STEM universities, and most innovative tech companies.

Meanwhile, China us full of degree mills that publish research that wouldn't be acceptable in us highschools, plagiarizes European research papers, and routinely steals IP for its domestic market because it can't develop its own.

China isn't anywhere close to "taking the lead". They've got at least a dozen countries to surpass before they can even think about it.

WTF is so awesome about sending a human to Mars? What is it that a human can do over there that a decent robot can't do except die a horrible death?

Remember the Mars Climate Orbiter?

What exactly have we gotten out of the ISS aside from 24/7 stock footage for the most boring channel on earth? The shuttle?

I'm not against space exploration, I just want to see it done right.

New Renter says

What is it that a human can do over there that a decent robot can't do except die a horrible death?

+1

There's nothing for us on Mars other than rocks. We've got plenty of rocks here.

Bellingham Bill says

There's nothing for us on Mars other than rocks.

You're forgetting the sand. And the evidence of water! That's practically beachfront! Imagine, a whole planet of beachfront property! And none of it is signed up with a Realtor(tm) yet. The first Realtors(tm) to land there could get an exclusive listing for an entire planet of beachfront property! Every Realtor(tm) deserves this opportunity. Every Realtor should be sent to Mars as soon as technology allows.

New Renter says

What is it that a human can do over there that a decent robot can't do except die a horrible death?

Please see above...

curious2 says

You're forgetting the sand. And the evidence of water! That's practically beachfront! Imagine, a whole planet of beachfront property! And none of it is signed up with a Realtor(tm) yet. The first Realtors(tm) to land there could get an exclusive listing for an entire planet of beachfront property! Every Realtor(tm) deserves this opportunity. Every Realtor should be sent to Mars as soon as technology allows.

See this is what I'm talking about! The moon is closer, also has sand and evidence of water. It'd be cheaper to send the realtors there.

New Renter says

The moon is closer....

that's the issue though - it's too close - you can see the earth from there, so they might find their way back.

New Renter says

What exactly have we gotten out of the ISS aside from 24/7 stock footage for the most boring channel on earth?

Just wait until Soylent Red (spoiler alert: "Soylent Red is Realtors(tm)") and the first season of Survivor: Realtors(tm) on Mars! It will be cross-branded with CSI: Mars and the hard-hitting Fox News Special Report, Mars: When Realtors(tm) Attack!

curious2 says

New Renter says

The moon is closer....

that's the issue though - it's too close - you can see the earth from there, so they might find their way back.

New Renter says

What exactly have we gotten out of the ISS aside from 24/7 stock footage for the most boring channel on earth?

Just wait until Soylent Red (spoiler alert: "Soylent Red is Realtors(tm)") and the first season of Survivor: Realtors(tm) on Mars! It will be cross-branded with CSI: Mars and the hard-hitting Fox News Special Report, Mars: When Realtors(tm) Attack!

So you shoot for the moon, miss and they end up on a one way trip into the sun. Still cheaper than Mars.

Bellingham Bill says

There's nothing for us on Mars other than rocks. We've got plenty of rocks here.

Until some county like China claims the planet for their own and starts a colony there. Then all of a sudden it will become a national security issue to grab up as much extra-terrestrial real estate as possible as quickly as possible.

"I ride my bike, I roller skate, don't drive no car
Don't go too fast, but I go pretty far
For somebody who don't drive
I been all around the world
Some people say, I done all right for a girl"

Melanie 1972

Dan8267 says

Bellingham Bill says

There's nothing for us on Mars other than rocks. We've got plenty of rocks here.

Until some county like China claims the planet for their own and starts a colony there. Then all of a sudden it will become a national security issue to grab up as much extra-terrestrial real estate as possible as quickly as possible.

That's funny!

Dan8267 says

Bellingham Bill says

There's nothing for us on Mars other than rocks. We've got plenty of rocks here.

Until some county like China claims the planet for their own and starts a colony there. Then all of a sudden it will become a national security issue to grab up as much extra-terrestrial real estate as possible as quickly as possible.

They'll only do it if they find oil or gold on it.

The one thing countries love more than anything else and will fight over to claim is territory. Once the acquisition of extraterrestrial territory begins, all nations will want as much of it as they can get regardless of the local resources (which is likely to be considerable considering all this territory has never been mined).