On The Darkside Of The Moon ...

[BeAChooser]

Now that Arecibo is kaput, NASA is exploring plans to build a radio telescope on the far side of the moon. One of the primary reasons is to explore dark matter and dark energy during the dark ages. As Joseph Lazio, a radio astronomer at the JPL says “"With a sufficiently large radio telescope off Earth, we could track the processes that would lead to the formation of the first stars, maybe even find clues to the nature of dark matter." That last part (dark matter) is likely the real motivator for this urgent “need” and there are two major proposals … the Lunar Crater Radio Telescope (LCRT) and the Farside Array for Radio Science Investigations of the Dark ages and Exoplanets (FARSIDE). LCRT is now moving into phase 2 of development. Both proposals are projected to cost at least $1 Billion and possibly as much as $5 billion. Ouch!

[Earl Sinclair]

That would be cool - reliable atmosphere-free observations of the universe. Doesn't matter WHY they want to put them there, they will still be collecting invaluable data.

And, it's a way to get Man onto another planetary body. A secondary study would be to create some structures, pressurize them a bit, and see how they act over the long term.

Now, if we can Elon to do the "heavy lifting" that'd be fantastic.


Earl

[BeAChooser]

Doesn't matter WHY they want to put them there, they will still be collecting invaluable data.

Sure it matters. Because they are going to "collect" data through filters like they've been doing for decades now ... going nowhere. Wikipedia currently lists 36 experiments (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categor ... ter_search) that have done in the search for dark matter (it's probably more than that, if we're being honest). And what do they have to show for all that work and expense? Basically nothing. They've found no evidence of dark matter and I’m not sure they have enhanced our understanding of the universe in general all that much either. What technology has come out of all that "research"? Can you name anything? Worse, their obsession with dark matter has demonstrably prevented many other ideas (like the electric universe) from being explored. And what’s the cost of that? Perhaps trillions of dollar in lost opportunities for economic and societal growth. Maybe we’d be the ones flying all those craft the government is now finally admitting they’ve been seeing … which seem light years ahead of us in capabilities, if not for the obsession with gnomes? Just saying ...

[JHL]

Because they are going to "collect" data through filters like they've been doing for decades now ... going nowhere ... They've found no evidence of dark matter and I’m not sure they have enhanced our understanding of the universe in general all that much either. What technology has come out of all that "research"? Can you name anything? Worse, their obsession with dark matter has demonstrably prevented many other ideas (like the electric universe) from being explored. And what’s the cost of that? Perhaps trillions of dollar in lost opportunities for economic and societal growth. Maybe we’d be the ones flying all those craft the government is now finally admitting they’ve been seeing … which seem light years ahead of us in capabilities, if not for the obsession with gnomes?

Exactly. Establishments exist to enrich establishments and blue-sky meanderings about invaluable data and service to humankind and discovery - in irradiated hard vacuum without a single life-sustaining element - are foolish.

"Space exploration" is self-evidently a questionable premise. At the least it needs public vetting.

[Earl Sinclair]

I disagree - their experiments keep nibbling away at their bogus theories. They keep getting surprised, and that's a start.

The data that comes in is still data. And, other people can take it and run with it.

It's less efficient, certainly, but still efficacious.

That said, I'm more interested in getting a permanent presence on another celestial body.


Earl

[JHL]

I disagree - their experiments keep nibbling away at their bogus theories. They keep getting surprised, and that's a start.

When dozens of failures only add to the continuous zillion dollar stream It's not a start. It's a pattern and a bad habit.

The data that comes in is still data. And, other people can take it and run with it.

It's less efficient, certainly, but still efficacious.

Looking forward to your analysis.

That said, I'm more interested in getting a permanent presence on another celestial body.

Also looking forward to your solving for resources, lethality, that ROI, rationale, and simple epidemic graft.

("Space Explorers" are generally impacted Tom Swift fans, happy to spend everybody else's money. I'm one too; I just grew up to expect that it make sense. Somehow.)

[Earl Sinclair]

Hey - don't rag on me. I have zero effect on any government expenditure, and apparently can't vote, either.

I'll take what I can get, I guess - and I have VERY low expectations.


Earl

[JHL]

I have zero effect on any government expenditure...

We call that representative democracy.

[Earl Sinclair]

I have zero effect on any government expenditure...

We call that representative democracy.

Not when my votes aren't counted. It's all a sham.


Earl