TOPICS:
JUL 18, 2005 09:29 AM
JUL 18, 2005 09:45 AM
JohnFM1 said:
Protein crystal studies:
Going to cure cancer? How exactly?
Way to twist the words. Nobody said they're "going to cure cancer." What part of "Analysis of these crystals helps scientists better understand the nature of proteins, enzymes and viruses, perhaps leading to the development of new drugs and a better understanding of the fundamental building blocks of life," don't you understand?
Tissue culture:
Growing cells in high radiation? Yep, thatll be useful. And we can grow cells perfectly well here on earth.
Define "perfectly well." I assume you know this because of your vast experience with tissue culture generation.
Life in low gravity: The effects of long-term exposure to reduced gravity on humans weakening muscles; changes in how the heart, arteries and veins work; and the loss of bone density, among others will be studied aboard the station.
A tad unethical dont you think? Kind of like studying the effects of bullets on people, but slower.
They're looking at ways of keeping people alive for an extended period of time in space, to facilitate longer trips through space so that someday we might be able to go somewhere beyond the moon, and they're going to be figuring out how things break down under variable levels of gravity without having to do the "we'll find out when we get there" thing. Astronauts know what they're getting into, and they're willing to take those risks for the betterment of science.
Flames, fluids and metal in space:
Could be fun.
Sure, that's a valid criticism. 
The nature of space:
this one might actually be useful
Gee, it's nice that you've given them the thumbs up on this one.
Watching the Earth:
Satellites anyone?
If you can't see the limitations of satellites versus having people actually making observations with their own eyes and using directed image capturing to record what they find, there's no reason bothering to explain.
Commercialization
Now we get to the real point eh?
Fucking indeed. One of the reasons the station was built in the first place is that the shuttle turned out to be a far less interesting base of experimentation because of its limited facilities and limited orbit duration. You're bitching about the cost, but you scoff at using the station for private research that could help fund the damn thing?
JUL 18, 2005 12:26 PM
JUL 18, 2005 02:36 PM
JUL 18, 2005 02:54 PM
JUL 18, 2005 03:23 PM
JUL 18, 2005 03:44 PM
MisterSatan said:
ashmanonar said:
Shalome said:
"It is a concern,"
if i remember correctly, if a person from the japanese culture says this, it means "we're in deep shit and mighty pissed off with the shoddy american shuttles"
and yea, it sucks that the shuttles are old and obsolete...how about we try some new technology? the shuttles are already 20 years old.
My guess would be that we're not developing much in the way of new technology at NASA because our current administration needs that money to blow up brown people in various parts of the world.
yea, i always forget that.
same reason our space program/oceanic program suffered during vietnam. the money-maw of war always overcomes peaceful scientific interests.
dem_z
United Kingdom
June 2004
JUL 18, 2005 09:26 AM