We could have the Starship Enterprise in 20 years

[Antisthenes]

Oh no.

*is not very environmentally friendly*

Let's assume that the end is nigh and this would be an expedition consisting of the brightest minds of the generation alongside some of the healthiest people on Earth - cream de la creme of humanity, and those people were to set off on an adventure and populate a nearby planet in order to make humanity survive the devastation of whatever kind of an apocalypse you can imagine.

Does that make you feel less concerned about the local whales?

That kind of sounds like a movie.
That kind of a big extreme to try to prove a point, isn't?

Does that make you feel more concerned about the local whales if such an extreme doesn't end up happening?

Not in particular, because the very middle of the ocean is the least inhabited part of it, really - wildlife thrives close to the bottom of it or close to the reef, but not dead-center. I do not think that such a launch would cause massive damage, but assuming that it would, I thought of a scenario that would make the well-being of the creatures irrelevant not to make a point but to show that such scenarios exist.

OBVIOUSLY building it in space is the easier and better solution because you don't have to launch it - I mentioned that earlier in my post. He was being picky so I'm being picky back, why not, this is all entirely theoretical anyways.

I'm not so sure about that. I think (however I'm not perfectly sure) that phytoplancton made of algae and cyanobacteria (which are one of the most important photosynthetic organisms on the earth) and where is phytoplancton, there are simple water organisms that are eat this plancton and where are these organisms, there are carnivores etc.So launching a spaceship on the middle of the ocean may cause deterioration of ecosystem. However I'm not sure if this damage would be so severe, to kill all local wildlife but it is possible that it would couse some more troublesome complications. I'm not some greenpeace eco-freak but I would like to keep this planet in good shape.
And I agree that building it in space is better solution.

Because Obama doesn't feel like pissing away tax dollars on a program that has been at a dead end for the better part of a decade. NASA deserves to be grounded and should remain so for the next several years. Fix your debt problems and start balancing the books with China, among other things. Fix your fucked up economy too, then you can start complaining about your government not spending tax dollars frivilously.

QFT!

NOTHING is more important to humanity than space travel. The doors of opportunity that such an ability opens is worth every struggle

Funny how some users blame Obama for not continuing the space program.
This is just a logical decision.
Open your eyes guys, the USA ARE BROKE, there are much bigger and more urgent problems in your country then a fucking Starship Enterprise.

EDIT:
My post did not appear properly. I wanted to say that "There is NOTHING more important than space travel!" all of you nay sayers ought to be ashamed of your selves. You people are the reason why this world just cant advance fast enough.The opportunities that await our species in result of space travel is worth every risk to get us to that point.

In my opinion making and crossing wormholes is more important. It would make such things as space/time travel and instant travel between universes a reality. Wouldn't it be better than sitting in spaceships for weeks, months or even longer?

EDIT: Typo

 

[ZAFDeltaForce]

I think building the USS Enterprise is a fascinating idea that is just not practical enough at the moment. Although the article claims this project can be the undertaking of only the US, I think more countries have to be involved to make this project feasible. Given the current state of the world however, I just don't see that happening any time soon

I'd say either Japan, Russia or china.

I'd say all three of them. Or the G-20. Or maybe the entire United Nations, IMF, and the World Bank combined.

Many countries have debt problems right now, Japan included. The only thing keeping themselves floating is their massive GDP

Why so surprised? the author of '30,000 leagues beneith the Sea', I can't recall his name though, imagined and wrote in detail, the design and use of the submarine many years before it was actually happened. There have ben other examples of artists (entertainment), as weel as invoentors with vision, doing this same thing throughout history, predicting, without intention, the advent of a piece of technology years even generations before it's being done.

Later
SyFyTy

Ah, Jules Vernes. I particularly enjoyed that book. The thing is, space exploration is a lot more complex and expensive than sea exploration. Because of this, deep space exploration cannot be a single country's undertaking alone. Taking into account our current technological limitations and the vast distances between planets and galaxies, deep space exploration is but a mere dream away. At least until technology gets advanced enough and the world becomes more united to that goal.

 

[KingVamp]

In my opinion making and crossing wormholes is more important. It would make such things as space/time travel and instant travel between universes a reality. Wouldn't it be better than sitting in spaceships for weeks, months or even longer?

EDIT: Typo

You got to crawl before you walk.
Other words, it would be easier, cheaper, and more possible if we work ourselves up.

 

[ferofax]

Oh no.

*is not very environmentally friendly*

Let's assume that the end is nigh and this would be an expedition consisting of the brightest minds of the generation alongside some of the healthiest people on Earth - cream de la creme of humanity, and those people were to set off on an adventure and populate a nearby planet in order to make humanity survive the devastation of whatever kind of an apocalypse you can imagine.

Does that make you feel less concerned about the local whales?

That kind of sounds like a movie.
That kind of a big extreme to try to prove a point, isn't?

Does that make you feel more concerned about the local whales if such an extreme doesn't end up happening?

Not in particular, because the very middle of the ocean is the least inhabited part of it, really - wildlife thrives close to the bottom of it or close to the reef, but not dead-center. I do not think that such a launch would cause massive damage, but assuming that it would, I thought of a scenario that would make the well-being of the creatures irrelevant not to make a point but to show that such scenarios exist.

OBVIOUSLY building it in space is the easier and better solution because you don't have to launch it - I mentioned that earlier in my post. He was being picky so I'm being picky back, why not, this is all entirely theoretical anyways.

oh, so that's what this is, ahaha. well, i imagine I should just nod and be a pleasant chap at every turn? where's the fun in that?

of course, any significant breakthroughs in gravity cancelling thrusters should make things moot. then the "Enterprise" can just reduce gravity and just lift off at the slightest push of the thrusters.

 

[Foxi4]

oh, so that's what this is, ahaha. well, i imagine I should just nod and be a pleasant chap at every turn? where's the fun in that?

of course, any significant breakthroughs in gravity cancelling thrusters should make things moot. then the "Enterprise" can just reduce gravity and just lift off at the slightest push of the thrusters.

We're all good chaps at the temp, especially if facing an Earth-clensing apocalypse.

Nut yes, an anti-gravity thingamajig would be particularily useful.

 

[ferofax]

isn't gravity all just a big electro-magnetic wuzzitscalled phenomenon? why not make something that counters the magnetic pull of the earth? i mean, i've seen levitating magnetic beds. we just need to make one on a massive scale.

hell, we could even try a massive magnetic platform to build on, something that could potentially negate surface weight, and could make surface shipyards possible. (magnetically levitated objects have zero weight, theoretically, don't they? at least, vertically. just try to limit any momentum buildup horizontally and we should be fine). then it could just give a "launch burst" to catapult the ships high into the atmosphere with the help of standard thrusters. that could work.

 

[Antisthenes]

In my opinion making and crossing wormholes is more important. It would make such things as space/time travel and instant travel between universes a reality. Wouldn't it be better than sitting in spaceships for weeks, months or even longer?

EDIT: Typo

You got to crawl before you walk.
Other words, it would be easier, cheaper, and more possible if we work ourselves up.

I said it is more important, not that it is easier.

isn't gravity all just a big electro-magnetic wuzzitscalled phenomenon? why not make something that counters the magnetic pull of the earth? i mean, i've seen levitating magnetic beds. we just need to make one on a massive scale.

hell, we could even try a massive magnetic platform to build on, something that could potentially negate surface weight, and could make surface shipyards possible. (magnetically levitated objects have zero weight, theoretically, don't they? at least, vertically. just try to limit any momentum buildup horizontally and we should be fine). then it could just give a "launch burst" to catapult the ships high into the atmosphere with the help of standard thrusters. that could work.

No. No one exactly knows how gravity works. There is theory, that mass is given to particles by Higgs boson. However no one really knows if is it true, it just fits into the rest of physics theory. And you would need some pretty powerful dajabaza ultra giga bari bari wonderful electromagnet to use magnetic force to counter the gravity to lift a whole spaceship.

 

[ferofax]

No. No one exactly knows how gravity works. There is theory, that mass is given to particles by Higgs boson. However no one really knows if is it true, it just fits into the rest of physics theory. And you would need some pretty powerful dajabaza ultra giga bari bari wonderful electromagnet to use magnetic force to counter the gravity to lift a whole spaceship.

Your language is colorful, good sir. My eyes twinkled at the words. )

But yes, it has to be massive and pretty powerful, but it could work. Kind of like a reverse tractor beam, except it's electromagnetic.

 

[Antisthenes]

No. No one exactly knows how gravity works. There is theory, that mass is given to particles by Higgs boson. However no one really knows if is it true, it just fits into the rest of physics theory. And you would need some pretty powerful dajabaza ultra giga bari bari wonderful electromagnet to use magnetic force to counter the gravity to lift a whole spaceship.

Your language is colorful, good sir. My eyes twinkled at the words. )

But yes, it has to be massive and pretty powerful, but it could work. Kind of like a reverse tractor beam, except it's electromagnetic.

I am honored by your appreciation.

For now it couldn't work, because we're not able to do electromagnet with high enough magnetic power/mass ratio to lift itself from earth, not to mention itself+starship. So someone might think that we should seek methods of countering gravity using its own properties, because as physicists say, gravitons are mediators of gravitation, so maybe we could somehow stop them from reaching the ship, however this seems impossible as gravitons are postulated to have no mass and electric charge and gravitational field is limitless (or at least it seems to be). And there is no reason to believe that gravitational repulsion is possible so gravity works against us and there is little (if anything) that we can do about that (at least for now).