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Posted on: Which drugs should be legal?
at 08/20/2009 2:02pm

I checked all the ones without serious physical addiction properties. Just as guns don't kill people by themselves, ... more(+)

I checked all the ones without serious physical addiction properties. Just as guns don't kill people by themselves, neither will drugs if you use them in an educated manner. If you aren't causing any harm, then there is nothing morally wrong with the consumption of mind-altering substances. In order to have more progressive drug laws, we must include fair education on the pros and cons of these substances in our schools; as one famous show put it, "knowledge is power," and if we don't give our children the full truth and instead tell them all the things that can go wrong, they will not trust us - if there were only negative effects, it does not make logical sense for people to use drugs! Have some respect for our teens, they aren't that stupid. Let's keep it honest guys, that way perhaps people will see that there are both safe and unsafe drugs to use, and I feel that more people will make intelligent choices than our current, poorly-informed generation.

Mind altering substances have been in use in human culture for thousands of years. I don't believe that this will change anytime soon; we enjoy having the freedom to control our perception of the world, whether it is by taking tylenol to reduce our sensitivity to headaches, or alcohol to make us more sociable. Legalizing these substances and educating people on the hard facts and health risks associated with every mind altering substance is the key to eliminating an illegal criminally-run market and allowing our society to work with more transparency. As well, the development of much safer alternative drugs (less addictive, fewer health risks) will be much easier to achieve under these conditions. close(-)

Posted on: POLL: Nuclear-Powered Moon Bases?
at 08/20/2009 1:41pm

Building a cheap structure on the moon is actually remarkably cheap if you use bore holes and high explosives. The only ... more(+)

Building a cheap structure on the moon is actually remarkably cheap if you use bore holes and high explosives. The only man-made device that you need to bring is an airlock module which would sit on top of your moon cave like a cork in a wine bottle. Nuclear technology is easily the best way to go - and to whoever said that you need to store "nuclear waste" somewhere, considering that the entire surface of the moon that is exposed to the sun is being constantly irradiated, I don't think we have too much to worry about there - besides, scientists will tell you that there's no such thing as nuclear waste. With fusion-fission hybridized reactors, all of this material can be recycled and reused. The key is to get as many countries benefiting from this as possible so that we can use things like nuclear generators without posing security threats. close(-)

Posted on: $700 million dream.
at 08/06/2009 2:44am

I am also thinking of what to bring into orbit. Also, I am thinking of how to get the most "bang for our ... more(+)

I am also thinking of what to bring into orbit. Also, I am thinking of how to get the most "bang for our buck" in terms of establishing orbital facilities (around earth). I read your posts, and realized that getting the raw materials into orbit from earth is kinda expensive...which is why I propose sending a few loads off to the moon, where you can manufacture the heavy (expensive to lift into earth orbit from earth) stuff - such as the shells of spacecraft - and get much more into orbit from the moon. Almost nothing which is mined from the moon will be returned to the earth in this endeavour. What one payload could bring up from earth to earth orbit, much, MUCH more can be lifted from the moon for the same price. Sound appealing?  close(-)

Posted on: $700 million dream.
at 08/05/2009 11:21pm

rhapsodyinspace2:

The main problem we face is how to get the right equipment to the moon for the right price. Current ... more(+)

rhapsodyinspace2:

The main problem we face is how to get the right equipment to the moon for the right price. Current launch costs will require more effort on our part than future launch costs will. However, if we regard mining the moon as an immediate priority, it will require a rather hefty multi-billion dollar investment. If we are able to get the right amout of expertise behind this, we could make *significant* financial returns on this investment. The bottom line is that we need to find the valuable minerals, develop a smart system for their extraction, invest in a highly rudimentary digging apparatus which can drill into the moon and carve out a gigantic living space which is topped off by an airlock. As well, we can't forget about the mass driver which will launch payloads of mass into orbit, which can be used for such purposes as providing raw materials for space-based power systems on earth.

Socratica

I'm an undergrad computer engineer myself, geologists irrespective of what celestial body they study are extremely valuable for a lunar endeavour...I have never heard of Selenologists, but the principles of exploration should be somewhat similar regardless of where you are studying the crust of a massive celestial object. Hopefully we will be working together to develop an industry which fuels mankind's need for resources for universal exploration in the future  close(-)

Posted on: $700 million dream.
at 08/05/2009 1:33pm

Quick question: why should we really be focusing on producing metal sheets, when a robotic drill could take us below ... more(+)

Quick question: why should we really be focusing on producing metal sheets, when a robotic drill could take us below the lunar surface for next to nothing? Who cares if we have to make due with having dirt walls when we could construct gigantic caverns for lunar production with little need for anything more than a metal surface hatch to keep the cavern airtight?

The bottom line here: the moon is a giant hunk of mass which will protect us from the perils of space: killer flying debris (even micrometeoroids), radiation, the vacuum environment (and as an extension, the low temperature). The moon is a floating heaven of metals with significantly cheaper launch costs than Earth. If I win a lottery, I'm starting the first company to exploit the lunar bounties; I'm in computer engineering, but I have quite a few friends who would help me design systems for use for free who I could compensate after...amazing what you can do with some friends and a lottery win ...perhaps if I get in the mood, I'll do some serious talking and consider looking for grants when we can prove our concepts (with the recession, I have loads of scientific and engineering expertise at my disposal, alot of my friends have been unable to secure employment after graduation ).

We'll just have to see what the prospector satellites currently orbiting the moon can uncover for now...just out of curiosity though, how do we find valuable minerals on earth, and how could this be applied to lunar materials reclamation? close(-)

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