Most important discovery of humankind on its way - 2017 update

Of course you can do that.

This is nothing to do with cake. Its really very simple. Either there is a Matrix which is real, or there is a very real probability that what you are talking about is a control mechanism that one has to already have shaken off to even bother to join a site like this.

So to which are you referring?

a reply to: boozo

Tardigrades otherwise known as "water bears" can survive in space. Granted they are not indigenous to the region but the point is that if they can survive then so could others.

a reply to: andy06shake

Thats a great point.

It proves a fundamental underpinning of the concept that life exists or can exist, in places and circumstances that we thought, merely ten years ago, were impossible. And that is not the only example of a life form which can exist in hostile environs. But it is such an extreme example, that many of our previously held notions about what is and is not hospitable for life in general, have to evaporate, if we are to call ourselves reasoning beings.

originally posted by: M5h3P

originally posted by: rickymouse
I was hoping for a great recipe that would make us younger. How disappointing.

Yes, wishful thinking.

I am so happy when I discover a place that makes Pizzas that are out of this world. Other than that, I have no reason to believe that space travel is anything great.

I do think that having satellite in space to learn a little more about how space weather effects our planet is worth the investment, and keeping an eye on possible asteroids that will hit earth is also something that is worthwhile. The fact that they haven't detected the big asteroids and fireballs we have been seeing kind of puzzles me. How come they can see the ones that won't hit yet can't see the ones that are going to hit? Another thing, even if they did see a big asteroid coming at us, they can't do anything anyway.

So I do believe investigating out of this world food is worth it, I do not think half of the expenditures on space exploration are worth it.

originally posted by: mysterioustranger
a reply to: elevenaugust

I wouldnt be waving a sign "WELCOME ALIENS!" on some rooftop...Youve done some great scientific work there...but a lot of human beings cant, couldnt, wouldnt be able to understand how you explained yourself here...

And "PROOF" is a really strong word here. For some, extraordinary evidence is necessary...and others? None is needed at all. The "evidence" has always been here..and goes largely ignored. We've already had leaders and scientist-panels proclaim the "truth"...and? Nothing.

I assure you....they are here, are coming here...and have always been here. And I believe they may not be using "crafts" and "propulsion engines" on "triangles'...or "lights" on their "vehicles".

We only think in terms we know or speculate of/on. There are others we have no clue of...created on planets with material and methods we know nothing of..and cant be re-produced here on Earth.

Given that...they are probably right in front of us. How would we know? We wouldnt.

I agree. Not to mention scale works in both directions and universal laws replicate themselves linearly, as they apply to EVERY THING.

That said, there could be entire civilizations and galaxies living inside the Electron Cloud of any or all of the atoms in our observable entirety.

Furthermore, we and everything we see and know, could simply be a speck floating in a similar Electron Cloud.

Some people are just too basic to even begin to comprehend the simplest of theoretical physics.

originally posted by: NightFlight
Damn...

I read the title and said "Finally, a diabetic beer!"

Oh well maybe next time.

There actually IS a beer that most Diabetics drink..the ones who drink beer anyway.

It's called Holsten PIls...apparently most of the sugar is turned into alcohol. (most, not all).

a reply to: Xterrain

We agree... I'm sure of one thing... We can't be sure of anything!

Thanks

MS

a reply to: TrueBrit

I suppose in a universe where the rule of the day seems to be infinite diversity in infinite combinations the way we Humans even quantify what actually constitutes life leaves a lot to be desired.

Reality always turns out to be so much stranger than anything we could have ever imagined.

a reply to: andy06shake

Indeed so.

Infinite diversity in infinite combinations

It may seem trite to point it out, but the fact that Gene Roddenberry used those very words as a cornerstone for Vulcan philosophy, suggests that there is a very good reason for the next part of our history as a species, to make every attempt to imitate art, with regard to philosophy.

The manual has been written, and all that is required is that we heed its suggestions!

Of course we are not alone. But nobody wants to believe the truth, and no, it is NOT "aliens". It is much deeper. "Aliens" cannot fly straight without crashing and apparently they have very wimpy endurance. Supposedly they are so highly advanced in technology and space travel but yet they are dumb as they can do the aforementioned but can't communicate worth a crap. There are beings watching everything we do, some are here to help while others are here to cause destruction and misery. No, not referring to human beings either. These celestial beings are invisible to our eyes. "Aliens" are just a sci-fi cover-up to lead the minds and attention away from taking full notice of what is really going on.
I will probably be ridiculed for this comment, and that's ok. The government will NEVER NEVER EVER reveal the truth of what is really going on. They know that, to an minor and vast extent, that there are people who know the truth and who may even have some actual evidence thereof. But as long as the whole majority doesn't realize and see it, then the government and their buddies up in the upper echelons of freemasonry aren't too concerned.

a reply to: elevenaugust

They are also making earth-space virtual aperture telescopes. That fact should keep ground based arrays around for a while. Only the foolish would say, "that should be shut down because we have a better one in space."

The scientists combined the Russian RadioAstron satellite with the [four] ground-based telescopes to produce a virtual radio telescope more than 100,000 miles across. They pointed this system at a quasar called 3C 273, more than 2 billion light-years from Earth. Quasars like 3C 273 propel huge jets of material outward at speeds nearly that of light. These powerful jets emit radio waves.
...
...The researchers were surprised when their Earth-space system revealed a temperature hotter then 10 trillion degrees.

“Only this space-Earth system could reveal this temperature, and now we have to figure out how that environment can reach such temperatures,” said Yuri Kovalev, the RadioAstron project scientist

Astronomy.com - Earth-space telescope system produces hot surprise.
Wikipedia: Aperture synthesis.

As someone stated, it is a strange place out there. The more we look the more we have to re-think old school assumptions. That is what makes discovery so exciting!

We now have the ability to directly "watch" exoplanets orbiting their stars: astrobiology.nasa.gov...



Won't be long until we're able to see tell-tale signs of life out there, especially if some of those civilisations are space-faring.

originally posted by: wildespace
We now have the ability to directly "watch" exoplanets orbiting their stars: astrobiology.nasa.gov...

Won't be long until we're able to see tell-tale signs of life out there, especially if some of those civilisations are space-faring.

Amazing animation/image.
I have been following this with great interest. We really are on the verge of some amazing discoveries and I hope our govt's will accelerate the pace.

a reply to: wildespace

For all that it is pixelated, low resolution, detail lacking...

It is none the less beautiful.

Here's a video on the James Webb Space Telescope - which will make exoplanet spectrometry really take off. Not in 2017, unfortunately, but 2018.

Mission Sequence:


Planetary Work:


...and a very interesting Q&A with one of the JWST scientists:

These are the answers Dr. Mark Clampin (James Webb Space Telescope observatory project scientist) gave to questions asked on Twitter during our third Tweet Chat, this time about JWST and exoplanets. The answers are very succint due to Twitter's 140 character limit (and we also added the #JWSTexoplanet hashtag to each answer). Often the questions are rephrased in the answers so that our Twitter followers would know what we were giving the answer to.

Q: How soon can we see photos of some exoplanets? (asked by @tushmonster)
A: JWST will be able to image young gas giant exoplanets with several of its instruments.

Q: Will the possible loss of the Kepler spacecraft have a significant effect on the JWST exoplanet mission? (asked by @dougsrunning)
A: Kepler's effect on JWST exoplanet mission? It has successfully found thousands of transiting candidates for us to study.

Q: What other info can be gathered through spectrography about the 3 new exoplanet candidates orbiting Gliese 667C? (asked by @dtmurphree)
A: What can JWST tell us about the Gliese 667C exoplanets? Spectroscopy can tell us atmospheric composition.

Q: Spectroscopy on exoplanet atmospheres is really exciting, will they be able to do that on fairly thin atmospheres ( less than 1 atm)? (asked by @dougsrunning) A: JWST will try spectroscopy of thin atmosphere exoplanets w/ bright, cool parent stars and enough contrast.

Q: Will JWST look at a similar part of the sky as Kepler? (asked by @ideaofhappiness)
A: Will JWST look at the same part of the sky as Kepler? At L2 it can see the whole sky over a year.

Q: What discoveries do you expect to make? What surprises might you see? (asked by @rdeschambault)
A: New JWST discoveries? Composition of superearth atmospheres! Surprises? They are always unexpected!.

Q: What are you most excited to investigate in relation to exoplanets? (asked by @ideaofhappiness)
A: What am I most excited to investigate? I would like to find more planets in the Fomalhaut system.

Q: Is the star shade for JWST still under development? (asked by @dtmurphree)
A: JWST's sunshield is just starting flight hardware production. The only star it will occult is the sun!

Q: Besides imaging of gas giants and spectroscopy, what other things will JWST be able to do w/ exoplanets? (asked by @dougsrunning)
A: Besides spectroscopy and gas giant imaging, JWST will search for unseen planets in transiting systems.

Q: Kepler is not looking for the exoplanets around nearby stars,why? (asked by @nimetesra)
A: Why is Kepler not looking for near exoplanets? Kepler studies a dense starfield. JWST will study nearby M stars.

Q: There were ideas 4 an autonomous star-shield which'd sit 160,000km away to obscure starlight & assist in exoplanet discovery? (asked by @dtmurphree)
A: No plans for a starshield for JWST. It has coronagraphs for exoplanet imaging.

Q: Approx. how good will the resolution be when direct imaging exoplanets? (asked by @JakePeriphery)
A: Resolution? JWST's cameras can image gas giant planets greater than a few AU from their stars.

Q: We've gone from looking for exoplanets to examining exoplanet atmospheres. What do you think will come next? (asked by @ideaofhappiness)
A: What's next in exoplanets? Next will be JWST which allows us to focus on superearth atmospheres.

Q: When is JWST scheduled to be launched? And what is the primarily goal for the mission? (asked by @StianNordaas)
A: JWST launches in 2018. As well as exoplanets, it'll look for the first galaxies that formed in the universe.

Q: It is exciting to find exoplanets, but what is the real value or significance of finding and studying them? (asked by @astronomysota)
A: Studying exoplanets places our solar system in context; we've all wondered if there is life on other planets.

jwst.nasa.gov...