RoR: Forum

"Of course the Moon landings were government-funded; if the private sector had led the way we still probably would have traveled to the Moon, only some years later."

Or earlier... World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War... the squandering of resources, the deaths and destructions, certainly prevented progress. If not for govern-mentality, we might have been on the Moon by 1950 or 1940.

Even so, a big red check for this piece. Brilliance, bravery, foresight and competence and an overarching desire to achieve the truly heroic, all from the men at the top of the rocket to the thousands who contributed their own heroic efforts, make July 20, the single most important date on the calendar.

Michael

Post 1

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 5:12pm

Has everyone seen Google's commemoration?

Post 2

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 5:20pm

Eve,

Yes. Did you zoom in all the way? Hehehe, so much fun.

Sarah

Post 3

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 5:38pm

Sarah,

Yes. I just realized that I'd forgotten to suggest that; thanks!

Meanwhile, any idea when the zoom function on Google Maps went from being discrete to being quasi-continuous?

Post 4

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 5:42pm

Eve,

I have no clue. I've never used Google Maps before, but I did recently discover Google Earth. For a map thingy it is so much fun. 10MB download and high speed internet required.

Sarah

Post 5

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 5:48pm

Ha, that was funny. Leave it to those kuckleheads at Google...

But Mr. Marotta, I disagree with your statement although not for your stated reasons. I view the space race in the greater view of the Cold War. The other nations of Earth needed proof that Americans could stand up to the Soviets and more importantly, we needed them as well. It was propaganda pure and simple. Thats not to say it wasn't other things like what the article said but the main goal was to beat the Soviets, not land on the moon. That way, the people of the Eastern Bloc and other places can look up at the moon and think, "men have been there, and they were Americans."

For those same reasons, I support us going to Mars. And now, ASAP. It shouldn't even be a competation, no one should be able to say, "ah, the Chinese almost beat them." No, we should be there decades before anyone else. Its national prestige and don't tell me things like that don't mean a damn cause they do.

Post 6

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 6:40pm

Too bad we'll have to relinquish space travel because of Peak Oil, much as we've had to abandon commercial supersonic flight (the Concorde):

Has Humanity Already Shot Their (Space) Bolt
by Mark Mortimer
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/oped-03zs.html

Post 7

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 6:49pm

Mark,

Unsubstantiated claim that oil usage has surpassed oil production... Ulterior motives... Bad science... yada yada yada. Bring me something more interesting to argue against.

Sarah

Post 8

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 7:15pm

Yeah Mark,

"Yet, for example, the United States since 1970 has had a decreasing oil production. They are not an isolated case. Nonrenewable resources are being depleted all across the globe"

How did he tie decresing oil production to global depletion? If we suck less oil out of the ground that doesn't mean its getting depleated. A better correlation is the founding of the Enviromental Protection Agency in 1970 and the oil decreses a few years later

Post 9

Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 8:16pm

Uh oh Clarence, that's two issues we've agreed upon. The end is nigh.

Sarah

Post 10

Friday, July 22, 2005 - 2:49pm

I hate to rain on the parade (surprise, surprise) but there is no way in hell that we landed on the moon, folks. First of all, we can barely get a space shuttle into space today (a mere 400 miles in space), and NASA wants us to believe that we sent three men to the moon in 1969?! check out this link;

http://www.ufos-aliens.co.uk/cosmicapollo.html

Also, to this day Neil Armstrong and the other astronauts decline to do interviews regarding their trip to the moon, they even have threatened suing those who may try to.
I know we'd all like to think that we had a huge victory for the human spirit and ingenuity and that man had the technology and the resources to send men to the moon, but it just isn't so. Look at the facts. Most likely it was staged to freak out the Soviets because of the escalating cold war.

Post 11

Friday, July 22, 2005 - 4:38pm

Couldn't help but remember this picture:

http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/000238.html

Perfect example on why all this emphasis on safety will do nothing but hold us back.

Post 12

Friday, July 22, 2005 - 5:49pm

Erik,

Wow, that sure is some well thought out and thoroughly debunked bullshit you've got there.

Sarah

Post 13

Friday, July 22, 2005 - 6:29pm

Best laugh I've had in days Erik! Thanks!

You are joking, right?

Post 14

Friday, July 22, 2005 - 8:13pm

Sarah, thanks.
Aaron, glad I could cheer you up. I wish I was joking.

Post 15

Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 7:36am

This guy over in SOLO Science just gave you a run for the money. He's claiming overthrowing QM, finding fractional 'quantum' energy states, creating a GUT, and of course a new energy source. Makes showing the moon landing a hoax seem pretty mundane by comparison doesn't it? :-)

http://solohq.com/Forum/SoloScience/0095.shtml#0

Post 16

Thursday, July 28, 2005 - 7:26pm

Erik,

Do you suppose that Bush's latest push to send people to Mars and the Moon is just another conspiracy in the making? Perhaps working with George Lucas to make it look spectacular?

(Edited by Pete on 7/28, 10:06pm)

Post 17

Thursday, July 28, 2005 - 8:59pm