Curiosity on Mars, secret announcement due?

Originally posted by apathist
I've offered plenty, but you unreasonably merely dismiss them.

You mentioned one: that the earth could be destroyed by 'chunks from space'. In what way have I been 'unreasonably dismissing' it? I have given reasons why I dismiss it.

Let's stick with the one you've been busy unreasonably dismissing:
'the one'? A moment ago it was 'plenty'? Can't even keep your story straight can you?

asteroids that will crack our planet before we can stop them.
'crack the planet'?

Having tw find them unreasonable will not save us.
I am not suggesting it will save us. I am suggesting we don't need saving. Just like you finding the risk of flying toasters destroying the earth will not save us from flying toasters.

There simply aren't that many planet cracking space chunks flying around. Nothing has hit the earth in about 4 billions years. I don't think its going to happen any time soon. In what way is that argument not a reasonable one?

Originally posted by apathist
You become a joke, buddy, once again. You don't warp names though, so you have some class at least.

I see you are unable to substantiate your false accusations and are left with trying to brush it off with more unwarranted insults.

Originally posted by twhitehead
I see you are unable to substantiate your false accusations and are left with trying to brush it off with more unwarranted insults.

It is said now that the Chicxulub asteroid DID crack the planet, penetrated the crust completely. And the sonic waves were focused on the other side of the planet causing huge earthquakes and volcanic activity there due to the immense forces generated by that hit.

Originally posted by sonhouse
It is said now that the Chicxulub asteroid DID crack the planet, penetrated the crust completely. And the sonic waves were focused on the other side of the planet causing huge earthquakes and volcanic activity there due to the immense forces generated by that hit.

What it didn't do is wipe out life on earth, nor create 10 years of no sunlight, nor create world wide fire, nor most of the other stuff you made up to try and make it sound EXTRA SCARY in your desperate attempts to justify a Mars base.

Originally posted by twhitehead
What it didn't do is wipe out life on earth, nor create 10 years of no sunlight, nor create world wide fire, nor most of the other stuff you made up to try and make it sound EXTRA SCARY in your desperate attempts to justify a Mars base.

It certainly darkened the atmosphere for years and that would have been exacerbated by the volcanism said to have happened on the opposite side of Earth, super volcanos would have also contributed a huge amount of ash and such to the one-two hit from that asteroid.

If something penetrates the crust of Earth and lets raw magma come up like a 200 km wide vocano that would also add to the destructive effects and they did track fires in a 4000 odd Kilometer radius and that would also add to the reduction of sunlight. All in all not a good time for life on Earth.

I have no doubt humans would survive somewhere somehow but we for sure would have no high tech, and not much energy, but out of the huge direct radius of destruction I imagine nuclear power and hydro power would still run unless there was so much dust it stopped water flowing or gummed up the works in water delivery for cooling or generating power.

The whole key to survival is getting enough warning. And the size of the asteroid. The one at chicxubub was maybe 10 km across but what if one comes in 50 km across? The destruction would be a lot greater than Chicxulub.

If we have ten years heads up, a concerted effort would start up to deflect it so it passes by Earth. I read one sci fi story where one was deflected that hit the moon instead of Earth which caused a spray of smaller meteors to hit becoming meteoroids and that would cause a lot of damage but not a civilization killer.

My opinion of the Mars base is only mine, I have zero influence over anyone making decisions about space travel. When I was working Apollo, I had my nose stuck in my own instruments and had zero interaction with any of the upper ranks with the one exception I made friends with a geological tech whose job it was to slice the moon rocks so the scientists could analyse the rocks and he invited me into the vault where the moon rocks were held and let me actually hold one of them.

That was as deep as I got outside my own tracking and timing job. It was a tech epiphany though!

Originally posted by twhitehead...
There simply aren't that many planet cracking space chunks flying around. Nothing has hit the earth in about 4 billions years. I don't think its going to happen any time soon. In what way is that argument not a reasonable one?

You agree with the wisdom of looking for the asteroids before they strike us. Why do you now claim that reason dictates we don't worry about it?

I bet if I gave you your own argument, you would clearly see the handful of fatal flaws within it. Disingenuous, buddy. That's how you roll.

Originally posted by apathist
You agree with the wisdom of looking for the asteroids before they strike us. Why do you now claim that reason dictates we don't worry about it?

I bet if I gave you your own argument, you would clearly see the handful of fatal flaws within it. Disingenuous, buddy. That's how you roll.

I bet if you actually gave an argument instead of spouting nonsense like this, I could have a reasonable discussion with you.

When did I say we shouldn't worry about asteroids?

Originally posted by sonhouse
It certainly darkened the atmosphere for years and that would have been exacerbated by the volcanism said to have happened on the opposite side of Earth, super volcanos would have also contributed a huge amount of ash and such to the one-two hit from that asteroid.

But what it didn't do is block all sunlight for 10 years stopping all plants from growing. You made that up.

If something penetrates the crust of Earth and lets raw magma come up like a 200 km wide vocano that would also add to the destructive effects
I am not disputing that there would be significant destructive effects. I am disputing the claim that those effects would result in the whole of the earth being less habitable than Mars. Why is that simple concept so hard for you to fathom?


and they did track fires in a 4000 odd Kilometer radius and that would also add to the reduction of sunlight. All in all not a good time for life on Earth.
But not global fires as you claimed. I mean seriously, how do you even start a fire in the Sahara?

I have no doubt humans would survive somewhere somehow but we for sure would have no high tech,
Why would they have no high tech?

and not much energy,
Why? At least try and give a justification for you claims.

but out of the huge direct radius of destruction I imagine nuclear power and hydro power would still run unless there was so much dust it stopped water flowing or gummed up the works in water delivery for cooling or generating power.
And coal power and just about any other power source. Even solar.

The whole key to survival is getting enough warning.
Or preparing for it regardless of warning. Which is exactly what you claim to want to move to Mars for. My point is that it would be cheaper to make those preparations right here on Earth.

My opinion of the Mars base is only mine, I have zero influence over anyone making decisions about space travel.
Then why are you so set on making up bad reasons for it and trying to defend them even after they are demonstrated to be bad.