Colonization of Moon Titan: Pros and Cons

[brinny]

The honor of being remembered as martyrs if they do die en route to their glorious destination I suppose. I wouldn't do it so I can't really argue in favor of it. Neither do I admire the risk taken with the present stage of technology. I mention it because I know it's a factor based on interviews I have seen where the volunteers repeatedly mention the honor of having done something on behalf of mankind and being forever remembered for it.

Yet they don't mention death, and what that means, in all of its gory possibilities. If they had NOT considered that, quite thoughtful, and solidly, they will be prone to "panic", of the kind they never thought possible. However, quite tragically, it is too late by that time, to change their minds. It will be a prison of death. With no escape.

To "romanticize" this indicates that they may need some "reality therapy" before proceeding.

 

[lesliedellow]

The honor of being remembered as martyrs if they do die en route to their glorious destination I suppose. I wouldn't do it so I can't really argue in favor of it. Neither do I admire the risk taken with the present stage of technology. I mention it because I know it's a factor based on interviews I have seen where the volunteers repeatedly mention the honor of having done something on behalf of mankind and being forever remembered for it.

What did the Moon landings do for mankind, apart from giving Neil Armstrong the opportunity to utter the corniest sentence in the history of mankind?

Even as an eighteen year old, I remember curling up my toes at the pure corn.

 

[Radrook]

Yet they don't mention death, and what that means, in all of its gory possibilities. If they had NOT considered that, quite thoughtful, and solidly, they will be prone to "panic", of the kind they never thought possible. However, quite tragically, it is too late by that time, to change their minds. It will be a prison of death. With no escape.

To "romanticize" this indicates that they may need some "reality therapy" before proceeding.

When one is young one tends to feel a special type of immunity to death. I had teenage a friend who firmly and fanatically believed that everyone else was going to die but not him.

I was also under the impression that tragedies happened to others but would never happen to me. That's why I used to hydroplane on the interstate highway between PA and NY at 95mph during thunderstorms with nary a care in the world. It very well might be that these individuals suffer from the same delusion.

The Fountain Magazine - Issue - Delusion of Immortality

BTW
Today if I go 60mph I am extremely concerned and try to stay below that speed.

 

[brinny]

When one is young one tends to feel a special type of immunity to death. I had teenage a friend who firmly and fanatically believed that everyone else was going to die but not him.

I was also under the impression that tragedies happened to others but would never happen to me. That's why I used to hydroplane on the interstate highway between PA and NY at 95mph during thunderstorms with nary a care in the world. It very well might be that these individuals suffer from the same delusion.

The Fountain Magazine - Issue - Delusion of Immortality

BTW
Today if I go 60mph I am extremely concerned and try to stay below that speed.

It's called "wisdom", my friend.

And yes, ANYTHING "delusional" is not healthy nor recommended. Because as the "delusion" is rudely interrupted by "reality", a special sort of "shock" ensues.

Reality is ALWAYS our friend.

 

[Radrook]

It's called "wisdom", my friend.

And yes, ANYTHING "delusional" is not healthy nor recommended. Because as the "delusion" is rudely interrupted by "reality", a special sort of "shock" ensues.

Reality is ALWAYS our friend.

After I had just learned to barely drive, one lady who considered me marriage material stupidly forced herself to travel in my car while I tested my recently acquired driving skills to go to a religious convention in NJ.

Her constant fearful exclamations that we were all going to get killed fell on my delusion deaf ears as I repeatedly tipped over public metal trash cans on corners when I made clumsy turns on the Philadelphia very narrow streets on my way to the Interstate. Fortunately we survived. But it could have turned out differently considering that I was still just a novice at the wheel. So true, wisdom does kick in eventually. Fortunately for me it didn't kick in after getting myself and my passengers paralyzed or accidentally running someone over..

 

[brinny]

After I had just learned to barely drive, one lady who considered me marriage material stupidly forced herself to travel in my car while I tested my recently acquired driving skills to go to a religious convention in NJ.

Her constant fearful exclamations that we were all going to get killed fell on my delusion deaf ears as I repeatedly tipped over public metal trash cans on corners when I made clumsy turns on the Philadelphia very narrow streets on my way to the Interstate. Fortunately we survived. But it could have turned out differently considering that I was still just a novice at the wheel. So true, wisdom does kick in eventually. Fortunately for me it didn't kick in after getting myself and my passengers paralyzed or accidentally running someone over..

Thank God all of you survived.

 

[Radrook]

Thank God all of you survived.

Thank God all of you survived.

One thing that one has to also consider is whether any of those Mars one-way-tripper volunteers aren't being heroic at all but are merely suicidal. You know, attempting to commit suicide via space travel?

That can be mistaken for bravado or bravery just as sheer stupidity can be mistaken for being adventurous.

 

[brinny]

One thing that one has to also consider is whether any of those Mars one-way-tripper volunteers aren't being heroic at all but are merely suicidal. You know, attempting to commit suicide via space travel?

That can be mistaken for bravado or bravery just as sheer stupidity can be mistaken for being adventurous.

God have mercy! That is a possibility i had not even considered.

This is starting to sound like a movie.....

 

[Radrook]

God have mercy! That is a possibility i had not even considered.

This is starting to sound like a movie.....

Well, one thing to keep in mind is that movies are based on human nature.; In short, they entertain us by showing us how humans are motivated to behave in ways that we recognize as possible. Of course we would like to believe that mankind is more rational and noble, but unfortunately a brief review of human history reveals the dual nature of mankind's motives. Not saying that these people have a death wish. In fact, I'm sure that they have been subjected to rigorous psychological testing to make sure that they are stable.

However, their behavior isn't within the normal since most humans would not volunteer for such a mission, especially under the present circumstances. So that does cast a certain shadow of a doubt on their sanity regardless of assurances to the contrary as it does on the love of any family member who would encourage such an extremely dangerous one-way trip.

 

[brinny]

Well, one thing to keep in mind is that movies are based on human nature.; In short, they entertain us by showing us how humans are motivated to behave in ways that we recognize as possible. Of course we would like to believe that mankind is more rational and noble, but unfortunately a brief review of human history reveals the dual nature of mankind's motives. Not saying that these people have a death wish. In fact, I'm sure that they have been subjected to rigorous psychological testing to make sure that they are stable.

However, their behavior isn't within the normal since most humans would not volunteer for such a mission, especially under the present circumstances. So that does cast a certain shadow of a doubt on their sanity regardless of assurances to the contrary as it does on the love of any family member who would encourage such an extremely dangerous one-way trip.

You have a point there.

 

[Radrook]

You have a point there.

That's a very pleasant rain picture on you signature. Reminds me of my childhood days in Newark NJ where such colorful scenes were common in Branchbrook Park.
Branch Brook Park Alliance



BTW
On Titan it snows Benzene
Benzene - Wikipedia

Benzene is expected to fall like snow and quickly dissolve into the lakes, although the lakes may become saturated just as the Dead Sea on Earth is packed with salt. The excess benzene would then build up in a mud-like sludge on the shores and on the lake floors before eventually being eroded by ethane rain, forming a complex cave-riddled landscape.[24
Lakes of Titan - Wikipedia

 

[brinny]

That's a very pleasant rain picture on you signature. Reminds me of my childhood days in Newark NJ where such colorful scenes were common in Branchbrook Park.



BTW
On Titan it snows Benzene
Benzene - Wikipedia

Benzene is expected to fall like snow and quickly dissolve into the lakes, although the lakes may become saturated just as the Dead Sea on Earth is packed with salt. The excess benzene would then build up in a mud-like sludge on the shores and on the lake floors before eventually being eroded by ethane rain, forming a complex cave-riddled landscape.[24
Lakes of Titan - Wikipedia

Thanks.

Interesting information about Benzene and Titan.

 

[Radrook]

Thanks.

Interesting information about Benzene and Titan.

The strange thing about Titan is that it seems to WANT to be another Earth but on its own particularly weird terms. The lakes and seas are an extreme example of this feature.

The depths of Titan's three methane seas and showed depths of more than 200 meters (660 ft). Ligeia Mare averages from 20 to 40 m (66 to 131 ft) in depth, while other parts of Ligeia did not register any radar reflection at all, indicating a depth of more than 200 m (660 ft). While only the second largest of Titan's methane seas, Ligeia "contains enough liquid methane to fill three Lake Michigans."
Titan (moon) - Wikipedia

That's a lot of fuel!
Methane - Wikipedia

 

[brinny]

The strange thing about Titan is that it seems to WANT to be another Earth but on its own particularly weird terms. The lakes and seas are an extreme example of this feature.



That's a lot of fuel!
Methane - Wikipedia

And also extremely flammable.

 

[Radrook]

One thing that I don’t find enticing about Titan s its gloominess based on the very little sunlight that reaches its surface which is one-tenth [0.10%] of one-percent that reaches Earth’s surface.

Titan receives about 1% as much sunlight as Earth. Before sunlight reaches the surface, about 90% has been absorbed by the thick atmosphere, leaving only 0.1% of the amount of light Earth receives.

Huygens in situ image from Titan's surface—the only image from the surface of a body farther away than Mars
By ESA/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona - Catalog Page for PIA07232 (direct link), Public Domain, File:Huygens surface color.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

The image on the right has been enhanced.

 

[Radrook]

And also extremely flammable.

Maybe its a for the best that such a rich source of fuel is so extremely difficult to ever bring back to Earth since that would only serve to perpetuate our abuse of the environment. This way we will be eventually forced to use ecologically friendly energy sources such as solar power in order to keep our civilization going.

Proven reserves of natural gas on Earth total 130 billion tons, enough to provide 300 times the amount of energy the entire United States uses annually for residential heating, cooling and lighting. Dozens of Titan's lakes individually have the equivalent of at least this much energy in the form of methane and ethane.
NASA - Titan's Surface Organics Surpass Oil Reserves on Earth

Image credit: NASA/JPL

 

[Radrook]

What did the Moon landings do for mankind, apart from giving Neil Armstrong the opportunity to utter the corniest sentence in the history of mankind?

Even as an eighteen year old, I remember curling up my toes at the pure corn.

Many would argue that all the technology that trickled down from those lunar landing efforts made the whole venture worthwhile.

BTW
There was considerable controversy on whether the expression was " ....small step for a man...." or "....small step for man...." I think that Women's Liberation Movement people were making an issue of it.

 

[lesliedellow]

Many would argue that all the technology that trickled down from those lunar landing efforts made the whole venture worthwhile.

BTW
There was considerable controversy on whether the expression was " ....small step for a man...." or "....small step for man...." I think that Women's Liberation Movement people were making an issue of it.

It was, or was something very close to, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." That was as he got out of the Lunar Lander. Pure corn.

 

[Radrook]

It was, or was something very close to, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." That was as he got out of the Lunar Lander. Pure corn.

Why is it pure corn? Didn't it have indeed the potential to open the way for further space exploration? Wasn't it indeed a giant step for mankind?

 

[lesliedellow]

Why is it pure corn? Didn't it have indeed the potential to open the way for further space exploration? Wasn't it indeed a giant step for mankind?

How long ago is that now? Almost fifty years? And apart from a few return trips, in the years immediately following, what has become of it?

Nothing. I could have predicted that, even as a callow youth back in 1969.

The only reason it was funded was as a propaganda coup against the Soviet Union, and once that was no longer a motivating factor.....