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There has been much news of late about space – from NASA bombing the moon to discoveries on Mars. I am fascinating by outer space and the images we are receiving daily from our outer space vessels seems to be getting better and better. For that reason it seemed appropriate to create a second list of stunning images of space. Here is the original list for those interested. As usual, click the image for a larger view.
This stunning image of Saturn was captured by the incredible Cassini spacecraft in 2006 as it passed behind the ringed gas giant in the 9th year of its mission. Even more incredible it that the pale-blue dot of the Earth can be seen in this image just above and to the left of the bright, main rings. [Source]
The Crab Pulsar, a city-sized, magnetized neutron star spinning 30 times a second, lies at the center of this remarkable image from the orbiting Chandra Observatory. The deep x-ray image gives the first clear view of the convoluted boundaries of the Crab’s pulsar wind nebula. Like a cosmic dynamo the pulsar powers the x-ray emission. With more mass than the Sun and the density of an atomic nucleus, the spinning pulsar itself is the collapsed core of a massive star. The stellar core collapse resulted in a supernova explosion that was witnessed in the year 1054. [Source]
A partial solar eclipse is seen through clouds in Hyderabad, Pakistan on Wednesday, July 22, 2009. [Source]
Eta Carinae is a stellar system in the constellation Carina, about 7,500 to 8,000 light-years from the Sun. The system contains at least two stars, one of which is a luminous blue variable star. Its combined luminosity is about four million times that of the Sun and has an estimated system mass in excess of 100 solar masses.
This dramatic NAC image was acquired about 56 minutes prior to MESSENGER’s closest approach during the mission’s October 6, 2008 Mercury flyby. You almost feel like you could reach out and touch it. [Source]
Evidence indicates that IC 4406 is likely a hollow cylinder, with its square appearance the result of our vantage point in viewing the cylinder from the side. Were IC 4406 viewed from the top, it would likely look similar to the Ring Nebula. This representative-color picture is a composite made by combining images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2001 and 2002. [Source]
NASA’s STEREO (Ahead) spacecraft observed this visually stunning prominence eruption on Sept. 29, 2008 in the 304 wavelength of extreme UV light. It rose up and cascaded to the right over several hours, appearing something like a flag unfurling, as it broke apart and headed into space. [Source]
NGC 290 is an open cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud, which is located in the constellation Tucana.The photogenic cluster, pictured above, was captured recently by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. Open clusters of stars are younger, contain few stars, and contain a much higher fraction of blue stars than do globular clusters of stars.
After undocking, the space shuttle Discovery crew got a memorable view of the developing International Space Station (ISS). Pictured orbiting high above Earth, numerous solar panels, trusses, and science modules of the ISS were visible. [Source]
Although liquids freeze and evaporate quickly into the thin atmosphere of Mars, persistent winds may make large sand dunes appear to flow and even drip like a liquid. Visible on the above image right are two flat top mesas in southern Mars, where the season is changing from Spring to Summer. [Source]
This is a bonus item because it is an artist’s rendition; but it is the only available image so far. On 6 October 2009, the discovery of a tenuous ring of material in the plane of and just interior to the orbit of Phoebe (one of Saturn’s moons) was announced (it has been called the Phoebe ring). It is tilted 27 degrees from Saturn’s equatorial plane (and the other rings) and it is virtually invisible to the naked eye.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:34 am
No 3 is stunning
October 21st, 2009 at 1:36 am
beautiful list. keep it up.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:42 am
wow…amazing
October 21st, 2009 at 1:43 am
wow!
October 21st, 2009 at 1:45 am
I’m obsessed with space images, sounds, information. Wish I could have been an astronaut.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:46 am
Beautiful pics
October 21st, 2009 at 1:48 am
haha I thought the layout had been changed again when I came on listverse this morning, turns out I was just on the mobile site – very cool design! Anyhoo, love the list especially number 6, it’s just soooo close!
October 21st, 2009 at 1:48 am
wow these are fantisle
October 21st, 2009 at 1:49 am
We don’t even know everything on the earth and there is still the space…
October 21st, 2009 at 1:57 am
Number 6 is amazing.Nice list as usual.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:06 am
Everybody seems to love #6 but i just can’t get over how Beautiful and amazing #1 is. It’s mind boggling to know its sand dunes when your eyes tell you its water. I love it.
Great list.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:10 am
Wonderful list… I am in awe of number 9, the crab pulsar…
Wow!!! I am speechless
October 21st, 2009 at 2:14 am
space is so mysterious and beautiful, i love all the images, my favs are #8 and #5. i found the space station intresting but not beautiful. the sanddunes look fantastic though.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:20 am
this list and the other list were equally very stunning
October 21st, 2009 at 2:22 am
I love #3 && 8
October 21st, 2009 at 2:22 am
wow 3 is fantastic! wish my jewellery box had that much sparkle. excellent list
October 21st, 2009 at 2:24 am
These are beautiful! Wow!
October 21st, 2009 at 2:57 am
Beautiful list. I love astronomy, space is a great teacher of humility.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:59 am
@mandiemurder (5): Maybe we could see the stars together
October 21st, 2009 at 3:11 am
Wow. Number 3 is like an optical illusion.
October 21st, 2009 at 3:34 am
This was an excellent list Jfrater. I have been viewing this site from the beginning, and it has always guaranteed excellence. My personal favorite on this list was the bonus, because that ring make Saturn look like a dot. By the way, the new mobile site is beautiful and is easily navigated. Keep up the amazing work.
October 21st, 2009 at 3:41 am
Speaking of pale blue dots, how can the original Pale Blue Dot photo be left off of two lists now?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot
A photo of Earth from 3.7 billion miles away. 99.9% of people wouldn’t even believe such a photo exists.
October 21st, 2009 at 3:43 am
has anyone seen any of the meteor shower yet? ive only seen one..in cali
October 21st, 2009 at 3:59 am
@22
wow i can t fucking believe that pale blue that is earth.. =D
October 21st, 2009 at 4:15 am
What no black holes!!!!
October 21st, 2009 at 4:53 am
I’ve always thought that if everyone on the planet studied the virtually infinite scope of the universe, it would be so humbling that there would be very little war.
October 21st, 2009 at 4:57 am
demirah – There’s no direct photo of a black hole.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:08 am
number 4 looks like a tiger leaping from the sun… so beautiful <3
October 21st, 2009 at 5:10 am
Wish I was Dr.Manhattan and teleport to the center of 5. lol. That’d be cool.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:10 am
I can’t get over how beautiful Saturn is.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:15 am
@demirah (25): It is impossible at this point for us to directly photograph a black hole. All we would get if we were to try would be a photo of its event horizon and the jets; if it has any active at the time it is photographed.
Great list, Jamie. I do doubt that any substantial photo is going to be available any time soon on that bonus item. My understanding is that they had to observe it in a light spectrum we don’t normally see to get the evidence to prove that it exists.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:20 am
Image #10 is my favourite.
I used to be a daily visitor to the Astronomy Picture of the Day website, but not recently. I’ve just checked, and the site is still there: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/
October 21st, 2009 at 5:35 am
Great list, Jamie! Love the pictures for number 10, 7 and 3. I would absolutely love to visit space and see images like these first hand.
October 21st, 2009 at 5:56 am
Number 7 is incredible – it looks like organs almost. Number 3 is beautiful, but it’s so overwhelming to see so many stars in just one shot. Now THAT makes you feel small and insignificant.
October 21st, 2009 at 6:25 am
Another brilliant list, Jamie. The title says it all about these pictures – truly stunning.
October 21st, 2009 at 6:35 am
Jamie’s lists are the best!They pop up after some boring lists..relief
October 21st, 2009 at 6:38 am
@Geronimo1618 (36): My thoughts exactly.
October 21st, 2009 at 6:43 am
My God! It’s full of stars!
October 21st, 2009 at 6:46 am
Great list. beautiful pics.
i love number 3 and num 10 is pretty cool
October 21st, 2009 at 6:48 am
WoW !!!!
Amazing. But are theses real images or an artist’s impressions ???
October 21st, 2009 at 6:55 am
My God! It’s full of stars!
October 21st, 2009 at 7:01 am
I love space! It’s aesthetically pleasing and shows us new forms and how such bodies take different shapes and sizes, at random parts of the universe (although not really random)…!!!
Beautiful.
October 21st, 2009 at 7:01 am
I remember reading that if you dropped a small amount of matter from one of those neutron stars on the earth it would just drop straight down through the crust and keep going without a hitch until it hit the core. Then keep going until it hit the other side o.o; I thought it was kinda scary..but cool at the same time.
Another interesting fact is is that neutron stars form if, when the star becomes a supernova, the core has less than three times as much mass as the sun. However if the core has more than three times the mass of the sun it will form a black hole instead.
October 21st, 2009 at 7:16 am
muuuuuuuuuuuch better than yesterdays list!!!!!!!
October 21st, 2009 at 7:40 am
“Sir, The possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!”
“Never tell me the odds.”
October 21st, 2009 at 7:48 am
@renegade01 (43):
Not quite. A star with a mass equivalent to the sun, up to about 2 solar masses, will collapse into a white dwarf. A white dwarf is what’s left after a star’s push-pull between its tendency to collapse–and its tendency to expand–fails, ultimately, and gravity wins out, crushing the star down to a body about the size of the earth.
All stars are in a constant state between collapses. Their gravity (dependent upon mass, of course) is collapsing them always—but their outward nuclear energy holds the star, for a time, from *total* collapse. Now, stars begin as collapsing bodies of superheated gas—until they reach the point where the collapse is held in check by the explosive, outward force of fusion and the star begins to shine. The more massive the star, the shorter the period of time that the ultimate collapse is held in check.
Our sun, of course, has been “held” in this state for almost 5 billion years now, and will hold for about 5 billion longer at best. Then, as its fuel exhausts, it will resume its collapse, while shedding its lighter, outer shell into space. This is part of the “swelling” process that will lead it to become a red giant before it fully collapses down to white dwarf stage.
Finally, however, the amount of mass in the is not enough to force further collapse, and it stops at the white dwarf state–a star the size of the earth, slowly dying until it is a dark ember.
A star of slightly higher stellar mass–above the 2 solar mass threshold—will continue this same collapse, since the equilibrium between the two forces is not reached. Gravity is enough to crush the electron shells of each atom in such a star, and it becomes a neutron star—usually shrinking down to the size of a city, we say.
A star of about FIVE solar masses or above, however, has too much mass to halt the collapse even there–and continues to black hole stage–in short, a star with no size—vanishing altogether from the space/time continuum.
October 21st, 2009 at 7:51 am
The ISS is not visible from much of the globe. I hear that it’s pretty bright from those places from which it’s visible. I’ve never seen it.
October 21st, 2009 at 7:55 am
No 3 and No 10 are my faves. Kick ass list, Jafe!
October 21st, 2009 at 8:05 am
i never quite understand the purpose of space exploration.
especially going to the moon and mars and such.
jfkennedy himself said we wanted to go to the moon to prove we are better that the soviet – source :listverse.
technological advancement? i’m sure all those money can be invested in countless other researches and development.
alternative earth? we have countless other remote places on earth currently not habitable.antartica,sahara,underwater,mountain ranges.
i’m sure these places are less extreme than the moon or mars.in fact,they for sure have what scientist are always searching for : oxygen and water. i bet the cost is a lot lower and the possibility a lot higher to create new habitable spots on earth.
to avoid armageddon? scientists know that the probability is almost zero that we’ll get hit by a meteor to the point of extinction. it doesnt seem rational to invest so large in a worry so small.
to snap countless beautiful 5 million dollars photos like these? what, NASA is a hobby-club now?
i guess it’s necessary to give these people jobs and realize the long-time man’s dream of reaching the stars. yeah,right!
let me here your comments on this people!
question me.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:14 am
Outer space scares me. As does the ocean, the Great Lakes, a pond where I can’t see the bottom, etc. You just never know what’s “out there”…
October 21st, 2009 at 8:18 am
As DO the ocean…
October 21st, 2009 at 8:25 am
@ames801 (51): translated: FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN. First rule… know thyself. The rest will fall into place.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:38 am
@nickname (49): Just to go where no one has gone before, I guess. I’d rather spend millions of dollars on space travel than on horrible wars around the globe. And I don’t think anybody is naive enough to believe that the government would stop space research to feed the hungry.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:43 am
@damien_karras (52): I’m not fearful of ALL things unknown. I’ve moved to big cities on my own and did well, I’ve had a child on my own (figuratively speaking) and am doing well, I try new things. It’s just the “creatures” that may be lurking in the bottom of the water or out in space. The ones we don’t know about. Make sense?
October 21st, 2009 at 8:56 am
nickname-
Because it’s really damn cool. That’s why.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:58 am
@ames801 (54): I know exactly what you mean… I scan my entire bathtub before stepping in.
October 21st, 2009 at 9:10 am
Photos 6, 2 and 1 are the most impressive. I too love the cosmos, but I particularly enjoy seeing photos of it without any kind of artist renditions.
October 21st, 2009 at 9:17 am
@damien_karras (56): Are you mocking me??!!
October 21st, 2009 at 9:30 am
Recently here in the US there has been a lot of discussion about the fesibility of sending aman to Mars. The trip would take approximately six months one way. One suggestion scientists have proposed is that we fly a group of people there to colonize the planet. In other words, this would be a one way mission. If NASA asked you to go, would you do it?
October 21st, 2009 at 9:31 am
*man The trip would take approximately 6 months.
Sorry about the grammer.
October 21st, 2009 at 9:39 am
Astronomy picture of the day is my home page! I love it, Numbers 9 and 6 were both my background at different time. Their is a youtube video of number 4 which is amazing. You can see it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RjswBx6ysQ
October 21st, 2009 at 9:40 am
*different times
*there is a youtube…
Man I’m out of it this morning!
October 21st, 2009 at 9:55 am
@ames801 (58): Hell no, I wasn’t mocking you! I was giving an example of what you were talking about, just on a smaller scale.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:06 am
nickname-
I would hope that money is not the only thing that drives the human race.
I wonder sometimes if the meaning of life and the purpose of the human race is to save the universe. Imagination, reasoning, intelligence beyond that of being just another animal wandering the earth with survival as the only desire
The frontal lobe development of a human being is unique. We don’t know what this world contains, what the universe contains, what our own minds can do. Yes, you are correct in the fact that we need to explore our own planet before reaching out to other realms, but, the human race also needs to look inside ourselves. That is the real discovery. Who knows what the future holds, who knows what the human race can achieve…whether it be individually, or as a whole…possibilities are endless, and the exploration of new things, physical or not, is just a taste of why life is so awesome…
October 21st, 2009 at 10:15 am
Here is an incredible picture of the Eta Carinae Nebula. You can see the giant Eta Carinae star on the left. This picture is one of the most majestic and beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
http://www.physics.mcgill.ca/~mzamfir/Eta_Carinae_Nebula_1.jpg
October 21st, 2009 at 10:18 am
number three just inspired me to make a jewelry box. i’ve always been so into space and astronomy and people have said it’s too boring for me, but this is just so amazing.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:44 am
@Randall (46):
Hmm, really? That’s interesting. I knew that it only happened sometimes, which I admittedly forgot to say, but are you sure it’s five times? Could have sworn the book I read said it was three. o_O;
October 21st, 2009 at 10:47 am
I love looking at nebulae. They look so mysterious.
October 21st, 2009 at 11:07 am
@nickname (49):
Sorry, but this has to be one of the more ignorant things I’ve heard from someone in a good while.
Why should we explore space? Let’s lay out several obvious reasons, taking your points one by one:
“jfkennedy himself said we wanted to go to the moon to prove we are better that the soviet – source :listverse.”
So what? That’s ONE man’s opinion of the necessity of going to the moon. Does John Kennedy decide what sciences we study, what knowledge we pursue? This point is meaningless.
That was HIS reason for pushing the Apollo Program. HIS justification for it, behind the scenes. (He spoke differently in public of course). There were countless OTHER reasons that were just as valid and MORE valid.
“technological advancement? i’m sure all those money can be invested in countless other researches and development.”
Well that’s just plain wrong. This is a misunderstanding of how science works, particularly in terms of research.
We don’t just simply decide what future technology we want to develop and then pour money into it. This does happen occasionally, but for the most part it’s on already-established paths which we’re pretty certain can lead somewhere.
But much of science—and discovery and invention–is serendipitous. Things are found when looking for other things, when other goals are pursued. Then these tangents make themselves known, and become both efficacious and profitable to pursue.
But without that degree of serendipity, much of the discoveries and inventions of humankind would not have come about.
The space program has brought us MANY of these serendipitous (and intentional) lines of discovery and research. We owe to it many current technologies which we take for granted. Now, to simply do away with space exploration would NOT mean, automatically, that we could have simply funded the research which would lead to these technologies anyway—in point of fact, they might never have happened. Science funding is always BASED on something—not on supposition and “let’s see what we can find”—but on concrete hypotheses and theories which can be confidently funded without the fear of simply flushing money down the drain.
Space exploration, being in part a goal unto itself, was funded to bring us knowledge, to offer study of the cosmos. As an ASIDE from that goal, we also stumbled upon and developed several technologies that we had NOT previously imagined or would have pursued WITHOUT the space program to lead the way.
“alternative earth? we have countless other remote places on earth currently not habitable.antartica,sahara,underwater,mountain ranges.
i’m sure these places are less extreme than the moon or mars.in fact,they for sure have what scientist are always searching for : oxygen and water. i bet the cost is a lot lower and the possibility a lot higher to create new habitable spots on earth.”
While this is partly true, it’s also only half an answer. The earth is a complex and delicate ecosystem. Yes, we could seek out ways to force Antarctica and other “dead spots” on the earth in habitability—but that would COST the ecosystem as a whole in ways we can’t imagine, or can only partly visualize. What is the offset to the REST of the ecosystem if we force the earth to our bidding in every corner of it? There IS a cost, rest assured. But this brings us to your next point:
“to avoid armageddon? scientists know that the probability is almost zero that we’ll get hit by a meteor to the point of extinction. it doesnt seem rational to invest so large in a worry so small.”
This statement is quite simply totally inaccurate. The probability of the human species being made extinct by an asteroid or comet strike IN THE SHORT TERM is rather low, yes… but cosmic probabilities are not measured on the scale of human lifetimes. IN FACT the probability of the earth being struck by a body of catastrophic proportions is VERY HIGH–and in fact CERTAIN–the longer the time span you’re talking about. AND we’re not talking about billions of years here, but thousands at best. Now, you might say that thousands of years isn’t something we need to worry about—but that’s supremely short-sighted. The fact is that from a SPECIES point of view, we are in DANGER of extinction IF we stay isolated on this planet. And we are, in fact, CERTAIN to go extinct if we stay here. If not from bolides from space, then from any other number of causes—our own self-destruction, or from the earth itself, via all manner of geological disruptions which HAVE occured before in the history of our planet.
The earth is only slightly accommodating to us. Indeed, like the rest of the cosmos it is largely INDIFFERENT to us. If we were wiped out tomorrow the ecosystem would go on to recovery without us. And as I say, this is CERTAIN to happen eventually. Now, no—it isn’t likely to happen tomorrow. But it WILL happen. Your attitude is one where you care only for yourself and your immediate life and the lives around you. It’s THAT kind of shortsightedness which spells doom for us as a species.
Asteroid strikes, as I said, are not the only “armageddon” we have to be concerned with. There are several others, including self-immolation. It quite simply makes NO statistical sense (from a survival standpoint) to stay confined to the earth if we can find a means of seeding the cosmos.
Let’s remember something else. The energy we have at our disposal, coupled with the technology which makes it possible for us to not only exploit that energy, but to do worthwhile things with it, MAY very well be limited. We do NOT know for certain when we will be able to move away from fossil fuels—which will someday run out—and on to more renewable or more sustainable forms of energy—such as fusion or sophisticated solar power. If it takes too long for us to develop those technologies, we may very well find ourselves doomed to a situation where we can no longer afford the expenditure, energy, and effort to get off this planet. We may find ourselves trapped here by our inability to keep developing energies to meet our needs. We could exhaust what we have and still find that it is only enough to sustain our survival, with nothing extra. And then, when it begins to run out… we begin to die out. Or, at least, our technology begins to falter and reverse… and we find ourselves unable to sustain the advanced technologies we’re now used to.
This is a bleak picture and not at ALL unlikely. IN FACT, again, it’s CERTAIN to happen if we don’t take steps NOW to keep moving. We have to keep progressing, moving ahead, and moving on—because the cost of standing still is too high. Moving forward opens doors to us to new technologies, new energies, new possibilities. But we know very well what we have if we stay pat and do nothing.
Furthermore—you say you object to space exploration? Well why just that? Why not say no to exploring the oceans too? Or to investigating new forms of energies? Why not abandon all high technology and just live like our ancestors?
Your argument makes no sense. You object so space exploration for a childishness, ignorant reason which is really no “reason” at all. And you don’t see that if object to THAT, then there’s no reason not to object to ALL science and scientific pursuits.
“i guess it’s necessary to give these people jobs and realize the long-time man’s dream of reaching the stars. yeah,right!”
Again, more ignorance. I’ve already demonstrated to you why you’re utterly wrong here, but let’s have another reason why you’re in error:
We, as a species, know that we continually require a PURPOSE, a MOTIVATION for our survival. Survival alone is not and never has been enough for us. If it were, we wouldn’t have what we have today, and we would not have dominated this planet as we have. We require the pursuit of knowledge because it feeds our curiousity and thirst to KNOW—which are basic elements of our collective psyche. YOU are the type of person who fails to recognize this and thinks that human life begins and ends with your own existence and the modernity of the current world. This is not only shortsighted and ignorant, it’s blindly stupid and counter-intuitive. We don’t pick and choose what we study and explore—we don’t say, “we’re going to ONLY explore the earth and nothing else”—in large part because science doesn’t WORK that way. Science is not insular. It has individual disciplines, and these disciplines, to the untrained, layman’s eye, don’t seem to intersect with each other—but in fact they very much do. Science… and EXISTENCE… are in fact SYSTEMIC things where one item affects many, perhaps all others. We can no more isolate them from each other than we can say to ourselves, “okay, for the next hour I’m going to stop breathing and concentrate all my bodily energies solely on digesting.” It doesn’t work that way.
We ARE exploring our world and furthering the sciences that work within it. But we CANNOT limit that to ONLY those sciences and explorations–that is simply non-sensical. Not only would it not work practically, but it would be stifling to the human spirit. Some of us choose to pursue exploration of the earth, or the oceans, or the biosphere, or mankind itself, or the atmosphere. Others pursue the exploration of the stars. So who are YOU to decide that the latter group of folks should find other work? And who are YOU to decide what work is valuable to the human species–and which work ISN’T?
October 21st, 2009 at 11:18 am
Do you guys think Randall writes a text doc first and then copy/pastes it here? Or is it stream of conscienceness?
Either way I agree completely with your assertion. It sounds like your channeling former NASA director Mike Griffin over here, but with more CAPS!
October 21st, 2009 at 11:28 am
@Tom Wang (70):
It all comes out extemporaneously on the spot from my giant fucking *brain,* Tom. And… I’m also naked. How’s that? Too much information? Good!
October 21st, 2009 at 11:32 am
All y’all know that Madeline Albright and Margaret Thatchers are half-twin sisters of Chuck Norris and Venus? I don’t mean the Goddess, I mean the planet. He fucked Venus and it gave birth to Madeline Albright and Margaret Thatcher.
October 21st, 2009 at 11:33 am
Imagine a dogs mind trying to comprehrend the concept of biogenetics and purpose of photosynthesis. The dog sees a plant and knows what it is, but can not truly see what a plant is.
Dog = man, Plant = universe.
We gaze into the abyss unaware of it gazing back.
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.
HP Lovecraft
October 21st, 2009 at 11:34 am
@Tom Wang (70): I was wondering the same thing. I think it’s one thought or continuous arguement. And I think he types really, really fast, too. I don’t get the ALL CAPS, though. Kind of passe. So 1995′ish. He didn’t cuss. That’s an interesting twist.
The old man needs another hobby than sparring with dimwits. Not one of his more firey posts. He can do better. I give him a solid four out of ten stars on that one.
October 21st, 2009 at 11:41 am
@VI6SIX (73): I’m immagining my dog’s mind and I’m pulling a complete blank. Wait… I’m gettintg a psychic signal from my canine friend… Coo… no. kook… kook… ee… kook… ee… ee… COOKIE! He says he wants a cookie!!! I don’t think Elroy here really cares much about the universe. I don’t think he cares too much beyond his stomach.
“We gaze into the abyss unaware of it gazing back.”
As far as the abyss gazing back at me, as long as it doesn’t eat me, I’m fine with it.
October 21st, 2009 at 11:44 am
@Randall (71):
“And… I’m also naked. How’s that? Too much information?…”
Heck no, Randall! Not for me. You know I’ve got a not-so-secret crush on you
October 21st, 2009 at 11:51 am
@flamehorse (72):
Get the dosage wrong again, Flamehorse?
October 21st, 2009 at 11:54 am
@ames801 (76):
Well then we really OUGHT to be naked TOGETHER. Only makes sense as far as I can see. Kinda pointless to be naked *separately.*
October 21st, 2009 at 11:56 am
@Petie (74):
OLD MAN?!
Wanna hear me “cuss,” Petie? I’d be glad to accommodate you.
I didn’t realize the judges where offering me numbers. I’d have put on a show.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:00 pm
I’m amazed at the distances. Picture 7 refers to being between 7,500 and 8,000 light years away. Light traveling at 186,000 miles per second over a time span of 8,000 years; it’s just hard to imagine. In fact, I don’t think we are capable of conceiving the distance involved. And this distance is not that great when we are talking in terms of the universe.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Since Randall wrote everything I would have written myself, I will, instead, pass along a another item which President Kennedy urged the citizens of the United States to do. Learn science. Teach science.
I took as many of the sciences as I could while in school (while my Major was something else, it employed science). Then when my children were small, (Kindergarten through grade Nine), I took them at least once a month to the observatory to look through the big telescope and get in on the lecture by that months visiting Astronomer. They always wanted to play with all of the gadgets, the ones which told you how much you would weigh on each planet, for example, a set-up demonstrating the effect of a black hole .
Any time there was a special event (a comet, or a planet in a particularly good location for viewing) we would go a second time.
There is so much more to the story, but I think you must get the drift.
Science will be our savior or our downfall. It will be our savior if we pay attention to it and follow it, fund it, let it teach us what there is for us to learn and grow .
It will be our downfall if we ignore it, sweep it under the rug and pretend the boogie-man isn’t there, waiting to consume us.
October 21st, 2009 at 12:12 pm
@Randall (78): Sounds good
Then we’ll just do the dirty talk later, right?
October 21st, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Getting a little risque on this comment thread. Who knew cosmic images were a turn on?
October 21st, 2009 at 12:33 pm
3. Lucy in the sky with diamonds…:)
October 21st, 2009 at 12:35 pm
@ames801 (82):
I *usually* enjoy my dirty talk at the same TIME that I’m co-naked with a partner, but sure, dirty talk before AND after is great too.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:06 pm
@Randall (69): Aw, screw you Randall! You take care of all the idiots! Can someone else try now?! I mean, I was reading his comment, thinking of ways of replying back to him with a snazzy post in my head. But then, here you are again taking out the trash, using the same points I was gonna make(just worded differently). I know you don’t care, and you’re probably just gonna ignore me. But please, PLEASE let someone else take care the next idiot.
Sheesh, I feel really whiny now!
October 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
@GiantFlyingRobo (86):
SORRY! Didn’t mean to step on your toes! I’m only the OLD FREAKIN’ MAN here….
Look, you fail to recognize—if some moron comes on spouting BS, it’s better if a *dozen* voices shout him or her down than just ONE. So write away—express your anger. It’ll make you feel better AND you’ll add the weight of your voice to mine, and squash the little bug.
How’s that?
October 21st, 2009 at 1:16 pm
You know, sometimes you lazy effers DO sit back and let me do all the work. I know you do. If some asshole shows up on here, I know damn well a whole mess of you will sit there sipping your tea, saying, “oh, whenever WILL Randall take care of that interloper?” And then when I DO, you gripe and complain.
Yeah… sometimes I’m tired! I’d be glad if someone else would step in every once in a while. It ain’t like Frater is ever gonna pay me! I’ve accepted that.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Ah Randall:
Im not sure how being a history professor qualifies you as an expert in astronomy or space exploration. Those two fields are not even closely related.
But yet I must agree with you space exploration is not a waste of time like Nickname states. (totally ridiculous)
Randall: It doesn’t matter if you do your research on the fly via search engines or you truly held this knowledge before hand. The point is you contribute solid facts. If you werent such an obnxious, pompous, self involved,etc…
I dont mean that in a personal way. Just your internet “Randall” persona. How much that matches your real life personality is beyond me. I dont think its right for some people on here to insult you directly or talk about your kids because you at least put forth logical thought and research into your posts. Thats more than you can say for most people.
But who am I to say you can’t continue with your self admitted “job” of correcting people on listverse. Better you than me. I dont have that kind of time.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:26 pm
@Randall (88): I’m not one of those people that do that. Usually, by the time that I actually have time to go on LV, all the fights, debates, arguements, etc. are all gone. And if I ever DO that, it’s because I can’t think of anything to say.
Anyways, you already did enough that if I posted something, it’d be like beating a dead horse.
P.S. I don’t drink tea.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Number 5 made me feel sick just because of how amazing it looks.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:38 pm
@Rolo Tomasi (89):
You’re making some blithe assumptions that it would behoove you NOT to make, Rolo. You assume you know all about me. You don’t.
A) I am NOT a History Professor. I WAS an instructor in History at a university. But this is not the same thing. I have never claimed to be a professor, full, associate, assistant, or otherwise. I got out before I attained any such professorship. I now work on the management side of things, in higher education.
B) Is it not possible for one person to have been educated in more than one field in your world? I was, as it happens. Astronomy is a course of study I pursued for some time before deciding that it was not for me, professionally. The prospect of getting a job in the field was very small, and even then you have to be a real hotshot in the field to be “anybody.”
So astronomy is hardly something I just “guess at.” It’s been a field of professional study for me AND a hobby since I was a kid. I volunteer at a local planetarium and observatory.
I was also heavily schooled in art and art history, as well as English Lit. How’s that? Got it all down now? Do you need to know my bio to accept that I know what I’m talking about?
I do NOT use search engines or freakin’ Wikipedia. I hate that shit. The only thing I use Wikipedia for is pure entertainment and the occasional convenience. I do NOT need it to reference the topics on which I consider myself knowledgeable.
Now, thanks for the… sort of passive agressive compliments you paid me.
No, I am not completely like my internet persona. Of course it IS partly me… it’s a side of me. But I’m not that mean or pompous in real life. Ask anybody.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:43 pm
@Randall (77): Cocaine’s a hell of a drug, man.
October 21st, 2009 at 1:44 pm
#7 kinda looks like a rupturing testicle, don’t it? I’ve…I’ve had like eight doulbles of Johnny Walker Blue. And this makes twelve!
October 21st, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I wish I could write a long,coherent, solid reply that fast, but since English isn’t my native language, it would result in a long verbal fart…
October 21st, 2009 at 2:07 pm
@flamehorse (94): Awww, booooo. Now my junk hurts
October 21st, 2009 at 2:37 pm
@flamehorse (93): Dude, you just lost *thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much respect from me.
October 21st, 2009 at 2:53 pm
@GiantFlyingRobo (97): I suspect it was a joke in response to Randall’s comment 77
October 21st, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Randall:
Sharp as a tack as usual. Im not going to assume I know anything about anyone. The only thing I can infer about you is that:
A) You obviously have received a formal education
B) You can be easily coerced into mini-arguments
It goes without saying that have proven both A and B numerous times.
Just a little constructive observation. I must admit I wasnt too fond of the way you came across at first. But being educated myself I can appreciate knowledge. For those who dismiss what you have to say and insult you personally, it shows their lack of education.
You have my word from now on, that no matter how much I disagree with you I wont insult you or ever stoop to the level of mentioning your kids or anyone else in your family. I have kids of my own.
I cant remember his screen name. but on the thread about the Romans, that guy was really out of line. You at least took the time to refute his point of view with solid data and all he could do was just come back with insults.
Honestly, that changed my entire perception about you. when I read that thread I thought to myself “yeah Randall comes across as a know it all sometimes , but damn this guy just insulted him as a man and father.”
If we were all in a room I would have thrown that guy out on his ear. Kudos to you for not going down to his level
October 21st, 2009 at 3:15 pm
@Randall (88):
Oh I would love to help. However my major happens to be in Bio, and I’ve only dabbled in other things so my knowledge there is more general. Sooo, outside of that it’s all you buddy.
October 21st, 2009 at 3:16 pm
@GiantFlyingRobo (97): People RESPECT ME?!?! When did this happen? Man, I gotta make a disreputable list, like quick, fast, and in a hurry!
October 21st, 2009 at 3:20 pm
@damien_karras (56): You kid but I once had the very unpleasant surprise of finding a BAT crouching in my shower as I was about to get in. That scene was immediately proceeded by me running around my house butt-naked screaming like a banshee.
True story.
@Randall (88): I´ll admit to it. I see a dimwit spouting BS and I start rubbing my hands with glee (should I also be drinking tea?) anticipating your smack-down. I guess a number of people could do it, but you´re just so darn entertaining old man!
October 21st, 2009 at 4:21 pm
@Randall (69): Not disagreeing with you but just wondering about your view on the certainty of earth being hit by an asteroid. Statistically speaking isn’t the probability of getting hit with an asteroid on any given day the same? If so I would imagine it is pretty small.
October 21st, 2009 at 4:30 pm
@chubbmeister (95): Verbal fart… I like that
October 21st, 2009 at 4:32 pm
@GiantFlyingRobo (97): @jfrater (98): Quoted from Chappelle’s Show. Good stuff, that.
October 21st, 2009 at 4:45 pm
After seeing these photos, I feel so small and insignificant. I am just a 1 in 6.3 billion on a tiny little planet that is only 1 of billions.
October 21st, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Great list Jamie! 4, 5 and 7 are just so spectaular especially if you consider the scale at which these things are occuring.
October 21st, 2009 at 4:53 pm
Oooh, pretty [:
October 21st, 2009 at 5:03 pm
@jfrater (98): Well now I feel retarded. I wish there was some feature to tell you if posts are jokes or not… but a feature like that would be impossible to make. Right? Right?! I mean, if you can… that’d be awesome!
October 21st, 2009 at 5:12 pm
I think you should add the most stunning image of all times (and not only of space):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Deep_Field
It’s the deepest view of the universe ever taken. It was taken during several days focusing an area of the sky which was totally black. Those objects are not stars, they are galaxies! And those galaxies don’t exist now. It’s a picture of the galaxies as they were billions of years ago.
Just amazing…
October 21st, 2009 at 5:25 pm
@ianz09 (105): When did that show run? I know I’ve heard of it before, but I can’t remember it. Seriously, would not remembering it make me stupid?
October 21st, 2009 at 5:30 pm
@General Tits Von Chodehoffen (103): Randall’s statement about the probability of being hit by an asteroid eventually is correct.
Yes the probability of being hit on any given day is very small, but Randall wrote that it is “CERTAIN–the longer the time span you’re talking about”.
According to the theory of probability, to calculate the chance to be hit “today OR tomorrow OR the next day OR the day after that etc” you sum all the chances to be hit on each individual day.
e.g. If the chance to be hit today is 1 in 1 million, then the chance to be hit either today or tomorrow becomes 2 in 1 million, and over three days it’s 3 in 1 million. So eventually you reach a length of time where you have a 100% chance to be hit by an asteroid (however long that length of time may be).
So in theory, it’ll happen one day. Best just to get on with life though, people that worry about such things should use their time for something more constructive
October 21st, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Great list too JFrater.
I don’t know why, but I like the idea that we humans have so many unanswered questions about the universe and the things it contains… for some reason I find it comforting.
I think humans strive for knowledge and control over their surroundings, and it can be scary to try and comprehend how small we really are in relation to ‘all things’. It makes my life feel more precious to me
October 21st, 2009 at 6:22 pm
@V16SIX (73)
I totally agree with your comment! Humans have the tendency to assume that we are far superior to every other creature and that our brains have infinite capacities for understanding, but this is just not true. Though the human mind is capable of incredible things, our minds are not as different from “lower” (i mean lower intellectually, as we tend to assume, or gather from the evidence we have) animals as we like to think because humans ARE animals, though animals capable of reasoning and logic. Evolution just happened to take us in a different direction than most organisms and we just happen to have the means of gathering and attempting to piece together information, but this ability is limited by our perception and how we choose to interpret it. We cannot assume that we will be able to gather ALL the knowledge in the universe or even be able to comprehend it if we obtain the smallest fraction of it, as the universe is so vast and we are but a speck in the sea of time and space. I am not saying, however, that we should stop trying to understand the world around us as this is what has driven humans for as long as we’ve been around as a species (besides the need to survive and reproduce of course). I apologize if this is not well explained, just writing what came to mind as I read the comments.
October 21st, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Hey if we got hit once we will get hit again. Its only a matter of time. At least when we do get hit theres a 75% chance it will land in water. So that should increase our chances of survival as a species.
October 21st, 2009 at 6:35 pm
@GiantFlyingRobo (111): Like, a few years ago. And yes you should, it was funny shite.
October 21st, 2009 at 7:38 pm
@Rolo Tomasi (115):
Sorry Rolo, but this is wrong. Any asteroid or comet large enough to be catastrophic for our species is going to BE catastrophic regardless of where on the earth it hits. The blast wave, radiative heat, and overall destruction are the same. We’re talking about explosive forces exceeding thousands of megatons–or even millions.
Now, a smaller strike, sure–on land or over land, can be disastrous, but not spell the end for our species. (Still, had the Tunguska asteroid–or comet–exploded over a more populated area, or over a city, millions may have died). But even a strike over the ocean could spell death for millions of people, depending on the power of the explosion. A tsunamai of immense size could be generated, wiping out coastal areas over a vast swath of the earth.
Sure, you take a relatively small object–Tunguska-sized–and explode it over the ocean—it’s likely that no one would be hurt—but that isn’t what I was referring to in my original post.
A bolide large enough to destroy life on the earth is going to get us, however, whether it hits in the Midwest, Antarctica, or the middle of the Pacific.
October 21st, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Great pics, Jamie. The beauty of space has always amazed.
@Randall (117): I will say no more than that, because I have been moving all day, then went to a concert which my granddaughter performed in. So, I am too tired tonight to be squashed, berated, or beaten down by Randall, as much fun as that is. But I will be done moving in a few days, and you can pick on me then.
October 21st, 2009 at 9:29 pm
I’ve just got a great idea for a list! Top ten bizarre studies! Do we have a list like that yet?
October 21st, 2009 at 10:12 pm
@Precision (112): Thanks dude, that makes more sense now.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Cool,.
October 21st, 2009 at 10:42 pm
@saopauloesquecida (19): When and where? I’ll be there.
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:40 am
wow cool list
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:46 am
They worship you Randall. Every bloody post is addressed to you. You’re like a listverse god.
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:48 am
the eagle nebula is my favourite! i found an awesome picture of it on this site: http://zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~idh/apod/astropix.html and its been my background for aaaages. space rules.
October 22nd, 2009 at 12:48 am
Awesome list Jamie! I always enjoy your personally written entries.
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:27 am
I love the idea of space travel but am chlostrophobic so it’s not for me but forward we should go. Has anyone read the Foundation Trilogy by Asmiov it is inspiring.
Randall is superb in his ability to use our wonderful language. He’s smart too
October 22nd, 2009 at 3:15 am
no. 1 looks like a quicksilver.
n0. 2…..amazing!
October 22nd, 2009 at 3:36 am
Extra Bonusquestion:
In picture #2, what continent is visible under the International Space Station, and how can you tell…
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:09 am
in picture 2 the land mass you can see is New Zealand
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:20 am
@129 chubbmeister. Wellington and the central North Island can be seen stretching away to the left, while the South Island, including the distinctive Banks Peninsula, is to the right.
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:41 am
wow! pics are incrediable!!!! thanks! very beautiful, really!
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:54 am
can you show me the tangible results of these space exploration?
how far are we towards colonizing the moon?
or mars?
or that earth-like planets we apparently discovered but are so far away you can’t even see it on the telescope.let alone travel there.
don’t u think I would LOVE to have all our aspirations and space visions become reality?
being able to avoid our own extinction as a species.
but the way we are doing it now is not not yielding any optimistic results. it has cost us so much to achieve very little.
we should change the way we pursue it.
of course, i would gladly see all those money from weapon-developing and war go to space exploration.
i’m even glad if we can Criminalize War altogether.
Me, as the idiot and moron that I am, am glad to hear extensive,intelligent comments from all of you.
Keep judging me as an idiot, so that you can express your premises with much confidence. =)
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:59 am
Randall, no offense man, but do you have a job?
October 22nd, 2009 at 5:58 am
J Frater
What happened to your cogitz.com website.Seems like its dead.Please visit the website and update regularly. The last article was posted on October 4th.Your viewers are now starting to get pissed checking the website everyday and finding no shit posted in it.
October 22nd, 2009 at 5:59 am
Randall (117)
I did say I strike on water would “increase our chances of survival” I didnt mean that if it hits on water those of us not on the coast are safe.
Common sense does tell you that a large enough projectile will annihilate us no matter where it hits. My point is that a water strike is more desireable than a land strike. Species wise.
October 22nd, 2009 at 7:12 am
@Rick (134):
We’re not ALL wage slaves, Rick. Apply yourself in school, do well in college and plan for a professional career, and you too will not have to be an 8-5 clock puncher.
October 22nd, 2009 at 7:34 am
@nickname (133):
“can you show me the tangible results of these space exploration?”
Look around you, jackass. Half the technology we enjoy today, in terms of our electronic gadgetry and toys, as well as in terms of composite materials, etc., that make your life more liveable (without you being aware of it) come either directly or indirectly from technologies developed either through, or as a sideline to, the space program.
“how far are we towards colonizing the moon?
or mars?”
So…. what, now? You’re using this as an objection? We haven’t got there on YOUR schedule, so you think it’s all a waste of time?
You’re right back to this narrow, shortsighted thinking. TRY THINKING BIG, Nickname. Think LONG TERM. Think species survival and the future of raw materials and energy for generations to come. Pick your eyes and mind up past the end of your nose.
The development of the moon and manned exploration of Mars are long term goals. They don’t happen like in the old sci-fi movies with fleets of rocketships leaving tomorrow. I mean, come on—stop thinking like a child.
“or that earth-like planets we apparently discovered but are so far away you can’t even see it on the telescope.let alone travel there.”
Okay, so again—you’d say let it all go? Stop looking up? Stop exploring? You honestly do NOT see how narrowminded, provincial and downright STUPID that attitude is? So why stop there? Why explore the earth at all? Why continue with science at all?
Who are YOU to tell people what they should explore, or why? Who are YOU to decide what might bring our species benefits and what won’t? How do you KNOW this?
And who do you think you are to stifle the human spirit for exploration and the quest for knowledge?
“don’t u think I would LOVE to have all our aspirations and space visions become reality?
being able to avoid our own extinction as a species.”
No doubt you’d rather not see YOURSELF go extinct. I have doubts that you really care about the species as a whole.
“but the way we are doing it now is not not yielding any optimistic results. it has cost us so much to achieve very little.
we should change the way we pursue it.”
You’re just plain DEAD WRONG, nickname.
Clearly you are not a scientist, and clearly know nothing about the benefits we’ve already reaped from space exploration. No optimistic results? That’s an UNBELIEVABLY IGNORANT thing to say. We have gained a great deal of knowledge that has helped us in both concrete AND theoretical ways to understand our world, ourselves, and the universe as a whole. And if you don’t think these things are all tied together, you’re just a goddamned blockhead.
I don’t have time to go into all the great detail of how our increasing understanding of the universe brings us, regularly, greater knowledge about our own world and our existence here. Or how this knowledge increases our technological capabilities and hope for survival in ways that stagger the mind. YOU ARE LIVING RIGHT NOW in a world that is in part what it is BECAUSE of this exploration, because of the time, money, and effort we put into science INCLUDING space exploration. ALL of it is interconnected, and all of it has brought you a better life. The fact that you fail to have the vision to RECOGNIZE it is not proof that it hasn’t happened. It’s only proof of the fact that you desperately need to educate yourself.
“Me, as the idiot and moron that I am, am glad to hear extensive,intelligent comments from all of you.”
Well you see Nickname, if you had just ASKED us what benefits we got from space exploration, any of us could have just TOLD you without the insults.
But you DIDN’T just “ask.” You TOLD us that space exploration was wrong, and a waste. You have already made up your mind and weren’t really INTERESTED in being educated. And it’s THAT attitude that makes you an idiot.
It’s people like you, who from an unsupportable opinion then proceed to draw an erroneous conclusion, that cause much of the grief and waste in this world.
Learn to SHUT UP, look around you, and actually investigate a question before you form an opinion about it.
October 22nd, 2009 at 7:44 am
Nickname-
Idiot and moron are a little extreme, even for the pessimistically narrow-minded…
October 22nd, 2009 at 8:03 am
@Rolo Tomasi (136):
Sorry to not let this go, but you’re still off the mark.
“I did say I strike on water would “increase our chances of survival” I didnt mean that if it hits on water those of us not on the coast are safe.”
But the point remains. An object large enough to threaten the survival of our species, or of most or all of the life on earth, is going to do its thing regardless of WHERE it strikes. So the water strike idea in that sense is erroneous.
Now, if you’re talking about a smaller object that only has the potential to kill millions (only!) then it has as much chance of doing that if it hits the ocean as it does if it hits anywhere on earth. There are unpopulated spots on land which such a strike could even do LESS harm to, than a strike in the ocean, which could cause the aforementioned tsunamais.
REALLY, the situation you’re talking about is if you have a Tunguska-sized object… that object did NOT strike the ground–it explored about two miles up. Now, over Siberia, this explosion, while immense (in the low megaton range as I recall) did not kill anyone. Over a more populated area it certainly would have. Over the ocean, of course… nada.
So species survival doesn’t come into it. UNLESS someone mistook the multi-megaton blast of a Tunguska object for a nuclear attack…
Common sense does tell you that a large enough projectile will annihilate us no matter where it hits. My point is that a water strike is more desireable than a land strike. Species wise.
October 22nd, 2009 at 8:29 am
GPS technology is probably the most directly invasive tech which affects us every day from the space program. Not only did it revolutionize surveying and simple travel and mapping, but the accurate time stamps from those satellites (which use relativistic time dilation to correct them) are what give POS (credit/debit swipes) transactions the proper encryption to secure billions of transaction everyday. We are just about dependent on it.
October 22nd, 2009 at 8:33 am
one of the coolest things I have come across in a long time is Gigagalaxy Zoom: http://www.gigagalaxyzoom.org/W.html
it has a few different galaxies you can explore, gradually zooming deeper and deeper into space and taking you past dying stars, black holes, nebulae and all sorts of other groovy space things.
October 22nd, 2009 at 9:24 am
Is there a pic better than Eta Carinae’s ? In sapce, maybe not.
Awesome list.
October 22nd, 2009 at 10:26 am
Brilliant list.
But every single post of Randall’s, however factual and earth shattering is just tl;dr.
Keep up the good typing skillz tho.
October 22nd, 2009 at 11:23 am
@Green Eyes (144):
Sorry you’re displeased with my verbosity. But at least I SAY something, Green Eyes, something more than “Brilliant list.”
Just because it FEELS like the age of Twitter and two-second sound bites, that doesn’t mean we have to LIVE it. Embrace conversation, writing, and the stylistic ability to SAY something. It’s what real life is about.
October 22nd, 2009 at 2:53 pm
People study space for the same reason as people study plants and animals. Because their curious and want to learn more.
Randall- I like how you caps some of the words. It’s like your giving a speech.
October 22nd, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Hey JFrater, I don’t usually mention the typos, but since no one else has…in you introduction you say, “I am fascinating by outer space.” Just thought you might want to know.
October 22nd, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Ha Randall you do give me cause to chuckle!
You are literally unable to not respond eh? It’s cute, I like it.
Oh, and no site rules state that 2 words aren’t enough of a comment. Participation is the name of the game eh?
October 22nd, 2009 at 6:07 pm
loved this list! <3
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:25 am
@Randall
I feel sorry for people who have to put up with you on a daily basis.Honestly.But I think you are well aware of that fact already..
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:10 am
@segues (81) – “Science will be our savior or our downfall”
Isn’t that a tad too religious, to wait for the Messience? As much as I could be described as skeptical about matters concerning religion, I am as well about the devotion to science.
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:42 pm
@Kanza (151):
Uh, Kanza… I believe Segue said “savior OUR downfall.” That’s hardly a messianiac attitude. It’s simply expressing the truth—that science is a tool we use to understand ourselves and the universe. It can go either way, therefore.
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Jesus Christ…. it’s friday… that explains why I typed “OUR” instead of the intended “OR”.
October 23rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
@someone (150):
Stick it up your ass, loser.
October 23rd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
@Randall (152):
I understand your point, and I could agree with it – and maybe even never have written the post at all – if I had read “savior” as a hyperbole for “good” (even though a savior is way more than just good – it will save us. And I doubt if science will save us of anything, not knowing, in the first place what is it that we need to be saved of), and if the downfall part hadn’t been folowed by “if we ignore it [science], sweep it under the rug and pretend the boogie-man isn’t there, waiting to consume us”. See, if we IGNORE science it will be our downfall; so, if we listen to it, it won’t, and in that case I must assume it’s a win-win situation. Hence, I don’t think my non-hyperbolical interpretation is wrong, and maintain my view of a messianic foundation, or at least tint, to the commentary. I really do think science is depicted as a savior in segues’ comment.
I didn’t really understand what saying science is our “savior or downfall” has to do with saying “that science is a tool we use to understand ourselves and the universe”. It can be such tool without being viewed as a savior, the cause of downfall, or anything in between – whatever this might be!
But if by “it can go either way” you mean that science can do good things and bad things, then I could agree with it. I don’t think science is evil – even if scientific discoveries can lead to some very sad and unfortunate outcomes – nor do I think it is inherently good – I don’t think scientific progress makes the world automatically a better place. If such a possibility is feasible.
Anyway, sorry for the long answer, and thanks for responding.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Right, I’m sorry that this post has nothing to do with this list. And this isn’t aimed at the people who engage in healthy debate (and that includes the above poster). But…
Will everyone just leave Randall the fuck alone! All these personal attacks he seems to get on EVERY list is just pathetic. “Ah Randall disagreed with my ill-informed opinions, and he didn‘t do it in a considerate way. He hurt my feelings. I know how to not only prove my point, but also show to everyone how much more worthy of life I am in comparison to him – I will question his persona and private life. Yeah, that will convince everyone I am right. Much easier than using sources to either refute his or back-up my claims”.
I know Randall is more than capable of standing his ground. But he shouldn’t have to! I just cannot just sit here and see such anti-intellectualist crap that is hurled at him on a consistent basis. Oh, he knows more than you? Shame.
Randall knows his shit. We should all look to emulate someone who has such a thirst for knowledge.
Oh, and before anyone starts, I’m not one of Randall’s fan-boys. I have never conversed with him in real life, nor through the internet. Hell, he may very well think less of me than he does a cockroach.
Now if you don’t mind, this Red Stripe isn’t going to drink itself…
October 24th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
@Theodore (22): That was awesome in the true sense of the word, thank you!
October 24th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
@Yawyack (156):
Thanks, really. And no, I don’t think you and I have ever spoken before or even encountered each other. I don’t even think I’ve seen your name before. So thank you, it’s nice to have a defense like that coming from a quiet corner, unasked-for.
October 24th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
get over yourself randal, yawn,
October 25th, 2009 at 6:50 am
@Randall (158):
Its no problem. I think people should stand up for what is right. Just think on the positive side – they are a great advertisement on the reasons why first cousins shouldn’t procreate.
I think I’ve only really posted whilst you was enjoying a quiet time away from LV. Even then I rarely posted, preferring instead to read what others have wrote (Read: preferring not to expose my ignorance on so many subjects to the world). I think I have only posted on:
* Defending Churchill’s culpability in the Gallipoli campaign
* Defending the decision of Leonidas & Demophilus to stand at Thermopylae on the third day and mentioned the (incomprehensible omission) of the other Greek states’ contribution to the battle.
* Added a little info on the greased cartridges that is often cited as the cause of the Indian Mutiny. And questioned the myth of whether the East India Company had in fact forced sepoys to use them.
* Defended Sir Redvers Buller’s military reputation.
and…
* Defended myself when I dared question a couple of South Africans’ notion that, in the Second Boer War, the British were murdering the Boers and black Africans in the concentration camps. And they were in fact not dieing of disease accelerated by malnutrition and lack of hygiene.
Not as prolific as you, I’m afraid. Keep up the good posts !
October 26th, 2009 at 4:12 am
Look how artistic God is….
October 29th, 2009 at 11:28 am
@Yawyack (160): Many people attack Randall personally, it really is pretty ridiculous. To all of his haters, don’t assume Randall is a self-righteous bigot who flames all who disagree. If any of you would be so kind as to skim on over to Maggot’s Controversial Album Covers list, got to the 200’s and you will notice that I had very strongly disagreed with Randall, and dared to voice it. I calmly stated my opinion. I commended his well written posts and his intelligence without sucking up and kissing his shoes. And I actually backed up my reasoning with logic and facts. By presenting a courteous and and intelligent argument, Randall and I had a debate, not an argument. I didn’t get my head bitten off, and Randall didn’t mind the difference in opinion. For those who jump on his case, I will tell you that, through all of his profane and angry posts, Randall is also often decent and funny. I disagree with quite often, and yet, he doesn’t have a problem with me. Wonder why?
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:47 am
@Sammy (131):
Thanks Sammy, I didn’t recognize it…