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Scotty Scooped Up
mmarlett writes "Scotty has been found. 'The ashes of late Star Trek actor James Doohan have been found in mountains in the US state of New Mexico, where they landed after a brief flight in space.' And pretty much where they thought they put them, too."
Yes, can someone with the knowledge explain to us why they couldn't send this into deep space? How much more costly is it to do such a thing, with such a small cargo?
Well commercial interests are hurt if our space-trash (beautiful way to talk about Scotty's remains by the way ;)) brings down a satellite so we care about it. Whereas commercial interests are hurt if we do something about the environment, so we don't care about it. Really quite simply.
More like the most excited ashes in the whole galaxy!
The problem with things like this is that the stuff we're made of isn't who we are. Not in a metaphorical sense, but literally.
If you look at an old photo of yourself what you see is no longer what you are made of (except your teeth, if you're an looking at an adult photo).
Your remains/cremated ashes are just the matter you were made of when you die. No more or less sacred than your skin flakes, sweat, crap, etc, which also contains matter which used to be you.. If Doohan wanted some of the matter that was once him to go into space why not send a lock of hair, or a crap for that matter?
Maybe there are more appropriate ways to pay your respects that actually mean something..
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http://alternatives.rzero.com/
One more thing I need to add on... I'd personally think that doing something that actually matters to us beyond on an emotional level would be a nicer thing to do, such as helping fund e.g. Alzheimer research in his honor. While it wouldn't save Scotty, it could help others in his situation in the future, and that would be a real world difference that I'm sure Scotty would appreciate. Sorry if I'm being an insensitive clod, but I think this is rather just a big bunch of money that will end up serving news headlines as offbeat news. :-(
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If you take the absoulte view that the body is nothing but a meatbag you used to live in, then no there's no way to "pay your respects". The person you are calling has left this existance and is out of reach. What's left is only your public display to others.
I'd say most people don't work that way. People don't put flowers on graves to show off for others, but for the buried person and themselves. What has meaning and what is sacred is measured in beliefs and intentions, not in results.
Everything about a dead person is a token. The body or the ashes is a token. The gravestone is a token. The flowers are a token. Sending him ashes on a small slingshot into space is a token. Sending them permanently out into space would be a token. If we raise a statue of him it's a token. If we hang up a picture on the family wall it's a token.
In short, if it has meaning to the people willing to do it then STFU and let them pay their respects. The you can pay your respect to the dead the way you want, or not at all. But don't go around claiming to have the answer to "more appropriate ways to pay your respects that actually mean something" unless you want me pissing on your grave (does that have meaning?).
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What you're advocating is the old "Isn't there anything more important?" logical fallacy.
We should, therefore, stop all human activity that doesn't directly involve keeping people alive and basically healthy. Which, incidentally, means artists and specifically actors like Mr. Doohan would be out of work, and a complete unknown.
Doing the "emotional" stuff is actually quite important. What's the point of living 150 years with no art, no entertainment, nothing fun or enjoyable at all?
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