NASA started the program by wanting to provide burgers for Mars astronauts...
Hold on there a second... I have a suggestion. I think instead NASA should provide Mars astronaughts with 1) a way to get to Mars and 2) a way to get back and maybe 3) some things to do while they are there.
After NASA does that, then they can work on the fake burger thing...;)
I remember when I got an Acer 486 with a 500 MB hard drive. I was thinking "500 MB... what am I going to do with all that space?"
Now there's just so much space available for so little cost... People can store full length movies, entire series of TV shows, not to mention a multitude of rather bloated programs on a single drive, and I have to ask... how much more will we really need?
At the risk of starting my own 640K outta be enough quote here... really, isn't there a theoretical limit to the amount of digital media one can collect? I think I read in the BeOS Bible that all of recorded human history would fit into a few petabytes...
It's Christmas at Ground Zero
There's music in the air
The sleigh bells are ringin' and the carolers are singin'
While the air raid sirens blare
It's Christmas at Ground Zero
The button has been pressed
The radio just let us know
That this is not a test
Everywhere the atom bombs are droppin'
It's the end of all humanity
No more time for last minute shoppin'
It's time to face your final destiny
Well, it's Christmas at Ground Zero
There's panic in the crowd
We can dodge debris while we trim the tree
Underneath a mushroom cloud
(siren)
You might hear some reindeer on your rooftop
Or Jack Frost on your windowsill
But if someone's climbin' down your chimney
You better load your gun and shoot to kill
Oh, it's Christmas at Ground Zero
And if the radiation level's okay
I'll go out with you and see the all new
Mutations on New Year's Day
It's Christmas at Ground Zero
Just seconds left to go
I'll duck and cover with my yuletide lover
Underneath the mistletoe
It's Christmas at Ground Zero
Now the missiles are on their way
What a crazy fluke we're gonna get nuked
On this jolly holiday
What a crazy fluke we're gonna get nuked
On this jolly holiday
I have one word to say, but it's such a foul and loathsome word, I must prepare you before subjecting you to it. Ready? It starts with a D. Yes, you know of what I speak. A great, ominous, steaming pile of PC gaming... The one, the only... D A I K A T A N A!
I'm sorry. I ripped this from another poster, and I do not remember who. Mods: this is supposed to be funny.
It amazes me that so many allegedly "educated" people have fallen so quickly and so hard for a fraudulent fabrication of such laughable proportions. The very idea that a gigantic ball of rock happens to orbit our planet, showing itself in neat, four-week cycles -- with the same side facing us all the time -- is ludicrous. Furthermore, it is an insult to common sense and a damnable affront to intellectual honesty and integrity. That people actually believe it is evidence that the liberals have wrested the last vestiges of control of our public school system from decent, God-fearing Americans (as if any further evidence was needed! Daddy's Roommate? God Almighty!)
Documentaries such as Enemy of the State have accurately portrayed the elaborate, byzantine network of surveillance satellites that the liberals have sent into space to spy on law-abiding Americans. Equipped with technology developed by Handgun Control, Inc., these satellites have the ability to detect firearms from hundreds of kilometers up. That's right, neighbors.. the next time you're out in the backyard exercising your Second Amendment rights, the liberals will see it! These satellites are sensitive enough to tell the difference between a Colt.45 and a.38 Special! And when they detect you with a firearm, their computers cross-reference the address to figure out your name, and then an enormous database housed at Berkeley is updated with information about you.
Of course, this all works fine during the day, but what about at night? Even the liberals can't control the rotation of the Earth to prevent nightfall from setting in (only Joshua was able to ask for that particular favor!) That's where the "moon" comes in. Powered by nuclear reactors, the "moon" is nothing more than an enormous balloon, emitting trillions of candlepower of gun-revealing light. Piloted by key members of the liberal community, the "moon" is strategically moved across the country, pointing out those who dare to make use of their God-given rights at night!
Yes, I know this probably sounds paranoid and preposterous, but consider this. Despite what the revisionist historians tell you, there is no mention of the "moon" anywhere in literature or historical documents -- anywhere -- before 1950. That is when it was initially launched. When President Josef Kennedy, at the State of the Union address, proclaimed "We choose to go to the moon", he may as well have said "We choose to go to the weather balloon." The subsequent faking of a "moon" landing on national TV was the first step in a long history of the erosion of our constitutional rights by leftists in this country. No longer can we hide from our government when the sun goes down.
Someone else mentioned it seemed a little small to be called a moon. I don't really think there's any size cut off with moons, or planets for that matter. How many of you really think, say, Pluto should really be called a planet? Its moon is roughly the same size as Pluto it self, IRRC.;)
That aside, I wonder when the folks working on Celestia will release an update to display the new moon in the space similator.
What's to dispute? The properties of water are well-known. All you need is the Martian atmospheric pressure and a full set of steam tables.
Well, I don't think there is just one magical number for the pressure... I mean, at least here on Earth, water boils at different temperatures due to the pressure being lower at higher altitudes... It's safe to assume Mars is similar, and that certain isolated parts of the planet my have more air pressure than others.
From all these replies I'm getting about this one water comment, it seems to me that people almost don't want water to be on Mars... heh. Why give up hope? We really know so very little about the planet. We don't even know everything about the one we're on...
Oh, and as for everyone slamming on you - it's because a post full of factual errors got modded up. Welcome to slashdot. The only reason you found entrager's post "tactful" was because it was largely a "me too" post that was equally full of errors.
This isn't true at all... I found your post to be very polite as well, and in fact added you to my friends list. I mean, at least you didn't call me a "goddamn shitass" or the like.
Back on topic... I did mean underground about the Mars water thing. But I'm more upset about my Earth's atmosphere mistake. It's just one of those things I don't really notice unless it's gone.;)
Goddamn, you fucking shitass!
If you want people to be polite to you, start out by NOT being a sanctimonius prick!
You wanted to get your post done in a hurry? You are what's wrong with slashdot today.
I don't give a shti if you don't keep an astronomy book next to you at the computer. You obviously have an internet connection; use it!
Wow, you've given me a great string of material here... let's see... First of all, while my ass may be full of shit, I don't think that's a very uncommon thing. Or is "Goddamn, you fucking shitass" a title to a new Eminem song? Second, yes, I do have Internet connection... aren't you smart? But I could have been posting from a school, an office, a library... so it's silly to assume that I have unlimited access to google and the like. Lastly, in nearly all of my posts I am polite... it's the people that are not [ahem] that ruin slashdot for all of us. Thanks!:)
It's interesting how so far several people have pointed out errors in my post, and only one, entrager, has done so in a tactful manner. As for everyone else: My post was rushed because I wanted to get it in before the article dropped off the page. Please have a little mercy on me. I don't sit in front of my computer with an astronomy book in my hand. Well, not usually, anyway.;)
This is a HIGHLY disputed theory. I think the only way we'll know for sure is to take a glass of water to Mars.;) Even if the pressure does not allow liquid at the surface, liquid water could exist BELOW the surface.
WOOPS! Can't believe I forgot about the Earth's atmosphere. My blood should boil over that one...;)
Still, there'd be a lot more evidence of impacts than there is now.
Also, we care about the sun because of the amount of energy it generates. It's a wee bit more than, say, the 300W power supply allowing me to post this reply...;)
I think I'm already at the cap, but every time slashdot posts and astronomy article I get modded up... Here we go!
1) Dark Energy: Does anyone else believe that perhaps dark energy simply does not exist, and our laws of physics and what-not are just totally untrue anywhere except on Earth?
2)Water on Mars: My vote is yes. There is ice on Mars. Some parts of Mars can get up to 80F. If there was ice in such a place, it would be in liquid form. AKA water.:)
3)The Murky, Mediocre Middle of the Milky Way: Yeah, well, the center of the galaxy is a wee bit far away. Perhaps it would be easier to figure out if we went there. Problem is, even if we could travel as fast or faster than light, BILLIONS of years would pass on Earth in less than a year's time on the starship.
4)The Origin of Life: Oh, so this is up to astronomers to solve now? Like they don't have enough to do...;)
5)Lunar Secrets: The moon is great. We can learn things from it that we probably don't even know we can learn from it. Yet we haven't been back since the 70s... Isn't that depressing?
6)Are We Alone: No. I would tell you more, but I'd have to kill you. But no. We are not alone.
7)The Enigmatic Sun: Let's build a Dyson's sphere around the sun. Not like the one in TNG, a solid one is not really possible to make. It's more like a lot of somewhat connected space stations orbiting a star.
8)Age of the Universe: Age of the universe would imply that time exists. There are some that believe space-time is really just space, and that time is only something humans perceive.
9)Missing Planets: Well the, the "standard model" is not exactly the most accurate one, now is it?;)
10)Can We Survive 2003: If you think that the risk of being hit is low, glace at the moon sometime. The Earth wouldn't look much different without any forms of erosion to cover up the scars.
Humans don't understand the concept of change very well. That's not surprising, since humans don't really understand very much about themselves (where they came from, why they are here, etc).
When trying to predict the future, one must always look at the past. What have we seen in the past? Well, usually what happens is something so groundbreaking, so radical is invinted that it changes and shapes the whole course of civilziation in ways no one could have expected, making the current way of life and even forms of government inadequet. Cannons/Gunpowder in the feudal age was such an invention, basically defeating the enitre purpose of castles. The automobile was another... what part of your daily life is NOT touched in some way by the invention of the automobile? In the future, instantaneous matter transportation (beam me up, Scotty!) could be such an invention. Think of how quickly the world would have to change if anyone could travel anywhere instantly. Think of the implications it would have for crime if there was no way to prevent people from "beaming" into certain locations. Also, this is something that we a currently able to imagine. The really future-changing inventions will be extensions of future inventions, thusly being almost impossible for us to concieve right now.
I have a lot of hope for humanity. I think that in a few million years we could have a maverlous, galactic civilazation, numbering in the trillions. The quality of life would be so vastly improved by the technolgy and the abudant resouces available in the galaxy in the form of solar power and raw elements, especially compared to what we have here on this little blue dot called home. Sometimes, I think I was accidentally born a few hundered thousand years too soon.;)
You are oversimplifying things a little. First of all, LOTR was technically one really large book divided into three sections. So, think of the movie the same way. It's really a continuation of the story, not a sequel per se. Also, Star Wars was originally a sequel, since they started at Episode 4.
What is interesting though, is the fact that after what, 10 years, they've made a Terminator 3. Maybe some producer saw a rise in the box office success of sequels and jumped at the Terminator franchise?
The Bad Astronomer did a pretty good job of proving that the moon landings were not faked. It's funny, because as far as the moon landings go, the hoax believers imagine NASA as having almost unlimited technical resources, surpassing even what we think is possible today in order to pull it off. Which would beg the question... if they could do all that stuff, wouldn't it be just plain EASIER and CHEAPER to actually go to the moon?;)
So, what other crackpots are out there, besides the moon hoax? And besides, aren't these people an overwhelming minority?
Carmack said, "There is a scene in "The Color of
Money" where Tom Cruise shows up at a pool hall
with a custom pool cue in a case. "What do you
have in there?" asks someone. "Doom." replied
Cruise with a cocky grin. That, and the resulting
carnage, was how I viewed us springing the game on
the industry."
Hehe, an interesting look into history, eh? By the way, I beat Ultimate Doom on Ultraviolent. I tried Nightmare but I just couldn't get use to the damn respawning. Umm, I failed a few classes that year, too. In retrospect... of course it was worth it!;)
Here is an excellent site with lots of info on T3, including interviews with Stan Winston (the famous SFX guy), Arnold, and others.
Also, whenever there's talk of T3, the question comes up, well, didn't they stop it from happening? Obviously not, and here's how. Arnie tore off his own arm after the T1000 stuck it in that machine in the steel mill. So, they used his arm for the research instead of the original Terminator's arm and CPU. Also, I've heard the idea that Cyberdyne Systems had off-site backups.;)
First off, his name is John Edward. There is no "S" in Edward. Lastly, you didn't finish it... you should have said he is a big douche. Yet, that would still be incorrect. As we all know from South Park, John Edward is the biggest douche in the universe. Also, if he really believes that dead people talk to him, then he's a stupid douche.
I was not going to reply to such an obvious troll, from an anonymous coward no less (can't risk putting a name to your worthless content, eh), but I can't help myself...
Who cares about 500 million years from now? Leave it to a geek to stare off into the stars and think about a far-off distant future that will never come, while maintaining a complete political apathy or extreme naivete in the present.
Yeah, I want you to just stop and think for a little bit. You've just proven how unimportant your life is, and how, in the chance that humans survive 500 million years from now, your name will not have survived. Your ideals and beliefs and people like you will have, thankfully, perished long ago with countless other tomes of ignorance and self-righteousness. You insult me ("geek") because I happen to be passionate about something, a science, which you don't care about. While you think a century can be bloody, it'll be nothing compared to the global deaths caused by the serious and expected changes to this planet's geology if we aren't prepared to deal with them.
I believe that a future for humanity in 500 million years can and will exist if less people think as you do. I believe that there's a lot we can learn from our little galaxy, and that humans can have a near infinite existence among the stars, living longer and happier lives than anyone here, you least of all, can currently conceive or even deserve. I'm sorry if my optimistic future isn't depressing enough to fit in with your very narrow view of our awe-inspiring universe. If that's the case, I suggest you find another planet to live on, because I don't want you spreading any more mental poison around on this one. Thanks.
Since no one else will likely give it any attention, I'd just like to mention Lexx. When talking about great sci-fi, of course there are the big ones: The Dune books, the Star Treks, etc... but Sci-Fi Channel's Lexx is a great show. Sure, it's really weird and very comical, but that's only because it isn't above making fun of itself.
Instead of sounding like some bizzare fanatic and spouting out about how cool it was when Mantrid destroyed the light universe by relocating too much matter in an attempt to defeat the Lexx with his drones or anything like that, I'll just leave you with some quotes...
Kai: The dead do not squeeze and please.
Kai: The dead do not poo.
Kai: I have not been sexually aroused in over six thousand years.
Stan: You know, I'm not so sure Prince is a man. I mean, he used to be the ruler of this really evil planet called Fire... and, well, he'd just die, over and over.
Prince: I'm very good with pain.
Xev: What's in Washington DC? Kai: Stan is. Xev: Oh.
While this sounds like a cool idea (terabytes?!), there is already a lot of astronomical data out there in the APOD archives, which is the largest collection of annotated astronomy pics on the Web.
Also, I have to mention Celestia, a great Space Simulator, similar to OpenUniverse.
In closing, let me say that I think people should take more of an interest in astronomy, as the understanding and exploration of space is one of the most important goals humans should have if they wish to survive longer 500 million years or so.
Slashdot Mirror
Hold on there a second... I have a suggestion. I think instead NASA should provide Mars astronaughts with 1) a way to get to Mars and 2) a way to get back and maybe 3) some things to do while they are there.
After NASA does that, then they can work on the fake burger thing... ;)
Now there's just so much space available for so little cost... People can store full length movies, entire series of TV shows, not to mention a multitude of rather bloated programs on a single drive, and I have to ask... how much more will we really need?
At the risk of starting my own 640K outta be enough quote here... really, isn't there a theoretical limit to the amount of digital media one can collect? I think I read in the BeOS Bible that all of recorded human history would fit into a few petabytes...
There's music in the air
The sleigh bells are ringin' and the carolers are singin'
While the air raid sirens blare
It's Christmas at Ground Zero
The button has been pressed
The radio just let us know
That this is not a test
Everywhere the atom bombs are droppin'
It's the end of all humanity
No more time for last minute shoppin'
It's time to face your final destiny
Well, it's Christmas at Ground Zero
There's panic in the crowd
We can dodge debris while we trim the tree
Underneath a mushroom cloud
(siren)
You might hear some reindeer on your rooftop
Or Jack Frost on your windowsill
But if someone's climbin' down your chimney
You better load your gun and shoot to kill
Oh, it's Christmas at Ground Zero
And if the radiation level's okay
I'll go out with you and see the all new
Mutations on New Year's Day
It's Christmas at Ground Zero
Just seconds left to go
I'll duck and cover with my yuletide lover
Underneath the mistletoe
It's Christmas at Ground Zero
Now the missiles are on their way
What a crazy fluke we're gonna get nuked
On this jolly holiday
What a crazy fluke we're gonna get nuked
On this jolly holiday
(siren)
*RUNS AWAY*
It amazes me that so many allegedly "educated" people have fallen so quickly and so hard for a fraudulent fabrication of such laughable proportions. The very idea that a gigantic ball of rock happens to orbit our planet, showing itself in neat, four-week cycles -- with the same side facing us all the time -- is ludicrous. Furthermore, it is an insult to common sense and a damnable affront to intellectual honesty and integrity. That people actually believe it is evidence that the liberals have wrested the last vestiges of control of our public school system from decent, God-fearing Americans (as if any further evidence was needed! Daddy's Roommate? God Almighty!) Documentaries such as Enemy of the State have accurately portrayed the elaborate, byzantine network of surveillance satellites that the liberals have sent into space to spy on law-abiding Americans. Equipped with technology developed by Handgun Control, Inc., these satellites have the ability to detect firearms from hundreds of kilometers up. That's right, neighbors .. the next time you're out in the backyard exercising your Second Amendment rights, the liberals will see it! These satellites are sensitive enough to tell the difference between a Colt .45 and a .38 Special! And when they detect you with a firearm, their computers cross-reference the address to figure out your name, and then an enormous database housed at Berkeley is updated with information about you.
Of course, this all works fine during the day, but what about at night? Even the liberals can't control the rotation of the Earth to prevent nightfall from setting in (only Joshua was able to ask for that particular favor!) That's where the "moon" comes in. Powered by nuclear reactors, the "moon" is nothing more than an enormous balloon, emitting trillions of candlepower of gun-revealing light. Piloted by key members of the liberal community, the "moon" is strategically moved across the country, pointing out those who dare to make use of their God-given rights at night!
Yes, I know this probably sounds paranoid and preposterous, but consider this. Despite what the revisionist historians tell you, there is no mention of the "moon" anywhere in literature or historical documents -- anywhere -- before 1950. That is when it was initially launched. When President Josef Kennedy, at the State of the Union address, proclaimed "We choose to go to the moon", he may as well have said "We choose to go to the weather balloon." The subsequent faking of a "moon" landing on national TV was the first step in a long history of the erosion of our constitutional rights by leftists in this country. No longer can we hide from our government when the sun goes down.
That aside, I wonder when the folks working on Celestia will release an update to display the new moon in the space similator.
If you look up Informative in the Slashdot Dictionary, there's a picture of this post... :) Thanks a lot, Captain Nitpick!
Well, I don't think there is just one magical number for the pressure... I mean, at least here on Earth, water boils at different temperatures due to the pressure being lower at higher altitudes... It's safe to assume Mars is similar, and that certain isolated parts of the planet my have more air pressure than others.
From all these replies I'm getting about this one water comment, it seems to me that people almost don't want water to be on Mars... heh. Why give up hope? We really know so very little about the planet. We don't even know everything about the one we're on...
This isn't true at all... I found your post to be very polite as well, and in fact added you to my friends list. I mean, at least you didn't call me a "goddamn shitass" or the like.
Back on topic... I did mean underground about the Mars water thing. But I'm more upset about my Earth's atmosphere mistake. It's just one of those things I don't really notice unless it's gone. ;)
Wow, you've given me a great string of material here... let's see... First of all, while my ass may be full of shit, I don't think that's a very uncommon thing. Or is "Goddamn, you fucking shitass" a title to a new Eminem song? Second, yes, I do have Internet connection... aren't you smart? But I could have been posting from a school, an office, a library... so it's silly to assume that I have unlimited access to google and the like. Lastly, in nearly all of my posts I am polite... it's the people that are not [ahem] that ruin slashdot for all of us. Thanks! :)
It's interesting how so far several people have pointed out errors in my post, and only one, entrager, has done so in a tactful manner. As for everyone else: My post was rushed because I wanted to get it in before the article dropped off the page. Please have a little mercy on me. I don't sit in front of my computer with an astronomy book in my hand. Well, not usually, anyway. ;)
This is a HIGHLY disputed theory. I think the only way we'll know for sure is to take a glass of water to Mars. ;) Even if the pressure does not allow liquid at the surface, liquid water could exist BELOW the surface.
Still, there'd be a lot more evidence of impacts than there is now.
Also, we care about the sun because of the amount of energy it generates. It's a wee bit more than, say, the 300W power supply allowing me to post this reply... ;)
1) Dark Energy: Does anyone else believe that perhaps dark energy simply does not exist, and our laws of physics and what-not are just totally untrue anywhere except on Earth?
2)Water on Mars: My vote is yes. There is ice on Mars. Some parts of Mars can get up to 80F. If there was ice in such a place, it would be in liquid form. AKA water. :)
3)The Murky, Mediocre Middle of the Milky Way: Yeah, well, the center of the galaxy is a wee bit far away. Perhaps it would be easier to figure out if we went there. Problem is, even if we could travel as fast or faster than light, BILLIONS of years would pass on Earth in less than a year's time on the starship.
4)The Origin of Life: Oh, so this is up to astronomers to solve now? Like they don't have enough to do... ;)
5)Lunar Secrets: The moon is great. We can learn things from it that we probably don't even know we can learn from it. Yet we haven't been back since the 70s... Isn't that depressing?
6)Are We Alone: No. I would tell you more, but I'd have to kill you. But no. We are not alone.
7)The Enigmatic Sun: Let's build a Dyson's sphere around the sun. Not like the one in TNG, a solid one is not really possible to make. It's more like a lot of somewhat connected space stations orbiting a star.
8)Age of the Universe: Age of the universe would imply that time exists. There are some that believe space-time is really just space, and that time is only something humans perceive.
9)Missing Planets: Well the, the "standard model" is not exactly the most accurate one, now is it? ;)
10)Can We Survive 2003: If you think that the risk of being hit is low, glace at the moon sometime. The Earth wouldn't look much different without any forms of erosion to cover up the scars.
It's funny you should ask that. ;) I actually was trying to make my post sound like it was coming from an outsider's perspective.
When trying to predict the future, one must always look at the past. What have we seen in the past? Well, usually what happens is something so groundbreaking, so radical is invinted that it changes and shapes the whole course of civilziation in ways no one could have expected, making the current way of life and even forms of government inadequet. Cannons/Gunpowder in the feudal age was such an invention, basically defeating the enitre purpose of castles. The automobile was another... what part of your daily life is NOT touched in some way by the invention of the automobile? In the future, instantaneous matter transportation (beam me up, Scotty!) could be such an invention. Think of how quickly the world would have to change if anyone could travel anywhere instantly. Think of the implications it would have for crime if there was no way to prevent people from "beaming" into certain locations. Also, this is something that we a currently able to imagine. The really future-changing inventions will be extensions of future inventions, thusly being almost impossible for us to concieve right now.
I have a lot of hope for humanity. I think that in a few million years we could have a maverlous, galactic civilazation, numbering in the trillions. The quality of life would be so vastly improved by the technolgy and the abudant resouces available in the galaxy in the form of solar power and raw elements, especially compared to what we have here on this little blue dot called home. Sometimes, I think I was accidentally born a few hundered thousand years too soon. ;)
OK, I gotta give some credit for that one.
What is interesting though, is the fact that after what, 10 years, they've made a Terminator 3. Maybe some producer saw a rise in the box office success of sequels and jumped at the Terminator franchise?
So, what other crackpots are out there, besides the moon hoax? And besides, aren't these people an overwhelming minority?
Hehe, an interesting look into history, eh? By the way, I beat Ultimate Doom on Ultraviolent. I tried Nightmare but I just couldn't get use to the damn respawning. Umm, I failed a few classes that year, too. In retrospect... of course it was worth it! ;)
Also, whenever there's talk of T3, the question comes up, well, didn't they stop it from happening? Obviously not, and here's how. Arnie tore off his own arm after the T1000 stuck it in that machine in the steel mill. So, they used his arm for the research instead of the original Terminator's arm and CPU. Also, I've heard the idea that Cyberdyne Systems had off-site backups. ;)
First off, his name is John Edward. There is no "S" in Edward. Lastly, you didn't finish it... you should have said he is a big douche. Yet, that would still be incorrect. As we all know from South Park, John Edward is the biggest douche in the universe. Also, if he really believes that dead people talk to him, then he's a stupid douche.
Who cares about 500 million years from now? Leave it to a geek to stare off into the stars and think about a far-off distant future that will never come, while maintaining a complete political apathy or extreme naivete in the present.
Yeah, I want you to just stop and think for a little bit. You've just proven how unimportant your life is, and how, in the chance that humans survive 500 million years from now, your name will not have survived. Your ideals and beliefs and people like you will have, thankfully, perished long ago with countless other tomes of ignorance and self-righteousness. You insult me ("geek") because I happen to be passionate about something, a science, which you don't care about. While you think a century can be bloody, it'll be nothing compared to the global deaths caused by the serious and expected changes to this planet's geology if we aren't prepared to deal with them.
I believe that a future for humanity in 500 million years can and will exist if less people think as you do. I believe that there's a lot we can learn from our little galaxy, and that humans can have a near infinite existence among the stars, living longer and happier lives than anyone here, you least of all, can currently conceive or even deserve. I'm sorry if my optimistic future isn't depressing enough to fit in with your very narrow view of our awe-inspiring universe. If that's the case, I suggest you find another planet to live on, because I don't want you spreading any more mental poison around on this one. Thanks.
Instead of sounding like some bizzare fanatic and spouting out about how cool it was when Mantrid destroyed the light universe by relocating too much matter in an attempt to defeat the Lexx with his drones or anything like that, I'll just leave you with some quotes...
Kai: The dead do not squeeze and please.
Kai: The dead do not poo.
Kai: I have not been sexually aroused in over six thousand years.
Stan: You know, I'm not so sure Prince is a man. I mean, he used to be the ruler of this really evil planet called Fire... and, well, he'd just die, over and over.
Prince: I'm very good with pain.
Xev: What's in Washington DC? Kai: Stan is. Xev: Oh.
Also, I have to mention Celestia, a great Space Simulator, similar to OpenUniverse.
In closing, let me say that I think people should take more of an interest in astronomy, as the understanding and exploration of space is one of the most important goals humans should have if they wish to survive longer 500 million years or so.