Maybe you can't stop the expansion of the universe but how about (pure daydreaming here) if it were somehow possible to exist within the event horizon of a quiet blackhole (no accretion disk) and use time dilation to expand your existence almost indefinitely?
The larger the black hole the lower the Hawking temp. For a black hole the size of the one at our galactic center it is a staggeringly slow process due to the low Hawking temp. They'll all go eventually, but it'll take a VERY long time.
Plus there is the unproven possibility of proton decay further turning the universe into a photon haze.
Anther satellite that wouldn't work here is the Chandra X-ray telescope (and the proposed Constillation X project) both have to be in very high orbits to get above the background x-ray radiation of the earth's upper atmospheric fringe.
Not only do they already have satellites built expressly for this purpose but for visual intelligence work the satellite needs to be in as low an orbit as possible and be in a near polar orbit so it passes over the area in question at approx the same time every day (to allow for height calculations). The Hubble fails on both accounts (plus for reasons others have mentioned).
"If you get incredibly bored and jaded, kill yourself."
People won't do that, they'll just plod along (or self-medicate).
"As for real estate, yes, I think if people did become extremely long-lived en-masse, then we'd have to have space travel and colonize other planets or society would collapse."
If that was even possible. Even if it was it would just delay the inevitable.
Since people would continue to reproduce, what hope would someone being born into a world where the best land and positions have already been grabbed by people who will never let go of them? Either you'd be setting the world up for endless bloody revolts by the have-nots or you'll have a world with an eternal servile underclass. Even compost heaps need to be turned over every now and then.
I wish science would put as much effort into studying why people think and behave the way they do and how to change it for the better instead of endless technological gimmicks such as this. Maybe we could eliminate the need for violence, control and materialism in humanity and we wouldn't need endless defense, economic, and agricultural band-aids in the first place. I'd rather live 100 years in a healthy society than 600 years in a defective one.
"Because I hate the idea of not knowing what happens after I'm gone. I wouldn't care as much how long I live if I could learn what society and technology will be like 1 million years from now. I'm incredibly curious."
You might also become incredibly bored and jaded as you see people still thinking the same way and acting the same way, just the window dressings changing.
I'm sure someone from the Roman Empire would marvel at our technology but the thrill would quickly fade and become disgust at the endless parade of wars, selfishness, and the power hungry. They'd probably also be amused by those who continually pine for a past "golden age".
I strongly agree with you on old ideas becoming fixed. Often, the only way a society progresses is the old generations dying off. If society today still consisted of generations of ex-slave holders I doubt civil rights would be were they are today.
There is also the issue of population growth. Something that is a virtual taboo subject because humanity can't swallow the idea of self-imposed limitations for the sake of the future. People would continue to reproduce. What hope does someone being born into a world already jam packed with generations who have already grabbed all the plum spots in terms of real estate and class have for their future?
If kids never got molested before the invention of photgraphy I'd believe you. Also, most kids are molested by relatives or friends of the family who don't need pictures to see little kids in bathing suits, etc.
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Maybe you can't stop the expansion of the universe but how about (pure daydreaming here) if it were somehow possible to exist within the event horizon of a quiet blackhole (no accretion disk) and use time dilation to expand your existence almost indefinitely?
Of course all of the matter lost in intergalactic space, neutron stars, planet(oids), and black dwarfs would remain dark.
Obviously the divine creator works for Enron.
Then afterwards it would get really fickin' cold!
You didn't take into consideration the possibility of Vogons showing up either.
"Death of A Universe"? The author must have been Arthur Miller.
The larger the black hole the lower the Hawking temp. For a black hole the size of the one at our galactic center it is a staggeringly slow process due to the low Hawking temp. They'll all go eventually, but it'll take a VERY long time.
Plus there is the unproven possibility of proton decay further turning the universe into a photon haze.
Anther satellite that wouldn't work here is the Chandra X-ray telescope (and the proposed Constillation X project) both have to be in very high orbits to get above the background x-ray radiation of the earth's upper atmospheric fringe.
Not only do they already have satellites built expressly for this purpose but for visual intelligence work the satellite needs to be in as low an orbit as possible and be in a near polar orbit so it passes over the area in question at approx the same time every day (to allow for height calculations). The Hubble fails on both accounts (plus for reasons others have mentioned).
A plane is the best platform of all.
...or a hair drier!
I don't know where HAL is but I'd sure like to know why the hell there is a giant fetus orbiting the earth.
Well, now I know why I f**k like a bunny
I was going to submit a bug to MS but Windows just crashed and took Dr Watson down with it.
I was only refering to DUMB jocks, not all jocks
;)
In your case you are an overly sensitive jock
They are probably just being snarky
Will this be the end of the dumb jock? At least we'll still be able to make fun of their B.O.
Somewhere, right now, a lawyer is filing a wrongful death suit against his killers.
"If you get incredibly bored and jaded, kill yourself."
People won't do that, they'll just plod along (or self-medicate).
"As for real estate, yes, I think if people did become extremely long-lived en-masse, then we'd have to have space travel and colonize other planets or society would collapse."
If that was even possible. Even if it was it would just delay the inevitable.
Thus the popularity of Christianity when it appeared.
Since people would continue to reproduce, what hope would someone being born into a world where the best land and positions have already been grabbed by people who will never let go of them? Either you'd be setting the world up for endless bloody revolts by the have-nots or you'll have a world with an eternal servile underclass. Even compost heaps need to be turned over every now and then.
I wish science would put as much effort into studying why people think and behave the way they do and how to change it for the better instead of endless technological gimmicks such as this. Maybe we could eliminate the need for violence, control and materialism in humanity and we wouldn't need endless defense, economic, and agricultural band-aids in the first place. I'd rather live 100 years in a healthy society than 600 years in a defective one.
"Because I hate the idea of not knowing what happens after I'm gone. I wouldn't care as much how long I live if I could learn what society and technology will be like 1 million years from now. I'm incredibly curious."
You might also become incredibly bored and jaded as you see people still thinking the same way and acting the same way, just the window dressings changing.
I'm sure someone from the Roman Empire would marvel at our technology but the thrill would quickly fade and become disgust at the endless parade of wars, selfishness, and the power hungry. They'd probably also be amused by those who continually pine for a past "golden age".
I strongly agree with you on old ideas becoming fixed. Often, the only way a society progresses is the old generations dying off. If society today still consisted of generations of ex-slave holders I doubt civil rights would be were they are today.
There is also the issue of population growth. Something that is a virtual taboo subject because humanity can't swallow the idea of self-imposed limitations for the sake of the future. People would continue to reproduce. What hope does someone being born into a world already jam packed with generations who have already grabbed all the plum spots in terms of real estate and class have for their future?
"SCO revealed today that the mystery license purchaser was SCO."
You don't think the LaserJet manufacturers could do the exact same thing to toner cartridges? Why not?
"I've a large collection of videos about cars crashing, but that does not make me a dangerous driver."
No, but it does make you sort of creepy.
"It will protect children."
If kids never got molested before the invention of photgraphy I'd believe you. Also, most kids are molested by relatives or friends of the family who don't need pictures to see little kids in bathing suits, etc.
"A trojan horse has been forcing my machine to constantly go to Slashdot! It wasn't me! It also forced me to go to CNN, Salon, Tom's Hardware..."