Interstellar visitor detected!

[Treedbear]

This thing is from outside the Sun's heliosphere. This would be pure science to observe what a rock that comes from far away consists of. It could provide no new info, a little new info, a moderate amount of new info, or a lot of new info. That is why you perform pure science, to obtain data. A lot of pure science observation of new things leads to contrary observations to what was expected.

Still, what could we seriously expect to find on this asteroid that would be somehow really new to us?
EB

What one expects to gain from an opportunity and the cost to take it becomes less important as the rareness* of the opportunity increases. So if it turns out this occurs fairly frequently but it's very expensive (as it is) then it can stay on the bucket list for awhile.

* "Rareness refers more to the quality of rarity; a very subtle distinction."

 

[Underseer]

http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/breaki...ur-first-interstellar-visitor-note-not-aliens

Appears to be a rock.

Rama, perhaps?

This is akin to an Arab child throwing a rock, therefore we should obliterate the solar system this rock came from.

 

[Speakpigeon]

Still, what could we seriously expect to find on this asteroid that would be somehow really new to us?
EB

What one expects to gain from an opportunity and the cost to take it becomes less important as the rareness* of the opportunity increases. So if it turns out this occurs fairly frequently but it's very expensive (as it is) then it can stay on the bucket list for awhile.

* "Rareness refers more to the quality of rarity; a very subtle distinction."

Ah, well, I can't really agree with that.

I understand that the less frequent an opportunity, the more urgent and critical it becomes to consider doing something whenever an opportunity does present itself.

However, whether it is objectively the case that we should act is really a matter of fact, or at least a function of what we think we know. And usually, in this particular case, we seem to know zip. That's what I was asking.

I would grant, however, that desperate situations warrant desperate measures. So, if we were very worried and uncertain about the future of humanity, any opportunity, even the most zany, may seem truly alluring.

Let us pray.
EB

 

[Treedbear]

What one expects to gain from an opportunity and the cost to take it becomes less important as the rareness* of the opportunity increases. So if it turns out this occurs fairly frequently but it's very expensive (as it is) then it can stay on the bucket list for awhile.

* "Rareness refers more to the quality of rarity; a very subtle distinction."

Ah, well, I can't really agree with that.

I understand that the less frequent an opportunity, the more urgent and critical it becomes to consider doing something whenever an opportunity does present itself.

However, whether it is objectively the case that we should act is really a matter of fact, or at least a function of what we think we know. And usually, in this particular case, we seem to know zip. That's what I was asking.
...

It's called exploration. What if we find Russell's teapot?

Let us pray.
EB

Indeed.

 

[bilby]

3000 tons at the Earth, in low orbit it was 140 tones or something like that. In this case you need 1600 tones in higher orbit. It can't be done without nuclear propulsion.

Ah, damn!

We'll need to get smarter to think of something.
EB

Maybe.

But some things cannot be done no matter how smart we get.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

What one expects to gain from an opportunity and the cost to take it becomes less important as the rareness* of the opportunity increases. So if it turns out this occurs fairly frequently but it's very expensive (as it is) then it can stay on the bucket list for awhile.

* "Rareness refers more to the quality of rarity; a very subtle distinction."

Ah, well, I can't really agree with that.

Well, you don't have any understanding of science then.

I understand that the less frequent an opportunity, the more urgent and critical it becomes to consider doing something whenever an opportunity does present itself.

We have never directly observed an object that we knew came from outside our solar system.

However, whether it is objectively the case that we should act is really a matter of fact, or at least a function of what we think we know. And usually, in this particular case, we seem to know zip. That's what I was asking.

I would grant, however, that desperate situations warrant desperate measures. So, if we were very worried and uncertain about the future of humanity, any opportunity, even the most zany, may seem truly alluring.

That is a lot of words for saying almost nothing.

 

[Speakpigeon]

Ah, damn!

We'll need to get smarter to think of something.
EB

Maybe.

But some things cannot be done no matter how smart we get.

Ah. Damn.

Still, the idea was to find something else we could do.

We can't possibly know there's really no possibility at all.
EB

 

[Speakpigeon]

Ah, well, I can't really agree with that.

I understand that the less frequent an opportunity, the more urgent and critical it becomes to consider doing something whenever an opportunity does present itself.

However, whether it is objectively the case that we should act is really a matter of fact, or at least a function of what we think we know. And usually, in this particular case, we seem to know zip. That's what I was asking.
...

It's called exploration.

Sure, but exploration is always costly and nobody wants to go on a wild goose chase.

I guess you would also know how little space exploration there is these days and the more expensive moon landing missions had as much to do with Cold War geopolitical maneuvers as anything else I think. The little which seems to be going on today may be motivated essentially by maintaining our technological expertise in rocket launching and probe making.

What if we find Russell's teapot?

That would be truly extraordinary!

And yet, you see, nobody will order a multi-billion dollars mission to find out if there is any teapot out there by any chance.
EB

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

It's called exploration.

Sure, but exploration is always costly and nobody wants to go on a wild goose chase.

A wild goose chase is trying to use science to prove god. Exploration is pure science. Pure science is about observing the world / universe. It is the observations we use to adapt our understanding of it.

 

[Speakpigeon]

Sure, but exploration is always costly and nobody wants to go on a wild goose chase.

A wild goose chase is trying to use science to prove god.

That and other things too.

Exploration is pure science. Pure science is about observing the world / universe. It is the observations we use to adapt our understanding of it.

And exploration can cost a lot of money and nobody want's to spend serious money on things the usefulness of which is uncertain. It's politicians who ultimately have the decision and most of them won't be too sensitive to 'pure science' and will insist on finding a rational angle to justify the spending and if they can't find it they won't make the money available.
EB

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

This thing is bizarre. I'm surprised no cult has claimed it yet.

Bizarre Interstellar Asteroid Is Unlike Any Observed In Solar System

`Oumuamua seems to be a dark red highly-elongated metallic or rocky object, about 400 meters long, and is unlike anything normally found in the Solar System.

 

[Speakpigeon]

`Oumuamua seems to be a dark red highly-elongated metallic or rocky object, about 400 meters long, and is unlike anything normally found in the Solar System.

Tourists, be afraid.

Be very afraid.

The Pharaonic commando unit sent by the Second Egyptian Dynasty more than four thousand years ago to search the Galaxy is coming back.

They're pissed off.

And they sure won't like what the pyramids are used for nowadays.

Run!
EB

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

This thing is bizarre. I'm surprised no cult has claimed it yet.

Bizarre Interstellar Asteroid Is Unlike Any Observed In Solar System

`Oumuamua seems to be a dark red highly-elongated metallic or rocky object, about 400 meters long, and is unlike anything normally found in the Solar System.

I'm not certain why this is "bizarre"....

Scientists baffled as object from outside the Solar System doesn't look like anything from inside the Solar System.

 

[thebeave]

Maybe its a remnant from the destruction of Alderaan. That was a long time ago, after all.

 

[skepticalbip]

Maybe its a remnant from the destruction of Alderaan. That was a long time ago, after all.

A long time ago and in a galaxy far, far away.

 

[thebeave]

Maybe its a remnant from the destruction of Alderaan. That was a long time ago, after all.

A long time ago and in a galaxy far, far away.

Yes, I know it couldn't have come from another galaxy. That's why I left that part of the phrase out. Thanks for ruining what remained of my fairly weak attempt at humor.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

This thing is bizarre. I'm surprised no cult has claimed it yet.

Bizarre Interstellar Asteroid Is Unlike Any Observed In Solar System

`Oumuamua seems to be a dark red highly-elongated metallic or rocky object, about 400 meters long, and is unlike anything normally found in the Solar System.

Looking sort of like Rama.

 

[Jokodo]

This thing is bizarre. I'm surprised no cult has claimed it yet.

Bizarre Interstellar Asteroid Is Unlike Any Observed In Solar System

`Oumuamua seems to be a dark red highly-elongated metallic or rocky object, about 400 meters long, and is unlike anything normally found in the Solar System.

Looking sort of like Rama.

A toy version of...

 

[steve_bank]

It better not try and get in here without a visa.

 

[Kharakov]

This thing is bizarre. I'm surprised no cult has claimed it yet.

Bizarre Interstellar Asteroid Is Unlike Any Observed In Solar System

`Oumuamua seems to be a dark red highly-elongated metallic or rocky object, about 400 meters long, and is unlike anything normally found in the Solar System.

- - - Updated - - -

This thing is bizarre. I'm surprised no cult has claimed it yet.

Bizarre Interstellar Asteroid Is Unlike Any Observed In Solar System

`Oumuamua seems to be a dark red highly-elongated metallic or rocky object, about 400 meters long, and is unlike anything normally found in the Solar System.

Looking sort of like Rama.

You don't want to have a rendezvous with the Rama I know. Well, you might.