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One of the World’s Longest-Running Experiments Sends Up Sprouts

nytimes.com

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Re: One of the World’s Longest-Running Experiments Sends Up Sprouts

#21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. This is why I am dead set on one of those tickets to Mars.

Antarctica is more hospitable than Mars. The average temperature on Mars is -81 degrees F. The South Pole is generally -76 F during the Southern Winter. On top of that, Antarctica has a breathable atmosphere, and water. Mars does not have a breathable atmosphere, and if it has water, it does not have water in an easily accessible form. Mars also has 2.5x the radiation one would experience orbiting the Earth, or appro…

Good points. But dare you doubt human's destruction ability?..

Note also, that destroying just the thin tender habitable layer of Earth would suffice.

Re: One of the World’s Longest-Running Experiments Sends Up Sprouts

#22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Antarctica is more hospitable than Mars. The average temperature on Mars is -81 degrees F. The South Pole is generally -76 F during the Southern Winter. On top of that, Antarctica has a breathable atmosphere, and water. Mars does not have a breathable atmosphere, and if it has water, it does not have water in an easily accessible form. Mars also has 2.5x the radiation one would experience orbiting the Earth, or appro…

Good points. But dare you doubt human's destruction ability?.. Note also, that destroying just the thin tender habitable layer of Earth would suffice.

> dare you doubt human's destruction ability?..

I don't doubt human's ability. Which is why I fight those who don't seem to care about preserving earth. Who seem to overlap quite strongly woth those who believe that other planets may provide a viable alternative.

I don't doubt our ability to destroy earth, but I do doubt our ability to successfully live somewhere else.

Re: One of the World’s Longest-Running Experiments Sends Up Sprouts

#23
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have seen what Mars looks like right? That planet had way more potential for you to perish than this one

Its crazy how everyone sees mars as some kind of safety rope when climate change goes bad. Surviving on mars would be 100x harder than the worst case scenario for life on earth.

I found that what gets to people is how expensive obvious stuff like running water would be on Mars.

Re: One of the World’s Longest-Running Experiments Sends Up Sprouts

#24

I find this both reassuring and terrifying. It's reassuring because if life was completely wiped out on the planet there would be trillions of seeds waiting for the right conditions to germinate and repopulate the Earth with life. It's terrifying because why would this have evolved?

Sowing wildflowers is becoming more popular here in Ireland. You can buy wildflower mixes or seed bombs but the expert view is to just stop mowing, there are enough dormant seeds in the soil. And those that are present are generally more suitable to the local environment than anything you'd introduce.

Reassuring as you say.

https://pollinators.ie/wildflowers-to-plant-or-not-to-plant/

Re: One of the World’s Longest-Running Experiments Sends Up Sprouts

#26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn't the first mass extinction the planet has seen.

Yep. This is why I am dead set on one of those tickets to Mars.

I always find these types of comments funny. I cannot think of any other reason on why a person would think that going to mars is a better option than lack of research on the planet and its habitability. On top of that, going to Mars isn't going to magically solve the problems. As I've said earlier in some past comment, going to Mars is just as good as moving the goalpost. What we have to do is change what we're currently doing to planet Earth rather that going someplace else and thinking that we've passed all the problems that are in our thinking. I'm all for space exploration, but saying "I'm going to Mars to run from any problems" is just laughable in my opinion.

Re: One of the World’s Longest-Running Experiments Sends Up Sprouts

#27
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its crazy how everyone sees mars as some kind of safety rope when climate change goes bad. Surviving on mars would be 100x harder than the worst case scenario for life on earth.

Most of what would make it more survivable is the small quantity of other humans and the need for "exotic on earth" life support infrastructure already required. Though to be viable as a backup for our species the colony would have to be able to survive, as well as be genetically viable, completely solo. Such preparation might include a "seed" vault for both plants and life, as well as a Horizon Zero Dawn style repos…

Isn't the small quantity of humans exactly what makes it less survivable? The smaller the group, the more severe a single fault in the system.

This is the way habitats ecosystems work anyway. A trivial example might be aquariums: the bigger the easier to maintain a healty equilibrium.

Re: One of the World’s Longest-Running Experiments Sends Up Sprouts

#28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good points. But dare you doubt human's destruction ability?.. Note also, that destroying just the thin tender habitable layer of Earth would suffice.

> dare you doubt human's destruction ability?.. I don't doubt human's ability. Which is why I fight those who don't seem to care about preserving earth. Who seem to overlap quite strongly woth those who believe that other planets may provide a viable alternative. I don't doubt our ability to destroy earth, but I do doubt our ability to successfully live somewhere else.

I might be a counterexample to your perceived overlap. 3 points:

* It seems that, as a species, we have deep issues rooted in our tribal upbringing. Reaching a global actionable consensus seems as hard (if not harder) as colonizing another planet. The internet only catalyzes the "us vs they" thinking people struggle to get rid of. In one of its many incarnations, it's a nurture of horribly mistaken worldviews — and here I imply climate change denialism, in context. But also flat earth, etc.

* Viewed independently from antropogenic climate change catastrophy -- living on another planet would be extraordinary achievement, would you disagree? Launching a "toy" helicopter is kinda cool, but... living? For some of our greatest ancestors, the coolest achievement has been building millenia-lasting megastructures. Our generations are building fusion testbeds, orbital telescopes & commsat constellations; why wouldn't, say, a giant Earth-shaped globe monument on Mars be great? Perhaps not a globe, yea... but a Statue Of Liberty? Dao temple maybe? A hammer-and-sickle impact crater giga-egraving? Whatever.

* Both viewed together, rationally, Mars colonization is an option to escape extinction on Earth. Not a priority, sure; more like, a backup-of-backup-of-backup plan -- for when all else failed (see point 1). It's not like we can do it soon, either; advance preparations and long practice needed. I won't express any judgement of viability. I do see, however, how ambition and inter-tribe competition can drive this plan to a ready state (see point 2) -- sooner than fossil fuel combustion stops across the world.

Re: One of the World’s Longest-Running Experiments Sends Up Sprouts

#29
post #2

Not the longest, but my favorite long-running experiment is the E. coli LTEE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._coli_long-term_evolution_ex... EDIT: I just realized that the LTEE and Beal’s experiment are being conducted at the same place, Michigan State University!

It's amazing how such long experiments are organized. My first thought when I read "longest-running experiment" was the Rothamstead Park Grass Experiment. I'm accustomed to thinking of Big Science as the LHCs and the Human Genome Project and the Human Brain Projects of the world, but there might be a category of experiments that are instances of Long-Term Science.

Link: http://www.era.rothamsted.ac.uk/Park
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