These people applied to go to Mars • Hacker News Board

Re: These people applied to go to Mars

#31

Post by mvzink » Sun, May 05, 2013, 5:18 AM UTC

nostromo wrote: post #29

CoffeeDregs wrote: post #24

Putting aside fees and whatever, that was straight-up unpleasant. I watched about 10 videos, between recent, popular and random. I appreciate the people for submitting videos and such, but this is a serious endeavor and none of them would have a chance in a real mission. I suspect most are treating it like a vanity exercise. This felt more like a reality TV show about going to Mars. Unfortunately, seriously intereste…

> This felt more like a reality TV show about going to Mars. That's because that's what it is! Literally! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_One > A global reality-TV media event is intended to provide most of the funds to finance the expedition.

How could it even go to air? It would be such an incredibly deep and likely harrowing experience that it couldn't possibly be entertaining except perhaps to psychotics—and even if it was funny or something, that in itself would be absolutely horrifying. That said, I would have to see it for its depth and significance.

Re: These people applied to go to Mars

#32

Post by ubersync » Sun, May 05, 2013, 5:23 AM UTC

zalzane wrote: post #10

This feels like one of the most "in your face" scams I've seen in awhile. The first thing I wanted to find out when I visited the site is where they got their funding - of course that section is absent from the site. The second thing I looked up is how they expected to get there and how they were solving the engineering challenges involved. On the technology page I found a dumbed down list of the different modules in…

Exactly my thought. They have a graphics designer on their team! Actually, I think the graphics designer is the only person who has done anything for this project so far. And those letters from SpaceX etc, that they show in the video, ha ha, a typical scam indicator. I'll rather go buy myself a couple drinks in the club with those $38 tonight.

Re: These people applied to go to Mars

#33

Post by ghostbrainalpha » Sun, May 05, 2013, 5:24 AM UTC

mtowle wrote: post #23

Couldn't help but notice the applicants are almost exclusively white people. What do you make of that?

Mars planet is a racist... obviously.

Re: These people applied to go to Mars

#34

Post by tempestn » Sun, May 05, 2013, 5:28 AM UTC

mvzink wrote: post #31

nostromo wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This felt more like a reality TV show about going to Mars. That's because that's what it is! Literally! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_One > A global reality-TV media event is intended to provide most of the funds to finance the expedition.

How could it even go to air? It would be such an incredibly deep and likely harrowing experience that it couldn't possibly be entertaining except perhaps to psychotics—and even if it was funny or something, that in itself would be absolutely horrifying. That said, I would have to see it for its depth and significance.

Looks like your last sentence answers your first.

Re: These people applied to go to Mars

#35

Post by tempestn » Sun, May 05, 2013, 5:31 AM UTC

shmageggy wrote: post #12

kiba wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By their settlement date, a falcon heavy or a variant of it, should be ready.

So it doesn't exist, and is therefore unvalidated...

From their site: "While most of the components required are not immediately available with the exact specifications required, at this time, there is no need for radical modifications to the current component designs. All suppliers have confirmed their ability to build what is required--and they can do so now."

So their meaning is that, while the specific stuff they need doesn't yet exist, the technology to create it exists. In other words, if the components were needed today, they could be built today, with existing ("validated") technology. Agreed that there's a non-trivial stretch from there to say the components themselves are validated.

Re: These people applied to go to Mars

#36

Post by mladenkovacevic » Sun, May 05, 2013, 6:00 AM UTC

It seems like one of the questions all the applicants are answering is "how would you describe your sense of humour?" I'd say it would have to be pretty poor to go along with this joke.

Re: These people applied to go to Mars

#37

Post by jasonm23 » Sun, May 05, 2013, 6:12 AM UTC

fixxer wrote: post #21

"Spaceman I always wanted you to go Into space man..."

"He's the Chungwit the Biff Boff and the Puff Pastry Hangman"

(ref: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3XgouVH9-Y )

Re: These people applied to go to Mars

#38

Post by mtowle » Sun, May 05, 2013, 6:31 AM UTC

ghostbrainalpha wrote: post #33

mtowle wrote: post #23

Couldn't help but notice the applicants are almost exclusively white people. What do you make of that?

Mars planet is a racist... obviously.

Your snark is much appreciated. Sometimes a question is just a question.

Re: These people applied to go to Mars

#39

Post by rdl » Sun, May 05, 2013, 6:31 AM UTC

tnuc wrote: post #5

490 people times $38 application fee. $18620 collected thus far. Maybe someone could start a site to send people to the sun? I'm sure it would work if they went at night.

You'd make more if you took money to send third parties to the sun.

Re: These people applied to go to Mars

#40

Post by Ecio78 » Sun, May 05, 2013, 6:56 AM UTC

pliny wrote: post #3

These people applied to die on Mars, or possibly on the way to Mars.

From a philosophical (but also biological) point of view, sooner or later we will all die. From an economical point of view, the Registration fee is way cheaper than a grave on the Earth :-)