How Big is Space?

Post by billpg » Thu, Jul 16, 2015, 9:08 AM UTC

Bluestrike2 wrote: post #47

Big is an understatement. If people had any real conceptualization of the degree of mineral wealth is out there in the inner solar system alone (to say nothing of the Jovian system), space programs would see a lot more public support. On a related note, I hate stumbling across sci-fi novels on Amazon that conflate solar systems with galaxies. Same mindset at work there.

Post by zachwooddoughty » Fri, Jul 17, 2015, 12:54 AM UTC

javajosh wrote: post #70

tvon wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That could make for a cool park. I imagine you'd have clear line of sight between the planets (either by having a clear path between or by raising them up on monuments), and telescopes setup at each planet in such a way that visitors could look at the other planets without people getting in the way. The Sun would be 1.5 meters across, the Earth would be 1.2 centimeters across, and the whole thing would be 4.5 km from…

It would be a very boring park.

Post by stcredzero » Fri, Jul 17, 2015, 1:35 PM UTC

antimagic wrote: post #94

stcredzero wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought the reason he survived wasn't that he just had a huge ego, but because that universe really was just created for him. Apparently, it's just as good to think the universe is created just for you.

Um, wasn't that the whole point of the machine? It would strip away your self-deluding beliefs, and give you true perspective? In other words, no it isn't good enough to just think that the universe is created for you, the machine will kill you in that case. You actually need to have the universe created for you, and only in that case will you survive the experience.