Tag: space

Space technologies on Earth

A few days ago I had one of those drunk conversations on the importance of space exploration.  A chunk of it was spent on trying to remember and figure out which technologies do we enjoy now that were initially develop for or during space missions.  Today, on this slow Saturday afternoon, I remembered the conversation and had a brief look around.  There are plenty of websites that show the top 10 or just a random collection of technologies that improved live on Earth, after being used in space.  But I think the better, all around, one is the Wikipedia page on NASA spin-off technologies.

There are quite a few things listed there, grouped and categorized under health and medicine, transportation, public safety, consumer, home, and recreation, environment and agriculture, computer technology, and industrial productivity.

Joe Rogan talks to Chris Hadfield about life, the Universe, and everything

Chris Hadfield, the retired Commander of the International Space Station, is interviewed by Joe Rogan, who questions everything, in this video podcast.  They talk about all kinds of things – space, science, technology, environment, social matters, etc.  It’s an hour long, but it’s worth every minute of it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS0laJvgVxo]

It’s fascinating in a variety of ways.  I particularly enjoyed the bits about stars and light pollution, humans living on a tiny crust, and his feelings during the flight up and coming back down.  As a side note, I couldn’t not notice how clean his language is and how well he expresses himself, and how educated he is in a variety of areas.  Joe Rogan is by far not an idiot, and yet, the contrast is still there.

Mac’s UFO News – Citizen Hearing on Disclosure

Of course we are not alone! Just look up at the night sky – there are thousands of stars you can see with a naked eye.  There are billions that you can see with some telescopes and space travel.   How many of these have planetary systems – we don’t even know well enough yet (we’ve found 133 with more than one planet, but our tools still suck).  Among all of that, what are the chances that Earth is the only one that has arguably intelligent life? I am no mathematician (or statistician), but I won’t be betting any money on us being alone.