in which I whine about progress, science, and the horrors of time

[rivendellrose]

It is supremely unfair that it's going to take at least 17 years before we get an orbiter around Europa.

I'm thrilled that we're trying to do it and all, but... 17 years, seriously? And that's not factoring in that it still has to compete with other projects for funding? I am stupidly, deeply disappointed by this. I really, really, really want to see scientific proof of extraterrestrial life before I die, and stuff like this reminds me that with the pace of space exploration, that's just not all that likely. I know I don't have any room to complain - generation upon generation hasn't even had the possibility of the discovery dangling in front of them, and awesome and interested people like Carl Sagan died before we could get as far as having a lander on Mars, which I had the pleasure of watching as the data came in. And of course it's awesome that we're going to send something there. I'm all for that. I know science moves slowly, and I understand all the reasons why, but... damn it, I want a time machine, or immortality or something, just to make sure that I can see all the cool stuff that we're going to discover.

The long and the short of it, I suppose, is "wah, I want a Tardis and my own personal Time Lord tour guide." :P

In related news, I'm probably lucky, in a way, that this mammoth skeleton was announced as having been found in Los Angeles, CA, this week rather than last week. I can just see myself being traumatized over having just missed potentially seeing it.

Comments

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

What?? Even if it took 20-30 years, you'd still be relatively young.
(and remember my age before you answer that, sweety-pie) ;D
You'll be around for it.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I don't mean "woe, I'll be old before they do this!" :P I mean "woe, I'll probably be old before anything really exciting happens on this stuff. Because, hell, they're not going to find it right away, even if there is something on Europa, and this is just an orbiter we're talking about. So... unless it's really obvious, we're not going to get actual responses out of this. We'll have to wait until we can send a lander. Which means another 17 or so years or so to get a lander, and so on.

It's just the sudden realization of the time-scale we're working on that's bothering me. And Europa is relatively close, as these things go... :P

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

Warp speed ahead!

[lovelies.livejournal.com]

I often feel like that, too. That I want to be around to see it all. But at the same time I worry that I wouldn't be able to keep up with it all, feeling a bit out-dated as I do already.

Still... where are the vampires when you need them?

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

But at the same time I worry that I wouldn't be able to keep up with it all, feeling a bit out-dated as I do already.

Yeah, me too. I mean, I keep up okay on the stuff I'm interested in, but I still feel like it's all going by so quickly - there's always something new, and it's hard to get all the details down in time for the next development!

[bluerose16.livejournal.com]

If you do find a Tardis and Time Lord guide, tell me I can be one of the geeky friend side-characters who occasionally gets dragged into the fray only to bungle everything?

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I can be one of the geeky friend side-characters who occasionally gets dragged into the fray only to bungle everything?

I thought that was my job? I mean, I'm unlikely to be the competent one... ;)

Believe me, though, if I find one, I'll let you know. ♥