Sunday, June 24, 2012

A Philippine Colony on the Moon?


This is today's science report.

While the Philippines is trying to figure out how to get electricity to Mindanao, the rest of the world is moving on . . .

The Kepler spacecraft launched by the U.S. several years ago, is out there finding planets that might be habitable. It watches 150,000 suns, scanning for shadows the planets make as they pass in front of a particular sun. Once the satellite has spotted a planet, it runs spectrographic analyses to determine the composition and size of the orb, and its distance from its sun. By studying the size of the sun and composition of the planet, astronomers can identify those which are temperate enough to support life as we know it. They figure there are a bazillion habitable planets in the Milky Way.

Kepler was in the news this week because it identified two planets in extraordinarily close proximity to each other, one of iron, the other of gas. The close proximity and differences in composition astounded the international science community. It is understood that Manila residents merely yawned. Nothing in it for them.

Researchers at MIT in the States have concluded that snowfall on Mars is not comprised of large flakes, as we find on earth, but minute fog-like particles that drift in the valleys of the planet. Data comes from America's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter circling the red planet like the alien spacecraft that it is, to those little orange Martians hiding in caves amongst the rocks. The photo on the left is an illustration by Steven Hobbs of Stocktrek Images. Illustrators in the Philippines are mainly working on comic books and fake covers to pirated CD's.

In Great Britain, researchers at Sheffield University have compiled a definitive treatise on the origins, construction and symbolism of the Stonehenge Monuments. Construction of the huge stone monuments (there are eight separate memorials in the area) began about 8,000 b.c. and ended in 5,000 b.c. Yes, folks, 3,000 years in the building. Chipping the huge stones from quarries in Wales, pushing and pulling them to Stonehenge along rutted muddy roads, and cranking the big heavy bastards into place. To them it was like space travel is to us. We'll never see what happens in the end, but we know it is important to keep shooting off the rockets.

Stonehenge is way before the pyramids, you understand. And Jesus was not even a gleam in his almighty Father's eye.
 
Given the layout and location of the rocks, which have specific and meaningful alignments to the sun, moon and stars, people of the British Isles at the time figured this to be the center of the world. They appear to have built the monuments to celebrate the unity of many regional peoples into one peaceful humankind. Meanwhile, on the Philippines ,in 2012, the nation cannot figure out what language to speak.

Microsoft announced its foray into building computers, the hardware. It's slick new machines are light, powerful, and the perfect integration of machine and software. Microsoft evidently became upset that PC manufacturers were not doing enough to keep up with Apple. Their machines were clunky Chevrolets when Microsoft wanted Porsches. Next up, Microsoft smart cell phones.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the nation was busy herding millions of karabao along the farm to market roads between the rice fields and the mud ponds where the animals cool off in the evening.

It was also announced this past week that there is water on the Moon. Scientists have identified trace amounts at the cold south pole of our rocky neighbor. The discovery is of immense significance because water can be broken down into its components, oxygen and hydrogen. That, folks, means air. And that means it is possible to colonize the moon.

Meanwhile, in the Philippines, the island nation is single-handedly doing the utmost to combat global warming by burning anything and everything from wood to plastic to acidic batteries, thereby stuffing its air full of carcinogens to kill people off and stop overpopulation, whilst simultaneously blocking the sun's rays from warming things up overly much. That, folks is science at the cutting edge.

As for my headline, A Philippine Colony on the Moon. That is a big joke. haha

Yours, dripping with unsightly sarcasm this grumpy Sunday morning,
Joseph August America

6 comments:

  1. From: Island jim-e (aka: the cricket)

    1. The observations are accurate even from a
    grump! Money, treasure, time, energy aside my question is: Does mankind-humans really benefit or belong in space? Robots are okay maybe, but humans are not designed to work/
    tolerate extended space exposure! What to do?
    Seems like we ought to be spending our world
    tax dollars for better than worse!

    2. PH space travel will be necessary for the
    rainbow islanders as the islands sink slowly
    under the tides....besides forcasted ocean
    level increase the additional weight of over-
    population will become our doomsday, forget
    the other crisis issues and disaster-topics
    the tipping point and carrying capacity of any
    lifeboat will sink the ship eventually unless
    emergency measures start sooner than later!
    I feel soooo sorry for members of my island
    family who cannot find creative ways and means
    to leave...I hope they take time to learn how
    to build boats and swim!

    As for me and mine--we know how to
    sail and swim...the trick will be to learn
    how to milk the water buffalo as we adapt to
    being "water-boat people"!

    Chirp, chirp!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know how to row. Figure the family and I will head over to one of those Chinese islands right over there of the Philippine coast.

      I'm imagining you in one of those putt-putt fishing boats with a water buffalo in the back. It's not a pretty sight. Riding low . . .

      Space has given us much of our earth technology. We can get either there, or from the military. I prefer space . . .

      Delete
  2. Hey Joe,

    A darn good humor for Sunday. We need it from time to time. Soothes my nerves.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to help out. Cut back on the coffee, too;might do some good. Or go Noynoying. I understand that is great for the funny bone . . . Is that craze still around, or did it die?

      Delete
  3. From: The cricket!

    1. Enough of the military and space exploration, we still have
    not taken the same enegy to explore our earth and oceans...we
    must know the "earth-ark" for many more good reasons than fund
    any more military or space stuff! Earth should come first!

    2. As you must acknowledge that humans do not have functional
    gills it makes sense to be prepared for the new "water world"
    we live, function, and occupy! As you have any doubt please
    google the elevations of Metro Manila as a example and for a
    realistic illustration of the magnitude of the crisis/problem/
    issue!

    Briefly: NAIA elevation is 75ft (unless it sinks further due
    liquidfaction)-Clark Airfield is 478 ft.! The 16 cities that
    compose the Metro Manila area elevation range from 1-3
    meters below the current sea level (at the beach depending
    on tide.

    The highest points located in the 16 city metro is located at
    valenzuela (38 meters) and Pasay (24 meters). A few of the
    cities lowest points are located below sea level....why?
    Well the Metro cities are built on a flood plain...subject to
    flooding, sinkholes and liquidfaction! Manila Metro is a
    DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN!

    Most of the Metro area are located just a few meters average
    above low/high tide! Some of the hydrology you may already
    comprehend and I will not tary here to explore that subject...
    just be aware of the term and definition of HYDRO-STATIC !

    Now google TSUNAMI, OCEAN SURGE, OCEAN WAVE POWER, TIDAL
    WAVE, WIND PRESSURE, HYDRO DINAMICS AND ASIAN/INDIONESIAN
    STORM DAMAGE!

    Figure the "PH FACTOR"--NO SEA WALLS OR INFASTRUCTURE TO
    PREVENT ANY FLOODING OF ANY KIND!

    NOW YOU HAVE THE RECEPIE FOR A POTENTIAL
    "KILLING-FIELD" !

    (KILL-ZONE OF TWO MILES INLAND AND 30 METERS HIGH FROM
    THE OCEAN LEVEL AT THE TIME OF IMPACT).....!

    AND STILL OUR ISLAND GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO PUT THE UNEMMPOYED
    CITIZENS TO WORK BUILDING PROTECTIVE STRUCTURES....SO
    NOW YOU KNOW THE "REST OF THE STORY" AS IT IS WRITTEN TO
    DATE!

    NOTE: ANY SANE ISLANDER SHOULD PACK-UP A WEEKS FOOD RATIO
    AND EITHER VACATE THE LOWLANDS OR STAND IN FRONT OF THE
    NATIONAL CONGRESS AND PROTEST UNTIL CREATIVE ACTION IS
    INITIATED OR BOTH! (I HOPE ENOUGH PEOPLE READ THIS AND
    GET UP AND PUT A FIRE UNDER CONGRESS...).

    CHIRP...CHIRP...CHIRP!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wrote on this subject three years ago, the need to anticipate global warming so that the investment that is required to dike or relocate takes place over many years. It starts with the height survey, then tighter zoning, then relocation or diking depending on the circumstance (available land). I also wrote some time ago about converting Clark-Subic to "New Manila,to the leverage the space and infrastructure there. Zone it properly. Both of these articles received virtually zero commentary or interest.

      It is not in the mindset of Filipinos to envision a future. The disaster you speak of will occur. People will be outraged. THEN something will be done.

      I built my house on a hill rather than at the beach that other Americans prefer because I don't want to deal with wondering with each earthquake or each storm, is THIS it? I drive by the new homes being built in the river flood zone and just shake my head.

      As for the space, home investment argument, I still believe space exploration develops technologies that will be valuable and are discoverable in no other way, unless it is going into the space of the deep sea.

      Delete

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