Astronaut Dreams: One Man's Quest for Space Exploration

[tehno]

http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/56068.html

Seems he is serious about it.
Without doubts,he deserves to go if he wants to.
So far it's just zero- G training,but I remember reading he dreamed
about longer living in an Earth orbit some day.

 

[Mk]

That's great! I hope he stays safe. It has always been his dream to visit space.

 

[marlon]

what possible good can come from that ?

marlon

 

[Cyrus]

what possible good can come from that ?

marlon

Let the man have his fun: he sits in a wheel chair all day but has done more for the world than all of us here combined. He has earned the right to do whatever he wants.

 

[neutrino]

What possible good came from Tito or Shuttleworth going to [strike]space[/strike] a weightless environment?

 

[tehno]

what possible good can come from that ?

Pleasure !

 

[russ_watters]

Just to make sure no one got the wrong impression, he's going to fly in an airplane. He's not flying into space.

 

[neutrino]

Just to make sure no one got the wrong impression, he's going to fly in an airplane. He's not flying into space.

I didn't. But I couldn't get a better example for comparison than Tito/Shuttleworth. :)

 

[dontdisturbmycircles]

Cool, I think that virgin's aspirations to bring 'outer space' down to an accessible level to average every day people is pretty cool. I hope hawking gets to do that one day (supposedly he wants to).

I have seen videos of these 'zero g' airplane manouvers and if your head is in the wrong position, it meets the cabin at 10g, lol. Hope he enjoys himself :) He does deserve it.

 

[neutrino]

I have seen videos of these 'zero g' airplane manouvers and if your head is in the wrong position, it meets the cabin at 10g, lol. Hope he enjoys himself :) He does deserve it.

Deserve what? Hitting the cabin at 10g? :tongue2:

 

[dontdisturbmycircles]

Lol, no! :)

 

[Cyrus]

It had to be done.

 

[Math Is Hard]

:rofl: So wrong, Cyrus. So wrong.
I figure SH must laugh all the depictions that are done of him, though. He seems to have a really good sense of humor.

 

[Cyrus]

:rofl: another one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WB8HekJT4E&mode=related&search=

 

[marlon]

Let the man have his fun: he sits in a wheel chair all day

Ok, whatever. But why is this in the news. Nobody cares.

but has done more for the world than all of us here combined.

:rofl:

Yeah right

What exactly has he done for the world. Now, don't you come over here with this Hawking radiation stuff because that has NO value for the world what so ever. A doctor or a teacher has done much more for our society than some estranged theoretical physicist.

marlon

 

[neutrino]

So, you really cared about Ms.Spears shaving her head? And did that get rid of draughts somewhere in Africa? If THAT can be in the news (and it is, ALL the time), then so can this. :tongue:

 

[marlon]

So, you really cared about Ms.Spears shaving her head? And did that get rid of draughts somewhere in Africa? If THAT can be in the news (and it is, ALL the time), then so can this. :tongue:

I would say that Ms. Spears has brought much more joy and hapiness to the world than Hawking ever did. Just think of what any artist means to his/her fans. Just look at yourself and assess how your preferred kind of music, book, film has a positive influence onto your life. You have not cared about Hawking and neither have I. I just say that we need to STOP this hypocritical behaviour of admiring this useless "genius".

marlon

 

[neutrino]

Just look at yourself and asses...

?

:rofl:

10characte

 

[marlon]

?

:rofl:

10characte

:rofl:

yep that's a typo

sorry

marlon

 

[russ_watters]

Hawking sold 9 million copies of A Brief History of Time. Even if you doubt his contribution to science, if nothing else, he helped raise the level of exposure of physics via his celebrity more than any regular teacher could.

 

[marlon]

Hawking sold 9 million copies of A Brief History of Time. Even if you doubt his contribution to science, if nothing else, he helped raise the level of exposure of physics via his celebrity more than any regular teacher could.

Actually, 9 million copies really is not that much if you consider that such books are read by a limited audience and their interest is mostly very temporary. How many of these people actually become physicists ? That is the number you should have been giving me. The level of exposure of physics is raised by his work, yes, but what does this really mean to society ? You tell me that, please. A teacher that instructs 10 people and helps them on their way to acquire good jobs is far more useful. I would prefer to help "creating" 10 working people in stead of raising some awareness of physics.

 

[Beeza]

I would say that Ms. Spears has brought much more joy and hapiness to the world than Hawking ever did. Just think of what any artist means to his/her fans. Just look at yourself and assess how your preferred kind of music, book, film has a positive influence onto your life. You have not cared about Hawking and neither have I. I just say that we need to STOP this hypocritical behaviour of admiring this useless "genius".

marlon

Why do you have such a bone to pick with Stephen Hawking? He's useless?

 

[marlon]

Why do you have such a bone to pick with Stephen Hawking? He's useless?

Fine, fine, i will shut up now. I just wanted to get my opinion "of my chest"

marlon

 

[Cyrus]

Even P diddy loves Hawking, Marlon. D to the I to the D to the D to the Y that's Diddy.

Let the king have his whoppah, man.

 

[dontdisturbmycircles]

naw, that would be didy

lol, you edited ^^

 

[Artman]

What exactly has he done for the world. Now, don't you come over here with this Hawking radiation stuff because that has NO value for the world what so ever. A doctor or a teacher has done much more for our society than some estranged theoretical physicist.

marlon

Okay, if we are eliminating his contributions to his field, then we should also eliminate his handicap from the equation as well. If he was able to walk, talk, write on a blackboard, type, use a computer as easily as the average teacher would his contributions to the world have been greater?

My dreams at that time were rather disturbed. Before my condition had been diagnosed, I had been very bored with life. There had not seemed to be anything worth doing. But shortly after I came out of hospital, I dreamt that I was going to be executed. I suddenly realized that there were a lot of worthwhile things I could do if I were reprieved. Another dream, that I had several times, was that I would sacrifice my life to save others. After all, if I were going to die anyway, it might as well do some good.

http://www.hawking.org.uk/disable/dindex.html"

 

[Crosson]

marlon

Eventually you will be afflicted, and then you will appreciate how hard it is to accomplish anything if you were even a fraction as disabled as SH.

Most people diagnosed with Lou Gherigs disease die (of a broken heart) in less then 4 years. SH is one of the most successful disabled people of all time, and anyone who made comments like yours is immature, insensitive, and looked upon with disrespect by anyone who has seen real life.

 

[Milo Hobgoblin]

even if it wasnt safe..

you don't think Hawking would give up his life to go to outer space? If ANYONE deserves to go its him.. no matter what his condition.

 

[russ_watters]

Actually, 9 million copies really is not that much if you consider that such books are read by a limited audience and their interest is mostly very temporary. How many of these people actually become physicists ? That is the number you should have been giving me.

Actually, no. You compared him to a teacher. I've had physics teachers, English teachers, history teachers, psychology teachers - and I'm not a physicst, writer, historian, or psychologist. By your own logic, those are all useless as well.

Your analogy, not mine.

And that is setting aside, of course, the fact that Hawking is a teacher. (even if by now he only gives a few lectures a year)

 

[tehno]

I admire Hawking not only becouse of his contributions to theoretical physics .
Can you imagine under what circumstances he works and made most of his discoveries marlon?I'm relatively healthy person and it's hard for me to imagine
all the difficulties he encounters during the work, at such level of a body disability.

you really cared about Ms.Spears shaving her head?

Hmm...I cared much more when she shaved something else.

 

[marlon]

Actually, no. You compared him to a teacher. I've had physics teachers, English teachers, history teachers, psychology teachers - and I'm not a physicst, writer, historian, or psychologist. By your own logic, those are all useless as well.

You missed the point or i don't get your point but what you claim in your last sentence is not at all what i said. All teachers are far more valuable than him for the reasons i gave above.

Your analogy, not mine.

Exactly, but you reacted (incorrectly) to it. You started talking about raising physical awareness and i argued that this concept is meaningless, teaching people to acquire good jobs is NOT. THAT is my point.

And that is setting aside, of course, the fact that Hawking is a teacher. (even if by now he only gives a few lectures a year)

I knew you were going to say this. Well, let me give you some inside information about how Hawking works. As a matter of fact, the guy sitting next to me EVERY DAY is a Cambridge graduate how knows a thing or two about Hawking. He does NOT teach at all, he just gives some lectures about his own work. THAT IS NOT TEACHING. Also, these lectures serve no purpose but giving Hawking the chance to talk about his own work. There is nothing wrong with that but this does NOT equal "helping people to get ahead in life", which isTHE main aim of education.

marlon

 

[Artman]

We are talking about a man who could have let himself be a burden and drain on society, who instead is a physicist, author, lecturer (albeit only occasionally) and overall a valuable contributing member of that society. Have teachers inspired more people to do something useful with their lives? Yeah probably, certainly as a group. Taken individually, I'm not so sure they have inspired more people, most have not reached as many people as he has in some form.

Also, who better to take a space flight than a man who can appreciate and express the intricacies of the experience to others?