Turning 49 today. I've got a funk I can't shake. [View all]
Politics got us here, but it's the science and space programs that are hitting home.
In 2020, the Arecibo Radio Telescope / Observatory in Puerto Rico suffered catastrophic damage when one of its 8 cm cables broke away from its mounting. The cable sliced into the dish, and soon after, a second cable gave way, causing a portion of the dish to fall away (You may recognize it from movies like Contact and GoldenEye).
Since 1963, the dish had been scanning the skies for potential NEOs (Near Earth Objects); comets, asteroids, etc. that could threaten the planet. Over its lifetime, it discovered hundreds of objects, and 70-ish objects that could potentially collide with the Earth or at least enter within lunar orbit. These are extinction level event objects. Fortunately, the closest one would take about 100 years to get here.
A decision was made last month not to repair the telescope. Not because it had been replaced, but between several different space and environmental agencies, a discussion had been had. By the time the nearest object threatens the Earth, it won't matter. Let me repeat: It. Won't. Matter. The projected environmental damage from man-made climate change would make it a moot point. Civilization as we currently know it is not projected to exist.
To make that point pellucidly clear: Multiple scientific organizations looked at the current data trends, and decided, "Fuck it. Fixing it isn't worth it because we'll have already destroyed ourselves."
Scientific organizations are making policy decisions based on civilization ending within the next century. They're in wrap up mode, folks.
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