...on Sundreams and Pipedreams
In the midst of the horror show that has opened up the 21st Century, I need to remind myself that good things still happen.
Assuming the rocket doesn't blow up, the Planetary Society will be launching a solar-sail spacecraft into orbit tomorrow. This makes me smile.
It's not a scientific breakthrough. It won't lead to huge advances in technology. Any data it gathers will lead to small advances in the esoteric field of interplanetary propulsion. Essentially, it's useless and benefits nobody.
But it still makes me smile. The whole project just sings of hope and whimsy and optimism.
Tomorrow car bombs will go off in Iraq, the Earth's environment will continue warming to dangerous levels and the rich will steal from the poor and count themselves holy by doing so. But if all goes well, above it all, a bright and shining beacon will represent a different vision. A world filled with things that are bold, amazing and fundamentally COOL.
Assuming the rocket doesn't blow up, the Planetary Society will be launching a solar-sail spacecraft into orbit tomorrow. This makes me smile.
It's not a scientific breakthrough. It won't lead to huge advances in technology. Any data it gathers will lead to small advances in the esoteric field of interplanetary propulsion. Essentially, it's useless and benefits nobody.
But it still makes me smile. The whole project just sings of hope and whimsy and optimism.
Tomorrow car bombs will go off in Iraq, the Earth's environment will continue warming to dangerous levels and the rich will steal from the poor and count themselves holy by doing so. But if all goes well, above it all, a bright and shining beacon will represent a different vision. A world filled with things that are bold, amazing and fundamentally COOL.
posted by ElGrande at 6/21/2005 12:41:00 AM
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