Post #4048699

2026-07-23 23:14 UTC

I have retained an intense childhood faith (or craving perhaps) in the idea that there really are other civilizations up there in #space, other lifeforms elsewhere in the Solar System, and the very distant possibility of learning that for sure some day. We Pnictogens have also been devoting itself to searching examination of the likelihood of organic life that does not follow the usual biochemistry of Earth life. But this brings me to an issue of superlative importance in U.S. and global affairs: space exploration is being threatened by the #tech sector, who have extremely different sorts of designs on space. (cont'd)

Replies (1)

@mxchara@seattle.pink 2026-07-23 23:18

As Prof. @sundogplanets@mastodon.social has been steadily reporting, the corporate sort of "space exploration" is geared towards brute-force occupation of space at top speed, pouring millions of satellites into orbiting "constellations" (the choice of language is...highly suggestive in a way I'll get into later) and launching gaudy ornaments high above the Earth. The technology sector doesn't actually like the stars that much, they sneer at #astronomy just as they sneer at any pursuit that has no obvious payoff for them. The cynical and carping culture of U.S. popular science, dominated by profoundly questionable ambassadors of the scientific world such as Neil Tyson and Richard Dawkins, has encouraged the notion that space is already a solved problem somehow. (cont'd)

Open ##4048773