More than 1000 years in the future - why do we have a canopy?
- Thread starter kingchub
- Start date
1000 years is a long long time in the human lifespan so how do we know if we really will still be around, frankly we haven't done good by our planet vs many other species that are now defunct.
More to the point.. why do we have a dirty canopy?
I know there is space dust etc but when we get a repair shouldn't we also get our canopies cleaned?
ps..its not my monitor
Typical of slave labour of the day, they use a dirty cloth to clean the canopy. No pride in their work! We let them live, we give them something to do... they just don't appreciate it.
Slopey
Volunteer Moderator
Same reason we have windows on airliners (with all the structural problems that causes) - humans.
The Space Shuttle didn't have monitors when it could have done, likely due to situational awareness - a flat 2D view on a monitor is always trumped by a 3D view out of the window - for situational awareness if nothing else (try flying an aircraft on instruments only and you'll get the idea, or a flat screen flight sim vs the Oculus Rift etc etc). So it's massively advantageous for the pilot.
Also humans like to see outside, which is why there are windows for passengers on airliners - there's no sound structural reason for them, but humans aren't overly keen on being strapped into an enclosed tube which they can't see out of while they rocket through the atmosphere via the safest form of transportation on the planet - go figure.
And lastly (as already said) - it's a game. If you make it 1000 years into the future, you can tell me that you told me so, but I have a feeling I'll be past caring....
Note that the original Elite it *was* a viewscreen - see the pic of the Cobra flight deck in the Space Traders Flight Training manual. (but we've come quite a way with computer graphics since then!)
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Until we learn to treat our planet as our home and not as an endless resource for our consumption and bidding - I doubt we'll make it that far.
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Same reason we have windows on airliners (with all the structural problems that causes) - humans.
The Space Shuttle didn't have monitors when it could have done, likely due to situational awareness - a flat 2D view on a monitor is always trumped by a 3D view out of the window - for situational awareness if nothing else (try flying an aircraft on instruments only and you'll get the idea, or a flat screen flight sim vs the Oculus Rift etc etc). So it's massively advantageous for the pilot.
Also humans like to see outside, which is why there are windows for passengers on airliners - there's no sound structural reason for them, but humans aren't overly keen on being strapped into an enclosed tube which they can't see out of while they rocket through the atmosphere via the safest form of transportation on the planet - go figure.
And lastly (as already said) - it's a game. If you make it 1000 years into the future, you can tell me that you told me so, but I have a feeling I'll be past caring....
Note that the original Elite it *was* a viewscreen - see the pic of the Cobra flight deck in the Space Traders Flight Training manual. (but we've come quite a way with computer graphics since then!)
That's all true, but airliners and Space Shuttle aren't combat spaceships supposed to take hell a lot of beating before going down. Ships in ED are more like tanks, or old heavily armored (naval) battleships - you don't want huge windows on them, do you?
"It's a game" is only valid reason, and damn good. There is a lot more 'gamey' things than don't make sense, like for example our sensors with whooping ~5 km range, or weapons/lasers with similarly limited range... just to name a few.
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If we get to Mars in 2027 I will eat my hat. Not gonna happen. Not in my lifetime at any rate. I predict we wont even manage to get to the moon again in a century. Nobody has the balls anymore. I was three months old when they landed on the moon. We're even further back now 46 years later than we were then. In terms of space exploration we are backpedalling big time. Private ventures don't count. Its hardly a world shattering first to make a shaky sub orbital hop for paying customers - and taking even longer to get that far than the US managed to get from literally nothing to landing on the moon in ten years.
Where oh where has that spirit of adventure gone?
Where oh where has that spirit of adventure gone?
To the banks. It's not profitable yet. Asteroid mining is likely the only thing that may get us out there on a permanent bases, if it's found to be viable. But if ED is any example, it's not (ohh..cheap shot..lol...I know they are going to fix mining).
So we can write messages in the condensation on our canopies
I know, they're abrasions
Couldn't resist!Seriously, though, in 3301, I fully expect humans to be building and using things that I simply can't comprehend. If technology at that point doesn't blow my mind and make me think its magic, I'd be extremely disappointed. But I don't expect sci-fi games and movies to shoot for 100% absolute realism. A canopy works well in Elite.
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Its what I am afraid of - everyone has too much to lose nowadays. I see the same in the UK. Nobody wants to speak out about anything for fear of losing their job, being harangued on twitter or instantly subjected to trial by media. Few people want to try something new. I mean we are getting a 42 Billion pound high speed rail link. 42 billion - for 18th century technology. The only difference being it goes faster. What a total waste of time and money. We build pointless aircraft carriers ready to take aircraft that don't work. We subject people with good ideas to televised inquisitions to stoke the ego's of inflated bombasts like Alan Sugar instead of giving the support needed to get the idea off the ground.
That's why I like games like this, for a moment I can think we made it to the stars even though we never actually will. I really don't think we will ever seriously try to get beyond Earth. The moment any private venture loses the first life in space - and it will - that will be the end of the private space program. Nobody will ever insure the project again and you can't do ANYTHING without insurance - even in the year 3300 apparently...
That's why I like games like this, for a moment I can think we made it to the stars even though we never actually will. I really don't think we will ever seriously try to get beyond Earth. The moment any private venture loses the first life in space - and it will - that will be the end of the private space program. Nobody will ever insure the project again and you can't do ANYTHING without insurance - even in the year 3300 apparently...
There are people willing to risk their lives exploring and pioneering space. But it takes loads of money and time to get anywhere, and if it doesn't increase quarterly profits right now shareholders and execs aren't going to do it. Fortunately there are some people with money who believe in investing in space flight, exploration, and colonizing. The barriers of entry into that industry are simply too high at the moment. It may take a few decades for technology to improve and become cheap enough so that investors can expect a profitable return within even a reasonable amount of time. I'd love to see humanity successfully colonize a world within my lifetime, but that will depend on the cost, the risk, and the reward. So, maybe a small outpost on the Moon within my children's lifetime, then perhaps a small outpost on Mars within my grandchildren's lifetime, and colonizing an extra-solar planet in a dozen generations roughly.
The biggest unknown factors in the whole equation is 1) will humanity survive this waiting period, which will be when colonization becomes feasible, and 2) at what rate and in what ways will our technology evolve? I have no doubt we'll go eventually, just gotta not kill ourselves before then.
The biggest unknown factors in the whole equation is 1) will humanity survive this waiting period, which will be when colonization becomes feasible, and 2) at what rate and in what ways will our technology evolve? I have no doubt we'll go eventually, just gotta not kill ourselves before then.
Pretty sure humanity is here to stay but its going to take a complete global shift in priorities for us to stop mithering about like we are at the moment. It doesn't help when a good slice of the population of the globe is still unable to progress past the 15th century in both thinking and sheer levels of ignorance.
When I was a kid, I didn't really bother with my exams because I just knew we were all going to be killed in a nuclear war anyway so what was the point? In the early 80's it was pretty much a given. Then all hell broke loose with the bringing down of the berlin wall and the end of the cold war. That was nearly 30 years ago. That was such a profound shock that it left me a real optimist about our survival.
I wish everyone would stop thinking along the same lines as I did in the early 80's - that's whats the point when humanity wont be around anyway. We will. Whether we will still be mired in religious backward thinking or have actually managed to push forward remains to be seen. Religion is the single biggest shackle around the neck of humanity. if we can *ever* shake it off we will I'm sure leapfrog into the next stage of evolution - one that we control rather than nature. Until that happens we will be running round in circles like idiots.
I don't see that happening any time soon. if anything, the problem is getting far worse.
When I was a kid, I didn't really bother with my exams because I just knew we were all going to be killed in a nuclear war anyway so what was the point? In the early 80's it was pretty much a given. Then all hell broke loose with the bringing down of the berlin wall and the end of the cold war. That was nearly 30 years ago. That was such a profound shock that it left me a real optimist about our survival.
I wish everyone would stop thinking along the same lines as I did in the early 80's - that's whats the point when humanity wont be around anyway. We will. Whether we will still be mired in religious backward thinking or have actually managed to push forward remains to be seen. Religion is the single biggest shackle around the neck of humanity. if we can *ever* shake it off we will I'm sure leapfrog into the next stage of evolution - one that we control rather than nature. Until that happens we will be running round in circles like idiots.
I don't see that happening any time soon. if anything, the problem is getting far worse.
I think it's funny that some people think because it's 1000 years in the future it has to be ultra-futuristic. With the way stuff is going in our day and age it's not not just possible but probable that we will be back in the cave man days in 1000 years. Don't be fooled into thinking our current rate of exponential scientific growth cannot be halted just because time moves forward. There could be many reasons why we aren't ultra-futuristic-star trek era-bad asses.
For example, if humanity wouldn't have been subjected to the Dark Ages we more than likely would have colonized our solar system by now.
What you should be asking is, it's 1000 years in the future, WHY THE don't we have a computer capable of tracking basic trade data not only by system but by region of space, by station, and by specific commodity not just a clumped group?!?!?! For crying out loud we have computers today that will do that! Not to mention computers that are capable of saving data from systems we have recently been to, a way to save notes about these system, a way to plot multistop routes into our navigational computer.
For example, if humanity wouldn't have been subjected to the Dark Ages we more than likely would have colonized our solar system by now.
What you should be asking is, it's 1000 years in the future, WHY THE don't we have a computer capable of tracking basic trade data not only by system but by region of space, by station, and by specific commodity not just a clumped group?!?!?! For crying out loud we have computers today that will do that! Not to mention computers that are capable of saving data from systems we have recently been to, a way to save notes about these system, a way to plot multistop routes into our navigational computer.
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History has shown that even without religion, people can still become fanatically devoted to an ideal or person. Ignorance and fanaticism isn't the sole property of religion- the Soviet Union persecuted Christians, closed and destroyed thousands of churches, and were excluded from serving in government, to serve the Soviet agenda of ridding the world of religion. Of course, there were ulterior motives with the Soviets securing their own power throughout the USSR, but the actions were nonetheless done in the name of progress. Personally, I don't distrust all Atheists because Stalin or Mao or Hoxha are champions of state-sponsored Atheism. I realize those maniacs don't represent all Atheists, like the Catholic Church (in its most brutal periods) doesn't represent all Christians (nor the core principles I and other Christians believe). Often when the Church acted, it did so with ulterior motives cloaked in the name of God (be it for gold, power, influence, etc). Like the so-called Atheist states of the past 100 years don't truly represent most Atheists or the true principles of their beliefs.
And really, in the absence of religion, do you believe we wouldn't still find reasons to war over resources, land, and power? Does the so-called Atheist states not show that our darkest sides still exist and thrive in the absence of religion?
That's why I said one of the biggest unknowns in colonizing space is how fast and in what ways will technology develop. Will technological development continue to accelerate or will there be worldwide Dark Ages? Perhaps ebbs and tides between times of ignorance and enlightenment?
And I agree we need a better computer in ED for plotting routes. Even by today's standards the route plotter is too limited. Hopefully Frontier will hook us up with a better nav system at some point (soon!).
Absolutely. Experiencing Elite's version of the future has been amazing, but in real life it would simply be mind blowing. Actually going to the Orion Nebula... I can only imagine (and I'm sure my mental image of it doesn't do it justice IRL).
