Should We Merge the Exploration and Astronomy Forums?

[Ziljan]

I am not sure how you feel, but for me knowledge about Astronomy only enhances my appreciation for the Elite Milky Way simulation. In fact, I feel that exploring the ED Galaxy has actually taught me quite a lot about astronomy, despite already having a degree in astrophysics. Yet whenever I have started a thread that casts ordinary objects in Elite Dangerous in a new astronomical light, these posts get shuffled off to the Astronomy Forum graveyard by the mods. Where few explorers will ever see them.

So far the only way I can get around this restriction is to post in other peoples question threads, but unless they ask a direct question, it often feels like I am hijacking their thread. Which seems rather rude. It also severely limits the ED related topics that I can try to talk about.

So, what is your opinion? Should we be allowed to post astronomy topics that relate to ED astronomical bodies in the Exploration forum? Or should this remain a "speak only when spoken to" science-free zone?

 

[Kuroshio]

A heartfelt yes from my part, it's layman's passion for astronomy that drove me to this game in the first place. With a galaxy model on that scale and with that level of detail, there are few topics from the field that don't relate indirectly or directly to the game itself, especially the part explorers deal with.

Alternatively, you could ask one of us to start the necessary thread if there's a topic you'd like to talk about in detail. ("Does anyone know how binary systems form ... oh, look, Ziljan found a video and, what a coincidence, had a short essay prepared.")

 

[Sooden]

Would be nice to see discussions on how some of the stranger objects in Elite may have happened, using real word info. (from Ziljan might brain)

Example colder than the CMB

Spoiler

 

[gooddoc]

We have an Astronomy Forum???

 

[Jackie Silver]

We have an Astronomy Forum???

That's what I thought!

 

[Satsuma]

We have an Astronomy Forum???

That's what I thought!

I didn't know we had one, either. Guess that makes my vote "Yes, merge it in here!"

 

[Ziljan]

We have an Astronomy Forum???

Oddly it is considered "Off Topic". Mathematicians have determined that this Forum has the same topology as the "Suggestion Forum":

Spoiler

 

[iain666]

A heartfelt 'yes'.

 

[who?]

I'd imagine we in the Exploration sub-forum would love to have more Real Science (tm) in here.

Whether or not those in the Astronomy sub-forum would want to have gamey-pseudo-science in there is another matter!

 

[iain666]

Whether or not those in the Astronomy sub-forum would want to have gamey-pseudo-science in there is another matter!

Fair point - perhaps just lowering the threshold where posts get moved? Can the database behind this cope with a thread being in two forums simultaneously?

 

[Ziljan]

Whether or not those in the Astronomy sub-forum would want to have gamey-pseudo-science in there is another matter!

Let's ask them:

Spoiler

Anybody home?

Spoiler

Spoiler

I think they're OK with it

 

[who?]

Let's ask them:

Spoiler

Anybody home?

Spoiler

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/24/article-0-1D4FAC5F00000578-837_964x630.jpg

Spoiler

I think they're OK with it

Hah. If a motion is raised in an empty room, and no one is around to hear it, was any objection really made?

As a poster on this forum and a "consumer" of the Astronomy forum, I'm all in favour of this. Those 2 extra posts a month could really help boost Exploration into the big-time..

 

[ToveriJuri]

If the forum is that dead, then maybe merging the two will actually revive the astronomy discussion a bit.

 

[disorganise]

+1 to merging and also being oblivious to the fact that there was an astronomy forum.
I enjoy reading real science even if I'm unable to contribute. And if something is a bit too heavy for my mood/education then its easy enough to scroll over. So yes, please merge.

 

[VerticalBlank]

Yes from this physics grad. I too didn't even know we had an Astronomy forum.

 

[Genar-Hofoen]

Voted Yes. Because.

 

[Ian Phillips]

The Elite Dangerous forums are provided for discussions of the game.

The Astronomy Forum is in Off topic because it is not about the game.

 

[HVG]

The Elite Dangerous forums are provided for discussions of the game.

The Astronomy Forum is in Off topic because it is not about the game.

But ED is Astronomy in a nutshell... right?

 

[[VR] optimal_909]

But ED is Astronomy in a nutshell... right?

My thoughts exactly. I can't even imagine how anyone could enjoy exploration without having an interest in astronomy.

 

[Ziljan]

The Elite Dangerous forums are provided for discussions of the game.

The Astronomy Forum is in Off topic because it is not about the game.

There is definitely a grey area here though. Since exploration is about the galaxy simulation and that galaxy simulation is quite accurate, then general astronomical knowledge is actually useful in game when hunting specific kinds of objects.

I try to limit my posts to ED relevant info, and yet they often get moved immediately to the off-topic forum.

For instance, I posted a video recently about nebulae and binary systems that was intended to show the link between the two, and possibly shed light on which stars might be spawned from which nebula in ED. This is the kind of information that could be useful in cracking the code for material node generation.

It also was meant to enhance the way we see these seemingly static nebula, as truly dynamic regions with volatile swings in density and star proper motions and multiplicities. But this video was removed to astronomy forums as if it were irrelevant to the game.