Question. Back in the days of sea exploration, explorers would claim undiscovered lands as their own, or as the land of their sponsors (e.i. their country). When man eventually lands on Mars, will the countries responsible for making this event happen claim the planet as their own?

I'm sure you've probably heard this already but theres a guy thats selling land on the moon and hes made millions already.  Theres ads in the papers I believe saying, "Buy a plot next to the Sea of Tranquility for your great great grand kids."  That was a few years ago.  I heard something about a year ago about people wanting to actually take claim of their claim.  Thing is the guy selling contacted the right people and I think the story goes they kinda blew him off and he found a loophole in the system so technically these people have the right to own land there.

Of course IMO the land will be taken when any development is actually done because big brother says so.

To answer more directly I would say that companies won't own planets because thats just kinda nuts.  Can you imagine the negative feedback here on earth if Sony or 3M claimed to own Mars?  I actually imagine plots being granted through some newly founded (inter)governmental system to people(companies) that could actually reach there.  Once colonization is possible there'd most likely be a plot zoned for that.  It would just expand for there.

Thats kind of how I see it, not that I ever WILL see it as much as I'd love to.  Guess I'll stick with my sci-fi and imagination.

WARNING: SCIENCE CONTENT

blah blah blah...

I disagree.   

 

I stole this from a sweet little comic I saw which I don't know the name of.

If antimatter is the opposite of matter in this dimension, then if you take anti-hydrogen and anti-oxygen could you make anti-water?  And in the anti-verse could you then create fire with the anti-water?

What do you all think would happen if humanity found out that some crucial part of our existence(example; computers) caused cancer?

I realize this has already happened times over with other things like lead paint and such stuff, but I was just thinking and that thought popped into my head because EVERYONE uses computers which means like 90% of the world population would die from it.

There would be fallout.

I guess the question I might be really wanting to ask is.. 2 parter..  Could humanity go back to the way it was before computers?  Then, were we better off without computers in the first place?

I see the internet as brining us more together as a world because I've talked with people from all over the place and they were mostly pretty cool(when will that word get outdated?) but I feel its making the world move to fast.  I don't have a high tech job but still I feel the buzz, people rushing.

I dunno where I'm going...  Just thought I'd post a thought or 5.

Huh, a special forum? I have been gone for too long

Anyway, Evonus, what anti-intellectualistic trends do you mean?

I actually kind of see society almost in a way devolving into ... can't think of the term now... (I believe superficial is the word)but more concerned with having the "bling" and having nothing worth anything.  Not trying to improve the world, just having some nice "grills" and spinners.

I think there seems to be some many classes in todays society that its hard to read how we will turn out.  On one hand we are smarter and developing more then we ever have, on another we are at war and the world is in turmoil on more then one field and on another hand we have a huge amount of people(mostly the youth) who aren't educated that well and, frankly, seem to just not care.

I do hope for the future, but I am also scared a bit.

Am I just getting old?

But where does wanting to "better" your life stop and greed start?

Also, I think it works both ways.  Life imitates art and art imitates life.

Looking back, you'll see pieces of art that have very much influenced life.  Any work that is mentioned in daily life.  Books, music, etc.  That alters your life, so your life is changed because of it.

I could name MANY examples.  Even now days, as well as centuries old pieces.

I believe this is similar to:

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

so which came first, the chicken or the egg??

 

Awhile ago I wanted to start writing short stories, just for something to do. I sat and wondered about what kind of stories and have always found myself really enjoying first person narrative. So I picked horror as I feel that could best be done in that manner. Once I picked horror I started trying to think of and make a list of all the things that could drive a man truly insane or just make him lose his mind.. I talking truly.. Not just like lost my keys and I'm pretty pissed.. I'm talking truly make him wacked out of his gourd, talking to himself, possibly multi-personality disorder.

So far my list includes:

Being hunted
executed
tortured
exploring ruins(ala HP Lovecraft style)
the unknown
getting lost
"the rage"
being dissected
being trapped in the darkness, losing your mind, then being found
being forced to kill
be experimented on
insomnia
isolation
mindfu!k
guilt
jealousy
your own past

That is my current list. A couple you may not understand because they are my own terms for something, but I think you may get the jist.

Let me know if you think of any other ones.  Which do you think may be the strongest factors?

As with other people I'd say screw what "the crowd" thinks.  How old are you know?  You said 15, but "older now" .. that means.. 16?  Once your out of school for a bit you'll realize what people think of you doesn't matter.  It only matters in high school.

As far as girls go..  You talk to them, listen to them and ask them questions.  Depending on the girl, you can be dorky around her.  SOME don't mind this, some would hate this.  The confusing part is some that hate might laugh, which you MAY mistake as their laughing at the joke, when their laghing at you.  I would think you can kind of tell these types just by who they are.

If you feel like you have to be someone else around her, or when shes around other people, re-evaluate the situation.  You should only be yourself, if someone makes you change they aren't the one.  Don't settle for second best.  Don't put someone on a petestal.

Also remember the fact being single isn't that bad, you might just make it feel like its bad.  You have time to yourself, do what you want when you want, no one telling you what to do, time for hobbies, etc, etc...  You don't need a woman to validate your exsistence.

Anyway, those are my thoughts..

good luck kid

2 things..

I almost completely agree with Derry.  I think the government knows what its doing.  I think there are meetings going on behind closed doors that are forming relations and giving corporations more power.  I think the US government is in for a BIG downfall in the next 20-30 years.  The world will be changed in that time.  Maybe the US will sell itself out completely to corporations just for profit..  My question is where the hell can I go to get away from the problems the US is creating for itself because I, for one, am ashamed of this government and hows its run, and 2, I want NO NO part in trying to help the gov solve its problem it created for itself by paying more taxes or giving more liberities or persona freedom to the system???

Second..

I didn't read the whole presidental speech link, but I looked at the last line which says "May He guide us now. And may God continue to bless the United States of America. (Applause.)"  I just find this bullshit, if I may say.  Isn't that just a form of bias?  Shouldn't there be seperation of god(in any form) and state?  Should religion be able to be brought up in state speeches, like praise god, or bless us all...  I for one am spiritual, but not religious.  I think this is a form of bible thumping(which seems to be what the US is about these days)..

And 3rd..

I believe in a system like "1984."  I think its totalitarism, a system where people are either to scared to question authority or are completely brainwashed not to.  The thing with this is that this system does work, but it could be run correctly, run right, and still be that way.  The other problem is corruption.  There would need to be a system setup to void any corruption, under penalty of extreme death...

Personally, I would probably rather rule by fear then by hope..

I was thinking about WTB and I remembered a part in it when one of the guys talks about being able to walk on water.

He said something along the lines of that we can't walk on water because we think we can't.  If we really truly had no doubt we couldn't walk on it, maybe we could walk on it.

I heard that and it struck me as odd.  I find it interesting, but in saying that hes saying Jesus wasn't like the son of God or something, just that he was a person with no doubt...

Maybe..

Just wondering everyones opinions on what they think of the Simpsons movie?

I don't follow the news, but did read a couple things that a trialer was released at some comic con that shows some people trying to kill Homer or something and Grandpa busting in and saying he might be part of the mob.... or something....

This is just my opinion, but I really really hope that the movie is a lot better then the episodes have been the last few years.

Since about 2001 I have stopped regularly watching the Simpsons because I feel they've gone weak.  The stories aren't there anymore.  I think they should've done a movie a long time ago.

I've always wanted to see the McBain movie(that clips are shown of, like twice) done for a movie.

I'd like to see them go back to their roots, get rid of the celeb drop-ins, and have some kind of moral like they used to.

I really hope the movie achieves this, but I have a bad feeling it won't...

Opinions?

"Widwest?"

It may seem like I miss typed midwest, but in fact I did not mistype.  I meant exactly what I typed just to mess with your mind!

SUCCESS!!

BWAHAHAHA!