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There is growing recognition that the Moon is the logical next step for sustainably opening space to human settlement. It is now confirmed that both lunar poles contain appreciable quantities of ice containing water and also carbon and nitrogen containing compounds. Since the Moon is always only a 3-day trip away, it easily beats low-gravity asteroids as the most economic place to mine water ice. Similarly, since the Moon has only a 3-second roundtrip communications delay, teleoperated robots could mine and process the lunar ice at a fraction of what human miners would cost. That ice, brought back to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) could establish a new space economy including on-orbit refueling, boosting large communications satellites to GEO, sending tourists around or even to the Moon, and facilitating NASAs Beyond Earth Orbit activities. So the Moon is a great place to develop economic in-space resources.

But, what does all of this do with survival?

Amongst those people who understand extinction risks to humanity, it is generally recognized that an off-Earth, self-sufficient colony would go a very long ways to ensuring the survival of humanity as a species. An orbiting colony would not be a good choice because, if the Earth’s biosphere were contaminated with an ecophage, the Earth itself would not anymore be a source of supplies, and Earth orbit contains no resources except for sunlight. Mars, an asteroid, or a distant moon could be a location for an off-Earth colony, but all of these would be considerably more expensive to establish than on the Moon. For those of us who think it prudent that we should purchase “insurance” against the extinction of humanity sooner rather than later, the least expensive location makes the most sense. So the Moon is a great place to establish a colony for the purpose of survival.

Interesting, so the Moon is the best place for both economics and survival. Perhaps the two could be combined into a single program. But, in the Age of Austerity, it is unlikely that our governments are going to fund a large new space program. So how can this be done economically?

Three of some of the most encouraging developments in space are:
- the lower launch prices that SpaceX is offering including their large Falcon Heavy,
- the success of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Service (COTS), and
- the incredibly cheap development of small lunar landers thanks to the X-Prizes.

This suggests that there is an inexpensive path to two COTS-like programs:
1) a Commercial Cis-lunar Tranportation Service and
2) a Commercial Lunar Ice Development Service

More details could be given regarding the technical details of how these programs would work but are beyond the scope of this article. Rather, let’s look at how close a lunar ice development venture get a manned base towards full self-sufficiency.

Lunar ice would give drinkable water, breathable oxygen, and the carbon and nitrogen volatiles which would be needed for growing plants. Lunar soil would provide other needed nutrients. So lunar ice mining would already be providing life support supplies greater than what a small colony would need thereby allowing for lengthy stays in an underground shelter. Solar concentrators would provide enough heat to melt regolith allowing for the production of metals, glass, fiberglass, ceramics and such.

But the Moon is a harsh environment requiring high-tech tools just to survive. But one box delivered to the surface of the Moon could provide a hundred years worth of computer chips, or cameras, or air-proof space suit liners thereby buying the colony many years to eventually develop their own technology. So, in a relatively short period of time a self-sufficient lunar colony could be established. Then provide it with deliveries of frozen embryos, seeds, eggs, DNA, and microfiche information and you have the makings for the reboot of a new civilization and biosphere eventually on Mars.

The point of this article is that on off-Earth, self-sufficient colony is not that far away and could be a relatively modest additional step for an economically viable lunar ice operation.

Dear UNGA:

The Security Council may have informed you about the fact that a Cologne court asked the German government – and implicitly you – to immediately order a “safety conference” because there is scientific evidence that the LHC experiment at CERN is currently producing miniature black holes that it (1) cannot detect and which (b) can shrink the earth to 2 cm in perhaps 5 years’ time.

Signed: Otto E. Rossler, Nobel prize candidate

Please, sacrifice a minute of your precious time to show your chaos colleague at Tubingen where the error lies in his generalization of Einstein’s seminal T-theorem (gravitational clock slow-down), the T-L-M-Ch theorem.

The latter says that besides the gravitational clock slowdown T, there is a proportional gravitational length increase L (invisible from above), a proportional gravitational rest-mass-energy decrease M, and a proportional gravitational charge decrease Ch. ( http://www.wissensnavigator.com/documents/einsteins-equivalence-principle-has-three-further-implications-besides-affecting-time_t-l-m-.pdf )

The three corollaries to Einstein’s T radically change the properties of black holes. For example, black holes become undetectable to CERN’s detectors if successfully produced there – for instance, at this very moment.

The world public sees that no single scientist on the planet contradicts me but all scientists support CERN. This is a volatile situation. I think now is the time that the Nobel committee name a defender of CERN’s while the underground cannons in Geneva pause.

Einstein’s oldest gravitation result shows the planet is being put at acute risk by CERN.

Austria’s clerics currently follow a “call to disobedience” against taking orders from the bishops. In the same vein, the planet’s journalists could follow a “call to disobedience” against taking orders — from whom? From the SCUN, the United Nations Security Council.

If the SCUN commits treason against its constituency by refusing the scientific safety conference — who else but the journalists are the new planetary governing board? Einstein appeals to the remaining friends of humankind: please, report on CERN’s assault.

The assault on earth disappears the very moment Telemach – the new Einstein result – is disproved. So far, no one was strong enough. If the press does not report, how can the hoped-for scientist or pupil to save us all by saving CERN, be found?

Imagine you dreamed you had a formula that could save everyone – and then you awake and it is true. It is almost like dreaming to be a bishop and then awaking and it is true. Strawberry fields forever.

Hi,

My esteemed colleague the Ordinary Guy from the Brains Matter podcast and I recorded a 365 days podcast for 8 September 2011 - talking about saving the world through science education and research, as well considering issues of cheap telescopes and the George Foreman grill.

The 365 days of astronomy podcast is a not-for-profit user driven science communication initiative — in its third year now, but it may be on its last legs. If you have a burning desire to create 10 minutes of audio on a space science-related podcast, this may be your last chance.

And a big woo-hoo to the Lifeboat Foundation for a whopping $250 donation to keep the 365 days podcast going — at least for the rest of 2011.

Cheers,

Steve

(Member of the Board and Death-by-LHC skeptic)

I am meekly asking every inhabitant of the planet to help me find a fault with Telemach.

And I am boldly asking the mighty of the world to obey my call for an immediate stop of CERN until this hoped-for fault has been found.

Like the ship’s boy who saw an iceberg and tries to wake up the captain while hoping to have been the victim of an hallucination.

Telemach is the discovery that forces me to call fire. The name of Ulysses’s son here stands for T-L-M-Ch. T is time, L is length, M is mass and Ch is charge. All 4 change with height inside an accelerating rocketship and hence in gravity.

The paradigm of the accelerating rocket was Einstein’s “happiest thought.” For the special theory of relativity which he had discovered only two years before, sufficed to completely predict every detail here — which then automatically applies to gravity as well so a seal closed for millennia could be opened.

The T of Telemach is the most important item. The other three are twins. Why is T – time or clock speed – reduced at the lower end of a constantly accelerating rocket compared to the tip?

Answer (Einstein’s happiest thought): because when the ticks arrive with the speed of light at the rocket’s tip, the tip in the meantime has, through the ongoing acceleration of the rocket, acquired a certain speed away from their point of origin. So that the signal effectively comes from a receding place and therefore is reduced in its frequency and increased in its temporal period T. This is the famous “gravitational redshift” (since the red end of the spectrum has a lower frequency). All high-school pupils have to learn this. Most of them believe it eventually. Some are fascinated: Pure thinking works, nature cannot but comply!

So the clocks ARE slow at the rear end compared to the tip? Right. Is this the only change? No. If all photons (light particles) have a lesser frequency at the rear end (bottom), what about their mass-energy? You guess it: it is reduced as well. But if their mass is reduced, the mass of any particle at the bottom must be reduced in proportion since photons are locally interchangeable with other forms of mass. Bingo: M.

L follows because a reduced-mass atom is proportionally enlarged via quantum mechanics. This is L. L also follows from the increased temporal period T directly (T –> L I hear you justly say). But this latter conclusion presupposes that c (the speed of light) did not change imperceptibly along the way. The quantum result (which Einstein could not know of yet) guarantees this. This explains why he overlooked both L and M.

Remains Ch. It follows from M, using the constant ratio between mass and charge under inertial (free-falling) conditions which always locally applies in nature by Einstein covariance.

So Telemach is correct. But is it new?? Yes, Sir except for the T. So the world ought to be happy? Yes, Madam. But why are they not? It is because CERN’s continued operation is living proof to the world that the prestigious physicists at CERN do not believe in Telemach. Therefore anyone who says Telemach is right becomes automatically an enemy of CERN’s. So no one dares coming out: Michelangelo’s naked David must not be looked at.

But Telemach lives. So CERN’s continuation is potentially disastrous. This story I told you elsewhere. In the next 7 weeks, they plan to once more double the danger.

What I do not understand is that in China, in South America, in France, in Africa, in Japan, in Moscow, Australiua: nowhere is there a movement – indignons-nous – which says: “I want to be allowed to know!”

But if all print media of the world keep silent, as this is only possible in a single monetary system: how can anyone get “indigné”?

Even the United Nations’ Security Council, alerted for months with the consequence that a single government (the German Bundestag) is no longer allowed to address the matter, dares not help. They all prefer not to think or ask questions. The “most interesting time of history to be in” is ours. Thinking has become forbidden on a whole planet. Einstein has never been hated more.

Dear young pupils of the planet: please, start asking your teachers: “Where is young Telemach’s Achilles heel?” I hope he or she will not blush.

Please, tell me immediately if you get an answer since none of the adults talks to me. Lifeboat is waiting for your answer. All you need is an E-mail address and – if you dare – your own name. The single pupil who finds my mistake will become world famous. So this is the hottest game in town.

The first who sees an iceberg has the right and the duty to tell the Titanic’s captain to stop the engine.

* United Nations Security Council
** European Council of Nuclear Research

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG2gNvqGJVU&feature=related

In chatting with people online about the enduring Jobs crisis in the USA and distribution of wealth (value), I regularly received responses that people (Americans in this case) care less about others who have (per the responders) intrinsic value. And so, I’m compelled to ask the question: If something has an intrinsic value, how can it’s care be avoided or go uncompensated? Please take a quick moment to give me your thoughts on THIS SURVEY.

Dear Team and readers,

I am particularly concerned about the damage we cause to the environment starting with junk in space, earth, and the ocean.

As a participant of Singularity University ’11 at NASA Ames, I am very happy to share with you my video about space debris:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI3V09tfcAc

I am willing to create an international organization that regulates the amount of debris starting with space. If interested, contact me.

I hope you will like it and feel free to publish the video and share it among your friends.

Yasemin