[Rockhounds] Asteroid miners could use Earth's atmosphere to catch asteroids

[Alan Silverstein]

Well now Bryan, Stephen, destravlr, et al:  Those are some interesting
and surprising reactions!  I debated just letting this go, versus
noising up the group further with a somewhat-off-topic chat...  Decided
on the latter, forgive me if this is not of interest to you:

> ...the Space Shuttle did not move at a relativistic 0.3 C but rather
> at a slightly lower speed of 0.00003 C...

Of course not -- methinks you misread that -- let me restate slightly
for greater clarity:  A mass SIMILAR TO the Space Shuttle (nothing more
required), if sufficiently accelerated (I think the article used 0.3 c
as an example), would be a dangerous weapon.

> I'm sure this is a case of not engaging brain before putting fingers
> in gear...

OK, but were you referring to me or to yourself?  (grin)

> Wouldn't it be easier and more cost effective to fix problems on our
> own planner [planet] than plan trillions of dollars and generations
> too attempt to teraform mars?
...
> These pie in the sky, so to speak, proposals are simply like many of
> DARPA's experiments.  Fund some of them that may work; others are only
> attempts to expand bank accounts...

It saddens me to encounter this kind of lack of vision and enthusiasm,
along with either-or thinking.  I think if we were smart and cooperative
enough, we could fix a lot of problems here on Earth AND expand off the
planet in a hurry too!  But we'll never "fix all our existing problems
first," and we don't NEED to.  The universe is inconceivably vast and
full of resources just waiting for our imperfect selves.  Until proven
otherwise, we frail humans are all the universe has to "I" itself
(thanks Alan Watts), making us incredibly precious, warts and all.

Plus, BECAUSE we have so many problems and inefficiencies, we need an
INSURANCE POLICY!  Mars or interplanetary living is an INSURANCE POLICY.
"If you don't survive, you don't do anything else."  Terraforming Mars
wouldn't be an end unto itself, it would be a stepping stone toward
greater survival and mastery.

Plus:  I'm sure there are a lot of VERY COOL rocks and minerals on Mars
just waiting for us!  (grin)

> I doubt we'd ever be able to give it a real atmosphere but I'm just a
> mountain hick.

I'm pretty sure there's enough frozen water (and other necessary
elements) floating around the solar system to make it happen, out in the
Oort cloud if not closer.  Just need enough time and patience.

Cheers,
Alan Silverstein