Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/01/17/that-first-plant-grown-on-the.html
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And now we know some things we didn’t know previously.
Yay, science!
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A sad, lonely death. Separated from family and friends.
Cruel.
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it laid a foundation and technological support for our next step, that is, to build a lunar base for living
“We got a plant to grow for a few days. Good enough, start building the Moon base.”
I love the enthusiasm for building a Moon base, even though it serves no practical purpose, because sci-fi taught us that “Moon base = future.”
“It’s the future, therefore gotta build a Moon base! It’s obligatory!”
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Still cool, though.
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That’s the same line of arguing that questions the purpose of any space exploration or great scientific and engineering project that doesn’t have an immediate, obvious benefit. What was the purpose of landing on the moon or building the International Space Station?
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“It’s the future, therefore gotta build a Moon base! It’s obligatory!
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If I remember correctly, from reading that scientific report, “The First Men on the Moon”, all Selenite flora germinates and dies in a single lunar day. So it looks like the Chinese are right on schedule.
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TADAAAA: Moon plant!
tadaa…: Dead moon plant…
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We need to be quick - in only minus 19 years the moon will be flung out of it’s orbit and life of Earth will be over.
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I’m a trifle surprised that a radiothermal element wasn’t included. Getting electricity out of them is rather less efficient(the solid state options start lousy and get worse as radiation attacks them; the heat engine options tend to have a minimum size requirement); but if you just need to keep something from freezing…
Polonium 210, say, isn’t good for long duration jobs(138 day half life); but as an alpha emitter you don’t need to waste much mass for shielding; and it’s good for 140 watts/gram when fresh; which is preposterously good compared to basically any electrical heating option.
Do the Chinese just not have a good supply of RTG isotopes/their safety-encapsulated forms for use in space? Didn’t think it was worth the risk and hassle of adding a nuclear element to an otherwise conventional probe close enough to the center of the solar system for solar to be a viable option for system power?
Seed experiment a tack-on given absolute minimum mass/volume and basically only intended to demonstrate germination?
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The image in the article is depicting a live plant, does anyone have one of the dead plant? I need it for memes Asking for a friend.
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If it froze to -52C and then warmed up to who-nows-how-high then all is left a little smudge of dried up slime. Seedlings are mostly water.
What were they thinking it will do without climate control?
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I know you’re (mostly) kidding, but I’d rather we find scientific breakthroughs that help us here on Earth through science than war. Both accidentally discover stuff trying to do something else, but one is way less costly.
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Define purpose, please.
If Minecraft taught me anything, it’s that wanting to do something is in itself a purpose.
Whether it is wise, or should be done…now ok, but purpose?
Why do people have to justify their desire to live on the moon to you before you will allow them to live there? More importantly…
Can you stop them?
What have you hidden on the moon that you don’t want us to find?
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'Ya gotta eat fast.
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the temperature inside the 1-litre-capacity canister had reached -52 degrees Celsius and the experiment had ended.
Understatement of the week.
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The far side of the moon would be a great location for a radio observatory.
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I think that one part of the Chinese mission is testing that out.
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