Maybe this is a little off-topic here, but not completely: .
As you may have heard, a space-probe is scheduled to be launched this month, which will pass through the Sun’s corona (which extends much farther out from the Sun than it was previously believed to). . In other words, NASA is goings to intrusively experiment on the Sun. . This is called the “Parker solar probe”. . Does anyone else find that objectionable? Even just on principle, if for no other reason? . Of course the Sun is the origin and energy-source of the Earth, and therefore the physical origin of all life on Earth. …so we dump our garbage into it? . Is there anything that we respect enough to not spit on it? . After the probe’s first pass through the corona, I don’t know if will be moved out of that corona-traversing orbit. Probably not. If not, the of course each passage will slow the vehicle, until it eventually falls into the Sun, meaning our garbage becomes part of the sun. . Someone told me that the craft might vaporize during its first corona-passage. I don’t know if that’s true, but, even if so, it doesn’t change the experiment’s object. . No, the experiment probably won’t result in an “Oops!”, “Uh-Oh!”, or “Oh Shit!” moment. Probably not. Is “probably not” good enough? . But there are times when a small bit of matter, operating in a small part of a large object, starts an effect that propagates throughout that larger object. No, I’m not saying that’s likely. . The whole justification for the experiment is a lack of knowledge about the Sun, and the corona in particular. How much assurance does a lack of knowledge guarantee? But, in any case, see above for other reasons why the experiment is objectionable. . You go outside. It’s a nice sunny day. The solar-convective breeze is rustling the chlorophyll leaves of the green trees. So, with the warm sunshine warming your face, you say, “Ah yes, let’s intrusively experiment on the Sun, and dump garbage into it!” . Michael Ossipoff
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