2001 A Space Odyssey Is Now 50 Years Old

[alang1216]

Instead of having space stations and moon bases we can't even get an astronaut into space.

Here is a concept drawing of a space station in 1952 by Werner Von Braun, father of the space program:

View attachment 187512


Looks a lot like the station in 2001, doesn't it? Like most things, mankind lags far behind the vision of fiction largely because man is far too busy making war with himself and trying to steal from his brother.

A lot of people were pushing for a space station before we got to the moon. They knew once we got to the moon people would lose interest. A space station would have been an anchor for keep going. They made a feeble attempt with Skylab afterwards, but that was just a McGyvered tin can.

The one mystery about spaceflight we have yet to solve is "why". Why send men into space? Our machines have explored the solar system, probably for less than the cost of a single manned mission to Mars.

That being said, I thought it was a great movie.

Bit of trivia I've never been able to confirm: were the bizarrely-colored landscapes at the very end of the movie colorized sequences taken from the end of Dr. Strangelove where the B-52 is flying over Russia?

 

[Votto]

Instead of having space stations and moon bases we can't even get an astronaut into space.

Still an awesome movie!

I always thought it pretentious and overrated

Same goes for Clockwork Orange

How bout a nice game of chess...........?

 

[alang1216]

NASA is about to blast off another Mars rover....

I think they are launching another deep space probe today. Supposed to look for other planets outside our solar system, or something like that.

I believe it is a new space telescope, TESS, but you're right about its' mission.

 

[toobfreak]

Instead of having space stations and moon bases we can't even get an astronaut into space.

Here is a concept drawing of a space station in 1952 by Werner Von Braun, father of the space program:

View attachment 187512


Looks a lot like the station in 2001, doesn't it? Like most things, mankind lags far behind the vision of fiction largely because man is far too busy making war with himself and trying to steal from his brother.

A lot of people were pushing for a space station before we got to the moon. They knew once we got to the moon people would lose interest. A space station would have been an anchor for keep going. They made a feeble attempt with Skylab afterwards, but that was just a McGyvered tin can.

The one mystery about spaceflight we have yet to solve is "why". Why send men into space? Our machines have explored the solar system, probably for less than the cost of a single manned mission to Mars.

That question has long ago been answered: the reason for sending men into space and learning to live there and to eventually colonize another planet like Mars is because not only can we learn far more that way than any machine but it ultimately vastly increases the chances of our species survival. Sooner or later, the Earth will be hit again by a major impactor just as killed the dinosaurs, indeed, some say one is already overdue.

 

[alang1216]

That question has long ago been answered: the reason for sending men into space and learning to live there and to eventually colonize another planet like Mars is because not only can we learn far more that way than any machine but it ultimately vastly increases the chances of our species survival. Sooner or later, the Earth will be hit again by a major impactor just as killed the dinosaurs, indeed, some say one is already overdue.

We're no where near ready to either live in space or terraform and until we can leave the solar system our species will be vulnerable from our greatest enemy, us. We need to keep exploring with robots and developing AI. It will be our sentient machines (us) that will get to leave the solar system.

 

[Moonglow]

Instead of having space stations and moon bases we can't even get an astronaut into space.

Here is a concept drawing of a space station in 1952 by Werner Von Braun, father of the space program:

View attachment 187512


Looks a lot like the station in 2001, doesn't it? Like most things, mankind lags far behind the vision of fiction largely because man is far too busy making war with himself and trying to steal from his brother.

Yeah Von Braun made missiles for the Naz's...and then the USA....

 

[Weatherman2020]

Part of the reason of the OP is to highlight how much technology has slowed down. Yeah we all have cell phones. And we use them to stare at funny cat videos.

 

[harmonica]

..[ IIRC ] in the book they still use typewriters even though they are very advanced
..like you see in a lot of space films--they are super advanced but do not have MSoft Windows/etc but are using old DOS programs/etc...Outland did that

 

[rightwinger]

2001 A Space Odyssey came out in 1968
Star Trek came out in 1966

I’d rather watch Star Trek

 

[petro]

Instead of having space stations and moon bases we can't even get an astronaut into space.

Still an awesome movie!

I never really understood it, but it was memorable, that's for sure.

The sequel 2010 goes a long way to help explain 2001. Check it out if you have not watched it yet.

There are 2 follow up books.
2061 Odyssey 3 and 3001 The Final Odyssey.
These books go more into the higher intelligence guiding humanity and the purpose of the monoliths.
The original movie was technically very impressive for 1967. 2010 was very well done also.

 

[petro]

Instead of having space stations and moon bases we can't even get an astronaut into space.

Here is a concept drawing of a space station in 1952 by Werner Von Braun, father of the space program:

View attachment 187512


Looks a lot like the station in 2001, doesn't it? Like most things, mankind lags far behind the vision of fiction largely because man is far too busy making war with himself and trying to steal from his brother.

A lot of people were pushing for a space station before we got to the moon. They knew once we got to the moon people would lose interest. A space station would have been an anchor for keep going. They made a feeble attempt with Skylab afterwards, but that was just a McGyvered tin can.

The one mystery about spaceflight we have yet to solve is "why". Why send men into space? Our machines have explored the solar system, probably for less than the cost of a single manned mission to Mars.

That question has long ago been answered: the reason for sending men into space and learning to live there and to eventually colonize another planet like Mars is because not only can we learn far more that way than any machine but it ultimately vastly increases the chances of our species survival. Sooner or later, the Earth will be hit again by a major impactor just as killed the dinosaurs, indeed, some say one is already overdue.

What we need is a cheaper way to get payloads into orbit.
It was Arthur C. Clark who believes that equatorial elevators are the means of doing that.
Featured in a few of his books including 3001.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Part of the reason of the OP is to highlight how much technology has slowed down. Yeah we all have cell phones. And we use them to stare at funny cat videos.

Technology has not slowed. We easily have the technology to build space stations, out men on Mars, etc. We just don't have the will.

 

[rightwinger]

Part of the reason of the OP is to highlight how much technology has slowed down. Yeah we all have cell phones. And we use them to stare at funny cat videos.

Technology has not slowed. We easily have the technology to build space stations, out men on Mars, etc. We just don't have the will.

Pretty much so
Most just don’t see the value in it

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Part of the reason of the OP is to highlight how much technology has slowed down. Yeah we all have cell phones. And we use them to stare at funny cat videos.

Technology has not slowed. We easily have the technology to build space stations, out men on Mars, etc. We just don't have the will.

Pretty much so
Most just don’t see the value in it

Understandably. There is little reason at this time to send humans to outer space. When we are ready to build a contract, different story. Until then, robots will be fine.

 

[rightwinger]

Part of the reason of the OP is to highlight how much technology has slowed down. Yeah we all have cell phones. And we use them to stare at funny cat videos.

Technology has not slowed. We easily have the technology to build space stations, out men on Mars, etc. We just don't have the will.

Pretty much so
Most just don’t see the value in it

Understandably. There is little reason at this time to send humans to outer space. When we are ready to build a contract, different story. Until then, robots will be fine.

To me....R2D2 makes more sense than Han Solo

 

[Weatherman2020]

Part of the reason of the OP is to highlight how much technology has slowed down. Yeah we all have cell phones. And we use them to stare at funny cat videos.

Technology has not slowed. We easily have the technology to build space stations, out men on Mars, etc. We just don't have the will.

Nope.

50% of all unmanned probes to Mars result in failure.

Technology is little different than it was 50 years ago. It may be smaller and cheaper, but it is still the same technology.

My grandmother grew up in the age when you had to use a horse or a steam locomotive for transportation. She also saw man drive a horseless carriage, then fly then walk on the moon.

There are no game changers with technology, it's all about entertainment with what little we have.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

Part of the reason of the OP is to highlight how much technology has slowed down. Yeah we all have cell phones. And we use them to stare at funny cat videos.

Technology has not slowed. We easily have the technology to build space stations, out men on Mars, etc. We just don't have the will.

Nope.

50% of all unmanned probes to Mars result in failure.

Technology is little different than it was 50 years ago. It may be smaller and cheaper, but it is still the same technology.

My grandmother grew up in the age when you had to use a horse or a steam locomotive for transportation. She also saw man drive a horseless carriage, then fly then walk on the moon.

There are no game changers with technology, it's all about entertainment with what little we have.

Not sure what you are getting at there, but we do have the technology to put a man on Mars.
The controls for a manned mission vs a probe are not even in The same ballpark. Bad comparison.
Same with the tech now vs 50 years ago. Not sure what you're thinking there.

 

[Political Junky]

Time flies.

 

[sealybobo]

Part of the reason of the OP is to highlight how much technology has slowed down. Yeah we all have cell phones. And we use them to stare at funny cat videos.

Technology has not slowed. We easily have the technology to build space stations, out men on Mars, etc. We just don't have the will.

Nope.

50% of all unmanned probes to Mars result in failure.

Technology is little different than it was 50 years ago. It may be smaller and cheaper, but it is still the same technology.

My grandmother grew up in the age when you had to use a horse or a steam locomotive for transportation. She also saw man drive a horseless carriage, then fly then walk on the moon.

There are no game changers with technology, it's all about entertainment with what little we have.

Not sure what you are getting at there, but we do have the technology to put a man on Mars.
The controls for a manned mission vs a probe are not even in The same ballpark. Bad comparison.
Same with the tech now vs 50 years ago. Not sure what you're thinking there.

Let’s be honest, why do any of us care about getting off this planet? Anyone born today would be dead long before they themselves could ever get to another habitable planet. So why do we care? Because we want to see humans continue to live long after the earth becomes uninhabitable. Otherwise screw it why bother?

I’m more interested in planting life on other inhabitable planets. Not humans but life. Simple single cell life. Evolution will take care of the rest. If humans evolve again great but the next time it might remain dinosaurs.

We can make cellphone size spaceships that fly on solar wind. They go real fast. We could send thousands of the, out to the best possible planets and hope they seed on the right planet or don’t get destroyed along the way.

 

[harmonica]

Part of the reason of the OP is to highlight how much technology has slowed down. Yeah we all have cell phones. And we use them to stare at funny cat videos.

Technology has not slowed. We easily have the technology to build space stations, out men on Mars, etc. We just don't have the will.

Nope.

50% of all unmanned probes to Mars result in failure.

Technology is little different than it was 50 years ago. It may be smaller and cheaper, but it is still the same technology.

My grandmother grew up in the age when you had to use a horse or a steam locomotive for transportation. She also saw man drive a horseless carriage, then fly then walk on the moon.

There are no game changers with technology, it's all about entertainment with what little we have.

Not sure what you are getting at there, but we do have the technology to put a man on Mars.
The controls for a manned mission vs a probe are not even in The same ballpark. Bad comparison.
Same with the tech now vs 50 years ago. Not sure what you're thinking there.

Let’s be honest, why do any of us care about getting off this planet? Anyone born today would be dead long before they themselves could ever get to another habitable planet. So why do we care? Because we want to see humans continue to live long after the earth becomes uninhabitable. Otherwise screw it why bother?

I’m more interested in planting life on other inhabitable planets. Not humans but life. Simple single cell life. Evolution will take care of the rest. If humans evolve again great but the next time it might remain dinosaurs.

We can make cellphone size spaceships that fly on solar wind. They go real fast. We could send thousands of the, out to the best possible planets and hope they seed on the right planet or don’t get destroyed along the way.

a lot of ifs for a lot of $$$$ = wasted $$$$
.....space is an ''unkown''--the last frontier --just like America's frontiers and world exploration before that ...of course then, part of the reason for exploration was $$$$$
..some humans just want to ''explore''.....some [ a lot ] want to get away from civilization--for many reasons