We usually mourn the death of someone who impacted the world in a positive way. However, I am celebrating the death of the Herschel telescope that has been shut off after its four-year journey. Almost unheralded, in its lifetime, this instrument produced more profound information for the human race than any number of geopolitical incidents on the Earth during the same period: information that will be used by humanity for decades to come. And, its cost of $1.4 billion has to be one of the greatest bargains of all time. Shit, the US government spent that much money per month in Iraq in the largest demolition exercise in world history. The telescope will now be in orbit around the Sun in a path that keeps it out of the way of impeding anything. Long may it stay in orbit as I say, "Thank you" to it for its helping the 7.2 billion people on the ground. It did so silently and without fanfare and not one person was killed. It worked for the sake of science, knowledge and humanity. aljazeera/news/europe/2013/06/201361716267144335.html
Posted on: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:24:17 +0000
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