Shared in response to some references to shrill commentary elsewhere,
but worth passing along...
Construction of Space Colonization by Ryan Jeffrey McMillen, B.A.,
M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of
The University of Texas at Austin.
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/etd/d/2004/mcmillend92689/mcmillend92689.pdf
It is auguable here and there, but a fantastic piece of work.
Don
Just now looked at a few pages in it so far, and yes, it is a very
interesting work -- relating to the psychology and motivation of space
settlement planning and promotion.
--Paul Fernhout
My initial reaction (read about two pages so far) is "Oh God, more
shrinky-dinky. 'Don't bother me with the tensile strength of
aluminum; the IMPORTANT thing is millennial expectations and repressed
blah blah blah...' And the whole thing will be dismissed as repressed
religious yearnings or something sexual. Wonder if he'll work in a
phallic symbol with rockets."
to it. When I go to read it in earnest, I'll try to set this aside
or, failing that, to take it into account and temper myself as I read.
>
> My initial reaction (read about two pages so far) is "Oh God, more
> shrinky-dinky.
>
> Hoping it isn't really like that, but these are the prejudices I bring
> to it. When I go to read it in earnest, I'll try to set this aside
> or, failing that, to take it into account and temper myself as I read.
I think you will find perseverence rewarding in this case. The
origins of the motivation for the idea of migration off the Earth are
convincingly traced through the known influences and beliefs of a
number of the pivotal figures in the space movement.
Don
>
> Shared in response to some references to shrill commentary elsewhere,
> but worth passing along...
>
> SPACE RAPTURE: Extraterrestrial Millennialism and the Cultural
> Construction of Space Colonization by Ryan Jeffrey McMillen, B.A.,
> M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of
> The University of Texas at Austin.
>
> http://www.lib.utexas.edu/etd/d/2004/mcmillend92689/mcmillend92689.pdf
> http://www.lib.utexas.edu/etd/d/2004/mcmillend92689/mcmillend92689.pdf>
>
> It is auguable here and there, but a fantastic piece of work.
>
> Don
>
In seeking to uncover the hand and will of God in the universe through
scientific research and technological experimentation, the
extraterrestrial millennialist ideology has helped to guide technology
and our assumptions about technology's advance to create the angry,
merciless, and capricious God of surveillance and imminent doom at the
heart of of a dark and semi-conscious will to destroy the Earth and
liberate a minuscule Christian portion of humanity into a lifeless sky.
And you wonder about the 'fantastic' part. But I'll bet it was a big
hit at UT Austin. Dadgum hipppies.
Brian Dunbar
System Administrator
Liftport - The Space Elevator Company
brian.dunbar@...
aim: bdunbar1967
this email is: [ ] bloggable [x] ask first [ ] private
Remember.
But move forward, too. Light a candle, yes. But also drive a rivet.
~Lileks
>
>Well, maybe. But you read this at the end of the introduction
>
>In seeking to uncover the hand and will of God in the universe through
>scientific research and technological experimentation, the
>extraterrestrial millennialist ideology has helped to guide technology
>and our assumptions about technology's advance to create the angry,
>merciless, and capricious God of surveillance and imminent doom at the
>heart of of a dark and semi-conscious will to destroy the Earth and
>liberate a minuscule Christian portion of humanity into a lifeless sky.
>
>And you wonder about the 'fantastic' part. But I'll bet it was a big
>hit at UT Austin. Dadgum hipppies.
>
figures of space history and relates their 'grand design'
philosophies to earlier passionate movements. There is a lot to think
about in the material he has gathered. The effects of the 1833 Leonid
shower initiating a rise of American religious fervor in which
Mormonism arose, the stirrings of the idea of space travel of sorts
in the obscure writings of Newton, The influence of the apocalyptic
doctrine of Nikolai Federov upon Tsiolkovsky and other Russian
figures is fascinating to know, and indeed more luminaries in the
space field are documented to be devout or at least vocally religious
than I had before realized.
McMillend's tracing of the rise and decline of the initial Space
Colonization movement looks upon some fascinating aspects of the
sociological yearnings and conflicts surrounding the writings on the
subject.
I think a major point he is making is that the attempts of elements
of the intelligensia to influence the destiny of the Human Race
towards Grand Goals are largely modern manifestations of ancient
passions traditionally expressed in religious terms, cloaked in the
conceptual frameworks we feel comfortable with in the era of Science.
What I disagree with is his concluding pessimistic attitude toward
the actual possibilities of Space Migration. Perhaps I too am
betraying my blind faith...
Don
Interesting, yes. I assume some of the information about people I have
no direct knowledge of, like Nebel, is correct.
could be "Wrong", "Completely wrong" or "Not even wrong". I think the
analysis conforms so loosely to reality as I understand it, that it's
"Not even wrong"
>
>>Well, maybe. But you read this at the end of the introduction
>>
>>In seeking to uncover the hand and will of God in the universe through
>>scientific research and technological experimentation, the
>>extraterrestrial millennialist ideology has helped to guide technology
>>and our assumptions about technology's advance to create the angry,
>>merciless, and capricious God of surveillance and imminent doom at the
>>heart of of a dark and semi-conscious will to destroy the Earth and
>>liberate a minuscule Christian portion of humanity into a lifeless sky.
>>
>>And you wonder about the 'fantastic' part. But I'll bet it was a big
>>hit at UT Austin. Dadgum hipppies.
>>
> The author tries to trace the religious influences of several key
> figures of space history and relates their 'grand design'
> philosophies to earlier passionate movements. There is a lot to think
> about in the material he has gathered.
author can write, which is not always the case for things that I have to
read.
> I think a major point he is making is that the attempts of elements
> of the intelligensia to influence the destiny of the Human Race
> towards Grand Goals are largely modern manifestations of ancient
> passions traditionally expressed in religious terms, cloaked in the
> conceptual frameworks we feel comfortable with in the era of Science.
> What I disagree with is his concluding pessimistic attitude toward
> the actual possibilities of Space Migration. Perhaps I too am
> betraying my blind faith...
>
> Don
We all believe in something, sometimes blindly, sometimes not. As I
plow through this I see room in his works for 'rocketeers' and God
struck men of science but little room for guys (maybe like me) who, yes,
see space as an interesting place and a step upward for our species but
who are also intent on making a living around the idea.
Brian Dunbar
System Administrator
Liftport - The Space Elevator Company
brian.dunbar@...
aim: bdunbar1967
this email is: [ ] bloggable [x] ask first [ ] private
Remember.
But move forward, too. Light a candle, yes. But also drive a rivet.
~Lileks
Experiment population pressure/resource collapse is an
ongoing life exercise. ALL biological systems will
grow to the limits of their environment. Humans are no
exception. This has absolutely nothing to do with
religion. Unlike bacteria however, humans can think
about their local petrie dish and try to climb out of
it. Will we succeed? Tune in to next weeks thrilling
continuation of this story of life,,,