The story is a little bit down from the top of the page. I'd just post the text of the story here along with the URL, but given our host's concern over coypright violations that probably isn't such a good idea. Scroll down to April 20th to view the story.
The gist is that a Russian astrologer is suing NASA to call off the Deep Impact mission (which, if you're not already familiar with it, is a plan to blow crater into the side of a comet so that we can see what's inside). She's also seeking moral damages equal to the cost of the mission, claiming that "The actions of NASA infringe upon [her] system of spiritual and life values, in particular on the values of every element of creation, upon the unacceptability of barbarically interfering with the natural life of the universe, and the violation of the natural balance of the Universe”.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Passed that one around the office, Noemon... (lots of people here like to follow space news).
I wonder how much of our government dollars will have to go toward defending our "space vandalism" (as they call it in the article) if they let her pursue this case?
Farmgirl
Posted by Cow-Eating Man (Member # 4491) on :
Chocolate milk.
Though nose.
If she's successful, will that set a president that allows vegans to sue me for eating cows?
Posted by prolixshore (Member # 4496) on :
My Geography professor was expressing her problems with the Mars Rover mission. It went along these lines:
Rocks have the same rights as human beings.
Who are we to send our robot demons to move those rocks without their permission.
One day, someone will sure on behalf of those poor oppressed rocks, and NASA will be sorry.
She does all this with no opportunity for discussion, so we are just expected to accept her views. Ludicrous!
--ApostleRadio
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
Now I want us to start strip-mining Mars, just to further upset astrologists and their believers!
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Rocks have the same rights as human beings huh? Does she weep for the gravel imprisoned in the foundation of her home?
Posted by prolixshore (Member # 4496) on :
She is a bit odd, Noemon. I think she would live with no shelter if she could do it close enough to the school. She is famous for quotes like, "Ecological Feminism has a lot of street cred in Germany and Korea."
--ApostleRadio
Posted by Bill Door (Member # 7854) on :
quote: Does she weep for the gravel imprisoned in the foundation of her home?
Curse you, I was going to say that. As a geotechnical engineer, it was my perogative to make quips relative to foundations.
Posted by Sid Meier (Member # 6965) on :
Unless she's been reading "So you want to be a Wizard" series where everything is one form of life or another (including abstract concepts of a "nation" having a certain amount of sentience) Rocks are innaminant objects to be crushed and mixed with water to become my concret!
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I dated a girl in high school who, when I threw a rock into a lake, asked me how I knew that that rock *wanted* to be under water. Talk about a different world view, eh?
Posted by Cow-Eating Man (Member # 4491) on :
Do you also hold the market on geotech puns, Zan?
Surely she has no foundation for such beliefs.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:Curse you, I was going to say that. As a geotechnical engineer, it was my perogative to make quips relative to foundations.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Reminds me of Varley's "Tinpan Alley", with a sidelighting milieu-portrait about human+symbiont solarsails having an aesthetic"war": one faction painting the Rings of Saturn red, and the other removing the paint.
[ April 26, 2005, 10:49 AM: Message edited by: aspectre ]
Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Clearly she has some deep-rooted psychological problems for which she should seek professional help.
</Marla>
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
Nah, I just think she was stoned out of her head.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I'll admit that when I read about the Deep Impact mission some time ago, my second thought (my first thought was "cool!") was "wouldn't it be interesting if comets were actually space probes designed by some alien intelligence to "patrol" particular areas of space, collecting data of some sort, and our bashing into one of them caused that intelligence to get irritated with us." Of course, this was a "that'd be kind of an interesting premise for a story" thought rather than an "I consider this a serious possibility" thought, but still.
Posted by prolixshore (Member # 4496) on :
Here's what I always wondered. If she believes rocks have the same rights as human beings, why doesn't that apply to plants? She eats plants, doesn't that make her a murderer by her worldview? So does she find a way to believe plants have a different set of rights, or does she just recognize that she is a murderer?
She hasn't starved to death, so it must be one of the two.
--ApostleRadio
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
"Here's what I always wondered. If she believes rocks have the same rights as human beings, why doesn't that apply to plants?"
I doubt she could seriously believe this. If she did, using metal of any kind -- or graphite pencils, or cosmetics, or whatever -- would be heartbreaking for her. So she doesn't, but likes to pretend that she does.
Posted by Vána (Member # 6593) on :
That's what I'm thinking too, Tom.
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
If a rock is sentient, and we break the rock in two, are we killing the rock, or birthing a new generation?
Is sand sentient? Is it the grain or the dune that thinks and feels and hurts?
(Though you have to admit, you've gotta have some big rocks to sue the USA)
Posted by Portabello (Member # 7710) on :
Noemon -- have you read Marooned in Realtime by Vernor Vinge? While not a major story element, there is some space probe/space ship/comet confusion and obfuscation in it.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
No, I'll have to read it at some point.
Posted by no. 6 (Member # 7753) on :
This is right out of Red Mars. Anne Clairborne would have agreed. But international law is very inspecific about such things. I really don't think the case has a leg to stand on.
Yet. Posted by Portabello (Member # 7710) on :
Marooned in Realitime is not his best, but it had some interesting ideas. Of course, you'll want to read The Peace War first.
[ April 26, 2005, 12:37 PM: Message edited by: Portabello ]
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
Reds are at it again... Posted by Portabello (Member # 7710) on :
I'm going to have to re-read that someday...
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Now that I've read. It was long enough ago that I don't remember a thing about it, but I know I've read it--in fact I was just looking at its spine last night when I was looking for something to read myself to sleep with.
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