Chinese Team Heading for Coldest Spot on Earth 385
LMCBoy writes "Dome A is the highest point on the Antarctic Plateau, and it has never been reached by humans. It is thought to be the coldest place on earth, and is certainly among the most remote. Yesterday, a team of Chinese explorers set out from Fremantle, Australia to reach Dome A and set up a robotic weather station which will monitor the local conditions for up to five years. The team is expected to arrive at Dome A in early 2005."
Good for China! (Score:5, Insightful)
This voyage isn't a joke, it's serious stuff... (Score:5, Insightful)
The long-term thinking and objectives behind this sort of expedition is space exploration. If the Chinese can successfully establish a base in one of the least hospitable places on the planet, and overcome the physical, logistical, pyschological and other hurdles that such an endeavour involves, then they will have gained valuable experience and climed another rung up the ladder towards the eventual establishment of a populated lunar or Martian base.
They aren't going there for the scenery, they're going there to take some hard knocks and learn from them.
Re:Monitoring, huh? (Score:4, Insightful)
Day 2: Cold
Day 23017: Warm.
Air-Drop easier? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Air-Drop easier? (Score:1, Insightful)
But then how would you get a video of a couple of Chinese, praising their communist leaders while standing next to their flag, at one of the most coldest places on Earth?
Re:The continuing rise of China. (Score:3, Insightful)
The problem is, you just contradicted yourself. They're not pushing ahead. They're replicating the feats of 50 years ago, just as you pointed out. All this has been done before.
You're not pushing ahead until you do something NEW. And the Chinese and Indians haven't done that.
-Erwos
Re:The continuing rise of China. (Score:5, Insightful)
(1) China/India is now out-pacing the US.
(2) Yawn, they are finally catching up with the USA of the 1950's.
Neither strikes me as justified. The US is still pushing the boundaries of exploration and science in ways that neither country can hope to match any time soon, but that doesn't mean that their efforts count for nothing. Both countries are again making significant contributions to the sum of human achievement and knowledge. We should all be happy about that.
This the same China? (Score:1, Insightful)
Despite whatever they may do down there in Antarctica, their actions in the geopolitical sphere where things actually matter are not so friendly and come very close to antagonizing and aggravating an already tepid friendship with it and its neighbors. China is a bully and has been doing a little more bullying lately as the US thins its troops out in order to send more people to Iraq to quell the violence there.
Obviously we can't blame the actions of their government on these scientists, but as a nation of peace-loving citizens, it does not make sense that the Australian government would be expending money and energy to help the Chinese in their scientific advance.
Re:The continuing rise of China. (Score:4, Insightful)
What the hell are you talking about? The US is pouring billions into research on a myriad of efforts:
1. Robotic missions to Saturn
2. Two (TWO!) golf carts running around ON MARS drilling holes in rocks as I write this
3. cranking out pharmeceuticals at an incredible pace
4. Internet II
5. restoring the everglades
6. Scaled Composites PRIVATE astronauts
7. GPS satellite system (+70 birds)
You may be missing it because most of the really bitchen things done in the US are done by private companies (thank God), but the US govt efforts are still pretty big and pretty kick-ass in my book.
Alternatively, the Chinese are doing things that everyone else did 40 years ago. They aren't pushing a single boundary, ANYWHERE.
Why travel on foot? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:This voyage isn't a joke, it's serious stuff... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:suprised US hasn't already done this. (Score:3, Insightful)
We were fanatical about data gathering, but we are unable to afford to do so anymore. Part of the reason is that your country exports large quantities of consumer goods to us through the giant U.S. retailer known as Wal-Mart and increasing our already huge trade deficit. This is also depressing our local economies and putting local companies out of business as they can not compete with your workers that work for $.50 an hour. Subsequently there is less taxes paid to the federal government. So critical areas such as government research (esp. in the area of "pure research") and grants to college students suffer (as does the ability of of middle income families to fund college educations).
Thus, you have less people who can go to college. If they do they are less likely to study things like "geophysics" and more likely "law," as we know that the only thing left on this planet after we kill the enviroment with our large SUVs will be cockroaches and lawyers. Those that cannot go to college or unemployed geophyicists are currently finding employment at Wal-Mart if they are lucky. However, this is not a living wage here and many of us are having difficulties with it.
While the Bush tax-cut was helpful in that the $125 provided for a muffler repair and a trip to the movies, sadly it is not enough. The crushing force of the twin deficits will continue to devalue the dollar, and we will increasingly be unable to buy stuff, even if it comes from the hands of your fine workers there in China.
As this last election has shown, nothing is going to change for the foreseeable future. The closest that we are going to get to establishing new arctic/antarctic research is to watch reruns of Ice Station Zebra [imdb.com]. So my friend in China, encourage science and space exploration there, as we can no longer afford it here.
Also, please stop using so much raw material. It really is driving up prices and inflation badly here.
I'm sorry if my little personal note offends other slashdotters who might mod me down, but I thought this issue needed addressing.
that isn't "meaningless" (Score:5, Insightful)
Can you say hypocrit (Score:3, Insightful)
Germany also doesn't deny their warcrimes unlike japan.
The chinese have plenty of reason to threathen japan. If they send a nuke or two over then it is just delayed justice and really no different then America invading Iraq.
No if you want to blame china for anything do it for their actions in Tibet. That is nasty enough for anyone.
If you are really serious about peace-loving nations not working together with more aggressive nations then america would be in total isolation right now. China is just saber rattling. Making sure that past war criminals do not get the idea they could do it again.
For the near future China has a booming economy that could only be hurt by going to war. They like being the maker of everything sold in the entire world. Why risk it all with a war?
It is roughly the same reason you hear nothing about Tibet. The western powers that be like having everything made cheap in China so China can go ahead with its own crimes as long as it doesn't do it accross its borders.
Money is a powerfull motivator for peace but peace can only happen when you remind people that they will loose if they are not peacefull.
America uses its fleets and the occasional invasion. China hold big parades and sends some parts of its fleet on excersises.
So far it seems that the biggest threat to world peace is firmly in the west.
Re:This voyage isn't a joke, it's serious stuff... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:The continuing rise of China. (Score:3, Insightful)
OT, but...
Don't forget that 49% of Americans are as upset as you are. More so: we live here!
And Bush talks about "healing the divide" -- yea sure. Division, derision, hate, fear, uncertainty and doubt are his "moral values." I'm curious who wrote his Bible.
Re:Good for China! (Score:2, Insightful)
The Patriot Act is bad? How about a court system without a real appeals system and has no checks and balances. How about forcing elementry school students to the local stadium so have them watch and cheer executions of corrupted businessmen. Yeah, that still happens in some cities there, ask the Peace Corps.
Its its really about attaining your goals and not being accountable for _how_ you got there, then by all means, go China! What a Country!
the US surely isnt purfect but the typical slashdot double standard gets really old.
Amazing. (Score:2, Insightful)
I think there's an irrational hatred of the USA in general which causes people to want the US to fail. I don't waste my time bashing other countries highlighting all their failures, I want them to succeed. But I also want things to be kept in perspective and not sensationalized or overlooked. Saying that a country "can" do something that another country already has done is cheap talk. Let's keep it real- until they have, they haven't.
Your reasoning was pretty good, but it still was a stretch... it seemed like you were really reaching for something. Neither the USA, Russia, or China are going to build a "castle" on the Moon or Mars and defend it against exploration by another country. Space exploration is usually an area where countries help each other out even if they're enemies in another regard.
It is important to push emotions aside and keep things in perspective. Even if you don't like someone you should still be objective. Spinning the truth to make them sound like a failure only uncovers your bias against them.
Re:The continuing rise of China. (Score:3, Insightful)
As an American who despises Bush and Co., and is extremely worried about the direction our nation is being led, I would like to point out that what you just said is part and parcel the Bush mantra. "You're either with us, or against us." Your seemingly Manichean posture here is as equally repellent to me as Bush's simplistic dividing line. I may take sides, and I assure you it won't be Bush's.
But it won't be yours, either.