Space science: The telescope that ate astronomy

Nature ^ | 10/27/10 | Lee Billings

[LibWhacker]

NASA's next-generation space observatory promises to open new windows on the Universe — but its cost could close many more.

It has to work — for astronomers, there is no plan B. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scheduled to launch in 2014, is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope and the key to almost every big question that astronomers hope to answer in the coming decades. Its promised ability to peer back through space and time to the formation of the first galaxies made it the top priority in the 2001 astronomy and astrophysics decadal survey, one of a series of authoritative, ten-year plans drafted by the US astronomy community. And now, the stakes are even higher. Without the JWST, the bulk of the science goals listed in the 2010 decadal survey, released this August, will be unattainable.

[LibWhacker]

If it succeeds, I'm going to be loving it. But it is a huge #!@%$^%$ gamble.

[Karliner]

No worries the muslims gave us algebra and they’ll git R done!

[Karliner]

No worries the muslims gave us algebra and they’ll git R done!

[Blood of Tyrants]

Just make sure that there are no Muslims within shoulder-fired missile range when the rocket is launched.

[montag813]

Hubble’s images are miraculous. If Webb is supposed to be as better as they claim, it will be spectacular for all mankind.

[dr_lew]

Nasir rolled over on his back, with my glasses, and began to study the stars, counting aloud first one group and then another; crying out with surprise at discovering little lights not noticed by his unaided eye. Auda set us on to talk of telescopes--of the great ones--and of how man in three hundred years had so far advanced from his first essay that now he built glasses as long as a tent, through which he counted thousands of unknown stars. 'And the stars--what are they?' We slipped into talk of suns beyond suns, sizes and distance beyond wit. 'What will now happen with this knowledge?' asked Mohammed. 'We shall set to, and many learned and some clever men together will make glasses as more powerful than ours, as ours than Galileo's; and yet more hundreds of astronomers will distinguish and reckon yet more thousands of now unseen stars, mapping them, and giving each one its name. When we see them all, there will be no night in heaven.'

Why are the Westerners always wanting all?' provokingly said Auda. 'Behind our few stars we can see God, who is not behind your millions.' We want the world's end, Auda.' 'But that is God's,' complained Zaal, half angry. Mohammed would not have his subject turned. 'Are there men on these greater worlds?' he asked. 'God knows.' 'And has each the Prophet and heaven and hell?' Auda broke in on him. 'Lads, we know our districts, our camels, our women. The excess and the glory are to God. If the end of wisdom is to add star to star our foolishness is pleasing.' And then he spoke of money, and distracted their minds till they all buzzed at once. Afterwards he whispered to me that I must get him a worthy gift from Feisal when he won Akaba.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom, CHAPTER XLIX

FWIW!

[Redcitizen]

Boudreaux and Thibodeaux went camping in the desert. After they got their tent
all set up, both men fell sound asleep.. Some hours later,
Thibodeaux woke Boudreaux and said, “Ma sha look towards da sky, what you see?”
Boudreaux replied, “I see millions of stars.” “What that tell you?” asked Thibodeaux.
Boudreaux pondered for a minute then said:
“Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets.
Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to
be approximately a quarter past three in the morning.
Theologically, mother nature is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant.
Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.
Whats’ it tell you, Thibodeaux?”
Thibodeaux says: “Boudreaux, you dumber than cow ****. It means somebody stole the tent!”

[tlb]

That story works a better the way I originally heard it. Thibodeaux being Sherlock Holmes challenging Watson as Boudreaux to make a deduction ;)

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1697113/posts?page=6#6

[Redcitizen]

I vaguely remember that version but its been a few years. =)

[Lancey Howard]

Gee, I hope they shape the mirror to the correct dimensions this time.