Experiencing some serious cognitive dissonance while jumping back and forth between writing a first draft of my 5-year research grant plan (where I need to be confident and optimistic) and editing yet another FCC comment about how thousands of new huge bright satellites will destroy astronomy research.
3 Boosts
1 Like
@sundogplanets I don't know the first thing about research grant plan writing, but I assume submitting a proposal seeking funding for a 5-year project to research how to get tech bros specifically to stop littering the night skies would be... frowned upon?
@sundogplanets That! I hope you let your self think of the difference between input and longer term outcome 😀 Keeping fingers crossed for you 🤞
Classic case of academic juggling.
I imagine the start of your research proposal containing a disclaimer:
"Assuming there is still a night sky that hasn't been blotted out by @^$&# satellites, or data centres in orbit (LOL, as if that's a real thing), or a Kessler event, this research will...."
@sundogplanets Would it help to be confident and optimistic about your prediction of ruined astronomy, as an alternative to being confident and optimistic about the astronomy itself?
I wonder also whether there's a new subfield to develop. Effects of those damned satellites is the obvious one. Looking past them is the lest obvious one, but I wouldn't want to give the launchers any legitimate excuses – they already seem to have free rein from useless government as it is.
@sundogplanets is this like how I feel alternating between shitposting and doomscrolling?
@sundogplanets
May I suggest writing a research grant plan for vital research in the field of rapid unscheduled disassembly of satellite megaconstellations?